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Pete Egoscue

I have had lower back pain since I crashed hard on a snowboard in 8th grade. I also feel like I have tried everything to combat the pain. One of the best cures I have found was in a book by Pete Egoscue.

It is simple. I would lay on my back with my legs on a chair at 90 degrees and sit there for 5 minutes. It sounds too simple to work and at first I was a bit reluctant, but I stuck with it and it greatly improved the pain I felt in my back. :)

Mark Riptoe

While at the gym in highschool I noticed many different methods of bench pressing. Some guys arched their back so much they looked like they were trying to imitate the St. Louis Arch. Other guys bounced the bar off their chest making me think they might crack a rib. With all these different styles I wasn't sure how I should be bench pressing. So I went to work investigating the correct form.

I came across a wonderful book, Starting Strength, by Mark Riptoe, that explained in depth the correct way to not only bench press but also squat and overhead press. All three lifts are staples in most weight training regimes.

Alwyn Cosgrow

Why should a person who hasn't been to the Gym ever, or least in a very long time, who can't even do 20 push-ups, start training with barbells and dumbbells? That is one of Alwyn's many philosophies about training. It is a philosophy that he caries into how he trains clients who come to him for rapid fat loss to strength gains.

He starts training an individual with their own body weight. Once the client is able to handle themselves better he graduates them to free weights.

It's a great idea and one that more trainers should implement.

Tim Ferriss

You may have heard of The Four Hour Work Week by Tim. I haven't read it but hear it has some great ideas. The reason I have Tim down as one of my health inspirations is his willingness to experiment on himself. It is something that I continually do and I admire his dedication to taking his health to the next level. At least, while he was researching for his book, The 4 Hour Body, which I would suggest as a light easy read.

Mary Enig

Mary has researched for years the effects of lipids (fats) on the body. She wrote the book "Know Your Fats". Although the book reads like a text book and is overall boring, it is through reading this book I discovered how eating cholesterol doesn't raise your body's cholesterol enough to worry about. She advices that as we grow older we need more cholesterol and fats to keep us healthy and mentally alert, especially women, and says that at least 2 eggs a day can help us do that.

Charles Poliquin

Charles Poliquin is well known as one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the world. He has written numerous books and trained many Olympic athletes. And although he advises the consumption of numerous supplements (all of which you can find in his online store) many of his suggestions are easy to follow and don't require you to buy and magic pill.

I have experience the biggest amount of fat loss while experimenting with his meat and nut breakfast. It is, just as it sounds. You eat meat and nuts for breakfast, this keeps your insulin from spiking and gives you plenty of energy through out the day, not to mention the fat loss benefits.

Mike Mahler

Mike Mahler and kettlebells are synonymous. Mike has been instructing on the proper use of kettlebells for 7 years. But what drew me to his site and articles was his focus on nutrition.

I have experimented with different diets. While eating a vegan diet is stumbled across Mike's site. He a vegan strength and conditioning coach and has many articles on the vegan and strength training lifestyle. What kept me visiting and revisiting his site was his articles on hormone management.

He doesn't endorse hormone replacement therapy, except in extreme cases, but instead insists that our diet and lifestyle are the deciding factor of our vitality. He has documented his journey through male menopause, andropause, and the steps he took to get himself back on track, hormonally.

I highly suggest visiting his site and reading the articles that he has posted there.

Mehdi

In an industry plagued by get fit quick schemes and improper training protocols Mehdi stands out as a person with only results in mind. I stumbled upon his blog, www.stronglifts.com, a few years ago and immediately began a program he calls 5x5 starting strength.

A lot of magazines and fitness experts will tell you that in order to look like the guys and gals in the magazines you have to lift weights like them. What the experts don't tell you is the people you see in the magazines have already been lifting for years and have a good foundation to build upon. That is why they can lift the way they do.

Mehdi's program is targeted at anyone who wants to build a good foundation for any athletic endeavor. He focuses on the basic lifts such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, and pull ups; and advises 5 sets of 5 repetitions, hence the 5x5.