Review of Total Body Transformation: A 3-Month Personal Fitness Prescription For a Strong, Lean Body and a Calmer Mind (Paperback)

Mr. Ilg will get you in shape physically and mentally, guaranteed.
I approached his book from a reformed weightlifter/runner to now a yogi/runner's perspective.
First the yoga information:
Many modern and not-so modern yogis claim that yoga is all anyone needs as far as exercise, but I completely disagree.Despite their attention to bandhas, tai chi like connecting movements, and yoga breathing, I don't think yoga alone is a cardiovascular workout.Moreover, I don't feel that the combination of low plank, high plank, crow, and handstands is enough to develop upper body strength.If you look at most yogis (no offense, please) such as Steve Ross (Inhale on Oxygen 6 a.m. weekdays), Bikram Choudury, and others, they don't look very strong.The best in this area to me has been Baron Baptiste (he of the ubiquitous bandana) and his attention to "functional strength."
Fortunately, Mr. Ilg politely calls the yogi community out on this subject and carefully illustrates the need to "strength train" in addition to yoga.
His High Performance Yoga (trademarked I believe) still uses these poses, but as a complement to the work in the gym.Also, his yoga routine is functional not fancy, incorporating all the sun salutations and warrior poses, as well spinal twists, backbends, forward bends, and inversions.Maybe most importantly he introduced me to a pose not found in many yoga books and not on Yoga Journal's website pose section:the yoga squat (this should be called the Ilg squat).It's a fantastic pose.
As for Mr. Ilg's strength training advice:solid and proven.He limits between set rest to 30 seconds and does power movements such as squats, stiff-legged deadlifts, benches, military presses, etc.No high rep,"shaping movements" fluff here.
His cardio advice is also great.No "just gardening is cardio" or park your car in a farther spot blather, but rather a discussion on the necessity of hard training such as bicycling, running, and more.
Mr. Ilg gets very, very, very deep into the meditation and spiritual"stuff."He loses me here, but that is my weakness.Hopefully, you will be able to embrace this important area.
Another area Mr. Ilg recommends that I could not survive:media fasting.I'm sorry, but I have to read the Journal/Times daily or I feel lost.If you can do this, your journey will be more advanced than mine.He doesn't say you have to do it daily, of course.
Nutritionally, I can't personally see eliminating meat & dairy without some heavy protein supplementation.If I'm training two-three hours daily (Mr. Ilg's recommendation), I don't see how a diet high in fiber and natural foods other than meat and dairy can provide enough protein.He may be right; it's just not for me.
Please, if you are considering getting "fit" realize that cardio, strength training, or yoga alone will NOT be enough individually.You have to combine all three (throw in meditation if you can and of course nutrition).Based on those proven facts, please welcome Coach Ilg into your life.You will save a lot of money purchasing this one book, instead of several for strength training, cardio, and the often incomplete yoga books.You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for reading.

P.S.Attentive readers may note that I previously reviewed this tome.I used some unfortunate and inappropriate words at the time.I apologize to Mr. Ilg and the Amazon community for that.Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa.

Updated 11.25.05.For some reason when you Yahoo, Google, A9 yoga squat this review comes up, so I want to add a little bit more information.
I still don't understand why more yoga tomes don't discuss the yoga squat, so I want reemphasize how much I appreciate Mr.Ilg's contribution.I do the yoga squat at least 10 times a day (always at least a minute).When I get two minutes during work I do it followed by a one minute forward bend.The yoga squat seems to put my whole body back into line and it unleashes an "energy flow".Also, during my reqularly scheduled two daily workouts, I do yoga squats holding a 25 or 35 pound plate for 2-3 minutes.It deepens the pose and feels fantastic.Everyone should do the yoga squat (knee pain sufferers excluded, although it may help actually).

Update 12.6.06.I just wanted to add another item to the Ilg Squat/yoga squat.The great Steve Ross on his fantastic yoga show Inhale(Oxygen M-F 6 a.m. EST) showed a version of the yoga squat designed to deepen the pose.He just set his feet very wide apart and squatted down.Turning your toes out may help some people.It felt awesome.

