Strength Training Anatomy

The definitive visual guide to what happens inside your body when you lift weights. Delavier’s anatomical illustrations reveal exactly which muscles fire during every exercise, making complex biomechanics accessible to anyone willing to look closely.

Why Start Here

Most lifters have a vague sense that the squat works the legs and the bench press works the chest. Delavier’s book replaces that vagueness with precision. His illustrations, drawn from years studying anatomy and dissection at the Paris Faculty of Medicine, show the primary and secondary muscles involved in over 230 exercises, along with the bones, tendons, and connective tissue that support them.

The fourth edition adds stretching exercises, safety callouts for injury-prone movements, and recommendations based on your body type. It is not a programming book, but rather a visual reference that helps you understand why certain exercises feel different depending on your proportions and how to modify your technique accordingly.

What to Expect

A highly visual book with over 700 full-color anatomical illustrations. Most people use it as a reference, looking up specific exercises as they encounter them in their training. The text is concise and accessible, designed to complement the artwork rather than compete with it.