Customer Reviews

TBK Fitness Program

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you want to get in shape, or in better shape, following these highly effective 20-30 minute bodyweight exercise routines will get you results. Each exercise is precisely explained and paired with quirky hand-drawn illustrations. No gym membership, no equipment, no commute, no excuses -- TBK Fitness is no nonsense bodyweight conditioning for everyone. Why do you think the military uses such routines? Because they work. Whether you're an athlete or a couch potato, there is plenty in here to challenge you.

Dr. Katz's dietary recommendations also make sense. He advocates a hunter-gatherer type diet consisting of fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds and high quality lean meats/fish. While somewhat difficult to implement if you're vegetarian, the book contains an abundance of well researched and baked-up dietary information. Much of which may surprise or even shock you, considering all the misinformation we're fed by the media.

Dr. Katz has been very forthcoming in making himself available to answer my questions and for that (and this book) I thank him.

Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful little health and fitness book that I would recommend to anyone. It has more useful information packed into it than other books that are longer and more expensive.
The nutritional advise is sound and extensive though, personally as a semi-vegetarian, I believe he puts more emphasis on eating animal protein than is necessary. But there are short concise chapters on eating to loose weight, and how to better prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer. There is a section on stress management that, again, is short, too the point and very helpful.
The main weakness of the book is that there are no photos demonstrating the exercises which would be very helpful, but which probably would drive up the cost of the book. The drawings are adequate but could be better.
The exercise section is a real gold mine. The author describes many, many exercises to strengthen and tone the entire body from head to toe without the use of one single piece of equipment. He shows ways to do push-ups that I never heard of before, along with many exercises you can do while simply standing up that strengthen the entire body that are very simple to do. Exercises that I was completely unfamiliar with even though I am no stranger to fitness. And they really work too.
Especially helpful is the fact that he even gives the reader many samples of routines to use. So you've got a menu of specific workouts to choose from that use absolutely no equipment and can be done in a very small space if need be.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of it's use of mediocre drawings instead of photos. But other than that this book is outstanding and probably the best health and fitness book I have ever read.

I am actually writing this review in response to J. Rogers review that it was disappointing. I purchased Dr. Katz's book about a year ago and actually found it very well researched and informative. I wanted to counter Mr. Roger's claims.

1. No originality??? Although there are other "paleo" diet books around, none I have bought have had any real exercise program. Plus the "poorly designed drawings" are, in my opinion, very original, and show a sly sense of humor (those who own the book know what I mean). I am not a scientist or doctor but the list of references in the back did impress me. I believe Dr. Katz spent a lot of time researching the diet and backing it up with solid evidence instead of simply making sensational claims like many other programs do.

2. Poor design - I agree that this isn't published by Stephen King's publisher. Obviously, this is a self published book, but the text was clear, the drawings, although crude, did have a certain cartoonish wit to them, were adequate to allow me to follow any of the exercises and although many of the exercises are simple, that was a good thing. I'm your average 45 year old spare tire inactive kind of person. I would not have been able to follow a program filled with only boot camp type exercises. I thought Dr. Katz did a good job of throwing in a mix of different exercises, some easy, some hard. I have to say, although I am no Tom Cruise today, I did lose 20 pounds on this program.


3. Mr. Rogers claims that there are much better books around. Like which ones? If the purpose of a fitness book is to allow one to become healthy, lose weight, and get into shape, this book was simply amazing. I must have bought at least 20-30 other diet and exercise programs over the years, but never have I been so impressed. Not because of the production quality, because this isn't an art book, but because of the content.

The doctor/author is clearly knowledgeable and brilliant with regard to fitness and health. I read his book before it became so incredibly popular and have been more than pleased with the results I have obtained by following his simple yet well-reasoned principles. I feel younger and more fit and have gained insight into preventative care of myself and my loved ones. I highly recommend this wonderful book. And thank you, Dr. Katz.

I can't add anything others haven't already said, but I'll give this book another hearty thumbs-up. I've read it and put it to use for four months so far, and the results are even better than I'd hoped for. I was overweight; now I'm not. I was narrowly focused on a few exercises; now I'm exercising my whole body daily in a balanced, effective way. I feel healthier than ever.

My only reservation (other than the drawings, which other reviewers have mentioned) is that the prescribed hunter-gatherer diet may not be ideal for everybody. For me it works like a charm, and I plan to stick with it for life. Other people may have to modify it to suit their individual body type (and there's information on that in such books as "Eat Right for Your Type" and "The Metabolic Typing Diet").

This book covers a wide range of topics which pertain to health. The author is a bona fide doctor of medicine - unlike so many other "fitness gurus" who charge far more for their work. The price is ridiculously low for the vast amount of information received. The clear and humorous drawings add the author's own flair to the book. Don't waste your money on another book before buying this one! Definitely the one to spend your money for, either in the e-book version or print version.

This is the perfectly logical, no nonsense book that I've been searching for for the past twenty years! Based upon the evolutionary principles that make us who/what we are, TBK fitness cuts directly to the point and illustrates what we need to do, in simple terms, to follow a sensible diet and bodyweight fitness program that will get the average person, (and beyond!) up to optimal fitness. Folks, your search is over. This is the one!!

I wish I'd found this book a lot sooner. Im actually surprised that given the content, this book isn't advertised more.

The material in this book seems to combine the best of not only what I've read, but what actually has worked quite well for me. The best way to describe the book is a sort of "Paleo-diet meets Furey's 'Combat Conditioning'" only at a much more reasonable price. Highly recommended.

This is THE book to have, written by a Doctor that covers everything: bodyweight exercises, diet, tips, various diseases and causes, etc. This is a very researched book. There are thousand of trainers out there, each one with their own opinion. STOP buying every gimmick and new fad that comes along. THIS is the book to have. Even if you are on a program that is working, this is a very inexpensive book to have with the amount of knowledge that's in it. While it probably won't get you HUGE, it will slim you down and give you that lithe, toned look, and give you muscles that you actually USE, not just to look good - although you will get that too. If you are VERY obese, there's even a program for you as well, until you can get some of the weight off and start using the regular program. NO MORE EXCUSES!

I also recommend, if you really want to gain some muscle in conjunction with this book:

7 Weeks to 100 Push-Ups: Strengthen and Sculpt Your Arms, Abs, Chest, Back and Glutes by Training to do 100 Consecutive Push-Ups

Death, Taxes & Push-ups

This is an excellent fitness book. Yes, the author uses stick like figures for the illustrations, but so what? It's a no nonsense, no gym or equipment required exercise book. The price is right also. It's not one of those over-hyped and over-priced bodyweight exercise books that some gurus hawk promising miraculous results while bashing weightlifting and everything else. Dr. Katz (he's an MD) takes a very simple, pragmatic approach to fitness that anyone can follow for the rest of their lives. The routines are simple and effective. The nutrition advice is right on also. I have followed his dietary recommendations for over 5 years now and at age 50+ my waist is trimmer than it was in my 20s. The book isn't just about fitness, it's about health and well being. Everything you need to be fit and healthy is packed into this little gem. This is one the best values you can find when it comes to fitness publications.