Review of The Beginning Runner's Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program (Paperback)

I started tentatively, being 85 pounds overweight, a couch potato, and an overeater (obviously), with bad knees and a bad back but I knew I had to do SOMETHING to start participating in my own life and destiny. If you're in a similar spot, and you've gotten as far as "What", this book is a tool that will give you the "Hows."

Written economically and informally, it's packed with information beginning runners and walkers need, from stretching and shoe selection to injury prevention. The heart of the program is an easy-to-follow schedule that starts slow (run 30 seconds, then walk 4:30, and repeat seven times your first day) and builds every week. The plan is flexible, simple, and requires nothing more than a watch, a pair of shoes, and your commitment to yourself three times per week. If you're completely sedentary, you can start with the 13-week walk program to build your stamina before taking on running. And there's an intermediate program, when you're done with your first 13 weeks of running and looking for the "next cut."

At the end of thirteen weeks, I was running 65 minutes without stopping, I had shed 35 pounds, I avoided injury and felt BETTER than when I started. I was having FUN! I realized that completing the program was about far more than running -- I had a grip on my destiny, and I was participating in life, not just watching everyone else. I realized, in my bones, that I can do ANYTHING, and breathing hard three times a week seemed a small price to pay for that. Now I look forward to my runs, and haven't missed a running day since I started over a year ago, and all 85 extra pounds are gone for good. If you're committed to yourself, this book is the tool you need.

Product Description
At the core of this popular guide is "the program" - a 13-week walk - run plan designed to turn anyone into a runner, without injury. Originally developed by sports medicine physicians and refined through three years of clinics and responses from runners, it explains precisely how the beginner should train every day for the first 13 weeks. Every part of the process is covered, from equipment to staying motivated.
New to this edition are sections on training to run faster and farther, interval and tempo training; maintaining fitness on vacation; training for a half and full marathon; and coming back from injuries. A new chapter focuses on running and the family, including running during pregnancy and after the baby arrives, jogging strollers, children who want to run, and running with the family dog. Also included is the latest on nutrition and running, including low-carb diets and other popular diet trends.

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Review of Complete Conditioning for Swimming (Paperback)

Finally, a good book focused on dryland training for swimmers. I got a copy for my sons, both who are competitive swimmers. It's interesting to note that in recent years even swim greats such as Michael Phelps have added dryland strength workouts to their long hours in the pool. As Phelps re-breaks world records he set in previous years, those results speak for themselves. The vast majority of these exercises can be done on a pool deck with minimal gear--elastic tubing, medicine balls, stability ball. The DVD showing how to execute most of the exercises is a nice bonus.

Product Description
From more powerful strokes to quicker turns, propel yourself to improved times with Complete Conditioning for Swimming.
This multidimensional training program uses fitness assessments to tailor strength, endurance, and flexibility exercises to each swimmer's individual needs.
Dave Salo, coach of Olympic medalists Lenny Krayzelburg, Aaron Peirsol, Amanda Beard, and Jason Lezak, and Scott A. Riewald, performance specialist for the U.S. Olympic Committee, have teamed up to create a comprehensive program that provides you with the following tools to improve your times:

• Exercises and drills for each stroke
• Event-based workouts and programs
• Dryland training
• Tapering for peak performance
• Year-round conditioning plans
• Nutrition before, during, and after swim meets

In addition, the 80-minute DVD takes you to the pool and into the gym to demonstrate the drills and exercises used by the sport's elite. Complete Conditioning for Swimming is simply the best guide to preparing your body for competitive success.

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Review of Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance (Paperback)

I recently finished reading this book and it has been extremely helpful in my studies.I am a college graduate who is seeking to become CSCS certified as well as advancing my current knowledge.This book has helped in many ways.The max out questions engaged my thinking while the CD that came with the text helped me retain the main concepts.Best of all, it is based on scientific research and not popular hearsay.Many chapters cite well over 100 scholarly research articles in their discussion on the given topic.I highly recommend this text to those who want a comprehensive strength and conditioning resource that is based on science.

Product Description
Written by leading experts in exercise science, this text offers everything athletic trainers need to train athletes for maximum performance and prepare for certification. Chapters review the basic science underlying strength training and conditioning and put science into practice with detailed instructions on testing,assessment, exercise techniques,program development, injury prevention,and rehabilitation. Case-based problem solving activities, case examples, real world application boxes,and other features engage readers in decision-making and hands-on training activities. More than 350 full-color illustrations complement the text. A bound-in CD-ROM offers in-the-gym lab assignments, quizzes, and a practical exam with video clips and multiple,choice questions.

