Fitness Biography

Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented number one world ranking for 286 weeks, and whose prodigious talent made possible a record-setting 14 Grand Slam titles. While his more vocal rivals sometimes grabbed the headlines, Pete always preferred to let his racket do the talking. Until now.

Rich Piana: Beyond the Iron offers readers a gripping and unfiltered look into the extraordinary life of bodybuilding sensation Rich Piana. This biography goes beyond the bulging muscles and chiseled physique to reveal the raw truth about a man whose journey was marked by both triumphs and tribulations. Rich Piana's impact on the fitness industry was seismic, and this book provides a brief overview of his profound influence. But its true purpose is to delve into the man behind the muscles, peeling back the layers to uncover the relentless pursuit of excellence that defined his life. The ...

Candace Cameron Bure first became known to millions as a costar on the hit ABC television series Full House. Today, like her brother Kirk Cameron ( Growing Pains, Fireproof), she is the rare Hollywood actor who is outspoken about her Christian faith and how it helps overcome certain obstacles.

De’Aaron Fox: Racing to Greatness is the definitive biography of one of the NBA’s fastest, most dynamic guards. From Houston’s gritty playgrounds to leading the Sacramento Kings with poise and precision, Fox’s story is not just about athleticism—it’s about calculated evolution, leadership under pressure, and mastering the mental game. This book goes beyond the highlights. It explores Fox’s formative years, his pivotal season under Coach Calipari at Kentucky, and his breakout as a high-IQ, clutch performer in the NBA. Through behind-the-scenes detail, readers witness how Fox ...

Lee Priest wasn’t just another bodybuilder—he was the sport’s most defiant truth-teller. Rebel Iron: The Lee Priest Story cuts through the glossy propaganda of the fitness industry to reveal the raw, unfiltered rise of one of the most gifted and controversial athletes in modern bodybuilding. From his early days crushing grown men onstage in Australia to clashing with judges, sponsors, and federations across the globe, Lee Priest’s story isn’t a journey of smooth victories—it’s a war of principles. With arms that defied physics and a mouth that refused silence, Priest never fit...

Writing from both the cutting edge of scientific discovery and the front-lines of elite athletic performance, National Magazine Award-winning science journalist Alex Hutchinson presents a revolutionary account of the dynamic and controversial new science of endurance.

Legendary magician Penn Jillette was approaching his 60th birthday. Topping 330 pounds and saddled with a systolic blood pressure reading over 200, he knew he was at a dangerous crossroads: If he wanted to see his small children grow up, he needed to change. And then came Crazy Ray. A former NASA scientist and an unconventional, passionate innovator, Ray Cronise saved Jillette's life with his wild "potato diet". Outspoken, frank, and bitingly clever, Presto is an incisive, rollicking listen.

Lou Ferrigno didn’t just build muscle—he built a legacy out of silence, discipline, and sheer force of will. Train Like Lou Ferrigno is the unflinching, brutally direct biography of one of the most iconic bodybuilders and cultural figures of the last fifty years. From a childhood marked by profound hearing loss and bullying, to the green-skinned superstardom of The Incredible Hulk, to training routines that redefined dedication, Ferrigno’s story is one of relentless forward motion. This book strips away the gloss and dives deep into the raw details of Ferrigno’s rise—from cement-...

Nine million Americans are touched by aneurysms during their lifetimes. This is one story of love. Brainstorm is the candid and powerful memoir of the author's harrowing experience of an aneurysm and his road to recovery. It is a journey of love and devotion and a clash of medical beliefs and countercultures.

Discover the uncompromising life and legacy of Mike Mentzer—bodybuilding’s most cerebral iconoclast. Mike Mentzer: The Man Behind Heavy Duty is a definitive exploration of the man who transformed high-intensity training into a philosophy, not just a method. From his strict upbringing in Pennsylvania to the mental crucible of the U.S. Air Force, and from the infamous 1980 Mr. Olympia controversy to his final years as a philosopher-coach, this book captures the full depth of a man who reshaped bodybuilding by demanding logic where others offered lore. Mentzer’s story is not just one of ...

