The 13 Best Fitness Books Ever Written

1800s - Eugen Sandow Strength and How to Obtain It (1897). Arguably the most influential fitness book ever, it kick started the modern fascination with muscular development and physical culture. 1920s - Alan Calvert Super Strength (1924). One of the first books to promote heavy, progressive barbell training for the everyday person. 1930s - Mark Berry’s Physical Training Simplified (1930). One of the first modern barbell training manuals. Berry, the US Olympic Weightlifting coach, laid out the principles of progressive overload and compound lifts. 1940s – The Male Hormone by Paul de Kruif (1945