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Review of Fitter After 50: Forever Changing Our Beliefs About Aging (Paperback)

Fitter After 50 profiles dozens of individuals, ages 50 to 100, who are in better shape than most 40, 30, or even 20-year-olds. One such individual is Helen Klein. Helen started running when she was 55 and now at 79 she has run 28 races of 100 miles or more. These stories will inspire you to get off your duff and get back in shape as nothing else will. Not your usual boring exercise book -- these pages sizzle with the human-growth-hormone-increasing secrets of these Masters of Fitness. I loved it!!

Product Description
Meet the 79-year-old great-grandmother who has run twenty-eight races of 100 miles or longer, the award-winning 61-year-old bodybuilder, and dozens more who share their secrets to becoming not just fit -- but FITTER after 50!

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Review of Shape Training (Paperback)

This book gives a blow by blow account of what you need to do to build a tight firm physique. First you determine your body shape. Then it recommends exercises to best achieve your objectives. Though many of theexercises are suited for gym equipment, at home modifications are alsooffered. The book offers a complete section on nutrition with recipes. Italso gives sample menu plans andsuggestions for Shape training duringpregnancy. I really enjoy the book. However, I did find a few of therecipes somewhat tasteless and I would have liked a few more modificationson the workouts for the at home exerciser. Other than than its well worththe price.

Product Description
A positive new trend in exercise for women is taking holdworldwide. It's known simply as "fitness" and describes a look thatcomes from training for shape, tone, definition, and cardiovascularconditioning--not for muscular development, as bodybuildersdo. Leading the way is Shape Training, a remarkably effectiveprogram that promises noticeable results in one month and a completebody makeover in just eight weeks. Customized by body type, ShapeTraining guides you through a routine that concentrates on areasyou need to work on--including hips, upper arms, abs, and legs--whilepromoting an overall improvement in your fitness level andendurance. In fact, after just three months on the program, you canexpect to increase fat loss and have a lean muscle gain of up to fivepounds; you also can expect to:

• Increase your strength byas much as 60 percent
• Improve your cardiovascular efficiency
• Increase your rate of metabolism
• Reverse some of the physicalsigns of aging

Shape Training is the definitive systemfor conquering figureflaws once and for all and developing a firmer,more proportionate shape in just a matter of weeks. Robert Kertnedy,a leading authority on exercise and fitness, is the author of morethan 30 top-selling books, including Pumping Up,Built! The NewBodybuilding for Everyone, and Reps. In addition, he is thepublisher of MuscleMag International magazine. MaggieGreenwood-Robinson is one of the country's best-known fitnessauthors. She has coauthored many popular books on fitness andnutrition, including Lean Bodies, Lean Bodies Total Fitness, 50Workout Secrets, and (with Robert Kennedy) Built! The NewBodybuilding for Everyone.

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Review of Definition: Shape Without Bulk in 15 Minutes a Day (Paperback)

About 9 years ago, I had started to put on weight for the first time in my life.I couldn't believe it when I stepped on a friends scale and discovered that I had gained almost 20 pounds - seemingly overnight!I was very depressed and not looking forward to a life of diets - I just love food and cooking too much.Then I saw Joyce on the Monel Williams show.At the time, she was promoting her other book, Bottoms Up.I bought it and acquired a couple small weights - and began my transformation.The first workout was a killer - I was dripping with sweat in no time and feeling very weak.I didn't even think I would make it through!But I kept at it and after three weeks, I had a noticeable difference - my shoulders no longer slumped, my chest was perkier, my stomach was trimmer and I FELT BETTER - all without drastic dieting.I knew this was a start in the right direction!
I ended up trimming myself down to my high school size (size 4) in no time at all.My husband told me I looked better than I ever did.I then bought her other book, Definition.This is the book I now use for my weight workouts.Her routines are sound - they work - and you don't have to spend all your time in a gym.You can do this in the privacy of your own home.Joyce is very encouraging and her stuff is spelled out clearly, for the athletically challenged like myself.
Because of Joyce's workouts, I am more active - I walk all the time, I hike, I do yoga, etc.I still eat like a horse, but remain the same size!I really think Joyce changed my life for the better!

Product Description
A low-fat eating plan and fifteen-minute daily exercise guide combine in a twenty-week program that helps readers to lose weight, define muscles, slow the aging process, increase energy, and reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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Review of Tone Your Tummy Type: Flatten Your Belly and Shrink Your Waist in 4 Weeks (Paperback)

I'm so glad that finally Denise wrote a book concerning this problem. I finally understood why I couldn't loose weight in that area. Now I can see a clear picture why, after all of those workouts in the past -my stomach still looked horrible. In this book you can go through the test-that will show you your tummy type, so you will know how to work on it. This program is so easy to follow, I actually had fun reading and finding about all of those new things for me (fun tummy truth and how to pick the right product at the store). I kind of had a feeling that I was starting a new life-organizing my kitchen and planning my day. I became more organized with everything. My husband and kids started eating so much better. Denise is just such a good motivator. I finally made myself get up every morning and exercise.