The best-selling author of Born to Run now travels to the Mediterranean, where he discovers that the secrets of ancient Greek heroes are still alive and well on the island of Crete, and ready to be unleashed in the muscles and minds of casual athletes and aspiring heroes everywhere.

From legendary Brazilian jujitsu and MMA master Rickson Gracie comes a riveting, insightful memoir that weaves together the story of Gracie’s stunning career with the larger history of the Gracie family dynasty and the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, showing how the connection between mind and body can be harnessed for success both inside and outside the ring.

"Dexter Jackson: Life and Training" offers an insightful look into the life of one of bodybuilding's most iconic figures. This comprehensive biography explores Dexter's journey from his humble beginnings to becoming a legendary figure in the world of bodybuilding. The book delves into Dexter's rigorous training methods, his disciplined dietary practices, and his mental strategies that led to his unparalleled success, including a record-setting 29 IFBB professional bodybuilding wins and the prestigious Mr. Olympia title. Readers are taken behind the scenes to understand the dedication and ...

For years, Jessica struggled with fluctuating weight and bouts of unhappiness. Like many of us, she found comfort in food and craved cigarettes and self-confidence. Then one day Jessica took her first yoga class in Katmandu. She lost 40 pounds and changed her life forever. In enLIGHTened, Jessica shares the core principles of yoga philosophy—not the poses and postures, but the ancient system of ideas that lies behind them, drawn from a 2000-year-old text called the Yoga Sutras.

Mat Fraser is undisputedly the fittest man in CrossFit history for winning the CrossFit Games an unprecedented five times. A student of engineering, Fraser optimized his body like a machine, and his absolute dedication to the training program he designed for himself is now legendary. Fraser became a master of identifying his weaknesses and then seeking out training methods to improve them, and he's idolized in the fitness community for his relentless pursuit of peak performance. It's not hard to see why he achieved so much success - but how is a different question.

Jay Cutler didn’t just lift weights—he dragged the sport of bodybuilding through its most competitive era and walked away with four Sandow trophies to prove it. The book is the raw, unsentimental story of how a blue-collar kid from Massachusetts muscled his way into an elite sport ruled by genetics, politics, and ego. This book isn’t some sugar-coated fan tribute. It’s an unfiltered breakdown of how Jay built one of the most durable and dominant physiques in modern bodybuilding—using discipline, calculated steroid use, a brutal training split, and a refusal to stay down after ...

Written by the late, beloved Dr. George Sheehan, Running and Being tells of the author's midlife return to the world of exercise, play, and competition, in which he found "a world beyond sweat" that proved to be a source of great revelation and personal growth. But Running and Being focuses more on life than it does, specifically, on running. It provides an outline for a lifetime program of fitness and joy, showing how the body helps determine our mental and spiritual energies.

This is the story of Joseph Pilates, a gifted man who immigrated to the United States at forty-three with no assets or credentials. He not only invented an exercise regimen—which today is practiced by more than ten million people—but in the process, reinvented himself. John Howard Steel brings Joseph Pilates and his eponymous exercise regime to life from his unique perspective as a student, friend, and confidant. Joe’s influence profoundly changed Steel’s life; in turn, Steel was crucial for the survival of the Pilates Method and Joe’s legacy.

Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli’s life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-image and self-worth. She waged a war against herself for years, learning to equate her value to her appearance as a child star on One Day at a Time and punishing herself in order to fit into the unachievable Hollywood mold. She struggled to make her marriage to Eddie Van Halen—the true love of her life—work, despite all the rifts the rock-star lifestyle created between them.

Reigning CrossFit world champion Rich Froning is "the fittest man on Earth". He's fast, he's strong, and he's incredibly disciplined. But it takes more than physical strength to compete and win at an elite level. It takes incredible mental and spiritual toughness as well. And it is the precise balance of all three that makes Rich Froning a champion.