Customer Reviews

The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Science is proving that the human body is designed to function in short bursts of activity --- not one long marathon of running or the other forms of activity we've been participating in for decades through our exercise programs.

Studies show that ten minutes of brisk exercise triggers metabolic changes that last at least an hour.

Aerobics as we know it is dead. And long sessions of weight lifting are not the answer. This book has one answer. And I just love it. I bet you will too.

I adopted this style of working out a few months ago. My blood pressure is lower, I'm in better health and have more energy. Plus, I'm having more fun when I workout.

Several books have come out in the last few years that address the fact that short bursts of exercise are superior to the long bouts of exercise most people partake of and are bored by.

They've provided us with attractive alternatives to the long, boring exercise routines. More than alternatives, these are superior ways to train for everyday life. They're also fun and make you feel great. This is a functional exercise program and that's the very best kind.

This book by Sean Foy adds something really special to the body of information on this exciting type of workout. He provides a way to get your . . .

Cardio
Strength training
Core work and
Stretching and breathing exercises

. . . in one fast ten minute session.

It breaks down to . . .

4 minutes of high-energy aerobic training
3 minutes of resistance exercise
2 minutes of core-strengthening exercises
1 minute of stretching and deep breathing

These are all broken down into short intervals, which gives you a really powerful workout.

Before you jump in, you need to read the book and run through the exercises. Why? Simply put, when you're doing the workouts, the transitions between one exercise and the next is zero! There's no stopping for ten minutes. And believe me, you'll know you had a workout when you're finished. I sure did. And I'm a seasoned exerciser.

There are a few things about the book I should bring up that I consider negatives. One of the exercises, the Wood Chopper, was not presented in the proper way. (At least not in the way I learned it or find it in all other literature and video instructions.) The resistance band is supposed to be overhead and you chop down. Foy tells you to put the band even with your waist and chop straight across.

I've searched all over and find no instructions saying to do the exercise this way. I don't think you get as much good from the exercise with the band at waist height. But perhaps he had a good reason for giving these instructions.

Also, there is a section on the science behind this type of program. But I felt it was not as in-depth as it should be. Having said that, there are other books with the science discussed in-depth and no one book can be expected to contain everything.

Foy also says you can do one circuit and then do one or more in addition to that if you want. To me, this is saying that ten minutes is good but if you do more, it's better. And that's not true. In fact, it defeats the purpose of the program. I sort of felt he was trying to please everyone --- those who love long exercise sessions and those who don't. But that was only the feeling I got and I certainly have nothing to back that up other than the above statement he made.

The purpose of this workout to me is not in doing what's convenient but what's best, what's proven by science to be best.

I felt that his motive was to get people moving and he rightly surmised that anyone can put in ten minutes of exercise each day. And I applaud anyone who motivates people and gets them moving. But the real value in this program is the fact it's circuit/interval training --- the best type of exercise you can do. And that it's done in a sprint --- the way we live and function.

The exciting thing about this book, other than the program, is the book itself. By that I mean the way the book is designed. Whoever designed it, did so with the reader (exerciser) in mind. In fact, every exercise book should be made this way. Let me explain.

The book is spiral bound. So it lays down flat. This means you can easily practice the exercises and study them. But, it goes further. Every spiral bound book I've had has only the wired spiral visible when you put it in a shelf. This book cleaverly put an identifying spine over the wires so it closes like any other book and when shelved, you can easily find the book. It looks like any other book and hides the wired spiral.

The great design continues at the end. There are fantastic exercise cards for each level. Each card shows the exercise you do and tells you how to do it.

You can mix and match them and lay the book out so it's ready for you in the morning. This is about the coolest thing I've seen in a long time and I love using it. No more breaking the spines of books so it lays flat and no more fingering around in a book trying to locate your exercises. It's all so convenient. Kudos to the designer! That's a BIG part of the value of this book.