Product Description
Every woman yearns for a tight tummy and a narrow waist-and in this breakthrough target-toning book, bestselling author and fitness guru Denise Austin gives women the weapons they need to win the war against even the most stubborn belly fat.


All belly bulges is not created equal! Drawing on the latest scientific studies about the five different kinds of abdominal fat, Austin helps every woman identify her particular Tummy Type-and then carefully explains and illustrates the specific exercises that work for that type. Features that distinguish Tone Your Tummy Type:

• A cutting-edge program-combining nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle advice-that works to blast away belly fat faster and more effectively than ever before
  
  
  

  
  
  

• A 4-week weight-loss plan complete with recipes and shopping lists
  
  
  

  
  
  

• Inspiring success stories with before-and-after photographs
  
  
  

  
  
  

• The remarkable motivational skills that have made Denis Austin's top-rated Lifetime fitness shows "Fit & Lite" and "The Daily Workout" so enormously popular
  
  
  

Women of all ages at all stages of life will find the right program for themselves in these pages-and there's even a bonus chapter for men!




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Review of Move Yourself: The Cooper Clinic Medical Director's Guide to All the Healing Benefits of Exercise (Even a Little!) (Hardcover)

I consider myself fairly active and reasonably smart when it comes to nutrition - however, after reading this book, I was surprised by how much I still had to learn. If you weren't actively exercising and eating healthy before, this book will definitely convince you that it is in your own best interest to start doing so immediately!

The authors use their research to describe the undeniable benefits of fitness, even at the most basic levels and offer lots of simple tips for becoming more fit.This book isn't about training for a marathon; it is about incorporating even the smallest amounts of exercise into your life on a daily basis.One of the easiest things I did was to buy a very inexpensive pedometer and see how "sedentary" I actually was...Honestly, my results were shocking.I want to be a healthy example to my children and this book gives me the tools to do just that.

The book concludes with some nutrition information and sample menus.I can't believe how much more energy I have and how much better I feel following some of the authors' simple guidelines.

The focus is on fitness.And according to the authors and their extensive research, being fit helps prevent diabetes, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, depression - and improves memory, energy, digestion - and most importantly (at least to me!), improves quality of life.

This book is motivating, practical and incredibly easy to read.

Product Description
Praise for Move Yourself

"Move Yourself is a timely and user-friendly guide to better health. I could go on, but it's time for me to get up and get moving!"
--Tom Brokaw

"The science is clear: staying healthy means moving our bodies more, choosing more of the right foods in the proper portions, and avoiding unsafe behaviors like smoking. In Move Yourself, you'll find the kind of sound advice and strong motivation you'd expect from an expert personal coach."
--Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., 17th Surgeon General of the United States and Vice Chairman of Canyon Ranch

"Being fit has always been important in my career, both as a martial artist and as an actor. But what I learned long ago is that a physically active lifestyle also improves every aspect of living. The good news is that you don't have to train like an athlete to receive these tremendous benefits; you just have to make it a priority. In Move Yourself, Drs. Mitchell and Church explain just how easy it can be. With just a little commitment and a little know-how, you too can make yourself feel like a champ!"
--Chuck Norris

"As a former couch potato, I can attest to the incredible health benefits that come from physical activity. Move Yourself shows that you don't have to become a gym rat--here's everything you need to get moving at your own reasonable pace."
--Jack Challem, author of Stop Prediabetes Now and The Food-Mood Solution

Think you don't have the time--or the energy--to do what it takes to look and feel better? Now you can take control of your health and be happier and stronger--and you don't need to join a gym to do it!

Move Yourself is the breakthrough program you've been waiting for. Based on cutting-edge research from the medical director of the world-renowned Cooper Clinic, this practical, easy-to-follow guide gives you the strategies and advice you need to improve your strength, flexibility, mood, weight, and overall health. All it takes is a few minutes of low-dose physical activity each day to start seeing results.

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Review of The INTENSE Trainer Program (Paperback)

This book delivers exactly what it says it does. This program is best for those that need to lose 15-20 pounds very quickly. I dont recommend the diet portion for life, but the self-discipline exercises are perfect for life. This program can make you lose up to 20 pounds in two weeks if followed exactly as it is prescribed. I highly recommend this book!!!!!

