25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reaching the peak..., July 13, 2004
This review is from: The Men's Health Guide To Peak Conditioning (Paperback)
This book is a product of the magazine of Men's Health, a magazine devoted to men's health issues, including but not exclusively fitness related. This book is 352 pages of sections that match the tone and style of the magazine -- it is like a collection of pieces that may well have been part of the magazine.
The book is divided into six main parts:
Part One: The Peak Lifestyle
Part Two: Achieving Peak Conditioning
Part Three: Achieving a Peak Body
Part Four: Workouts for Every Scenario
Part Five: Body Maintenance
Part Six: Getting Equipped
The book also has a good index.
Part One: The Peak Lifestyle
This short 20 page section is really an introduction. Fitness is different for different men. How does one decide what kind of fitness he seeks? This part on the Peak Lifestyle gives pointers to deciding what level of fitness is desired, making goals, making time, basics for eating right, getting rest, and most important, GETTING STARTED!
Part Two: Achieving Peak Conditioning
The very first part of this section starts with weight lifting, because this is the basic core of how to build up a body for any fitness level, starting from the very basic, so experts might skip this. However, it is good at introducing the difference between free weights and machines, sets, reps, and what to aim for.
Next is aerobic exercise, an area of equal importance. That doesn't just mean running, but running is a great means to aerobic fitness. It lists the hits and misses for biking, running, walking, cross-country skiing, stair climbing, step aerobics, dance aerobics, and swimming.
The section goes on to talk about cross-training, flexibility, mental conditioning, and some basic movement ideas and tips. It includes pictures that show the right techniques and movement positions.
Part Three: Achieving a Peak Body
This and the next part are the real heart of the book. This section shows the exercises for each particular body area: Arms, Arm joints, Hands and Forearms, Shoulders and Neck, Chest, Abs, Back, Buttocks, Legs, Leg joints, Feet, and Bones. There are different numbers of exercises for each area, and different goals in mind. They are organised in different ways, but primarily by stretches versus strength. There are literally hundreds of different exercises and stretches explained here.
The section has pictures that show the proper way to do all the exercises, and descriptions in plain language. Many of these exercises require equipment; some are gym exercises, some are pool exercises, but most can be done from home.
Part Four: Workouts for Every Scenario
This section continues from the last one in setting up a core routine to follow and then making adjustment depending on goals. There are beginner and advanced routines, as well as one for shedding the fat. There is even a section on the Inactive Man, the Career Man (designed for a busy guy who doesn't have much time) and the Travelling Man.
The section continues with a sport by sport breakdown of what you should be doing. It has sections on each of the following sports: Bicycling, Running, Swimming, In-line skating, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Raquet Sports, Skiing, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Backcountry sports. There are also divisions for different decades of life, living in hot or cold climates, and designing programmes lasting different periods of time, all the way up to twelve months.
Part Five: Body Maintenance
This is a short section that discusses preventing and dealing with injuries, basic rehab and massage. There are ways for self massage discussed here, but don't discount a real massage. The section ends with a short piece on dealing with and recovering from disease. Should one work out with a cold or flu?
Part Six: Getting Equipped
This is about setting up a home gym. There are all sorts of options, and one doesn't have to spend a fortune to be well-equipped. The other option of course is a gym membership, but again remember, you get what you pay for and you pay even if you don't go. Other important topics include shoes, bikes, skis, canoes, kayaks, backpacks, fishing gear, skates, and other items that might play an important part in fitness.
The one thin part of this book is that it only devotes a few pages to nutrition. But then again, most men don't pay too much attention, alas.
The overall format of the book is a good one, with easy-to-read pages, good basic photography that is utilitarian and not glamour shots, and well suited for the purpose of the book. It comes with a fold-out poster to hang up in the workout area. This is a very good book, one I return to again and again.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for those who are new to fitness/weightlifting, December 9, 1998
This review is from: The Men's Health Guide To Peak Conditioning (Paperback)
I really enjoyed this book and it's been an excellent resource for me during the last 8 months while I've gotten serious about fitness. It has TONS of useful information and it's presented in a very clear and easy-to-use fashion. There are sections about aerobic fitness, strength training, training for certain sports, weight loss, nutrition and anything else you'd want or need. Lots of suggestions about setting up a fitness program, buying equipment, how to do the specific exercises correctly and safely, etc. The book IS tailored to beginners, and will be of only limited usefulness to those who are experienced weightlifters or runners, but for the person who is just starting out and needs the initial encouragement, confidence and know-how, I'd highly recommend it. It does not, however, attempt to provide the depth that a dedicated book about diet and nutrition or "power lifting" would. But the vast majority of people probably don't need that stuff, anyway.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peak Conditioning - Exercises and Advices for Almost every Lifestyle and Interest, July 18, 2006
This review is from: The Men's Health Guide To Peak Conditioning (Paperback)
This is a great book for anybody interested in getting in shape, lose weight, feel better, become stronger, gain energy and strength. You name it and probably will find a related topic in this book.
This is probably the first book that gives you enough information to help you put together a customized program for your specific needs. There are specific sections of this book dedicated to specific lifestyles (inactive man, working man, traveling man, family man, country living, city living, oceanfront living, etc.), age (The twenties, the thirties, the forties, over 50), sports (Bicycling, running, swimming, tennis, baseball, basketball, in-line skating, golf, racket sports, football, hockey, soccer, etc), interests (burning fat, body shaping, advanced shaping, better sex, preventing injuries, sleeping, nutrition, time-management, etc.).
This is a very comprehensive book, that you may find useful as a reference on exercises for every aspect of your life. I lost more than 200 lbs about six years ago, during a period of about eight months, and went from pants 44 to 32. Prior to star changing my eating and exercise habits I bought this book and "Men's Health Hardbody Plan" which is another excellent, easy to read, comprehensive and complete reference that I give most of the credit for my success. With both books I have been able to keep the weight off for more than six years.
In short terms, based on my experience I can recommend this book, and its a great reading as well.
Another tools you may want to consider, to complement this book and your strategies for boosting your metabolism, loosing weight, and even more important keeping that weight off are:
- A Body Fat Monitor or Scale. This will help you monitor your progress, to assure that the weight you are loosing is fat (fat lost = increased metabolism) and not muscle, water or bone mass (decreased metabolism).
- "Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss", which is another very practical, readable and insightful book, focused on how to boost your metabolism.
- "The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life".
- A Heart Rate Monitor Wrist Watch. This is an excellent tool that will help you monitor and control your Heart Rate in order to keep yourself in a burning fat state (increased metabolism).
- "The Hard Body Plan". Excellent strategies, programs and workouts, aimed to increase your muscle mass.
If you are focused only on your diet, the first three may be worth considering. If you exercise, or want to start doing it right, the last two are for you. If you do both, all the four recommended options can improve your results.
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