Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution (Harperresource Book)

If you're interested in the idea of lifting weight slowly, there are 3 books, that I am aware of, to consider:

1) Super Slow: The Ultimate Exercise Protocol, by Hutchins

2) The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution, by Hahn

3) Power of 10, by Zickerman

To sum up 1-3: lift weights slowly to help lessen momentum so you are lifting the weight using as much muscle as possible, which will lead to muscle failure, and can help reduce the possibility of injury. Also be wary of the stress caused by aerobics. Work out less per week so you have time for a real life, and follow a sensible diet.

Note that 1-3 all are preachy about weights being superior to health over aerobic exercise, although 3) is much less so. Also note that they don't seem to say 'get rid of' cardio, but that weightlifting provides some cardiovascular benefits itself, and to do aerobics as a supplement never as a substitute.

Some miscellaneous comments:

1) reads like a dissertation or a scientific manual, while 2) and 3) are popular reading, 3) moreso.

I like the comparison to taijiquan (t'ai chi ch'uan) that 1) makes.

Dislike the endless "this worked for me!" anecdotes in 1-3.

3) seems to have zero references.

2) and 3) take a lot of material from 1).

3) doesn't seem to be against stretching, but rather says stretching is built into the slow moving full range of motion system.

Final verdict? Get 3) because it is less preachy, costs less, and presents the main ideas from 1) in a more accessible form.

My wife and I started doing this workout at the end of January. I was 5'10" and weighed 170lbs my all-time high. Within 6 weeks I had lost 10lbs. At this point we started adhering to the diet part also, and I lost another 15 lbs. I'm down to 145 practically my college exit weight 20 years ago. I am stronger than I have ever been before (and I worked out 3 times a week since college) and feel better than I ever did before. For example, my stomach is more defined than ever now that I do 15-20 slow situps compared to my previous method of 300/week. My wife has seen similar results. We both look fantastic and can't wait to do our workouts. They are tough workouts, but it really does work. Planning your food in advance is a must to stay on the diet.

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Like most people I was a little skeptical about any program that promised results in only one workout a week. I had been lifting weights (along with cardio) 3-4 times a week, and although I was in decent shape I felt like the results weren't matching my effort. I've always been a thin guy with a thin frame, and so I wasn't trying to look like a bodybuilder or NFL linebacker. I just wanted to stay in shape, and I felt like my workouts weren't as efficient as they could be.

This very readable book outlines a sane program for busy people. And, more important than the time savings the results are amazing. By giving my body time to rest and recouperate, and by following the author's very reasonable nutrition advice, my results in 2 months have been better than the last 2 years of traditional exercise. Trust me, it works.

A couple of caveats however: while this program is only once a week, that doesn't mean its a peice of cake. It's hard. Most people really have no idea what it feels like to push their muscles to true exhaustion, with no momentum to help lift the weight. I know I didn't! After one 30-minute workout, you'll be spent. You'll be more tired than after an hour of your old weightlifting. But the way I see it, that just means that my old way of working out wasn't as eficient as Power of 10.

Also, I'm not sure I agree with the author's total disdain for cardio. I still do a little running or biking a couple of times a week, to supplement the weight lifting. I feel that the stress relief and heart/lung exercise that comes with cardio can't be matched by weight lifting alone.

This book is well written, nicely illustrated, and has sane advice that most normal people can follow. Give it a try for a few months and you'll be a convert!

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A year ago, I happen to catch a segment of 48 Hours News Show on CBS, where they had a test of two identical twins oversize female models. One was to do the Power of 10 and the other the areobics workout in a gym.

In addition to this, it show two famous TV news reporter/host doing the Power Of 10 Barbara Walters and Lesley Stahl. I known watching them workout that this was for real!

I been doing the Power Of 10 for the past 8 months and it is as advertised. You will gain muscle mass and be toned. You do it only once a week for 20-30 minutes. That all! Nothing else is needed. I look forward to doing the Power Of 10 now and it is a very uplifting experience!

It is a painful and exhausting workout but it only last for 30 minutes or less. Alot of people who have not workout hard before; may not like it and quit. But if you were an athlete in school and did weight training for football or wrestling or similar training routine; it will be easy for you to get with the mind set of the burn and experience the pain all over again! After all; if Barbara Walter and Lesley Stahl can take it; you must be quite a "sissy" to not be able to stand it!

