Customer Reviews

Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The interesting argument in this attractive and thorough (and well-researched, by the way) fitness training book is the idea that anaerobic exercise will promote the release of the Human Growth Hormone in our bodies and thereby lead to weight control and a reversal of the metabolic slow down associated with aging beginning in our middle years.

Anaerobic exercise (as contrasted with aerobic exercise) is sprint training, not endurance training. When we sprint we use muscle fibers that Campbell identifies as "fast type IIx" as opposed to "slow type I" used in long distance running. The use of these "fast twitch" muscles leads to the increased production and release of the growth hormone. Since it is all the rage in some circles (e.g., Hollywood) to take injections of the growth hormone at a cost of about $12,000 a year (it is not effective taken orally), a program that allows us to produce the growth hormone naturally would be a godsend. Our bodies as we grow older produce less and less of the growth hormone and this has been linked to what Campbell calls "somatopause," the well-known phenomenon leading to weight gain, middle-age spread and a slower metabolism.

I have little doubt that if my body would produce more growth hormone I would be able to control my weight and perhaps look and feel better. I feel pretty good as I am, but since I gave up playing basketball five years ago, I have gained about 12 pounds. It's worse than that, however, because I have lost probably about ten or 15 pounds of muscle mass, so in fact I am now carrying around 25 to 30 more pounds of pure fat! I was able to control my weight with the sort of ease that Campbell describes in this book when I was playing basketball (which is sprinting and more) three times a week. I could (as Campbell claims he can) eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, and never had to worry about my weight. I realized in a flash while reading this book that indeed what I had been doing playing basketball was anaerobic exercise.

The essence of Campbell's program--or at least the part that interests me--calls for no high fat foods one hour before anaerobic training and no sugar foods for two hours afterward. This will stimulate fat-burning. I know from personal experience that this is true. When you're doing some serious anaerobics three or four times a week, you just naturally eat less, and less often. I always thought this was because my system made me less hungry because it didn't want to divert its energies to the digestion of any more food than was necessary. But perhaps it is the release of the growth hormone that leads to the desire to eat less.

Regardless of how this works, it does work. But the problem for someone older than Campbell (he's fifty) is that it is very, very difficult to engage in a training program that involves sprinting because it too easy to pull, tear or strain muscles which take a relatively long time to heal. This is the "catch-22" of growing older. It's hard to exercise enough to get into and stay in shape because you're always coming up lame. However, Campbell presents a carefully balanced and well-thought out program that just may allow those over fifty to get into shape and exercise anaerobically on a regular basis. (This program will definitely work for those younger who are in good health.)

He uses the trendy word "synergy" in the title because he believes it is the synergistic effect of the total program, including weight training, proper diet and the combination of anaerobic and aerobic exercise that leads to fitness and an increase in the production of the growth hormone.

Bottom-line question: Will this work? Quick answer: I don't know. Campbell himself is the very picture of health with the well-muscled, but lean body of a decathlon champion. When I was fifty I too was in great shape (although I was not as strong as Campbell), and looking back I can say that it was playing basketball on a regular basis that did it. I can no longer play basketball but perhaps I can sprint and weight train. I'm going to give it a try.

This is a very good book...depending on what you are looking for. If you are new to fitness and looking for a cookbook that tells you some basic theory and gives you concise workouts to follow as well as good illustrations of exercises...this book is worth it.

The reason I give it 3 stars is because I have been at this for over 5 years, read fitness books galore, worked with trainers and am constantly looking for new ways to spice up my workouts and increase their intensity. The only really new thing in this book is the Sprint 8 interval workout. I read about the Sprint 8 in a magazine and integrated it into my workout. I loved it and bought the book to see how else he applied the Sprint 8 to other aspects of conditioning...he doesn't. His plyometric and weightlifting workouts are pretty much standard stuff (not bad, just not innovative). When all is said and done his workouts still requires you to spend at least an hour a day in the gym, 6 days a week. I have however, found that integrating the Sprint 8 running with Crossfit workouts for strength are very complemetary and make for an efficient workout program that can get you in and out of the gym in 30 mins with the same results as spending an hour in the gym.

Why, oh, why, do we blimp out after 30? Even when I was active, lifting weights and exercising regularly, I still found I gained weight steadily after 35 years old? Is it just in our genes?

Author Phil Campbell reveals some interesting scientific findings here, and he provides practical 3 to 5 hour a week work outs designed to combat middle age spread. The cover picture is of the author who looks rather like a super-fit version of former President Clinton. It certainly seems to work for him--and he is fifty.

