Great Fitness Books That Will Make You Want to Sweat

Take it from the team at Viewheel; these are the best fitness books read and reviewed, guaranteed to make you want to sweat!

Unbreakable Runner: Unleash the Power of Strength & Conditioning for a Lifetime of Running Strong

Could you run a faster marathon — by training less? That’s the premise behind this book, co-written by CrossFit Endurance™ founder Brian MacKenzie and T.J. Murphy, the former editor-in-chief of Triathlete magazine. Murphy, a runner who previously swore by logging tons of miles, and MacKenzie, explore the benefits of becoming a faster, stronger and healthier runner by strength training more. Though some have labelled CFE controversial, this book might just convince you to give it a try (Murphy was a former skeptic, now converted). You’ll find illustrated demos of how to do various drills involving CrossFit staples like hollow rocks or double-unders and training plans for everything from a 5K to an ultramarathon.

Off Course: Inside the Mad, Muddy World of Obstacle Course Racing

The opening line introduces readers to author Erin Beresini — as she lies facedown in the mud. Over the next 239 pages, you’ll join Beresini in the trenches as she trains for an endurance athlete’s worst (or best?) nightmare: The Spartan Ultra Beast Race. The 26.2-mile obstacle course designed by Royal Marines is replete with physical and mental hurdles (think: being forced to choose between solving a Rubix cube or hitting a target with a spear before you’re allowed to cross the finish line).

Beresini, an ultrarunner and IronWoman, immerses herself in the wacky world of extreme obstacle racing, exploring the history of the events in the U.S., as she trains to reach her most challenging goal yet. The writer’s witty, self-deprecating tone and the do-or-die subculture of mud racing will have readers hooked from the start.

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distance

You’re not alone in your love-hate relationship with logging miles. Perfect for an aspiring marathoner who simply lacks motivation, this book uses pithy cartoons to explain how and why author Matthew Inman is hopelessly hooked on running. The writer behind the hilarious blog The Oatmeal, Inman is a self-described former “fat kid.” His primary incentive to run: Escaping the Blerch, aka “the fat little cherub who follows me when I run,” he says. “The Blerch represents all forms of gluttony, apathy and indifference that plague my life,” Inman writes. Follow along as Inman illustrates the dos and don’ts of running a marathon, fighting inner laziness, and avoiding a diet composed entirely of bacon, bear claws and cheese. Prepare to laugh out loud and get motivated to sign up for your next race by the end.

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