The nutrition section of the book tells you what to eat for healthy eating and weight loss. It is roughly 1/3 of the book! You must follow this step fairly closely to go along with the workout if you wish to loose weight. After all; if you eat alot of sugar in your diet; you have to change your habit! The book explains this in detail.

So if you would like to start eating right, getting stronger and loose the weight, and workout only 20-30 minutes a week; get the Power Of 10! It fast and you will love it because it will make you happy!

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I found out about The Power of 10 from an article in GQ Magazine. I work 60-80 hours per week so I don't have a lot of time to exercise. I was over weight and out of shape. I just finished my eightth week on the program. I've lost 25 pounds of fat and have put on 4 pounds of lean, hard muscle. My cholesterol, blood sugar and triglyceride levels have all been dramatically reduced. I'm seeing a lot of muscle definiton and have a lot more energy.

The workout itself is better than the Slow Burn method. The reason is this workout stresses the negative resistance (bringing the weight back to you) as much as the positive (pushing the weight away). You gain more muscle and strength buy doing the negatives. (That's what I learned in a weight lifting class in college).

The food plan isn't difficult to follow if you do a little planning and preparation the day before (I make my meals for the next day before I go to bed).

I have found that cardio helps the weight come off quicker. I hit a plateau at 20 pounds. So I started working with a boxing heavy bag in the mornings. The weight began to drop again.

As with everything, you have to want to lose weight for this to work. You do have to get in the gym and you do have to watch what you eat. With this plan you don't go hungry. So, If you want a stronger body and you don't want to be a "gym rat" then this is the plan for you.

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Home Made Health: A Family Guide to Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Control and Preventive Medicine

I really like parts of this book but not all of it. Some of the dietary information is the old school all fats are bad for you and the core dietary concepts are based on Seventh-Day Adventists teaching. That being said they do teach in a gentle manner and stress that you do what you can with what you have and let God take care of the rest.

There is much more to this book than diet though. There are really good chapters about water intake, sunlight and breathing. As well as information about handling stress and keeping a balanced life. I found it helpful and encouraging. It is a good read even if you have been around healthy eating healthy living books before as the buried gems are not commonly taught and very helpful.

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The Official Nutrition Education Association Home Study Course in the New Nutrition: 12 Individual L

When I went back to school for a Clinical Nutrition degree this was the first book I had to read. When I received it in the mail I thumbed through it and my first thought was, "What have I got myself into? This looks so boring". This turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read in the nutrition world. It is set up to test at the end of each chapter, but one can ignore this if you want to read for enjoyment purposes only. I still find myself going back and rereading a section every now and again because it explains the process so simply.

If you truly want to begin to learn how the organs work with each other and how food comes into play and travels through the body's system this is it. I think this book is for someone who really has a passion for nutrition or has a deep desire to learn to heal themselves on a very beginner level. One must always take what makes sense to them out of each book they read and create their own teaching method.

This book was written some time ago and there may be some minor changes in the nutrition world, but this book still holds its own and I highly recommend it for the passionate learner.

3/2011

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The Interval Training Workout: Build Muscle and Burn Fat with Anaerobic Exercise

This book discusses interval training and is a good starting point for anyone who is new to the concept. However it is basic, and unless you have no idea what is meant by "interval training" then you will not learn anything new. At its heart the message is, go really fast for a minute, then slow down for two minutes, repeat until done.

The most glaring problem is that the book only talks about interval training as manifested in the traditional cardio sports (running, swimming, cycling, etc.) It does not talk about ways to incorporate interval concepts into your strength training routines, and even worse does not adequately talk about how to incorporate your strength training with the interval program recommended.

I think this book is most useful for the type of people who "just run" (or just "whatever") at a steady pace for a predertmined time and have no plans to lift weights. However, if you are looking for a more holistic program that will cover more aspects of fitness, then I would suggest searching further.