Product Description
If you're not able to stick with a diet, how will you ever receive intense results? Nationally certified personal trainer Shane Chattin asked himself this question when he had difficulty maintaining his own diet. His answer is The Intense Trainer Program, a thirty-day fat-loss program that targets the ability to strengthen self-discipline.

Chattin contends that self-discipline is the only element that prevents you from having your dream body. You have the ability to tap into this hidden power right now. It's entirely up to you to decide whether you're willing to take back the control once and for all.

The Intense Trainer Program takes you through each step required to strengthen self-discipline, as well as dramatically enhance your physique. When you have the ability to control your own actions, your life will radiate with confidence and certainty. This program is a must for anyone that has struggled to maintain a healthy, toned body. The results you receive over the next thirty-days will last a lifetime!



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Review of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

When it comes to telling people how to train, I want to know that the advice I give is based on evidence, not what on other people say, and not on what I "think" is going to work. While you could dig around on various electronic databases, such as Medline to get such information, its nice to have all the latest excercise recommendations based on sound research at your fingertips. And if you're looking for such a book, well, look no further.

Readers who regularly read sports science research will see some familiar names on page vii, which contains the list of people who contributed to the book. To me, knowing that people like Kraemer, Faigenbaum, or Hatfield had a hand in this book puts it on solid ground.

And the book is thorough too. Covering just about every aspect of conditioning and training, from basic exercise physiology to how many sets of an exercise should I do, its just a plain fact that there's not much that has been left out. Of course all the major areas such as strength training, endurance training, and flexibility are there as well. Also notable are the great pictures of stretching and strengthening exercises as well as little numbers (2) to refer the reader to the study the info was taken from. Right on!

My criticisms of this book are picky and few. For example I did notice that on page 299 the book advocates holding a static stretch for 30 seconds to become more flexible. Experts in the field who keep up on the research may not agree with this. While the 30 seconds rule applies to a lot of muscle groups, it does not apply to all- like stretching the calf muscles to increase dorsiflexion (see The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for a nice updated literature review on ankle stretching). In case you're wondering, 30s won't cut it to increase ankle ROM.

In conclusion, as a researcher and trainer, I was really impressed with the evidence-based information and the thoroughness of the text. I think it would be of most benefit to coaches, athletic trainers, personal trainers, or anyone who wants a good resource to guide their exercise prescriptions.

Product Description
Now in its third edition, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is the most comprehensive reference available for strength and conditioning professionals. In this text, 30 expert contributors explore the scientific principles, concepts, and theories of strength training and conditioning as well as their applications to athletic performance.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is the most-preferred preparation text for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. The research-based approach, extensive exercise technique section, and unbeatable accuracy of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning make it the text readers have come to rely on for CSCS exam preparation.

The third edition presents the most current strength training and conditioning research and applications in a logical format designed for increased retention of key concepts. The text is organized into five sections. The first three sections provide a theoretical framework for application in section 4, the program design portion of the book. The final section offers practical strategies for administration and management of strength and conditioning facilities.

• Section 1 (chapters 1 through 10) presents key topics and current research in exercise physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, biomechanics, endocrinology, sport nutrition, and sport psychology and discusses applications for the design of safe and effective strength and conditioning programs.
• Section 2 (chapters 11 and 12) discusses testing and evaluation, including the principles of test selection and administration as well as the scoring and interpretation of results.
• Section 3 (chapters 13 and 14) provides techniques for warm-up, stretching, and resistance training exercises. For each exercise, accompanying photos and instructions guide readers in the correct execution and teaching of stretching and resistance training exercises. This section also includes a set of eight new dynamic stretching exercises.
• Section 4 examines the design of strength training and conditioning programs. The information is divided into three parts: anaerobic exercise prescription (chapters 15 through 17), aerobic endurance exercise prescription (chapter 18), and periodization and rehabilitation (chapters 19 and 20). Step-by-step guidelines for designing resistance, plyometric, speed, agility, and aerobic endurance training programs are shared. Section 4 also includes detailed descriptions of how principles of program design and periodization can be applied to athletes of various sports and experience levels. Within the text, special sidebars illustrate how program design variables can be applied to help athletes attain specific training goals.
• Section 5 (chapters 21 and 22) addresses organization and administration concerns of the strength training and conditioning facility manager, including facility design, scheduling, policies and procedures, maintenance, and risk management.

