Customer Reviews

The BackSmart Fitness Plan: A Total-Body Workout to Strengthen and Heal Your Back

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

For someone who wishes to learn these exercises without the benfit of a trainer or instructor. Clearly written, it takes the reader from the beginner to advanced workouts- There is a great section on profiling by gender, age, fitness level and goals.
Profusely illustrated with over 100 photographs demonstrating the exercises from stretching, resistance training from body weight only moves to free weights and machines.I have been using the program just under a month and I can see and feel a differnce the way I move and how my clothes fit! The last part of the book has a Q&A section that helps the reader in understanding and preventing injuries and how they occure. I really thought the section on which exercises to avoid was very helpful and have never seen in any other book. A must have for anyone's collection.

All I can say is that this book changed my life. Dr. Weiss understands what it takes to get the job done.Realistic and very cool exercises, the wall execersies for stretching and using the Dumbells was great! i could feel all my muscles working and no strain to my back the whole time I was doing them, a first for me usually I am sore for days after trying to workout but not with this program I felt great afterwards and I could move the next day a big plus to any one who suffers from back pain knows. A very innovative approach to back pain and fitness this book takes you from the begining asking you how do you workout to the every day things you do that may cause your problems- a very good eye opener for me. i found the doctor's own personal experience with back pain at an early age and how he over came his own pain-very moving to me and inspirational.There are many detail photographs that show you how to do the execersies which I found very helpful. I am trying to lose weight now and following the weight lose program offered in the latter chapters, so far the advice the book gives on diet and exercise is the best I have read in many years. A very strong recommendation to anyone suffering from back pain or anyone wanting to do new workouts!

This book is written in a conversational, chatty tone, which makes it seem more personable and less intimidating. The author included a lot of pit falls to avoid while training with or with out weights, which I've found very useful since they're pretty easy to fall into. It's like having a personal trainer and doctor walking you through your workout.
The unique combination and sequence of exercise are key. As a person who lives in the gym, I have tried most of the exercises out there and have usually left me aching and exhausted after a workout. However the Backsmart Fitness program recommended helps you stretch out your kinks while toning and shaping your body. Results? No more aching! You get a complete workout without having to suffer the usual aftermath of a hard workout.
The book also offers a commonsense approach to eating and exercising that is excellent advise for anyone.
This book is a very good long-term investment for your health.

The advice is practical and well researched, and very much consistent with everything all the specialists have told me during my decade of back problems.
I noticed improvement within a couple of days of starting the exercises. I have found doing the Daily Dozen Stretches in the morning like the author suggests and again in the evening, have helped me trendmendously over the past few months, I am not pain free yet but I feel a lot better than before I picked up this book.

Before I purchased this book, I woke up every morning with some pain and stiffness with bouts of my back "going out" on me and I'd spend a week or more doing nothing do to the pain and I lay around popping pain pills waiting to recuperate.

Now I wake up less stiff and sore and I am able to start my day immediately. I remain careful about how I treat my back throughout the day, but I'm very confident that the exercises are helping me get stronger and I feel more limber, my balance has improved, as has my flexibility. I recommend this book highly!

I bought this book one month ago after searching on Amazon for a good book on exercises that would not hurt my back. I suffer from chronic back pain for more than 15 years now, (Herniated Disc at L3L4L5 in my lower back). I am in my mid 40's mother of two active teenagers and at times my back pain would limit my activities due to the pain and stiffness.

After reading the reviews on all the books on back pain and exercise I picked this book and I am very glad I did. I shared this book with my medical doctor and she gave me the go ahead to do all the exercise in this book. I even brought the book to my physical therapist, who then incorporated many of the strengthening exercise into our routine.
I have improved my strength and flexibility over the past month and I feel better now more than ever.

Before I wrote this review I saw a negative review and I thought how sad someone could be to write such tasteless and useless review for other readers. I know this person didn't even read the book, because nowhere does this author suggest you will be cured of your back pain. Rather the book offers readers a source of information equaling 4 or 5 books put together on:

Abdominal exercise- in the right order to tone and shape your waistline.

Stretching exercises- in a flowing motion rather than static or bouncing positions.

Swiss ball exercise and medicine ball- moves that are changeling and strengthen your core region progressively.

Body weight exercise- that can be done anywhere and I have done them while traveling.

Use of free weights and machines exercises and cable exercises- that work your legs and arms very well without putting pressure on your spine.

Balance exercise- that I have not found in any other books to date.

Finally the book ends with occurrence of injuries and common pit falls that can occur while exercising and what type of machines and exercise to stay away from if you have back or neck problems. Very helpful to beginner and advance people.

This book not only will save you money because it has so many exercises in it, you do not have to buy a lot more books on the topics mention above. The author offers different routines for people who are beginners and to advance fitness trainers, and sections on fitness goals and workouts.

Over all a wonderful book and highly recommended to any one wanting to get stronger, more flexible, and want to lose weight without hurting themselves.
This is a great gift-giving book to those wanting to get into shape in your life.

