Athletic Development: The Art & Science of Functional Sports Conditioning

by Vern Gambetta

Athletic Development offers a rare opportunity to learn and apply a career full of knowledge from the best. World-renowned strength and conditioning coach Vern Gambetta condenses the wisdom he's gained through more than 40 years of experience of working with athletes across sports, age groups, and levels of competition, including members of the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, and U.S. men's 1998 World Cup soccer team.

The result is an information-packed, myth-busting explanation of the most effective methods and prescriptions in each facet of an athlete's physical preparation. Gambetta includes never-before-published and ready-to-use training approaches in Athletic Development explains what works, what doesn't, and why. Gambetta's no-nonsense approach emphasizes results that pay off in the competitive season and reflect his work at the highest echelons of sport. Merging principles of anatomy, biomechanics, and exercise physiology with sports conditioning applications and four decades of professional practice, this is the definitive guide to performance-enhancing training.

Genres: Sports, Health

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2006

Reviews

[David Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job of providing a lot of examples to different concepts that it presents. A lot of this material is review from what I've learned so far in graduate school but it is kept concise and easy to pick up if you're a first time reader. Some of the information about recovery has changed since it came out but most of the other content is still relevant

[John McLain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt too broad and generic. The opening chapters were a buffet of cliche coaching platitudes. I guess as a sort of really big picture introduction, it's fine. But for anyone looking for a deep dive into strength and conditioning, especially for any sport in particular.

[Lalena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is designed more for coaches and trainers, but there is some good information for an idividual who would like to get fit. There are all kinds of gimmicky get fit quick excercises out there. I think a book written by someone who has actually worked with athletes provides more practical information.

[Roy Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious and too abstract for my taste. May simply not be for non-professional trainers. I self train and expected to find useful practical guidelines, instead found mainly play of words and huge generalizations.

[Sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for anyone who works as a coach.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gambetta is one of the foremost experts in this newish field of athletic development. He is the guru that all the other gurus learn from. This book is full of both the theoretical and the practical.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but I think he undervalues the importance of aerobic conditioning a little.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite contributors to my overall knowledge of conditioning.

[SV]

skimmed parts
train movements not muscles!