Again, big thanks to Mr. Ilg to paying attention to this incredibly important asana.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Total Body Transformation: A 3-Month Personal Fitness Prescription For a Strong, Lean Body and a Calmer Mind (Paperback)

Review of KISS Guide to Weight Loss (Paperback)

This book packed with information for those not only seeking to lose weight, but those wanting to create a healthier lifestyle. There are twenty chapters divided into six sections.The reader is expected to get a notebook and complete the various assignments given throughout the book.Topics covered in the book include everything from "Why lose weight?" to "The ABC's of Nutrition", "Living with your diet" and "Diet Troubleshooting". But the focus isn't just on food. There are several chapters dedicated to exercise and various other topics, like finding support and meal planning.
This is not a book for anyone looking to lose weight fast.It's geared for those who are willing to take their time, take a good look at themselves, their habits, their lifestyle, and consciously make changes in their life to create healthier living.The journal assignments are interesting.One, for example, is to write your hopes-and your fears-about losing weight.You may not think there are fears holding you back but once you start writing, it's interesting what comes forward.
Although the book may be a bit more expensive than other weight loss books, it can easily serve as a lifelong guide to keeping balance.It's full of pictures and illustrations that keep the reader entertained.The only bad thing is - well, it can't do the work for you, and that's a real bummer!

Product Description
Kiss the competition goodbye!
Find surefire ways to slim down with DK's KISS Guide to Weight Loss. Discover the right plan for you and how you can best achieve your goals. Learn the basics of good nutrition and healthy eating. Work out your attitude towards food and how you can modify eating habits. Plan your daily calorie intake on your personal chart. Discover how losing weight will improve your physical health and mental well-being. Keep a diary so you can track your eating and exercise habits and set realistic goals.
The Keep It Simple Series is the new standard in how-to books! Written by leading experts, each book includes full-color photographs and illustrations throughout, making these the first and only truly accessible guides for beginners. The KISS format is designed to help readers build confidence from the start, and learn gradually and thoroughly to the very last page. Much more than introductions to various subjects, these inspiring and innovative books are the ones that readers can trust!

Click Here to see more reviews about: KISS Guide to Weight Loss (Paperback)

Review of Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness (Paperback)

Poorly organized and difficult to read. The new edition adds more pages but no new information -- if anything, it's worse than the original. If you are looking to improve your performance, this book leaves a lot to be desired.

Product Description
·A new chapter on balance includes exercises for improving athletic performance as well as balance tips for seniors
·Includes the latest information on strengthening the lower back, preventing back injuries, and what to do if you have a back problem
·A new take-to-the-gym aerobic exercise calendar and chart
Learn key aerobic and strength training concepts to design and improve your exercise program with the updated edition of Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness. Written by a team of sports fitness experts, this book explores how each region of the body works and describes convention and functional exercises to improve your fitness and activity performance.
With new information on everything from exercising with tendonitis to footwear and orthotics, people of all fitness levels will find something to help them to the next level.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness (Paperback)

Review of ACSM Fitness Book - 3rd (Paperback)

If you want to get in shape, but have no idea how to do so and are too embarrassed to go to a gym, then this book is for you.
The book begins by having the reader take a self-assessment test wich is composed of a1-mile walk/run, push-ups, and toe touch.Don't feel bad if you can't doany of the above, the book covers that situation.From there, in auser-friendly, color-coded format, the book helps you design a program thatfits your needs.
I bought the book thinking it would help me design aweight-training program for myself.It isn't that advanced.All of theresistance training it contains can be performed sith just your body weightand some common household items (such as water bottles).
For a completenovice, this is where to begin.If, like me, you're a little moreadvanced, but want help in setting up a weight-lifting program, then Irecommend Weight Training Steps to Success by Baechle and Groves.

