great
the workouts are good, but i feel this book is good for someone between 12% 0r 10% bodyfat
By comparing over 10 abs books, I concluded...
I purchased about 10 books from Amazon on abs in order to compare them. This one is a rather simplistic book. It's like an enlarged Men's Health magazine article. If all you want is a book that tells you exactly what to do for a specific time period, you'll be better off with The Body Sculpting Bible for Abs, which has more information as well as a DVD. Here's my conclusion from comparing books...
If You Want to Trim Your Waistline: You can't trim your waistline without losing fat, and you can't lose fat around your waist without losing it everywhere (focusing on a muscle group like the abdominal muscles doesn't burn fat in that location, just a little bit of fat from everywhere on the body). So, if you want to trim your waistline, skip the ab workout books and go with a good, proven overall weight loss and fitness book like Bill Phillips' Body for Life. The Abs Diet is a similar program, but like all the Men's Health publications, it advertises a 6-week transformation, which is just a little unrealistic. Plan on more like 12-24 weeks to see really noticeable changes if you are fat.
If You Want Sculpted Six-Pack Abs: If you are overweight at all, see above--you can't get a six pack while you're overweight, and you can't lose abdominal fat by doing an ab workout, so go for overall fitness. However, if you are already lean, see below.
If You Want to Strengthen or Build Your Ab Muscles: If you're trying to improve for work, play, or rehab, you might consider the following books: The Body Sculpting Bible for Abs Deluxe DVD Edition contains decently up-to-date information and tells you exactly what to do and when to do it, based on a six-week fitness course. If you're looking for a similar book with more information, you can choose from The Complete Book of Abs or The Complete Book of Core Training. The Complete Book of Abs (1998) is a little out of date in terms of its dietary/nutritional recommendations, but it focuses more on exercises that develop the external abdominal muscles (the ones you see in a six-pack), including lots of variations on leg lifts, bicycle motion, and sit-ups. It will also give you more resources for creating your own program, and, if that's what you want to do, go with this one instead of The Body Sculpting Bible. The Complete Book of Core Training (2006) focuses more on the functional body core, including internal abdominal muscles, legs, etc., and includes more trendy exercises using medicine balls, exercise balls, yoga, etc. A different sort of book is Stronger Abs and Back (1997), which was written before the current fad of selling "core training," but contains the elements of core training because it gives good functional sports-focused advice. Its dietary recommendations are out of date, but it recommends a 24-week workout plan, which is much more realistic than the 6-week plans advocated by many of the other books.
If You Have Back Pain: See your doctor, and if he prescribes abdominal/core strengthening, see above.
My one-book recommendation: Body for Life.
My two-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back.
My three-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back + The Complete Book of Abs.
My four-book recommendation: Body for Life + Stronger Abs and Back + The Complete Book of Abs + The Abs Diet.
Hope this helps!!
Excellent and sensible, review by former physiology Teaching Fellow....
I was a Teaching Fellow in Physiology in graduate school, did additional graduate study in biochemistry and at one time worked as a personal trainer. I am also someone who has had my share of injuries, including a herniated disk. When I reviewed this book, I did so through this lens and as one who has some direct knowledge of the area being explored.
In my opinion, this book is a REAL jewel. It is short, but it covers a progressive, logical and safe routine for building outstanding abs. In addition, it includes good information about combining abdominal training with aerobics, weight lifting and reasonable diet tips.
In addition to the above, the book is written in an easy to follow, upbeat manner. It is encouraging and provides enough detail on how to do exercises properly. This is probably the only abs book you will ever need.
Two other books that may be of interest are: Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief and Build Muscle Lose Fat Look Great: Everything You Need to Know to Transform Your Body. I recommend the former for people with back issues and the latter for people who want more in-depth coverage of weight training.
Overall... this book is a GREAT place to start a fitness program that is easy to impliment, stick to and get good results. In my opinion, it's all you need to get started and it will take you fairly far by itself. There isn't any hype here, just good information packed into a small package.
Check for more reviews on Amazon.com
Similar Products:
|