Chapter objectives, key points, key terms, and self-study questions provide a structure to help readers organize and conceptualize the information. Unique application sidebars demonstrate how scientific facts can be translated into principles that assist athletes in their strength training and conditioning goals.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning also offers new lecture preparation materials. A product specific Web site includes new student lab activities that instructors can assign to students. Students can visit this Web site to print the forms and charts for completing lab activities, or they can complete the activities electronically and email their results to the instructor. The instructor guide provides a course description and schedule, chapter objectives and outlines, chapter-specific Web sites and additional resources, definitions of primary key terms, application questions with recommended answers, and links to the lab activities. The presentation package and image bank, delivered in Microsoft PowerPoint, offers instructors a presentation package containing over 1,000 slides to help augment lectures and class discussions. In addition to outlines and key points, the resource also contains over 450 figures, tables, and photos from the textbook, which can be used as an image bank by instructors who need to customize their own presentations. Easy-to-follow instructions help guide instructors on how to reuse the images within their own PowerPoint templates. These tools can be downloaded online and are free to instructors who adopt the text for use in their courses.

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Third Edition, provides the latest and most comprehensive information on the structure and function of body systems, training adaptations, testing and evaluation, exercise techniques, program design, and organization and administration of facilities. Its accuracy and reliability make it not only the leading preparation resource for the CSCS exam but also the definitive reference that strength and conditioning professionals and sports medicine specialists depend on to fine-tune their practice.

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Review of Sport Nutrition for Coaches (Paperback)

Extremely well written and informative. If you are dedicated to your team and can put the time in to set this program up I'm sure the results will follow.I would suggest that all coaches set an example by following the "program". You know who I'm speaking to :The overweight, out of shape coaches who think screaming at their players is the only motivation they need.

Product Description
As a coach, you want your athletes to perform at their best. To do that, you not only need to teach them how to train properly, but you also need to tell them how to eat and drink properly. You need to have the right information when it comes to nutrition for your athletes. Sport Nutrition for Coaches is the essential tool for coaches and fitness specialists. With this text, you will be able to maximize your athletes' performance through proper nutrition.

Sport Nutrition for Coaches provides all the information you need in an easy-to-use and practical layout. It outlines athletes' basic nutrition and hydration needs and describes how to adapt athletes' nutrition needs to their training schedules. It has tips for working with athletes with special dietary concerns, including vegetarianism, diabetes, and eating disorders. Also, this guide shows you how to develop a Coach's Notebook and a nutrition plan for your team, which you can share with your athletes to map out a successful season.

Sport Nutrition for Coaches is unlike any other nutrition guide for coaches. Most books are written only for the athletes themselves, but this text is specifically directed at coaches. After reading this book, you will have the knowledge to create proper nutrition plans for your athletes and help them develop healthy eating habits that will contribute to their success in any sport.

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Review of Tina Vindum's Outdoor Fitness: Step Out of the Gym and Into the BEST Shape of Your Life (Paperback)

LOVE this book, just ordered three more copies -- for my college step-daughter, my Pilates instructor and my physical therapist!Down-to-earth and practical (she gets it that we all have already busy lives) with great tips and techniques (well-researched, and the instructions are detailed and professional, much like you're in a personal training situation -- experience sure shows here). There's also some real leadership here, an understanding about where motivation comes from -- I was lacing up my sneakers after the first 4 chapters!

Product Description
From Maui to Manhattan's Central Park, Tina Vindum has revolutionized the way people around the world are getting in shape.

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Review of Run Strong (Paperback)

In Run Strong 13 writers, with expertise and experience as coaches, trainers, exercise physiologists, physical therapists and runners (four Olympians among them) contribute 12 chapters covering all the topics essential to achieving success in middle-and long-distance running.

As a runner who has been competing for over 30 years, and as a certified running coach for 17 of those years, I believe that in order to be the best runner you can be, you should incorporate a number of other factors in your training besides running farther and faster.Once you understand the importance of efficient running mechanics, both for injury prevention and enhanced performance (well presented by several of the authors), you are prepared to include the activities that lead to theneuromuscular coordination that good form requires: core-strength; running-specific strength; balance; and dynamic flexibility through the full running range of motion.You are willing to learn as much as you can about fueling your body, allowing it ro recover from training and racing, and maintaining it should injury or illness strike.

Run Strong covers all of these essentials, and does so in manner easily accessible to the non-scientist.It includes a generous supply of photos illustrating key strength and stretch moves, tables summarizing recommendations, and sidebars adding interesting highlights.The editor has done a good job of cross-referencing chapters when the authors mention areas covered in another chapter.And yet the chapters can stand alone, so that the busy runner/reader can pick one topic here, another there, and come away with useful suggestions to be tried in the next workout or program design.

As a long-time coach, I have many how-to running books on my shelves, not to mention all the running fiction, biographies, autobiographies and combinations thereof.Run Strong will definitely find a place on the shelf nearest my workplace.


