Build muscle effectively, sculpt your figure and prevent injuries Anyone who does strength training wants to strengthen their muscles, build muscle mass, perhaps combat pain or simply achieve a better physique. Germany’s best-known fascia researcher, Robert Schleip, and the physiotherapist and former professional footballer Berengar Buschmann demonstrate that fascia plays a key role in achieving all these goals through machine-based training. Their new strength and machine-based training programme specifically targets the connective tissue as well as the muscles. It prevents injuries, gives movements elastic tension, improves coordination and ensures defined, toned contours. Schleip and Buschmann are breaking new ground in this field. Until now, there has been no exercise system for strength training on machines that focuses specifically on the fascia. The authors have drawn on their practical experience to develop a new programme: with Panther Training, you can achieve not only muscular strength but also elegance, suppleness and balance in the gym. The book offers tests to identify your own connective tissue type, illustrated exercises on standard equipment with variations to suit different needs, detailed plans for three training levels, tips on addressing weak points, and an easy-to-understand introduction to the basics of fascial strength training.   About the author: Robert Schleip is regarded as Germany’s leading fascia researcher. He holds a PhD in human biology, is a Certified Rolfer and a qualified psychologist. Together with scientists and therapists, he works within a global network on research into muscular connective tissue and leads his own research group, the Fascia Research Group, at the University of Ulm. He also works as a manual therapist in his own Rolfing practice and gives international lectures on connective tissue research, as well as on physiotherapy, exercise science and osteopathy. His books published by riva Verlag include *Fascia Fitness* (2014, co-authored with Johanna Bayer) and *Fascia in Sport and Everyday Life* (2015, co-authored with Amanda Baker). Berengar Buschmann studied sports science; he is a former professional footballer, a physiotherapist (B.Sc.), a sought-after speaker and a personal trainer. As a movement therapist, he supports elite athletes at tournaments and is an expert in the fields of functional myofascial training, myofascial release, myofascial diagnostics and myofascial taping. He runs his own company, TYMGYM – Transform Your Movements, and is currently a research assistant at the Fascia Research Group at the University of Ulm. Johanna Bayer is a science journalist and author. She works in television and print media on health and medical topics, including muscles and movement, nutrition, brain research and cancer. She has been intensively involved in fascia research and its significance for everyday life, sport and pain therapy since 2012; together with Robert Schleip, she is the author of the bestseller *Fascia Fitness*, published by riva Verlag in 2014.Read an extract