You know what I like about this book? Everything is BIG. Now before you think it's like a kindergarten book, let me say that it isn't. There's tons of information here--personal stories, training plans, nutrition, physiology, to name a few topics--all presented so you want to read it. Open this book to any page and the illustrations invite you with color, a font size that you can read easily (I think it's 14 point for body text), lots of photos of men and women of all ages (as a middle-age woman I'd like to say thank you very much) and all races. These are real people doing their exercise thing, not professional models. Even if you're an elite athlete, though, this book has something for you, too.
There are "Fit Facts", which are useful bites of information with practical value like avoiding muscle soreness, how to eat for your fitness level, how to train for your goals, etc. This is a great book and it's different from other books of its same subject because it's so broad. There's even cell biology in this book, which bolsters a lot of common knowledge with hard science. There are personal success stories, too, of normal people struggling with health and fitness, what they did, what changed, and how they are now. Very inspiring. And this book breaks it down into plans by the week or even the day to show you what to do one step at a time to meet your goals. It's like having a personal trainer right there in your hands whenever you need one.
This is an awesome book, and I've gotten away with something by receiving it in exchange for a review. Human Kinetics publishes Dance Anatomy and Stretching Anatomy as well, and this book uses the same great graphics. No matter what your fitness level or your sport of choice, there's something in this book for you. Anyone who cares about fitness, exercise, or health should have this book in their library. Appendix on energy expenditures by activity; bibliography, and index.
An excellent book! Easy to understand language and good illustrations covering all aspects of fitness. It talks about the benefits it terms of what it does for you body, aerobic and muscle fitness, nutrition, and weight control. Sample programs that help get you started on your own program are provide but with the proviso that you need to work out a program that suits you. It follows up with health issues, facts and fallacies and discussion on longevity. It is geared to the beginner and intermediate range. Example exercises with good illustrations are provided along with energy expenditure charts. Enjoyed the Fit Facts sidebars (
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I'm at a point in my life where I have little time for reading...yet I still love to dig deeply into information on subjects I enjoy. It's rare that I find a book, especially a fitness book, that gives such great depth of knowledge in such an easy-to-read and understand, visually appealing fashion. This does. Unlike most books, it uses more visual tools than words (although there are both) to work.
I was going to post some photos of the book open because it's really different than most books and hard to get across in a review...however, I see that you are able to look at excerpts of the book's pages here under the book's posting. I suggest doing so to best understand the difference.
The book is over 300 pages of full-color, graphically designed, glossy pages. Every page is thoroughly, thoroughly (did I mention thoroughly?) well-thought out design-wise to show the reader not only through words, but the best pics possible exactly what they are conveying. And it also keeps one's interest better, much like flipping through a Men's Health or Women's Health magazine...they are full of learning, but enjoyable to read as well.
I consider myself somewhat of an expert on fitness...I teach weightloss classes, I strive to workout to various routines as much as possible, and I enjoy reading as much as I can on the subject...but, by golly, this taught me WAY more on both weight loss and training in almost a "crash course" as I've ever had.
And, consequently, I've lost 10 lbs this month (and I was small to begin with) simply by greater knowledge of training, endurance, fat burning, aerobic fitness training, intensity, duration...It may all be understood but not "stick" as it does when you have the visual examples, illustrations, pictures and diagrams that make it stay wtih you and be so well understood. They even use examples of people training...pictures, stories, drawings of the changes and go in depth into workout routines and how to do them correctly and safely. While I get that training in DVDs, they REALLY go in depth into getting the most from it by doing it right. But that's at the end of the book...before you ever get there I guarantee you you'll be pushing yourself harder than you ever have before knowing why you should, knowing the difference between aerobic and cardio, knowing what will really change your body and health and mind and energy.
New to fitness? Expert? It supports in depth learning for both. If you are new to it, you'll go in doing it right, better and faster. If you think you know it all I guarantee you you'll learn more and do it better...at least I did.
Yes, it's a raving review and no, I have no tie to this publisher or authoer...but it impressed me greatly. At a time where I am pushing aside all my books, I read this cover to cover and it changed many things I do and, in turn, it changed my body and muscle tone. For that, I can't help but be a raving fan.
Negatives? I try to leave negatives in all my reviews even on products I love in order to give a full and complete picture...I have none. If I had done the book myself, I wouldn't have changed it...especially for a visual learner like myself, it was so very easy to understand.
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Fitness Illustrated offers more than the usual advice on diet and exercise, probing each type of activity to show what results in better fitness and what doesn't work. From how a body changes with different types of exercise to how aerobic activity can be gauged and how to shape and tone your core, this is packed with color anatomy and exercise photos to clarify all explanations. A top pick for any athlete.
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Note: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.
As the title suggests, this over-sized paperback is a colorful fitness guide filled with both photographs and illustrations highlighting the text. In fact, the vibrant style in which the book is written is reminiscent of magazine articles--i.e., all of the information is broken down into brief, manageable chunks, with much of the content presented via charts, graphs, and other easily-accessed formats.
Author Brian Sharkey begins with the basic questions of what are the benefits of being physically active and how much physical activity is needed. From there, Sharkey goes on the address the various components of a fitness program in detail, beginning with aerobic fitness. Bright, clear graphics simplify the science behind aerobic fitness training; Sharkey also provides charts to keep track of factors such as daily activity index, BMI, rate of perceived exertion, and more. Using all of the above elements plus a number of personal vignettes, Sharkey helps the reader to put together an individualized aerobic training program. Sharkey takes a similar approach to muscular fitness training, from providing readers with self-tests to customizing a muscular program which includes both stretching and core work.
The book includes a chapter on Nutrition and Weight Control (although little is said on the latter). Here Sharkey reviews the basic structures of the human diet, including protein, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as covers topics such as the glycemic index, portion sizes, antioxidants, and vitamins/minerals. The final few chapters provide additional tips on dealing with common problems that can arise (e.g., muscle soreness, cramps), separating exercise facts from fiction, and staying active throughout one's life span. Finally, there is an Appendix which estimates the number of calories burned during various activities, even things like shopping, carrying small children, and moving furniture.
Overall, I found this to be a user-friendly, easy-to-read book filled with basic fitness information. However, as someone who already works out daily and is quite knowledgeable about health and exercise, this guide did not offer me anything new. Therefore, I would limit my recommendation of FITNESS ILLUSTRATED to those who are exercise novices and/or who are looking for a comprehensive manual of simple information all in one place.
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I was recommended to read this from a friend and was not sure what to expect. It is a warm beautiful story of a mothers search for an answer the doctors were incapable of giving. I found the book thought provoking and easy to read. I recommend this book!
