Best Books on Fitness: Finding the Perfect Fitness Books for You
If you’re like most people, you probably want to be fit but might not know exactly where to start, or maybe you have been working out for years but want to expand your fitness horizons. Well, look no further. Here are the best books on fitness that will teach you everything you need to know. These books have everything from setting realistic fitness goals to learning about different types of exercises.
This list of the best books on fitness will highlight the top options and will allow you to find the right fitness books for you. Whether you’re looking to improve your diet, learn new exercises, or just want to be inspired by a great story, these books have something for everyone.
After you finish with this list of the best books on fitness, our lists of the best fitness websites, best fitness apps, and best fitness watches will also provide some more excellent fitness information for you to take advantage of.
Top 25 Books on Fitness:
1. The Fitness Mindset
Price: $14.99
Highlights: Covers diet, exercise regimes, and personal motivation, provides an easy-to-follow plan, and teaches how small improvements provide big results.
About Fitness Book: Covering all aspects of fitness, from diet and exercise regimes to personal motivation, this top fitness book provides you with an easy-to-follow plan for success. From developing healthier eating habits that are beneficial for your body to creating a more rigorous exercise routine that will keep you busy and motivated, The Fitness Mindset has it all.
Keane’s thoughtful examination of how to bridge the gap between small improvements and big results makes it easy for anyone interested in health and wellness to gain long-term success in their journey. With step-by-step instructions and inspiring motivational stories, you can finally hit the gym while cultivating other important life skills like confidence and self-expression.
2. Starting Strength
Price: $22.21
Highlights: Helps master barbell weightlifting, chapters dedicated to particular exercises, and good for all different kinds of fitness goals.
About Fitness Book: This book is the ultimate guide to mastering barbell weightlifting, covering everything from squats to deadlifts in incredible detail. Each chapter breaks down a particular exercise so you can familiarize yourself with its main challenges and key characteristics for proper form.
Not only that, but this book is perfect for all kinds of different fitness goals. If you’re aiming to get stronger, build muscle, reduce injury risk, or improve athleticism – this book has it covered.
3. Wired to Eat
Price: $17.00
Highlights: Simplifies the primal response between humans and their food, provides a series of simple meal plans, and helps you gain control over your cravings.
About Fitness Book: With its groundbreaking 30-Day Reset Diet program, Wired to Eat simplifies the primal response between human beings and their food – allowing you to understand satiety and control your cravings like never before.
Written by expert nutritionist Rob Wolff, this best-selling book provides an essential roadmap for successful weight loss through a series of simple yet effective meal plans, exercises, and lifestyle modifications. From cutting out sugar and gluten to eliminating inflammatory foods, these ideas will help you gain control over your cravings.
In addition to all this information, Wired to Eat offers a free online workbook tailored to help you reach your health goals much easier and faster. All instructions are easy to follow and backed by reliable evidence from leading scientific research institutes.
4. The One-Minute Workout
Price: $24.50
Highlights: The author is a kinesiologist, provides four micro-workouts and eight basic intervals, and helps you maximize your fitness in minimal time.
About Fitness Book: Tired of feeling like you don’t have time to get fit? With Martin Gibala’s The One-Minute Workout, you no longer have to worry. In this informative read, Gibala uses his expertise as a kinesiologist to show you how you can use short intervals and workouts to maximize your fitness in minimal time.
Comprised of four micro-workouts and eight basic intervals, The One-Minute Workout makes it easy for you to get the exercise that your body needs in the time that you have available.
5. Peak Performance
Price: $21.99
Highlights: A powerful roadmap to achieving peak performance, provides actionable strategies for staying competitive, and the plan is easy to follow.
About Fitness Book: Written by Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg, this is one of the best books on fitness and is a comprehensive guide to optimizing your mental and physical performance. Drawing from the lessons learned from their own experiences, Steve and Brad have created a powerful roadmap to achieving peak performance.
This incredible book will provide readers with actionable strategies for staying competitive in every area of life. Get ready to unlock your full potential with Peak Performance as your ultimate guide. With an easy-to-follow plan that blends innovative fitness exercises with motivation, you’ll soon be well on your way to developing yourself into the best version of yourself.
6. Thinner Leaner Stronger
Price: $22.49
Highlights: An 8-12 week program that focuses your diet around macros, teaches how to use weight training, and includes a 98-page workout guide.
About Fitness Book: Women all across the world share your frustration with reaching their ideal physique. Fortunately, Thinner Leaner Stronger is here to help you finally get the body of your dreams.