Product Description
Run faster and longer with less effort than ever before! Putting in the miles is only one part of the training equation. You can become a much stronger overall runner by improving leg turnover, efficiency, body alignment, muscle balance, and running-specific muscle strength, and by finding your most effective range of motion.
Expert coaches and runners show you how to assess what you need and implement these training methods into your current program. And if you're returning from injury, you can bounce back stronger and faster than ever before.
Make your base miles pay off by improving your efficiency and economy. With Run Strong you'll maximize your current fitness level and see results at the very next race!

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Review of The Body Noble: 20 Minutes to a Hot Body with Hollywood's Coolest Trainer (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Sandra MacLean for Reader Views (1/06)

20 minutes to a hot body with Hollywood's coolest trainer? My initial reaction was pretty cynical - sounds like a big load of hype to this fifty something out of condition reader.

Was I ever pleasantly surprised! This book actually delivers the goods. It's full of very practical advice for anyone looking for help with a fitness program to match their unique circumstances. It starts with the basics of getting to know your body and muscles before moving into the specific exercise routines. Then it goes beyond detailed explanations of exercises, as the authors offer wide-ranging, useful and practical information and tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

The pleasing absence of jargon and relaxed tone make this book easy to understand and lots of photographs further demonstrate and clarify many points. I enjoyed the light-hearted humour displayed in titles like the "Couch Potato Workout" exercise series especially for devoted couch potatoes out there who still want to be fit. Once you get off the couch you might want to undertake the "Houseclean Pump" series or head out for a "Commuter Pump" session, exercises designed to while away your otherwise wasted commuter time.

There are loads of these examples of how to build exercise into real lives that involve sitting in traffic, sitting on a train, working around the house, sitting at a desk or dealing with hotel room and airport downtime to name a few of the practical applications. The descriptions go far beyond saying you can exercise in these settings and actually describe the exact exercise that is adapted to the situation.

I recommend the chapter "Strengthening Your Weak Links" as a good starting point for anyone who is out of shape or trying to become more fit as part of a program to recover from injury or to deal with arthritis. The authors offer sound advice that demonstrates their firm grasp on the realities faced by their readers. Noble and Colman do a good job of showing how to adjust a fitness regime to individual limitations and challenges.

The Body Noble promises a lot and it delivers a lot. It really does show readers how they can have a fit, sexy body without having to step into a gym or hire a personal trainer. The props are minimal and Noble encourages readers to exercise wherever they find themselves, making this one of the most practical fitness books I have read. Cost is not an issue in pursuing fitness with this program either. In fact, there really aren't any excuses left.

Just about anyone in any age group or starting level of fitness could create an exercise routine that fits their level of ability and schedule with the help of this book. I would recommend it. In fact, I was so fired up I went out and bought an exercise cable to get started!


Product Description
The hottest way to a healthy, fit body!

Would you like to get a lean, fit body, feel reenergized and stress-free, and stay in great shape without having to hire a personal trainer, race off to an exercise class, or turn your life upside down? Now you can.

"Derek's knowledge and expertise helped me to compete during my professional tennis career at my highest potential."
--John McEnroe

"Derek's program, which covers everything from fitness and stretching to nutrition, is innovative and unique. I have been searching for a program that encompasses everything that I need, and with The Body Noble, I have finally found it. I recommend this program to anyone who doesn't have a lot of time but still wants to look and feel great."
--Max Mutchnick, creator and Executive Producer of Will & Grace

"I had been on the Body Noble program for less than two weeks and I already noticed a remarkable difference in my energy and stress levels."
--Dana, mother and corporate trainer

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Review of Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now (Paperback)

Do not let this title fool you! This book is for ANYONE who has just discovered the thrill of wanting to compete in a triathlon. "Slow Fat Triathlete" will help ANYONE who has never experienced a triathlon - even if they are rail thin. Also, just calmly brush aside the word, "fat,"(which the author amusingly refers to as the "f -word" in her first sentence) - because if you get involved in THIS sport, you may soon be a LOT slimmer.

What if, after a lifetime of HATING to exercise, you suddenly woke up WANTING to exercise? We ALL know the reasons to exercise as a means of achieving better bodies, better health, and increased longevity. Yet how many of us EVER find that "magic pill" that will suddenly make us ENJOY exercising?? Exercise for many of us has ALWAYS been B-O-R-I-N-G.

Well, for me that "magic pill" came in the form of wanting to start competing in triathlons.