The book also tells you exactly how long each exercise is. I set the interval timer on my watch and it really made it fun and easy. Well, easy as far as knowing how I was doing on my time. The exercises are no walk in the park! You'll sweat --- so have a fan and water at the ready.

And I did get my heart rate up. Not as high as when I'm doing P.A.C.E. but respectably high. Foy doesn't really address raising the heart rate to the extent Al Sears does in his book. I don't think he considers that a major issue in quite the same way or perhaps he figures you can get that sort of workout on your other three days.

Foy suggests you do the 4-3-2-1 Program three times a week and some other ten minute exercises for three days. I do the P.A.C.E. Program because I believe so strongly in it and it helps strengthen the heart. Between both programs, I firmly believe a person can lower his blood pressure, his weight, cholesterol, triglycerides PLUS lose weight and feel great!

About a Few Negatives . . .

I would prefer the author refrain from giving little tips about how to live your life and deal with personal relationships. Having said that, he does say he's an "exercise physiologist and behavioral and nutritional coach." So, I guess some people might enjoy and benefit from his advice in this area.

I'd prefer to get that information elsewhere. When I get a fitness book, I want to read about fitness --- nothing else. In the forward, Dr. William Sears says, "Another thing I especially like about this book is that it focuses on not only a makeover of the body but of the mind. You will enjoy the voice of Sean the marriage and family counselor as he explains that relationship fitness is like physical fitness --- if you don't work to build it, it atrophies."

I simply don't like reading this sort of thing in my fitness books. You may.

Also, I wish the book had an index. This type of book --- one you refer to often --- should have one. That, coupled with a spelling error and some problems I had with one or two exercise instructions, plus not giving instructions for the breathing exercises, were negatives.

He also said that ice cream was "high on the glycemic index." That's a half-truth. Experts give ice cream the yellow light --- in moderation of course. It has a low GL (glycemic load) of 8. It has a moderately-high GI but experts are now putting more emphasis on the GL and the combination of the GI and GL. That gives ice cream a medium rating. In fact, low fat ice cream is considered low GI.

I also wasn't sure if you are supposed to warm up before the first moderate interval or before you begin the program. I didn't see any information on that. I saw one or two sentences that seemed to say the warm-up was incorporated in the first moderate interval. But, that's not long enough. So I warmed up two minutes before starting the program.

Foy says to warm up from two to five minutes --- he just isn't clear whether to do it prior to starting the intervals or during.

I have to add something else related to the book that I have an issue with. I personally find it improper for one of the co-authors to write a five-star review for a book she has a vested interest in. While her information is useful, the place for it is above in the description area that's specifically for the author. The review section is for the reader, not the authors or publishers.

I ordinarily would have taken off one star from my review due to these things. But I find the book of such tremendous value that I feel it deserves five stars despite the above issues.

The book is an absolute must-read if you want to get in the best shape of your life in the shortest time.

To read about the science behind this type of workout and get more information you'll find useful, I recommend Body by Science: A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week and Pace: The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution.

You won't regret getting this book. In fact, it may be just what you've been looking for if you want to get healthy and look great.

Highly recommended.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

OMG! This book has totally changed my life. With the simplicity of this program I have missed only 1 day (out of 40) of working out. In the 40 days of applying this 10 min. workout I have lost one dress size, my knees no longer hurt, my feet no longer hurt, and I have unbelievable energy. This will definitely be a lifestyle change for me. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Overall, this is a great book. If I could give it a 4.7 or 4.8 stars I would. It just barely falls short of 5 stars as discussed below. Anyone serious about their health should consider reading this excellent book.

For folks that seldom or never exercise, this 10 minute (actually 15 minutes) approach is likely a godsend. For those that are willing to commit to exercise and good health, this is more likely a stepping stone to either an enhanced version of this program or a more complete, traditional program.

The author addresses several facets of fitness within one tome -- motivation & commitment, eating/healthy diet, exercise routine & timing, explanation of each exercise, testimonials and the science behind his unique approach. As a result some organizational choices had to be made. I would have preferred a different organization -- the flow seems awkward to me -- but his choice seems to work.