Matthews has created an 8-12 week program that helps you focus your diet around macros rather than calories – putting you back in control. The program highlights how you can use weight training instead of cardio to sculpt and define the curves of your body. Matthews leaves out all the guesswork, making this program perfect even for beginners.
Not only will this top fitness book give you an easy-to-follow program, but it also comes with a 98-page workout guide designed to supplement what’s already in the book – giving you even more tools to reach optimal fitness levels.
Put simply: Thinner Leaner Stronger is specifically for women who are looking to break free from boring diets or mind-numbing cardio sessions and finally transform their bodies.
7. Glute Lab
Price: $32.49
Highlights: Will help improve strength and form, techniques are backed by science, and teaches step-by-step methods.
About Fitness Book: Filled with field research and science-backed techniques, this comprehensive guide is your one-stop shop to get the most out of your workouts. The glutes are the largest muscles in your body and provide stability during an array of exercises.
Whether you’re running, jumping, or weight lifting – maximizing the strength of your glutes will give you more power and better results overall. You can trust that each step-by-step method in Glute Lab will help you build strength, improve form and exercise technique, as well as reach new personal goals quicker than ever before.
8. The Triathlete’s Training Bible
Price: $39.95
Highlights: Provides information to maximize training efficiency and productivity, covers the physiology of endurance sports, and emphasizes smart planning.
About Fitness Book: This user-friendly book speaks to athletes of every skill level and provides all of the information needed to maximize your training efficiency and productivity. It offers up sound advice on how to boost performance without overtraining or risking injury—an absolute must for anyone who wants to compete in triathlons.
The Triathlete’s Training Bible covers the physiology of endurance sports, proper training, and periodization, as well as the essential mental preparation it takes to achieve greatness in this multifaceted sport.
9. Real-World Conditioning
Price: $9.99
Highlights: An immersive look into Kettlebell training, cutting-edge approaches to real-world conditioning, and helps take everyday fitness routines to the next level.
About Fitness Book: Not only does our curated collection provide an immersive look into Kettlebell training as pioneered by Pavel Tsatsouline (former Soviet Union special forces instructor) and heavy rope/Battling Rope conditioning systems developed by John Brookfield, but it promises to provide the insight and inspiration you need to take your everyday fitness routines to the next level.
The best athletes in the world know that sometimes it takes more than dumbbells and treadmills to stay in peak condition. That’s why they rely on cutting-edge approaches like those found in Real-world Conditioning.
10. Ready to Run
Price: $26.02
Highlights: Helps master the techniques of running, includes 12 simple performance standards, and includes tips on how to prevent injuries and stay safe.
About Fitness Book: This top fitness book, authored by renowned coach and physiotherapist Kelly Starrett, Ph.D., will immediately become your go-to resource for mastering the techniques of running and overcoming any potential obstacles that may be in your way.
In Ready To Run, you’ll find 12 simple performance standards that will help you understand how to run faster and also how to sustainably do so with fewer injuries. With this book at your side, you’ll learn about proper training techniques and learn essential tips on changing running shoes in a safe way.
Additionally, you’ll be able to preempt injury by focusing on strong mechanics for better performance.
11. 5/3/1
Price: $26.99
Highlights: Teaches how to reach goals without burning out or sacrificing health, written by a powerlifter and former college football player, and focuses on both mental and physical health.
About Fitness Book: This eponymous strength training program was created by none other than Jim Wendler–a powerlifter and former college football player. Wendler became obsessed with powerlifting, squatting over 1,000 pounds, bench pressing 675 pounds, and deadlifting 700 pounds.
But in the process of pushing himself to be stronger than ever before, Wendler grew overweight, overtired, and out of control. Approaching a crossroads, he made the decision to prioritize his mental and physical health – therefore embarking on an incredible journey that eventually birthed the invaluable 5/3/1 program.
With 5/3/1, Mr. Wendler discovered it was possible to reach his goals without sacrificing health or burning out motivation. In short: no matter your fitness level, 5/3/1 will help you progress, get fit faster, and stay healthy.
12. The New Rules of Lifting for Women
Price: $20.00
Highlights: Helps beginners get started with weight training, explains proper form, body mechanics, and nutrition, and provides new challenges for more experienced lifters.
About Fitness Book: Introducing The New Rules of Lifting for Women– the perfect fitness book for any woman looking to level up their fitness game. Written by personal trainer and fitness expert Lou Schuler, this book breaks through the misconceptions women have about lifting and provides a straightforward but detailed program to help you feel strong and healthy.
This is one of the best books on fitness and will show even beginners how to get started with weight training in an unintimidating way. By explaining proper form, body mechanics, and nutrition in easy-to-understand language, Lou Schuler shows you how to progress safely and confidently throughout your workout journey.
