Just got this book in the mail today. First thing I'll say is that the quality of this book is excellent. Pages are large, paper it's printed on is not cheap. (For this book I wouldn't recommend the Kindle version since it's something you'll reference while working out and/or healing. Plus, the graphics are outstanding.) It's well organized with a large section devoted to injuries types, and how to prevent them and/or resolve them. (About 60%) Graphics of muscles/bones is very detailed. The rest of the book has excellent workout programs with nicely detailed graphics and how-to instructions.
I'm a runner and I will get much use of this book. But you don't have to be a runner as it's designed for all types of athletes. (Both beginner and advanced) Highly recommended!
I got this book last week and I've already referred to it twice. It's extremely comprehensive, yet perfectly accessible and easy to navigate. Having used the Internet as my source before, I value having all of this information in one reputable source and appreciate that it comes from the viewpoint of an expert who really understands the mentality of an athlete. As a new runner, it's a comfort knowing that this book is on my shelves.
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I admit, I am a bit biased because Dr. Metzl is my orthopedist! But the book is truly wonderful. It is well-written, filled with valuable advice and contains several excellent regimes, with really helpful graphics. It is not just for athletes it is helpful for anyone looking to take care of their body. The advice is particularly good for individuals who love to work out, whether or not they are participating in a sport. Dr. Metzl made me healthy and strong after several painful ski accidents and various other exercise-related injuries. His book is almost as good as seeing him in person (I say almost because he is quite adorable so in person is better!)
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This book covers a lot of ground, and provides many "hopefully" good ideas for curing numerous injuries. I have however a few reservations.
Dr. Metzl claims to have 20,000 patients. Let's do the plain arithmetic here. Let's say he sees 40 patients a week and works 50 weeks a year. That's 2,000 patients a year. At this workaholic pace, it takes him a full decade with little vacation to see each of his patients just once! Good luck if you need two or three follow up sessions. Meanwhile he still has time to train tens of hours a week to do Ironman triathlons in Hawaii and elsewhere. Something does not add up here.
Per the back cover of the book, he claims to be "one of the nation's leading sports medicine physicians." I did a quick search for him on the Internet and did not find a whole lot. However, a doctor rating website gave him only a 2 star rating out of 5, as given by nearly 20 different patients. And, the same site recommended several other sports medicine doctors all with 5 star ratings. This did not make him look like "one of the nation's leading sports medicine physicians."
His approach is interesting, but it may not be for everybody.
His dynamic stretching techniques are associated with vigorous bouncing while carrying heavy weights that will put much pressure on all your joints. If you are a 28-year-old triathlete, this approach may be fine. If you are a 50-year-old weekend athlete, this may be a recipe to injure yourself before you have the opportunity to injure yourself doing the sports you like.
He is really big on hard rolls. That's where you roll the side of your body on some really hard foam cylinder. You have to try it to understand what it is like. I have and I found it nearly excruciating with unclear benefits. Maybe it is reasonably more comfortable and rewarding for others.
He also is big on going nearly full out every single day. That seems excessive at least for the middle age weekend athlete type. There is a confusion between a daily active lifestyle that may include mellow days of just walking, hiking, gardening interlaced with more vigorous sports days vs his daily full out style. For middle age people the former lifestyle may be more sustainable and injury free than the latter.
His decision-making is sometimes typical of the Spartan macho archetype. He goes on advising that you should listen to your body and not incur excessive competitive sports stress when you have an injury. Then he goes on sharing that he also had such a crucial decision to make as he had a disabling injury just before doing an Ironman. It seemed a slam-dunk decision that he should not have participated in such a stressful event with such an impairing injury. Then, he goes on telling you that he decided to do it anyway and finish the event in 12 hours, a remarkably good time for someone at any age when you understand what such event consist off. From a medical standpoint it seemed like a stupid thing to do risking permanent damage to his body.
Besides all that, this book may be fine.
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This book is great. Its like an owners manual for your body. It simplifies concepts in how your body works and how to think about preparing it for peak condition. Anyone starting out in exercise should be handed this book. And for those already engaged in fitness, it's a great way to re-focus and make sure you're taking care of yourself the right way.
Thanks Dr. Metzl.
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I found this book to be pretty helpful in explaining the basics of a Triathlon to the uniniated. I didn't understand how the transitions worked and never heard of tri suits until I read this book. It's written in that positive easy to read Dummies style. If you're thinking of doing your first Tri, I highly recommend it.
