Customer Reviews

G-Force: The Ultimate Guide to Your Best Body Ever

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is amazing. It is one of the most informative, well-written, and clearly explained books of its kind. And, to top it off, Gunnar Peterson is FUNNY! Peterson very wittily explains the basics-- and more-- of fitness and working out. I laughed out loud when reading his tongue-in-cheek humor while absorbing all the information he was sharing. He explains the top 13 exercises, fully explains them with photographs and illustrations, and then also gives the reader derivatives of those exercises so that one can vary their workout as recommended-- every 3 to 4 weeks.

One of the reviewers here complained that the book left out certain important exercises such as deadlifts, in particular. This is true. However, the top 13 exercises that Peterson recommends happen to not include deadlifts. This doesn't mean he doesn't include exercises that work one's hamstrings, glutes, and quads. . . it just means that he included exercises other than deadlifts. Additionally, if you're truly committed to learning how to successfully work out, perform exercises, etc., you may have been reading other books, as well, which will include deadlifts.

The only criticism I have of this book, that would have reduced my rating to a four, was it's lack of diet information. However, as I thought about that more, I decided that the book deserved a 5 star for it's thorough coverage of exercise and weight training. In that sense, the workouts covered are good for everyone--no matter what eating plan they are following (as long as it's healthy). Maybe that's even better. If you are following an eating plan that makes sense for you, is healthy and varied, and are ready to add weight training into the mix, this book is for you. If you are ready to even take your routine up a notch, are doubting your form, are not seeing the results you wish (while confident your diet is appropriate), then this book is for you, too. It's great. It's as informative as Body for Life by Bill Phillips (who I also do not find megalomaniacal as the one reviewer asserts) and as well-written. Additionally, Peterson is more flexible with his workout routines and explains how to vary them. There aren't a lot of books for beginners on this subject. And, again, this book isn't just for beginners, it's really for anyone interested in fitness.

Completely recommended. Remember, though, Peterson does not include a recommended eating plan, although he makes sure you realize that a healthy diet is imperative to achieve the results he discusses in his book.

This book was a great motivator. After working out for years, I've started to get bored in the gym. There are a ton of "twists" on the Lucky Thirteen that will keep me moving and motivated in the gym. I've started to look forward to my strength training days again. Plus, I'm seeing results from the tips on switching up cardio and always keeping the body guessing what's happening. A great book!

I first came across Gunnar's dvd sometime last year, and I decided to buy his book.I have used Gunnar's ab exercises and leg workouts to challenge my clients.I used many of his unique exercises to create interesting and diverse circuits.
At the end of the day its what you do with the book-the information is phenomenal, and I don't care much about the little diet info he's given me.This is because I believe that nutrition is such a basic thing,to a point where I appreciate Gunner giving me the most important points

I have been working out for the better part of my 38 years and I have never come across a fitness book more complete and helpful than this one by Gunnar Peterson. Like most things in life total life long fitness can be attainable for all once you master and understand the "building blocks" you need to succeed. Buy this book and take your fitness to new heights.

It is not often that you come across a fitness book by a guy with these credentials. Usually the books are by people who've lost weight themselves and think they can tell everyone how to do it. But if this guy can help Hollywood types squeeze into their tiny pants and dresses, I think he can help the everyday joe too. And that would be me.

What drew me to the book was the charts that tell you how to lift weights. As a not heavily overweight man, but needing a lot of sculpting, this really appealed to me. This is what makes that final difference between plump and fit. I also found Peterson to be very motivating. His information is excellent -- there's tons of it but what got me was how he presented it. He's a real inspiring writer, and reading it got me pumped. I'm ready to go, armed with new arsenal and a real motivation.

If you own G-Force this is the exact same book with a black cover. Seriously. Save your $11.00 to buy one of his DVD's. They are amazing.

This is a good workout book with sound principles and easy to follow format. My only problem is that I was unaware that it was the same book I already purchased under the title G-Force. I am not sure if this was made clear in the right up about the book. I thought it was a follow-up to G Force. I was wrong. He is a good trainer but be sure to only by one of his two books.

Those that have been following our physical fitness book reviews (click on "See all my reviews") already know that my wife and I are tough graders and turned off by books that waste words, pages, and our time endlessly stroking the author's ego. After all, the genre is supposedly self-help for the reader, NOT the author. With this in mind we should have hated Gunnar Peterson's G-Force. It's completely saturated with Hollywood A-list name-drops, their inanities, and two-cheek saccharine air kisses. Total dreck, right? Not exactly. Buried in the pages is a good workout regimen based on traditional resistance exercises, aerobics, and stretches. Peterson lays out in detail not just one workout schedule but several variations depending on the level of fitness you're shooting for, and the amount of time you can devote (after all, we each have varying demands of our time due to endless photo shoots, casting calls, and what not).

Workout plans range from 2 days a week up to 6 days a week. Peterson admits to personally being a cream puff and prefers lower intensity more often, than high intensity less frequent. In addition to the basic exercises he provides numerous variations for each. Based on experience he believes a workout routine needs to be altered every 3 or 4 weeks to combat boredom and the plateau-syndrome. Other than Joe X, the gold standard for life long fitness in our opinion, G-Force is the only book that realistically addresses fitness over the long haul. Most take the "boot camp" approach (e.g. 5-Factor Fitness, Body for Life, Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover, etc) and then expect you to maintain that beautiful new bod some how.