The first 6 chapters are excellent reading for anyone interested in their health and wellness. The chapters are filled with interesting research and solid advice. Even if one never did a single one of the exercises that follow, these first 6 chapters would benefit the reader and add to their wellness.

The next 3 chapters cover in detail every exercise at each of the 3 levels of difficulty. There are many exercises I've never seen before. They can be surprisingly challenging. These detailed chapters are very helpful and a welcome part of the book. Be prepared to study each exercise before hand so your can complete the entire 10 minute workout without constant reference to the book. The point of the 4-3-2-1 program is to pack everything into a continuous 10 minute routine.

The next chapter is a daily guide moving the reader (you are expected to be exercising as you read!) through what to eat & do each day at each of the three levels of fitness. The daily guide covers 28 days at each level. One can either repeat the 28 day cycle and stay at a given level of difficulty (fitness) or move on to the next level and the 28 days guide for that level. This is probably the chapter that is most important to a successful fitness/wellness program -- taking the mystery out of how to integrate all of the parts of the program. Following the "recipe" is always much easier than coming up with your own program to integrate your new learnings.

The 4-3-2-1 routine is a unique approach to fitness and health. The science seems to be sound. It wasn't really clear, however, until I actually started trying out the exercises how the routine works. By that I mean, his 4-3-2-1 concept is easy to understand -- 4 minutes of cardio/aerobics, 3 minutes of resistance/muscle building, 2 minutes on your core (more muscle building) and 1 minute of stretching & breathing. What wasn't clear until I started the exercises was how each part of the 4-3-2-1 workout is broken down. It turns out that the routine is actually 15 minutes not 10 as there is a 5 minute warm-up before you start the day's exercises. The 4 minutes of aerobics is broken into 8 - 30 second intervals. This is where the interval training concept comes into play. The 3 minutes of resistance is comprised of 3 different 1 minute exercises. The 2 minutes of core is similarly broken into 2 different 1 minute exercises. And the stretching is broken into 2 different 30 second stretches.

As previously stated, many of the exercises I've never seen before. They are a nice blend of motions involving many different muscle groups. Some are more challenging than they appear. I'm sure if all one is looking for is to improve their health and level of fitness, this program will provide exactly that in 15 minutes of exercise 3 times a week. Another nice feature of this program is that at Level 1 there is no equipment needed (except a chair & a wall). Level 2 introduces a jump rope, resistance bands and a stability ball (and a door & step). All very inexpensive. Level 3 introduces weights and a medicine ball -- all pretty standard fair at a gym or well equipped home gym. No special machines. Nothing expensive. Another fine point of this book.

Without jumping to Level 3 where the weights are introduced, I'm concerned about dropping my current weight training routine. Yes, my current routine takes much longer than 10 minutes but I feel the results are worth the time. I may try repeating the 10 minute workout 3 or 4 times in one exercise session. I guess some experimentation is in order. Rather than dropping my current program I'm electing to follow the 4-3-2-1 program on the days that I'm not using my traditional weight training/cardio program. When I get to Level 3 I may drop my existing program depending on the results I'm seeing from levels 1 & 2.

My only complaint, and the ONLY reason I didn't give the book a 5 star rating, is the food section follows the traditional non-wisdom we've all been taught as the result of big companies putting profits ahead of health and wellness. The comments about eating fewer meals more often, having a daily food plan and how to build a menu without overeating are all excellent. The list of allowed, cautionary and avoid foods are pretty typical which means I don't agree. For a book so meticulously researched, there is a HUGE lack of research in the food section. Will the average American be healthier following his food guidelines than by continuing on their traditional American diet? Absolutely! But to be truly healthy, changes need to be made to his food plan. For example, the author advocates, "Eat Real Food" then goes on to say, "Eat low-fat or non-fat yogurt". If that's "real food" I'd like to know where the low-fat or non-fat cows come from that produce the low-fat or non-fat milk to make the yogurt. Real food contains the fats our bodies need. After World War II people were trading art work, gold and jewelry to buy olive oil, lard and tallow. Vegetables and other foods were more readily available but the fats were not. Our bodies require healthy fats. In fact, our bodies burn fat first. It is excess carbohydrates that get turned into body fat not animal fats and healthy oils. Check out the Weston A. Price Foundation and other groups that promote healthy eating of "real foods".