As Jayne Williams reveals in her witty and utterly self-confident style, triathlons do NOT have to be of an "Ironman" caliber where you swim 2 miles, ride 120+ miles and run 25 miles. In EVERY state (including Alaska), you will find many "sprint" triathlons consisting of a 400-yd.swim, 12-mile bike, 2-3 mile run/walks. They also have "Olympic" triathlon events that increase the ante to a 1/2-1 mile swim, 25-mile bike, and 6- mile run/walks. Likewise, they have 1/2 Ironman triathlons as well.

How is this possible to suddenly ENJOY exercising? Well, for many of us, it is the lure of the fun and competition. Come Race Day and the pay-off arrives after all the hours of hard exercising. You race, talk and have fun with fellow competitors, get a "goody bag" with t-shirt and neat free items, often enjoy a dinner or gala event following the race, travel to different events, and most of the time you get a medal just for crossing the finish line! Likewise, if you are REALLY good (or it's a really small race!) you get a prize if you are one of the first three finishers in your age division.

Having expressed my enthusiasm for my newly found sport, let me say that Jayne Williams and "Slow Fat Triathlete" saved my passion and "career" as a triathlete! I am the type of person who when interested in a subject, promptly logs onto amazon.com. After perusing various books, I generally order a great deal as I seek to gain different information.

In this case, I promptly ordered the top 15 triathlon books and virtually ALL of them were written for the seasoned triathlete hoping to shave a few pts. off their time. With the exception of Dave Scott's book, they were written so far above my level of competing, that I was absolutely discouraged and ready to throw in the towel. Even the various websites online (even for beginners) did not offer the kind of information that I was seeking.

And then I finally got to "Slow Fat Triathlete," which answered all my questions (and then some!) in a captivating, somewhat quirky style. It was the "Siren of the Triathlon" and it called to me with every page...

After I read the book, I actually sat down and read it again, with notebook in hand, to jot down the various advice that it contained. Now remember, I had already read about 10 other books on triathlons that contained none of this information! To be fair, although these top books were written by GREAT triathletes, I often think that the authors are so far removed from their first triathlon experience, that they cannot comprehend the vast amounts of knowledge that those training for and entering their first triathlon need.

I didn't even know what T1 and T2 were and suddenly I was confronted with various charts full of abbreviations in other books! I even signed up with the most elite and widely recommended online coaching forum (and certainly not cheap) - and they didn't have a clue as to the level that a real beginner needed.

Jayne Williams' book is smart, funny, and somewhat "indelicate" in spots. (After a look at her website, I have to side with her mother...) But it is the most inspiring, knowledgeable book on triathlons that I have ever read. The author hails from Harvard and Berkeley and yet her writing is so hilarious at times that you will swear that she writes for SNL! She covers everything from what equipment is a must, to which flavors of energy gel taste great, to pre-race instructions, to how to get out of your wetsuit, to what brand of sports bra can enable even the most "abundantly endowed" woman to compete!

For the first time ever, I actually wrote Oprah's staff, BEGGING for this author to be on the show. (I hope that Williams' editor and/or agent follow through!) This book DESERVES to become a best-seller!

If you are thinking of entering a triathlon or simply want that "magic pill" that will lure you to WANT to exercise, BUY THIS BOOK. It has my HIGHEST recommendation. The resources and websites in the back (and her husband's terrific artwork sprinkled throughout) just contribute to help make this the BEST TRIATHLON BOOK OUT THERE!

Product Description
Triathlon and endurance sports are not just for the skinny, the fast, and the young. They're for you. You're not too slow, fat, old, or klutzy. You're just fine. Start today.
If you think that the only people who have any place in a triathlon are zero-body-fat elite athletes, reconsider right now. Triathlon and other endurance sports are a lot more accessible than you think. Jayne Williams, self-proclaimed "Slow Fat Triathlete," is living proof, and she wants you to join the fun. After years of obesity, poor health, and self-doubt, Jayne mustered up the will to exercise and worked her way from walking around the block to competing in her first triathlon in 2002. She got hooked on the rush of the race, and as a Slow Fat Triathlete, laughs at humiliation, embraces her foibles, and accomplishes impressive goals.
Slow Fat Triathlete is for anyone who may be out of shape, undisciplined, or otherwise unprepared to enter a triathlon but is curious to try. With its singular mix of practical advice (do what it takes to avoid chafing), screwball anecdotes (meet the hula dudes from the Big Kahuna Half-Ironman), and off-kilter observations (your wetsuit can make you feel like a superhero), Slow Fat Triathlete proves that you don't have to lose weight, get your life in order, or have all the right equipment to pursue your athletic dreams. Just get off the couch, start moving, and have fun. You can do great things.