For those more experienced lifters out there, The New Rules of Lifting for Women has something for you, too, by providing new challenges that will help you push past your plateau.
13. Good to Go
Price: $17.41
Highlights: Teaches how to get the most out of your body’s ability to heal itself, an evidence-based approach, and combines personal anecdotes from experts.
About Fitness Book: Written by journalist and athlete Christie Aschwanden, this book offers a deep dive into fitness research that will help you make informed decisions about your own workout routine. Whether it’s different stretches, massage tools, ice baths, or any other recovery method, you’ll learn how to get the most out of your body’s ability to heal itself.
By taking an evidence-based approach and combining personal anecdotes from experts in the field, Aschwanden shows us that rest and recovery can be just as important as working out when seeking an optimal level of physical fitness.
14. The Elephant in the Gym
Price: $14.95
Highlights: Science-based guide, helps find lifestyles that work for the individual, and teaches how to enjoy their time in the gym.
About Fitness Book: It’s not about achieving perfection, but about finding a balance and enjoying your time in the gym. Author and health coach, Gillian Goerzen, will help you identify what fitness means to you and provide you with a compassionate, science-based guide to create a lifestyle that works for YOU.
Gillian knows firsthand how daunting and difficult it can be to take on a journey to better health amid all the noise of body shaming, strict diets, and unrealistic ideals. That’s why she puts the power back in your hands with The Elephant in the Gym. Read all about her inspiring personal journey while developing practical advice that will help you define what true fitness is for you.
15. Atomic Habits
Price: $14.11
Highlights: Teaches how to identify and create habit patterns, provides tips for better fitness, and can also increase your motivation.
About Fitness Book: This comprehensive book guides you in creating healthy habits that become permanent parts of your lifestyle. From identifying and creating habit patterns to making them visible, attractive, easy, and satisfying, Atomic Habits gives you a foolproof framework for getting fit and staying there.
It’s like finally having the motivation to keep your New Year’s Resolutions.
16. Breathwork
Price: $12.41
Highlights: Helps connect the mind and body through the power of breath, teaches how to connect with oneself and release stress, and can be used by people of all experience levels.
About Fitness Book: This inspiring guide is designed to help connect your mind and body through the power of breath. With Moselle’s guide, you’ll get every advantage out of fitness and mindfulness—all within the pages of this book.
In Breathwork, Moseles leads readers on an invigorating journey into the world of connecting with oneself and releasing stress. She begins with an explanation of what breathwork can do for your physical and mental well-being, giving readers insight into how best to approach this type of mindfulness practice.
The strategies in Breathwork can be used by people of all experience levels to move forward in their personal journey toward improved self-care. Moselle then gets down to the business at hand: presenting her three-week training program filled with step-by-step exercises that are tailored for maximum impact.
17. Strength Training Anatomy
Price: $22.46
Highlights: Gives a complete understanding of your body, teaches how to each exercise targets different muscles, and helps maximize training results and minimize injury.
About Fitness Book: Whether you’re an experienced athlete or just starting a fitness journey, Strength Training Anatomy is the book that will give you a complete understanding of your own body.
Written by anatomist Frédéric Delavier and beautifully illustrated with Delavier’s detailed artwork, Strength Training Anatomy serves as your visual guide to the innermost workings of muscle groups used in exercise.
With this book, you’ll be able to better understand how each exercise targets different muscles so that you can maximize your training results and minimize injury. Each exercise is accompanied by beautifully crafted anatomy drawings that accurately depict bone structure, ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissues.
18. You Are Your Own Gym
Price: $17.99
Highlights: 125 different workouts, uses body weight rather than traditional weights, and contains nutritional information.
About Fitness Book: This superb book is written by one of the world’s best Special Ops trainers and contains all the knowledge you need to get in shape – from just using your own body weight. You Are Your Own Gym has exercises for everyone – 125 different workouts that offer a full body workout and can deliver great results when done for just half an hour, four times a week.
Discover a new way to work out with plenty of motivational messages thrown in for good measure too. As if that wasn’t already great, this book also contains nutrition information, so you make sure your diet keeps you as healthy and energized as possible during this fitness journey.
19. No Sweat
Price: $13.99
Highlights: Four-point program for tackling your fitness goals, provides tools for staying committed, and helps you recognize successes along the way.
About Fitness Book: This exceptional book is full of helpful tips based on years of research about exercise and motivation with a four-point program for tackling your fitness goals. With this book, you’ll be able to create lasting change in your life and see incredible results.
