Customer Reviews

AstroFit: The Astronaut Program for Anti-Aging

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

 

 

A very good book that looks at what type of resistance training, cardio-vascular exercise, stretching, and the newest element of fitness--balance work is needed to combat the loss of fitness due to aging, which is similiar to the atrophy the astronauts experience in space. I found the recommended tempo for resistance training--two seconds up and six seconds down very useful and the balance training extremly beneficial. I think that someone who is looking for fitness and not big biceps will benefit from this book. In short, it's cutting edge research translated into a everyday program for us who spend too much time sitting in office chairs.

The introduction to AstroFit is a one page interview with one of Dr. Evans most famous subjects, an American hero, John Glen, a very good endorsement to any book.

The book takes NASA research, million of dollars worth of experiments and analysis and applies it to ideas and a fitness program for the earth bound human.

The book and Dr. Evan fulfils a NASA promise to make NASA research results accessible and applicable to the people who pay for NASA.
I hope more NASA experts follow Dr. Evans example of bring NASA expertise to the public.

I've lifted weights since I was 11 ( I'm now 48)but I have never had results like this before! Using the e-centric method of lifting produces incredible strength gains and also results in getting thoroughly "ripped"--producing increases in muscle mass that then boost metabolism so that you no longer have to diet--instead your hunger seems to get reset to a set point that maintains your new ripped body. I have lost 15 lbs. over six months, have reduced body fat from 21% to 17%, and find it easy to maintain my new weight. The only "down side" is that it sometimes still shocks me when I touch myself and I'm so hard. After years of being strong (college rugby player) but soft, it is weird to no longer have a layer of fat. But I think I can get used to it!!

I am a young woman with osteopenia (beginning of bone loss) and was looking for a book to help get me off the couch. I bought this book because it helps take you through the basics as a beginner and provides structure.

I also use a few DVD's which helped me really focus and complete a full routine. I have several yoga DVD's from Gaiam that I like a lot! But yoga is not that great for bone loss. I also bought a Kathy Smith DVD, "Personal Trainer", but only use the weight lifting section of Kathy's DVD's but with the resistance method outlined in this book (Kathy can be annoying but it helps me to follow the routine)

I agree with a lot of the criticisms, but here is why I like it for beginners:

1. Provides list of body measurements and fitness measurements. This is in chapter 5 and not much interesting before this (thus the wordy criticisms). There is nothing new here but he describes where to take the body measurements, discusses BMI, describes how to approximate your endurance and has you put it in a chart to track your progress.

2. He describes exercises and gives you a training schedule. Okay this is for beginners! Nothing new. I found the list of exercises corresponded closely with the weight lifting section of the Katy smith DVD "personal trainer" except for the method of lifting.

3. I found some helpful information about nutrition, advice on equipment, discussion about bone density but they are buried by wordiness so I can't rate it too high. I don't pay any attention to the recipes.

I have to keep telling myself that I bought the book for its training tips - not for its writing style. I found it excessively wordy, repetitive, and prone to grandiose statements about Astrofit's place in the general scheme of things. The diet, for which they consulted a NASA dietician, is atrocious. Though Evans claims it is "high protein", it is really 60% carb, 20% protein, and 20% fat. He then claims that weight loss on low carb diets is mostly water (I'd like him to explain that to my sister who has lost 102 lbs since January on the Perricone Diet). Well, maybe when you're lifting weights you should eat tons of simple carbohydrates and sugar - far be it for me to argue with a DOCTOR. In any event, I'll do the exercises in his recommended fashion and skip his recommended eating plan. I had higher hopes for the book, though.

I'm a 42 year old rock climber interested in increasing my strength to weight ratio. I'm 5'10" and 179 pounds. I'm hoping to lose body fat and get in the 155-165lb range. This is not too unrealistic in terms of what I have weighted in my late teens and mid-20's when I was running marathons and triathlons. I got the book expecting to get some good advice on improving my already decent physical condition. Basically, there's nothing in the book that's not already known. If you are overweight, sedentary or elderly and have never been exposed to a decent physical fitness program, there's some ok reading in the book. The book emphasizes weight lifting with concentration on the slow lowering of weights, a 60% carb, 20% fat & 20% protein diet and goes over some balancing movements.

One item I thought was laughable was the little muscular endurance test where the author stated that if a male in his 30's could do 21 pushups that he had a high degree of muscular endurance. Come on, you have to be extremely out of shape not to be able to do that. 80 pushups in two minutes with perfect form, now that's something to strive for.

The author is right though, it's never too late to get in shape. Some of the local climbers in my area are in their 50s & 60s and put the young men to shame.