This book is a beacon of rational thought in a field with psuedoscience and chalatans who prey on the desperation of individuals who belive they are destined to suffer from back pain and years of wasted therapy. Dr. Weiss offers hope and the most rational advice I have seen to date in any book on the subject of back pain and exercises, let alone getting into shape without the pain.

I found relief with the BackSmart Fitness Plan suprisingly accessible book in which the language is personal and unintimidating and the medical explanations on injuries and prevent are presented with such elegant simplicity that you will think that you are talking directly with the doctor yourself.
While Dr. Weiss is an expert, he doesn't push one concept over anthor therapy rather he shows balancment and very useful exercises using body weight ony, free weights, machines and modified pilates and ball exercises never seen before to me or my friends who workout regularly. The use of the wall was very progressive and very fun to do in my workouts. the doctor also discusses the usfulness of the movements and the order in which they should be performed helped me a lot in understanding how the body works at it's best. His discussions add clarity without being condescending or filled with technical jargon like many books on this subject.

The photographs(over 100) are so helpful and carefully described that you will not want to part with this book. A great tool to over come my back pain and I have lost 8 pounds since starting this program and i feel my midsection getting firmer . Strongly recommend to any one of all fitness levels having back pain or none at all. Great book

This book truly is a great book for real people for real results. I have been around the block when it comes to exercising and this book has taught me some new ones.
This book takes you from the beginning to the end of your workout starting with stretching and ending with balance and functional training moves eliminating any questions you may have regarding doing a complete workout each and every time.

Some highlights:

The uses of the medicine ball between your legs for hip rises are great and you can feel your inner and outer thighs with this one.
I liked the stretches and using the ladder to get more of a stretch is a very good idea. I can really feel my muscles unwinding after doing the daily dozen stretches and the wall stretches are one of a kind, again very good use of a every day thing that we have available to use right in front of us.
I loved the dumbbell workout against the wall I could really feel my muscles working while isolating the back against the wall.

The abs routine is very well organized and effective use of time and getting all sides of the midsection in one workout throughout the entire week.

The modified Pilates were fun to do and works the core very well. The organization of the book is one of the best I have seen in years and the recommended workout plans are very good for each type of person trying to lose weight or work a certain weak body area and bring it up to par with the rest of their body parts.

The section on why injuries occur when working out was some of the best advice I have read or heard in a very long time. Nice and practical information on how not to hurt yourself and which exercises in the gym to look out for.

Recommend to all fitness levels for men and women wanting to get into shape.

Intelligently presented, logical explanation of how and why you can change your lifestyle to make your back pain go away without drastic measures and effective changes for life by doing daily exercises that not only focus on the back region like most "back care books" that have been written, instead this book takes the reader through a whole host of exercises to work the entire body.

Just by my undertaking this program, I have lost 8 pounds and reduced a lot of my general stiffness I seem to have walked around with for years.

My advice to you would be to buy this book, forget anything else you read or hear, and just try it for a month. See what happens, and I bet you'll be more than pleasantly surprised.

My wife actual bought this book based on recommendations from her physical therapist and Chiropractor. She had been suffering from bouts of back and neck pain on and off for years and after our children were born she felt she had very little time to workout and she gain weight and her back pain flared up on her more often.
After following the Backsmart program for the past two months she has lost weight and feels much better and stronger throughout the entire day which is a first in a very long time.

I saw her results and I had to give it a try, since I have always been competitive in team sports like softball and basketball and I go to the gym a least 3 times per week year round doing a full body workout each time. Over the past 2 years I have been entering some local Triathlon events and doing fairly well in my age category but I notice my hamstrings were always sore afterwards and tight during my runs and my upper back would get stiff after the rides.

I began the chapter with the wall stretches and immediately felt my muscle in my upper back relax and I felt more range in my shoulders and legs too. I started adding in the abs exercise which were tuff for me at first I could really feel my midsection working right through the entire set. I liked that the program offered different abs workouts each day, I haven't gotten tired of doing them like most exercise programs and I feel my midsection has gotten firmer as a result.

A few years back my wife and I tried the Body for life program and we got good results with that but this Backsmart Fitness system has a lot more exercises and are very effective so we are doing the low carb Mediterranean diet and following this program since we both feel great, we recommend it to all are friends.

I have heard lots of wonderful things about this book for the past two mnths and then I bought a copy. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Dr. Weiss has compiled a book that is a must for anyone trying to get into shape. The recommended exercises are clearly illustrated(over 100 in this book!) You get exercises that are custom made for your body. The author offers so many different types of movements per muscle groups; you will most likely not repeat an exercise more than once in a given week. I really liked the abs section and modified pilates for core work. The wall exercises are some of the best I have done. i like how the author discussed common injuries that occur in the gym and from using weights wrong. He also offers readers a section on which exercises to stay away from, if you suffer from back problems. Over all I would have givn it more stars-simply the best I have seen and well written for anyne redardless of the level they are at.