Product Description
Start where you are-then go wherever your goals take you! The fitness experts from the American College of Sports Medicine have put together a comprehensive plan for developing a personal fitness program and sticking with it.
ACSM Fitness Book includes a simple and scientifically proven fitness test to determine your starting point and monitor your ongoing progress. The book includes step-by-step instructions; sample programs; and insights on nutrition, weight control, motivation, and overcoming setbacks.
Whether your objective is to improve cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, or overall body condition, the ACSM Fitness Book is the one book you need for the tools-and the motivation-to put your personal program on track.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ACSM Fitness Book - 3rd (Paperback)

Review of The No-Beach, No-Zone, No-Nonsense Weight-Loss Plan: A Pocket Guide to What Works (Paperback)

No-nonsense style, very concise (except for various calculation examples, which might be good, as math literacy is alien concept for most).

About myself: 12 years ago I was 160 lbs. (I am 5'9"). Once I hit 230 lbs a few weeks back, I got myself a stack of books, including this one, to avoid previous failures (210 lbs to 190 lbs 2 years ago and gaining it all back and some more).

Jim Johnson's advice was instrumental in setting up my diet and stopping systemic overeating. So now I am under 218 lbs and feeling great on 1500 calories a day. Even more importantly, now I know there is no quick fix - one has to change a lifestyle. It is all about patience, perseverance and will to treat your body right.

The only suggestion: to count calories use software, not paper. I use FitDay.com - it's free.

Product Description
Created for the dieter who would rather follow science than the latest fad or celebrity, this book synthesizes years of research to present one dependable weight loss plan that really works. Using a combination of consistently proven diet and exercise strategies that require no special props or aids, readers are shown reliable ways to get weight off and keep it off. Information on calculating calorie needs, determining BMI (body mass index), and working out percentages of fats, carbs, and proteins in a diet are offered. The author leaves nothing to hypothesis, giving the truth about cellulite and how to tell when one's weight is a health risk. Fact is better than fiction where successful weight-loss is concerned and this book delivers all the scientific findings concisely in a convenient format.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The No-Beach, No-Zone, No-Nonsense Weight-Loss Plan: A Pocket Guide to What Works (Paperback)

Review of ABS for Life: The No. 1 Solution on How to Get Six Pack Abs (Paperback)

I used to often buy all the workout magazines you see in the stores. Abs in 4 weeks! Eat the junk and still get a six pack! All these cover stories get you to buy the magazine, but in reality these are unrealistic goals.Sure if you run 15 miles a days and were to eat just grapes and prune juice you would lose weight, but hardly anyone has the time to do these plans or would want to eat such boring food for any protracted period of time.I have brought many workout books over the years and they tend to concentrate on the exercises and when it comes to diet its eat more protein, eat less junk, thanks for the cash, see you later.

This book is different.Unlike the recycled articles in the magazines written by pot-bellied journalists, this book is written by Neil Frost a man not scared to show a picture of himself and the results he has achieved following his own program.Achieving a six pack is within your grasp if you have the discipline to stick to the principles laid down in this book.

The program takes about 12 weeks and if you check out his website then you can see before and after pictures together with testimonials of people that have succeeded with this lifestyle program.I say lifestyle, as exercise will account for very little of your time. You don't need to spend hours in the gym.The biggest part of the program is learning what you should be eating and when and this is fully covered in the book together with recipe ideas.

The exercise section is well thought out and easy to follow, the diet section is in depth but straightforward.

If you have the willpower to stick to this program, you will see impressive results.I know i have.

There is also a DVD for this program which is also worth a look.

Product Description
When you think of abs you most likely think of magazine models with abs so tight you could grate cheese on them!Your pessimistic side may also think of bland diets and endless hours in the gym. Therefore, you assume abs are reserved only for models, bodybuilders or Hollywood celebrities. Not true! This book is going to take your average body and turn it into something you never thought possible. Finally separating the facts from the fiction, the Abs for Life System is your complete body makeover manual to lose that unwanted fat and uncover those abs you never knew you had. The book features the Lean for Life Nutrition System which combines a unique carb rotation method, proven to get lean and stay lean. The book also incorporates The Lean Muscle Plan, which is a Weight Training System to build, sculpt and tone your entire physique. No stone is left unturned with the Abs for Life System, it is without doubt the most comprehensive Body Makeover System to date!

Click Here to see more reviews about: ABS for Life: The No. 1 Solution on How to Get Six Pack Abs (Paperback)