Interval Training (IT) is systemic conditioning based on low intensity activity punctuated with bursts of high intensity activity. IT has an advantage over "aerobics" done at constant pace because the high intensity phase triggers growth hormone and other effects that are never quite achieved by extended low intensity training. This means that you can achieve benefits beyond those of aerobic training for athletes and also for weight control and general fitness. IT does not neccessarily replace low intensity training entirely, nor does it replace more specialized strength or flexibility work where needed. It is a concept with its own niche in physical training.

This book introduces the concept of IT and gives examples of how to set up a conditioning program for yourself with IT at the core. There is a lot of practical advice here for the novice and for those who have only a passing knowledge of physical conditioning. Those with moderate knowledge of conditioning including interval techniques will find most of this to be review or variations of ideas they alreay use. Trainers and those who use formal interval techniques already will probably not get much out of this, and should instead look to more advanced, more technical, or more specialized books.

An excellent practical introduction to interval based fitness.

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In my capacity as Medical Director of 2 Fortune-50 companies I have had the occasion to review numerous fitness and health promotion programs. Dr. Nitti's Interval Training offers a common sense approach to physical fitness which is applicable to the average person as well as to world-class athletes. It is refreshing to finally see a fitness program that is scientifically based and does not attempt to repeal the laws of thermodynamics or the principles of human physiology. I highly recommend this book to anyone serious about physical conditioning.

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I purchased this book with the hopes that it would have some hard core anaerobic workouts using intervals with bodyweight exercises, medicine balls and other non-standard methods of good all around functional or "combat conditioning" type training workouts. This is not a book like that. However it is a good book that will help you understand why interval training is important to include in your workout and can help you develop your own personal workouts.

The book mainly focuses on interval training for the runner, swimmer, or biker which I'm sure will help you a lot of you've become stagnant in your workouts. It does include workouts and good guidelines for these type of sports and has a basic section on weight lifting and stretching.

The book also includes short and concise reasons as to why interval (anaerobic) training is so beneficial. It didn't try to get too medical or scientific about it just plain old English as to how interval training works in your body.

Even though the book didn't include the type of training workouts I was looking for, it was still a worthwhile book to read and I will use some the principals from this book in developing the type of workouts I am looking for.

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Hospital Gowns and Other Embarrassments: A Teen Girl's Guide to Hospitals

Very helpful and insightful for the target audience (I'd personally recommend it to patients, their family members, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers who may invade other's privacy and comfort zone). Perry discusses several patients he worked with while employed at a children's hospital and discusses simple helpful lessons he learned to help make his patients more comfortable, earn trust, and reduce embarrassment to the patient--as well as discussing how the patient and family can let the caregivers know how to take care of them and respect them.

Perry has done a great service for teen girls and hospital workers in this raw and honest narrative. As a college instructor, I was impressed by the superb writing that gave readability to a difficult subject matter. As a person who has known the mortifying experience of being a self-conscious teen girl in a cold, foreign environment to be physically invaded, I was eternally grateful that someone finally took the time to address this issue. Teen girls will find comfort in Perry's words. The children he describes will find a place in your heart. Without giving anything away, I was especially touched by the loveable little Binky and his lessons. This is a must-read for all.

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Perry does a wonderful job of showing the struggle that healthcare professionals face, between giving patients real quality care and meeting the expectations of the administration. By giving teens & family vital insight about the environment inside the Hospitals today, they can understand how the system works and how their choices are a huge part of how comfortable their stay will be. The information he provides is absolutely essential and is unknown to most people, let alone a teenage girl. He explains the complex in's and out's in a way that anyone could understand, this book gives girls critical knowledge & motivates them to be involved in their care while staying in the hospital. That's why I recommend this book, not just as a survival guide to teen girls, but also to families of young girls, as well as All Healthcare Professionals. This Book sheds light on a subject not very welcomed by the healthcare community, revealing necessary truth bringing greater awareness to how serious these issues are. Perry brings this point home in saying,

"...If anything we can forget something physical (meaning pain) more easily than we can forget something psychological (such as embarrassment)...It's true that for pain there's often a pill, while there's no pill for embarrassment. But the treatment for embarrassmenta little kindness and some staff flexibilityis more effective than that for pain. It also costs nothing and has no side effects. That's why I think hospitals should treat embarrassment as seriously as they do pain."

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