6 Fitness Books Every Lifting Bro Should Read

Bros who read are a special type of bro. Bros who lift and read are what I like to refer to as “Bro Kings”. These bros are rare. They care about growing their brain, and their biceps.

Any bro who lifts and reads has probably read a few fitness books. After all, you can only scroll through fitness articles and read drivel on the Internet for so long before you’re longing for a real fitness book and to flip some pages. Plus, there’s something nice about learning how to take charge of your own training, and build the body you really want.

For those rare Bro Kings out there, I’ve got your back. Here are the 6 fitness books every lifting bro should read.

  • The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Of course Arnold leads this list. I included this not because Arnold is some scientific genius, but because Arnold was one of the original Bro Kings. He spent years learning what worked for him and what didn’t and in his book he lays out some of his tried and true principles for you to adopt.

Science has proven much of what Arnold did right, and some of it wrong. That’s all okay. The Encyclopedia is still a great resource when it comes to building a body you want thanks to anecdotal evidence from some of the most jacked dudes in history.

Grab it on Amazon here.

  • Engineering The Alpha – John Romaniello and Adam Bornstein

Roman is often mentioned at Brobible for good reason. He’s a major Bro King who has had a serious influence on many of us in this fitness world. His coauthor Adam Bornstein has been the man behind the scenes in the fitness world for years at places like Livestrong, and is easily one of the smartest dudes in the entire industry.

Alpha is responsible for helping thousands of bros shed fat, build muscle, and change their lives through groundbreaking techniques, hilarious anecdotes, and ass kicking motivation.

Alpha is a book that not only will challenge you physically, but it will shed light on becoming the Hero in your own journey of life. If you’re looking for some philosophical inspiration, training knowledge, and nutrition wisdom, this book is for you.

Grab it on Amazon here.

The Lean Muscle Diet – Lou Schuler and Alan Aragon

I saved this one for last, and for good reason. Simply put, it’s one of the best books out there on nutrition. It’s easy to understand, simple, and ridiculously effective.

Lou is a longtime writer for Men’s Health, and has made a name in the fitness industry for being one of the best guys around. Alan is a major bro who has made his bones with the Alan Aragon Research Review, and gained Internet fame for his no bullshit approach to nutrition.

Together they collaborated on a book that I wish I had read 10 years ago. It would have saved me a ton of time and a ton of experimenting. The Lean Muscle Diet lays out the science behind why you should do what they’re saying, but in an easy to understand manner.

It’s necessary reading for any bro who cares about their nutrition, is looking to learn a little bit, or just wants to look good naked.

Grab it on Amazon here.

  • Becoming A Supple Leopard – Kelly Starrett

If you can’t move well, you’re fucked. It’s as simple as that. You need to be able to move, and move well in order to stay healthy during your lifting lifetime. Kelly’s book is dedicated entirely to helping you move better.

Supple Leopard is one of the first looks I got into the world of mobility, and I’m better for it. I know some people in the industry rag on Kelly, and I get why. Some of his stuff tends to be sensational, but he helps a ton of people feel better, move better, and perform better, and I think that matters most.

If you care at all about how you feel, your performance, or preventing injury this is for you. It’s also full of various mobility techniques, and troubleshooting guides to help you out if you’re feeling pain or movement restrictions in certain areas.

Pick up Supple Leopard, start foam rolling, and really start focusing on your mobility. Your body will thank you.

Grab it on Amazon here.

  • The Hybrid Athlete – Alex Viada

Alex is slowly but steadily gaining more and more momentum in the fitness world, and for good reason. He’s one of the smartest dudes in the entire industry, and is almost single handedly responsible for convincing people it’s cool to run.

Alex is one of those dudes who is a superhuman freak. He can squat over 700lbs, run a 4:30 mile, and is a Triathlon finisher.

The Hybrid Athlete is a book dedicated to breaking down barriers within the fitness world, and showing how things like aerobic training can actually help get you stronger. It’s also one of the best reads I’ve ever seen on energy systems, muscle growth, the beating the body takes during exercise, and recovery.

His whole goal is to help people who want to be strong and be able to perform well achieve that goal, and if you have crazy aspirations of running a marathon and doing a powerlifting meet in the same week, the book can help get you there.

Alex is also a total bro, and even included a beer pairing section in the back of his book so you know which beers to drink after tough workouts.

You can grab it here.

  • The Art & Science of Lifting – Greg Nuckols and Omar Isuf

These are actually two books, but we’re calling it one for brevity. Greg is a lifting legend who has put up some downright ridiculous numbers in powerlifting meets during his short career. Omar is a YouTube legend who is famous with his fans for making fun of his small calves, and dishing out no bullshit training advice.

Together they paired on two books. One that details the technical side to training, and is heavy in the science of how to train for optimal results, and one that is more anecdotal but with the same focus.

These books are a must read for every single lifting bro out there. They explain often-misunderstood things like stress management, recovery, work capacity, program design, and working for results.

Plus Greg and Omar are major bros. I’m not sure if anyone loves beer more than Greg, and also has a sickass beard and squats a house.

You can grab the books here.

Tanner is a fitness professional and writer based in the metro Atlanta area. His training focus is helping normal people drop absurd amounts of fat, become strong like bull, and get in the best shape of their life.