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Review of Hotbody.101: An Easy Diet & Exercise Program To Help You Get Your Hot Body In 8 To 10 Weeks. (Paperback)

I have just recently graduated from college and, I must say, I wish I'd had this wonderful book throughout those four years! Where was this book when I was putting on my "Freshman Fifteen?" I sure could've used it!! It should be available in all college bookstores and should be required reading for anyone about to embark on their college journey! Written in an extremely easy-to-understand tone that appeals to just about everyone, not only the undergrad, it is a fabulous fitness plan that has really worked for me! College kids everywhere will be thanking Michael Kamins and singing the praises of Hotbody.101!!

Product Description
The HotBody.101 book / program is the only program on the market geared towards the college student!It is also the only viable program geared toward the on the go 9 to 5 working man or woman.In fact this diet and exercise program works for everyone.That's right, everyone.It will not drastically cut carbohydrates, it also will not force you to spend hours in the kitchen preparing intricate meals or in the gym doing hours of monotonous exercise.Instead you will in eight weeks, be in the best shape of your life, and truly have your very own HOT BODY!

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Review of Senior Fitness: The Diet and Exercise Program For Maximum Health and Longevity (Paperback)

By most reasonable standards Senior Fitness is an exceptional book on health and fitness.Its basic message is simple and intellectually sound.The recommendations are based on both solid science (multiple studies with convergent findings) and the results of the author's own heroic battle against cancer.On a personal level I found the book quite inspiring, providing just the impetus I needed to adjust my personal diet and exercise regimen.Dr. Heidrich doesn't equivocate or offer us simplistic solutions that require no work on our part, but the reward of good health and a vigorous old age should more than justify our efforts.The message is clear, the science is sound and if you're looking for a good book to jump start your own personal fitness program this is a great place to start.

Product Description
Nearing 70, Ruth Heidrich has the bone mass density of a woman in her early thirties and a resting heart rate of 44. Not only that, but she has survived breast cancer for over twenty years and recovered from several accidents that have broken limbs and stopped her (temporarily) doing from what she loves best-keeping fit and being positive.
In Senior Fitness, the "other" Dr. Ruth demonstrates that the senior years don't have to filled with aches and pains. She shows how to dramatically reduce the risk of prostate cancer, varicose veins, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and a host of other ailments and diseases that can affect older people. Full of detailed medical information, Senior Fitness shows you how you can eat healthfully, stay fit, and maintain a positive and go-getting attitude to life, maintaining and even increasing physical and sexual fitness well into your latter decades. Part compendium of vital information for your vital signs and part inspiring handbook for taking control of your health and well-being, Senior Fitness is the perfect companion for all those seeking to make life after 60 full of life and dynamism.

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Review of The Spark: The Revolutionary New Plan to Get Fit and Lose Weight-10 Minutes at a Time (Paperback)

This book is 237 pages too long.It is an infomercial.A reader has to wade through empty paragraph after empty paragraph trying to get the essence of the book.I'll save you the money: eat a high fiber, low fat, carbohydrate diet and exercise for 10 minutes three times a day, 5 days a week.One workout should be aerobic, one should be strength-training and one should be stretching.You get your metabolism going stretching the exercise you do over the course of the day.The End!



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Review of 12-Minute Total-Body Workout (Paperback)

This was a fast,very easy to understand and follow book. The workout program is effective and great for any person who is interested in an at home weight lifting program but has neither the time nor thedesire todecipher a book to get an individual program started.I especially likedhow each chapter represented a day of the week and the workout for the day. Thethings to keep in mind were also helpful.

Product Description
The author of the bestselling Now or Never offers readers a total fitness program that tightens, tones and shapes the entire body in only 12 minutes a day, without the use of expensive gym equipment.

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Review of Gut Busters: The 15-Minute-A-Day, 12-Week Plan (Paperback)

My informal surveying of guys shows that they wouldn't buy such a book as this because all you need to do to get "flat abs" is to do more crunches or sit-ups.

As I've written about in "Exercise & Health" and "Men's Workout" magazines many times, that is not the only solution. There are many guys who do serious crunches every day and don't lose their middle.

To really get lean abs, you have to know a variety of facts, and Vedral has included all of them in this book without going on in useless detail. It's sort of a little book, which makes it easy to read and later refer to. Absolutely crucial information is here: why a low-fat diet will help, how the number of repetitions vs. the form you use affects your progress, and the many varieties of exercises you need to do. Most people don't know that simply doing basic crunches won't make your stomach lean. That only works one part of your ab muscle structure.

There are other ab books out there, but if you don't care to read 250 pages about abs, and need a get-to-the-point guide, here it is.

Product Description
A guide to firming up the tummy offers a no-nonsense plan that combines stomach-flattening exercises with a fat-melting diet and teaches readers how to increase energy and boost self-esteem.

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