44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It is what it says it is, October 12, 2007
This review is from: Harvey Walden's No Excuses! Fitness Workout (Hardcover)
The title says "fitness workout" and that's exactly what you get in this book. You get a big serving of motivation, a little bit of bio, followed by a boot-camp style workout. There's only a small number of pages devoted to diet or offer recipes, but Harvey readily acknowledges he's not a nutritionist or dietitian. Fitness is his expertise. A fitness workout is what the book offers and you get a very effective one.
What makes this fitness book different is:
1. No equipment needed (except a stopwatch or watch with a second hand).
2. Can do anywhere. Enough floor space to do push-ups and leg lifts is all you need.
3. No 'reps.' Everything is timed by stopwatch, so you might do scissor jacks for one minute, push-ups for one minute, jog in place 3 minutes, etc.
4. It's a total-body workout that combines cardio and strength training, so there's no separate days for cardio or for a split routine.
The workout is presented in 3 stages, depending on your fitness level, and he recommends working out for 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week. I remember some of these exercises from USMC boot camp and they were tough then. And Harvey uses a lot of them: mountain climbers, variations of push-ups, variations of jumping jacks, squats, variations on leg lifts, and so on. These aren't easy, but they get results. The workout includes stretches and mixes in bursts of cardio. Harvey also offers up a gym workout for those gym rats who want to focus on specific muscle groups.
When Marines and SEALS write fitness books, it's often a mixed bag. Some of them seem to think that standard suburban patio furniture includes a full obstacle course. And then there was the Marine workout book where the author called the reader "cupcake" - put me off the book completely. Harvey's style in this book is realistic, straighforward, open, and less confrontational than he appears on "Celebrity Fit Club," so if you've been put off by that on the show, check this book out anyway.
Even if a boot camp style experience isn't for you, at the very least, you may find this workout useful as a backup plan. It works well for when the gym is closed, when you're on the road, or when you're at home and just feel like burning some excess energy and calories.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Workout Book, January 6, 2008
This review is from: Harvey Walden's No Excuses! Fitness Workout (Hardcover)
This excellent workout book returns to the basics.
You don't need any fancy equipment in order to work out, you just need motivation. And Harvey does his best to motivate!
I own a really fancy elliptical running machine and a large home-gym type weight machine. But I'm selling both of them. Why? Because when you use machines to work out it puts you in an assisted groove. Your muscles are not working completely because the machine holds you on a mechanically preset course.
Much better to just use your body, the floor and maybe a few dumbbells. Return to the basics and make progress. Depend on trips to the gym and expensive machines and likely you will bog down.
Excellent book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good variety of exercises, could use a wall chart, March 19, 2008
This review is from: Harvey Walden's No Excuses! Fitness Workout (Hardcover)
This is a good, no-nonsense book with clear explanations and pictures of each exercise. Also contains a few healthy recipes in the back, and a brief description of what a low GI diet is.
My only quibble with this book is that there is no accompanying wall chart, or cheat sheets with smaller pictures/lists of the exercises for cues when you're learning the exercises (Minna Lessig's Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly and Boy Shorts Bottom book has these in the back). It would be great to have cheat sheets to take with you while traveling, so you can leave the book at home.
Hopefully the next edition will correct this oversight, and then it will definitely be a 5-star book.
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