One of the things you're going to have to work your way through in G-Force is some very lame and tortured presentation. Peterson begins by describing his program as being based on four f-words. No, not those f-words, but words like function, foundation, freedom, and focus. Later on he begins making metaphoric use of the four wheels of a car or truck. It's Hollywood logic at its best, and we guarantee at some point you're going to get confused as to whether he's talking about a wheel, an f-word, or the F-word. We suggest not risking a headache figuring it out and just skim over some passages.

As for diet recommendations, readers that are looking for some kind of magic pill are once again going to be disappointed. Peterson's position on the matter is conservative, definitely not new wave. More dietician-establishment: Carbs, protein, fat in 50-30-20 proportion. Fruits & vegetables good. Processed food bad. Doesn't like the word diet. Eat what your ancestors ate. In summary, eat fewer calories and exercise more. Yes, it can work, but sure wish there was an easier way!

Bottom line: Some very good content. Meanwhile, the presentation is so bad at times it's charming. In the fine print we noticed that Gunnar Peterson is somewhat of a proxy, the ghost author being Myatt Murphy with articles for Maxim, Cosmo, Men's Fitness, Self, and now writing comic books. We see perfect symmetry here.

This is an excellent resource. After leaving the gym to save money, I have been trying to figure out how to get the best workout at home with minimal equipment. I have tried a number of workout DVD's including Core Secrets, The Firm(new ones not older ones)and Billy Blank's bootcamp series. I always went back to the Core Secrets DVD's because I am not a particularly coordinated person and the other DVD's required footwork that was frustrating for me. I'm also a perfectionist so I never felt good after a workout with the other DVD's because I couldn't master them no matter how hard I tried. The one thing my trainer taught me, when I was going to the gym, was that the most important thing is to do exercises correctly both so you don't get hurt and so you get the most out of the exercise. I didn't feel I could do that with any DVD other than Core Secrets. However, I eventually needed to incorporate something else, which is why I was trying other DVD's, because Gunnar wasn't producing any more Core Secrets DVD's and I was mastering all the ones I had. After getting frustrated with not finding a good DVD alternative, I started looking to books.

I can't remember how I stumbled on to this one, but I'm glad I did! What a great resource. One of my favorite things to do at the gym was resistance training. I hadn't figured out how to do that well at home but this book made it easy. I think the reason I hadn't figured out how to do it well was because I was confused by ALL the exercises available out there. I love that he explains that there are basically 13 essential exercises and any other fancy ones we see are most likely a variation of one of those exercises. While there is a place for the fancy moves, he explains it's important to start with the basics. I really appreciated this. I felt like I was getting my favorite and most effective exercise routine from the gym at home. For those of you who are worried about getting bored, don't be. Once you master the 13 basic exercises that work your entire body, there is a more detailed chapter showing variations of those exercises. The variations include different equipment(don't get scared, it's not expensive), different positions, different durations, etc. There are hundreds of possibilities!

The cost is minimal. I already had an E-Z Curl bar($40), straight bar($15), weight plates($1/lb), dumbells($1/lb)and exercise ball($15)at home. Since I didn't have access to the machine he shows in the book with the pulldown bar I went right to one of his twists and picked up a resistance band($13). I also substituted my exercise ball for a weight bench. For a girl, you could reasonably get started by spending a total of $60 for two 5lb dumbells, two 10lb dumbells, an exercise ball and a resistance band. Over time you could pick up a straight bar, E-Z Curl bar, weight plates, heavier dumbells and a medicine ball.

He recommends starting with only one set of each of the 13 exercises for 4-6 weeks even if you're at an intermediate or advanced level. I thought for sure there was no way I was going to feel anything or see any difference since I was in relatively good shape to begin with. I was shocked to find that was not the case. I wasn't super sore, but I did notice results. I think the key to this is his explaining exactly how the move should feel to get the best results, pitfalls to avoid when doing it and encouraging you to use the highest amount of weight possible so that you can still do the move well but you can't do more than 8-10 reps before getting tired. I also eat reasonably healthy, try to drink plenty of water and give my body the 48 hours of rest he recommends before working out again. For cardio I either jump rope or jog after my resistance training.

If you're looking for a good book to get you started with the basics of fitness and then grow with you as you progress, this is it. It is a very easy read and the instructions are crystal clear. As another reviewer mentioned, don't let the fact that he is a "trainer to the stars" steer you away. In reading this book, I found that most of what he had to say was exactly in-line with what my trainers have said before. This book is not about hype or a quick fix. It's about giving you honest instruction on how to take care of your body for the long haul. You can't go wrong by picking it up!

Please don't let the 'I train Hollywoood Celebrities' stop you from buying this book! This is certainly not a marketing driven, fad diet, or exercise book that relies on 'positive thinking' or some other motivational tool to get in shape. I realized this early on, and even moreso after reading G-Force cover to cover. In fact, I realized that the author (Gunnar Peterson) has A-List Clientele because he is not a personal trainer or self proclaimed guru, but instead a coach. This is a very refreshing approach, since most everything on the topic of health and fitness comes from a very ego driven place. G-Force is different because like a great coach Gunnar teaches you not only how to do it, but WHY. His program is clear and progressive. He also blasted more myths, and scams in this book than in the last ten I've read combined. The wit, humor and analogies are more than worth the price of the book. Botton line is G-Force and Gunnar Peterson gave me a new outlook on the concept of fitness trainer and his coaching style will set the standard for bringing the best out in every BODY.