If the book included longer workouts for those that want to train or build and integrated the food wisdom of groups like the Weston A Price Foundation, this would be a sure 5 stars. In any case, it is 4+ stars and should be read by anyone interested in trying a new approach to health, fitness and wellness. This book seems especially appropriate for people that do not regularly exercise and need a sound way to get started on their way to a new and healthier lifestyle.

I enjoyed the layout of the book - it starts with a background of how the program was developed and then proceeds to show you how to accomplish your goals. It advances your exercise regime from start to more advanced, but keeping you within the time limits of 10 minutes. I can't always grab 30 minutes or an hour, I can always find 10 minutes.

This was really a good book and beautifully designed. However, why do experts in a given domain think that they can also give advice about areas in other's areas of expertise? I am referring to his diet advice. I think that diet experts should write diet books. A fitness book should stick with fitness advice. I know where to look for nutrition advice: Dr. Fuhrman's, EAT TO LIVE.

I workout five to six days a week and wanted something I could do at home when I didn't want to go to the gym; and also something I could do while traveling. I actually read about this workout in Bottom Line Magazine and they rated it very highly. I tried the example workout in the magazine and it was an excellent workout; so I decided to buy the book. I have not been disappointed. Each routine is 10 minutes long - so you can do just one when you have some time. I usually do a routine four times in a row to get a 40 minute workout and I am sweating by the time I am done. This is an excellent book.

I've only had the book a couple of weeks, but I love that I actually do it. It definitely makes a difference, my muscles were sore right away from only 10 minutes. It's very easy to do. Love the flip pages. If I'm not feeling great, I can go to the earlier ones and when feeling more energy, push on for the tougher ones, but they're all very do-able. Very helpful for busy Moms like me or anyone else. Each flip page gives a quick review of what to do and the book gives you ways to lower or increase the intensity of each exercise. Definitely worth getting.

I saw this book at my local library, checked it out and brought it home. Now, the very next day, I am looking on Amazon, wanting to buy this book because I don't want to have to give it back!
A little bit about me - I work 2 jobs and have a hard time finding the time to exercise, either I am cutting short my family time or I am losing sleep, and neither one allows me much spare time to cut into.
This is the perfect solution for me, and I did the 10 minute workout this morning, and I still feel it in my arms, and legs. My body feels like it was working. I am only setting my sights on Level 1 right now, but I love the fact that the book has a Level 2 and a Level 3, and the flip cards for exercises at the back of the book? Perfect! Great book!

I am a 66 years old man, a former smoker of 46 years and recovering from major surgery. I wanted a program that would work with me from the point my body was at and then work with me in increments to make it better. For two weeks I have been using the instructions in this book and am amazed at the rapid improvements I have experienced. I am very pleased with the program. I extend the 10 minutes workout time jst to get even more benefit.

if you claim to want to workout and you can't do the workouts detailed in this book or design your own workouts based on this system you're pretty hopeless.

I'm assuming that people who purchase books like this are looking for time-saving circuit-type workouts. These are not body-building routines, but if you follow directions you will see and feel a difference in your body.

The exercises and the routines are creative and effective and provide a complete, if abbreviated, workout. I do the "aerobics" 4 minutes on a stationary bike and have tailored some of the exercises to accomodate 69 year-old knees. I also use a programmable Tabata timer that I downloaded for my iPhone. It's not just "better than doing nothing," it's way better than doing nothing.