Editor’s Note: This post was originally published July 2017 and has recently been updated and revised for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Taking the fast road to being a knowledgeable and successful personal trainer is not as hard as you may think. A trick that the most well-known trainers have adopted is quite simple. It’s reading. Reading books – exhaustive, highly researched information on specific topics – can help you quickly get intimate knowledge with topics you may know little about or that were never required in your personal trainer online certification course. Read our, personal trainer exam tips.
Today, I want to help you round out your career so that you’ll have at least five books that can help make you a more knowledgeable trainer (and be in better shape yourself).
I’ll cover books from the following categories:
- Marketing
- Flexibility
- Strength Training
- Business Administration
- Nutrition
Let’s dive in:
Best Marketing Personal Training Book
Start Your Own Personal Training Business by Tom Weede
Whether you are a newly minted trainer or have been in the business for years, you’ll need to market your services to become successful. If you want to get some great insights into starting a personal training business, finding your niche, how to add more value to your services, and how to implement short and long-term marketing plans, Tom Weede’s Start Your Own Personal Training Business is a must-read.
Other books in this category:
- Business and Sales: The Guide to Success as a Personal Trainer by Eddie Lester (that’s me)
- Ignite the Fire: The Secrets to Building a Successful Personal Training Career by Jonathon Goodman
Best Flexibility Personal Training Book
by Dr. Kelly Starrett
I think I heard Tom Brady, the quarterback of the greatest Super Bowl comeback in NFL history and one of the oldest players in the league at 39, say he focuses as much on pliability as he does strength.
Dr. Starrett’s book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, helps trainers truly understand the principles of human movement to help you and your clients prevent or rehab injuries, improve performance, and live a pain-free life while extending athleticism. Plus, Starrett breaks down exercise movements like squats, snatches, and muscle-ups, and discusses how to correct common faults associated with exercises like these.
Other books in this category:
- Ultimate Guide to Stretching & Flexibility by Brad Walker
Best Strength Training Personal Trainer Book
Get Buffed! Lan King’s Guide to Getting Bigger, Stronger and Leaner! By Lan King
Perhaps one of the most applicable points of knowledge for trainers (due to the demand for this type of training), strength training has its roots in all areas of sports and wellness. Plus, most people know that getting strong has added benefits like looking strong.
This book is actually part of a four-part series and is one of the most popular books for knowledge on getting ripped. Get insight into the science of training, fatigue, rest, speed of movement, theory’s on sets, reps and how long to train, and a in-depth question and answer section about common strength training FAQs your clients will ask.
Other books in this category:
- Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Triplett
Best Business Administration Personal Training Book
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning by G. Gregory Haff and N. Travis Triplett
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is mentioned twice on this list, once here and once in the strength training section. This book is the preferred preparation book of the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam, and provides a highly regarded read on information that relates to business administration.
Beyond the small-time entrepreneur or one-on-one trainer, organizational structure resources like this can be hard to come by. If you are looking to open, operate, or learn more about the ins and outs of a specialist program, the components of this book will help you get there.
Best Nutrition Personal Training Book
Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health by Gary Taubes
Nutrition and dieting can be quite the controversial topic, and many of the topics that relate to this field are subjective. However, trainers looking to learn more about nutrition for themselves and for client recommendations would be wise to lean on science and data as the author of this book has.
Good Calories, Bad Calories will help shine some light on diet and eating, provide you some scientific data to back up your suggestions on fats, carbs, and proteins, and provide one more tool in your belt that helps you provide full-circle training services along with movement-related training.
Other books in this category:
- Wired to Eat by Robb Wolf
Rounding Out Your Personal Training Career
In your quest to be the most knowledgeable and results-driven trainer in town, I’m sure you’ll spend lots of time thinking of ways to get your clients’ better results. Reading books are an easy way to improve your knowledge and understanding of technical topics. In addition to reading, consider how your required continuing education can help you progress your career or invest in specialty courses to fuel your interest in niche areas.
For more recommended personal trainer books, cruise around Amazon and see the sections on “Frequently bought together” or “Customers who bought this item also bought” for insight into all the available information available to you. Let us know what you read in the comments or what you thought of the above books.
Don’t forget to check out our blog post on 5 Tools to Make Your Job as a Personal Trainer Easier!