Campbell discusses how growth hormone, banned from drug-free athletic competition, is responsible for keeping that middle-age spread at bay. But short of illegal injections in Mexico, what can a middle-aged person do to boost their growth hormone naturally and reap the fitness benefits?

New medical discoveries show that you can significantly increase GH naturally. Very specific forms of exercise, some nutritional supplements, and adequate sleep, will increase levels of the hormone naturally, even in older people.

Some interesting findings are that eating properly before and after exercise can either boost or inhibit growth hormone. For example, if you eat a Big Mac, fries and then go work out, and two hours afterwards, down the supersized coke or drink Gatorade, you can kiss results goodbye. The combination of high fat before and high sugar after exercise prevent the release of tiny amounts of growth hormone, which puts on muscle and improves athletic performance.

The exercise programs here range from about 3.5 hours for beginners up to 5 hours for enthusiasts. But at first blush, the workouts seem excessively technical. They range from aerobics, to "plyometrics" which are exercises that boost fast-twitch muscle--the muscle type that fades away with age. And then there are weights. The book shows Mr. Campbell tossing javelins, doing karate kicks (another of his areas of expertise), bounding and otherwise flying about. This can be discouraging if you are a couch potato, but dream of being fit (me, for example.)

The "Strategic Fitness Plans" are five different fitness levels- based on your age, your current fitness status, and training experience. If you intend to follow this program, you should visit your physician first if you are tremendously out of shape. Some of the exercises here can get you hurt if you don't go at them correctly (the bounding can whack your ankles.) And a personal trainer, if available, would be a real asset. There is a lot here--flexibility, fast movement (sprinting, fast cycling), weights and more. It seems complicated at first, but a complete exercise program should at least contain stretching, aerobics and weights, so here you are adding the fast-twitch stimulating exercises to combat that middle-age metabolic monster.

If you are SERIOUS about wanting to beat aging and get or stay in the best shape, and are noticing that age is beginning to take a toll, this book could be very helpful. I predict Campbells
s book will become the next exercise fad best-seller.

This is an excellent fitness book. It is both well researched and well written. What makes this book so good is the fact that if you follow the program the author is outlining, then you will cover every aspect of fitness that is important, the author does not leave anything out. From weigthlifting, to cardio, to stretching, to anaerobic interval style training, everything is present in this program. I have read many other books that make an argument that weightlifting is essential, but leave out how to integrate cardio work. Some books emphasize cardio, but leave out the short "sprint" style interval training that is so important to overall fitness. This plan covers everything!

Another aspect about this book that I found favorable is that it is realistic about the time needed to get physically fit. You cannot make great gains in fitness and health in 30 minutes three times a week. However, the plans in this book are very reasonable, ranging from a little over three hours a week for those with less time to plans for athletes that take six hours or more a week.

There are some drawbacks to this book however. The first is that while it discusses lifting weights, it does not give enough detail on weightlifting technique. I would recommend that a person investigate sources for correctly learning how to lift weights. The author also recommends some exercises that most people would be better off never trying (hack squats for example.) The author also recommends some olympic style lifts, but these are highly advanced lifts and should only be done by people who have been trained by a qualified coach.

I also would have liked nutrition to be covered a bit more. The author talks about supplementation and protien, but a few sample meal plans would have been nice.

Overall this is a well thought out and well designed program. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book that will help them incorporate all aspects of fitness into their lives.

Pros:
Phil Campbell in includes a lot of good, solid scientific references to back up his fitness philosophy- basically what to do and what/when to eat in order to maximize your natural growth horomone that promotes muscle gain and fat loss. I found no empty promises or gimmicks. I also like the fact that he included a wide range of "Strategic Fitness Plans" consisting of detailed training regimens (And training logs) tailored to meet anyone at their current fitness level and help them progress from there.

Cons:
The book in general, though well illustrated, is poorly structured, jumping from subject to subject, emphasizing the Sprint 8 long before defining it, and being annoyingly repetitive in some areas. This "2nd edition" is also crammed full of positive testimonials, which can be encouraging, but shouldn't be in every chapter to make up 5% of the book.

Overall:
The knowledge and science explained, plans provided, and exercises illustrated make this book worth reading, but the information worth your time really could have been summed up in about 150 pages, rather than nearly 400 you'll have to sift through.

This book deserves a wider audience, and continues to build one thanks to great word-of-mouth and noticeable results.

