Writing An ALL-Purpose Exercise Book

[Quickshot657]

Explanations and updates are going to be included in this thread. If you would like to skip the introduction as to why the book is being written, then by all means scroll down passed the underscore divider, that is the section that will explain how you can help.

My friend and I (Both 19 and in our second year of college) have decided to write a bodybuilding book. We are not currently looking to get it published, but we will be taking precautions such as:

1. Citing any sources used.
2. Going as far as to research ANYTHING possible to reach this summer-long goal (perhaps even a year-long goal).
3. We will be going to Libraries, asking any professional or even spending money to have access to information other people may not have access to, and even asking professors and P.H.D.'s around the country (if we must go that far) as to any scientific or factual information pertaining to exercises.

This is in the Exercise forum for the reason that it is mostly an Exercise book. We will be dividing the body into ALL muscle groups, no matter how intricate, and then the exercises into groups of isolation versus compound (we may even go as far as splitting it again, depending on the research). We have over 150 pages of information already, but i project this book to be easily 700 pages. The Biceps alone have over 40 exercises.

The purpose for the book is to be able to say "Okay its tuesday, i'm doing chest today and i want to confuse the muscle inducing growth, so lets flip to the upper chest and see what my options are for a burnout after many working sets."

Or we can say such things as: "Hmmmm, I'd like to know why legs are important, maybe there is science behind the conclusion that when you workout legs everything grows."

See, I will be updating this thread with the table of contents for the book, of course i want a very raw incomplete outline over the next few days, and as my research advances i'd like to take it to the next level by adding sections.

The book will be in a binder, and it will most likely not have page numbers because of how long it will take to research. That will make it easy to add information in. The organization will be present in the form of dividers which separate it into the respective table of content sections.

__________________________________________________ _______________

I need your help. Below will be a SLEW of topics, all in which will be present in the book. I will be researching all the topics to the best of my ability, but it is very hard to create a book so broad and big that i do need help. I'd like for anybody who knows where to find credible information to post a link.

Most of the book is information directly from Bodybuilding.com, but the problem is that i'm not satisfied with one source.

When it comes down to it, i'd like access to scientific journals and professor's research. I don't want to be getting most of my information from a book in the library that is dated 1862, or a magazine that claims the program they offer is the next big thing. I want to include incredibly advanced accompanied by incredibly basic exercises and everything in between. I want to know pre-exhaustion, fat loss, vascularity, ETC. I want to know mediocre facts as well as important ones. I've already read over 200 articles, many books and have seen all the exercises this site itself has to offer, but i want more because i know there IS more.

I will be including any topics that need to be researched below. I do not care how hard the information is to get, or if it costs money. I want to know what a professor knows.

If anybody can help me in this pursuit, please let me know.

__________________________________________________ _______________

Topics in need of research:

-How to have access to more advanced research than google.com.
-Muscle gain (VERY Broad -- will be broken down)
-Fat Loss (Also VERY Broad)
-Chest
-Back
-Traps
-Legs (Quads/Hams/Calves)
-Arms (Tris/Bis/Forearms)
-Shoulders (Delts/Rotator Cuff/ETC.)
-Nutrition (May be a seperate book)
-Pre-Exhaustion
-Supersetting
-Effects of Rest between sets
-Importance of Rest (Night-time)
-Comprehensive Explanation to Fat Gain/Loss
-Different Types of Protein
-Different Types of Carbs
-Different Types of Fat
-Powerlifting Vs. Bodybuilding (I may find this to be too hard to pinpoint)

That is really a VERY rough draft for the book, and it seems to me its way WAY too broad. It may contain thousands of pages, but some sections will be cut out. I still would like to research them to the fullest even though the entire section may be cut out. The main purpose for the book is the show each and every exercise. There may be a rating scale, giving the exercise a priority level, this has not been discussed or thought about too deeply yet.

This entire post will look very different over the course of the next few days. I will be trying to discover tags for making this look better, and formatting it cleaner. Progress will be tracked as well, and it will be edited often. All those topics above were simply what i could think of right now at 11:50 at night, so please feel free to add in any information or topics that pertain to getting a better body. I may include such things as:

-Calistenics
-Yoga
-Kenpo
-Plyometrics
-Cardio

Or ANYTHING virtually out there such as Meditation. I have absolutely no limits for this or a deadline of any sorts. By all means, have no limits on your response as well. I want this book to be the creation of THOUSANDS of minds, not just two.

Thank you for your time.

[Quickshot657]

Um, Bump. No support?

[Retardo-pex]

To be honest, most people who will buy this book are going to be pretty lazy, and instead of reading 700+ pages of exercise info, they are going to want templates of what to do. There is so much conrtradictory info out there as well, its going to be pretty rough explaining why one strength coach is right and one is wrong or one bodybuilder is right or wrong.

People want to expect results from buying books, if they find out the authors aren't fitness models, doctors, or nutritionist they might look down on its credibility...sad truth. I would recommend you both work your asses off inside the gym too and get a photoshoot down with all the tricks in the book to use for your about the author blurb.

[Shortfuze]

Sounds very interesting. I would definately like to read such a book but I'm prob in the minority. Most folks just want the basics and prob won' have the time or interest to read such a voluminous and detailed book. Also you're going to have to sift through thousands of other bodybuilding books out there to get all the information and even then it won't be complete. In addition, you have to offer something new or different(in terms of information, exercise techniques, diet etc) in order to stand out from the other books out there.

It's gonna be tough but hey if you can pull it off, more power to you man

[Defiant1]

[Lencho]

Originally Posted by Defiant1

[img]o'rally owl[img]

It looks like somebody just couldn't resist.

[Quickshot657]

I'm not trying to sell this book, i want to make it so that i can go through a binder and switch up a routine. I don't want people to research it for me, i just want to know of sites that i may have overlooked, or if there is a way to access medical information that targets more than just how do do an exercise.

Also, in terms of reps, i'm pretty lost as to why this was so looked down upon. An entire book where you can flip right to a body part and find a great exercise to me is very VERY powerful. To each his own i guess.

[BG5150]

Originally Posted by Quickshot657

IAn entire book where you can flip right to a body part and find a great exercise to me is very VERY powerful. To each his own i guess.

Even with all its faults, Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding has just that. No tabs or anything, but I made my own out of post-its.