This book will provide users with the tools they need to stay committed and get up each day, raring to finally make those changes that have long eluded them. Start planning and set clear, actionable steps on how to reach your goals while recognizing successes along the way.
It’s time to take control of your life, stay motivated and complete those objectives without feeling overwhelmed.
20. All About Powerlifting
Price: $9.99
Highlights: Introduces the history, culture, and fundamentals of powerlifting, techniques for improving squats, bench press, and deadlifts, and covers appropriate gear and how to use it correctly.
About Fitness Book: Written by weightlifting coach and competitive powerlifter Tim Henriques, this top fitness book dives deep into powerlifting from all angles. Not only do you get an introduction to the history, culture, and fundamentals of powerlifting, but you also gain insight into how best to approach technique tips for improving squat, bench press, and deadlift.
Tim also covers what type of gear is appropriate and how to use it correctly, as well as how to construct programming for powerlifting workout sessions and how best to prepare for a first competitive meet. This comprehensive guide provides athletes with everything they need to become physically strong and achieve their full potential.
21. Principles of Muscle Building Program Design
Price: $13.99
Highlights: Covers fundamentals of strength training, written by the world’s leading personal trainers, and helps you develop a customized program for your specific goals and needs.
About Fitness Book: Packed with comprehensive information about the fundamentals of strength training, this dynamic book provides readers with knowledge that goes beyond just simple exercise plans. Written by some of the world’s leading personal trainers, this book takes a deeper dive into the science behind why certain techniques are more successful than others.
If you’re ready to equip yourself with the skills and confidence to develop a customized program tailored to your specific goals and needs, then this is the perfect resource for you. Stop just going through the motions, and instead, learn to engineer your training strategies like an expert.
22. The Champion’s Mind
Price: $14.39
Highlights: Dives into the mental approach to fitness, provides practical strategies for sport and exercise, and teaches you how to achieve your goals.
About Fitness Book: Transform yourself into a champion today with The Champion’s Mind. With over 288 pages of inspiring and motivating content from sports psychology expert Jim Afremow, this book dives deep into the mental approach to fitness and shows you how you can make extraordinary advances.
For too long, the physical element of fitness was given greater attention than the mental. But The Champion’s Mind provides practical strategies for approaching sport and exercise as both – a physical and a mental challenge. Discover how to develop your own personal game plan, overcome daily challenges, and achieve your goals no matter how ambitious they may be.
This remarkable collection also covers important topics like goal setting, sticking with training programs, and techniques for staying focused year-round.
23. Body Transformation Meal Plan Design
Price: $45.28
Highlights: Easy to follow, teaches the core principles of nutrition, and tangible mechanisms for stress management.
About Fitness Book: This expertly crafted, easy-to-follow meal plan design will provide you with everything you need for long-term success – no matter your dietary preference. This book is your guide to mastering the fundamental skills of learning the core principles of nutrition, constructing a sustainable diet, and finding out how to transform your shape.
Among its pages, you’ll find tangible mechanisms for managing stress management and getting exercise right, necessary companions if you want to see true results. With comprehensive information and personalized advice, this book has all the solutions you need to commence a new era in health.
24. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide
Price: $25.99
Highlights: 816 pages, contains nutritional trends and dietary guidelines, and is explained in an accessible format.
About Fitness Book: This 816-page book contains essential dietary guidelines, public health information, and nutritional trends—all carefully crafted with everyday language, so it’s easy for readers to understand.
Science doesn’t have to be complicated when it’s explained in an accessible format. Trust the expertise of author Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RDN, FAND, CFCS, when you make decisions about your health.
25. Kettlebell Simple & Sinister
Price: $21.64
Highlights: A revised and updated version, covers building strength and endurance to mastering complex movements, and is tailored for both beginners and advanced readers.
About Fitness Book: Pavel Tsatsouline, the master of kettlebells and creator of this amazing program, has released a revised and updated version with even more useful tips and helpful advice. From building strength and endurance to mastering complex movements, it provides simple steps that will motivate you toward a healthier lifestyle.
Whether you’re into intense workouts or an aspirant athlete, Kettlebell Simple & Sinister has something for everyone. With its easy-to-follow instruction tailored to your capabilities, this amazing book can help you fulfill any physical goals from beginner to advanced levels.
Best Books on Fitness Conclusion
If you’re looking to get fit, these are the best books on fitness that will teach you everything you need to know.
With helpful tips and advice on everything from setting realistic fitness goals to learning about different types of exercises, these books will help you achieve your fitness goals in no time.
Is there a fitness book that you think should be on this list but isn’t? Please feel free to share it below if so.