I won't go into exhausting detail because reviewer Dennis Littrell did a superb job of explaining the layout of the book and the thinking behind the fitness plans.

I would just add that unlike many authors of similar books, Mr. Campbell is not trying to sell you anything else except a longer, healthier life. He's a perfect example of someone who obviously practices what he preaches. He's also personally answered every e-mail question I've ever mailed him. He cares.

The program is not really for the sedentary person who wants to get off the couch and perhaps eventually walk around the block. No, this is for people who want to make their bodies as fit and efficient as possible--regardless of age--and in a reasonable amount of time. I'm 39 and the workouts immediately take me back twenty years to a time where I felt like an athlete. Mr. Campbell argues, effectively, you never have to lose that feeling.

A terrific concept, easy read, and a welcome addition to a health and fitness library filled with more style than substance. This is the real deal.

The next fitness revolution is here, and it's Synergy Fitness! I was finishing my master's in Exercise Science when Aerobics fired the shot that started the world running, and ushered in the "cardio" revolution. Synergy Fitness is destined to change fitness training as we know it today.

This is a great program, and doesn't take a lot of time to get a good work out. My wife and I do this program together. Not only do we get a great workout, but we spend quality time together, talking and organizing our time-crunched lives. We each work at our own pace and don't compete with each other since we are at different levels of fitness.

Campbell's book teaches how to get our bodies back to working like their supposed to. Growth Hormone is an important key to burning fat and regaining energy. He has a balenced to fitness.

If you're a fitness buff, or just someone trying to lose a few pounds or get in shape, you've got to try this program!

I have been doing the Synergy Fitness program for two months, and it really works. No hard dieting. It's easier than I thought. And the program works even better than advertised. I am buying another book as a gift for a friend. Cindy Miller

Very rarely, a book comes out that everyone can trust absolutely as a guide to achieving an optimum state of exhilarating health! This is NOT a book telling you how to become so muscular you'll just wow everybody. What the book clearly explains is how you and I can stimulate our body to make more of the substances that cause our ten systems to work as they're supposed to - not to continue to diminish every year of our life. The author presents the results of his thoroughly academic and experiential research in the very clearest writing, with illustrations that make certain everyone understands what he means to convey.

After having purchased several copies of this unusual book for gifts, the recipients were so enthusiastic about it that I decided to take Mr. Campbell's advice. The simple activity of using my ConceptII rowing machine three times weekly for the time required to stimulate my own HGH output caused me to enjoy two excellent results: I began losing weight and I felt more energetic. (I'd used the machine for three years, and I already knew the activity was very beneficial. I had not, however, used it for precisely the time and in the way specified by the author.)

After four months, I had an appointment with my endocrinologist, who'd tested me several times for hormone levels - which were quite low. I'd just thought I was getting on in years and thus slowing down. The doctor prescribed a daily patch years earlier, which made a very noticeable difference. After this blood test for hormone levels, the doctor asked what I'd done to get my HGH and testerone levels higher. Bioavailability and uptake had both improved sufficiently that he decided to discontinue the patch for ninety days, when I'll be tested again.

Ready, Set, Go...is not the usual exercise book illustrating standard exercises and warm-up recommendations. What sets this book apart from all other health-exercise books is its explanation about revving up the different divisions of a natural system. The endocrine system, which is the body's manufacturer and monitor of extremely powerful chemicals called hormones, is what Mr. Campbell has researched and found to be the foundation, the beginning of robust good health. The body can do nothing without them. We could not grow, endure stress, work, reproduce, or even live. Mr. Campbell's research has discovered and codified ways to optimize the endocrine system - so we CAN work, endure stress, enjoy greater vitality (oh, yes!), etc.

There is a bonus to this optimization, beyond really heightened body functions. The feeling of exhilaration and ebullience that always comes with greater endocrine function really makes it possible for those who want it to achieve a harder body - even if one is, lets say, over fifty.

If someone is like me - lazy and often not so motivated to work my body - Mr. Campbell's advice is the most thoroughly researched and most clearly presented I've encountered. I wish I could meet the man.

... Synergy Fitness has made a positive difference in my life. The Sprint 8 program plus a little resistance training has helped me lose 30 pounds and 4 inches off my waist. I'm 43 and can now run the 200m in less than 28 seconds. My first time on the 200m was 34s. The guys on my U19 soccer team don't have the flexibility or speed that I have. Go figure. It works!!!