Customer Reviews

The Stuntwoman's Workout: Get Your Body Ready for Anything

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

 

 

I guess if you get a stuntwoman's workout to get your body ready for anything, that is what you should expect - and not that I really wanted to be a stuntwoman, but I was impressed with the previews because it said that it was for everyone - all sizes, and that it sounded like quite a dynamic programme.

This really is for stuntwomen - if you want to be a stuntwoman then this book is HIGHLY recommended - but if you are looking for an interesting alternative workout type book then I wouldn't recommend getting it. It is highly specific to doing stunts, but it is also really about Danielle Burgio who is a stuntwoman, her background, how she got into it, what she does and how she trains for it.

It includes workout programmes in different areas, flexibility, endurance (combat skills under this category) strength, focus and coordination. It includes a small section in the back on how to put them all together.

Although Danielle (with Jennifer Worick) discusses how everyone can be a stuntwoman and people of all sizes can do it, this is very much for skinny, strong women - preferably ex dancers or gymnasts. The programme and the exercises will really suit someone of these talents who are looking to move on to Hollywood for a new career. Being stong supple, having good sense of where you are etc. Are vital. I found as a slighly overweight non-dancer and older mother, the programme was kind of ridiculous. I was looking for an extension to the pilates programme I do - it quickly overchallenged me - it seemed one minute I was lowering myself down off bars to increase my strength, the next I was being told to aim for a bit of rope climbing. It just didn't work.

Now again, I will reiterate, I do not think this book is for me, and it is clearly entitled, the Stuntwoman's Workout - which is very unambiguous. So don't believe any blurb which tells you that stuntwomen can be any shape. If you want to be a stuntwoman absolutely get this book. If you are interested in being a stuntwoman - I would advise trying some other programme.

I love this book, but it's not for everyone. I like it because I did gymnastics and dance when I was younger and so it's easy for me to relate to the author's background and fun to fantasize about being a stuntwoman. Also, she emphasizes taking the "work" out of workout and finding activities that *you* truly enjoy so I got some new ideas to mix up my workouts. I won't go into details because the other reviewers already covered what's in the book, but overall the book has lots of variety and is well-rounded and inspirational, but probably is not for you if you don't generally enjoy gymnastics or martial arts or other similarly intense, explosive types of exercise.

I have a collection of exercise books and I just had to see this one. Since it is written by a stuntwoman and not an exercise profession it contains some unique ideas and routines. I think you will enjoy it and it will motivate you to keep exercising.

Danielle Burgio has an amazing body (and needs it, with all the abuse it takes in stuntwork). In this book, she dispenses health and fitness advice, specific exercises, and relevant stories from her career.

The book is broken into several major sections, each covering a different capability and exercises to improve in that arena. There's also a section on warming up (*very* important!), and a chapter at the end that gives a 5-day set of sample circuits to tie the exercises together.

In more detail:

1. Strength: A good collection of basic and advanced exercises, many of which can be done without any equipment or just with dumbbells (I have a set of dumbbells and a doorframe pullup bar, which is all the equipment you need for everything in here except the rope climbing). Pushups, pullups, situps, squats... and some more exotic exercises like handstand pushups and backflips. I like her presentation here because it gives lots of good, solid basics, while presenting some much harder things to work toward.

2. Endurance: Cardio. Heart and lung stuff.

3. Focus: A stuntperson risks injury if they lose their focus on the set. There are a few yoga poses here, some simple breathing/meditative exercises, and some interesting partner exercises. Also a section on the importance of good sleep.

4. Flexibility: Stretches! For most of these, she presents 2 or 3 variations (starting basic and adding difficulty for those who are more flexible) on a stretch for a particular body part.

5. Coordination: Exercises for reaction time, balance, and overall coordination (a little juggling and nunchaku in this chapter).

6. Speed: Explosive power. Jumping and sprinting.

7. The Circuits: Good combinations of the exercises from previous chapters. She also emphasizes the importance of having fun and mixing it up, so the circuits are meant as suggestions for getting started, rather than rigid programs that must be followed every day to the letter.

Interspersed throughout the book are other health tips, such as some basic nutritional information. There are very good full-color photos throughout, demonstrating how to perform the exercises (also just some neat ones of her in action). Danielle and her co-author have put together a book that's entertaining and full of good information. There are a few things that they just barely touch on (like yoga) but this is a good jumping off point that has motivated me to seek out other resources in some of these areas.

This has been my inspiration for several months now; it's rekindled my enthusiasm for workouts, and given me lots of ideas to keep that enthusiasm strong. I count this book as a good investment.

You do have to be young and strong for most of these workouts. I ended up picking and choosing what exercises I wanted to do and ignoring the routines that easily went over my physical limits. But in the end the book is on my shelf and not being used for exercise. It's a pitty becaue I do have a background in gymnastics and sport, but I am out of shape and needed something to get me back in shape. I thought this could do it since it's a challenge and I like the idea of being strong and ready for anything, as the book emphesizes. I did like the positive outlook of the author and for a while she got me excited about the work outs. That didn't last though as the workouts became too demanding for me. It's a great idea for a book, but not effective for me.