The BackSmart Fitness Plan: A Total-Body Workout to Strengthen and Heal Your Back (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Wouldn't it be nice if you could take some kind of quiz to see if you were susceptible to back injury or to determine if,..." (more)
Key Phrases: shower stretches, balance drills, standing asleep, Daily Dozen, All Together, Starting Off Right (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A complete, full-body fitness program specifically designed to strengthen and protect the back

More than 50 percent of the 20 million Americans who join health clubs quit within the first year, mostly for one reason alone: back pain. Written by Adam Weiss, a chiropractic physician and fellow back pain sufferer, The BackSmart Fitness Plan presents a revolutionary program designed to target, protect, and strengthen the back. Employing his unique BackSmart Method, Weiss lays out a complete fitness program to provide readers with a variety of exercises designed to enhance their physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and appearance, all without injuring themselves. The book includes:

• Hundreds of exercises emphasizing proper form and balance
• Proper use of free weights and machines
• Modified Pilates exercises
• Swiss ball movements
• Stretching

From the Back Cover

"Back pain was a constant presence until I learned Dr. Weiss's principles. This simple guide will keep you feeling great in the gym or in the office, so you never have to be less than your best."
--Martin Boonzaayer, two-time Olympian and seven-time National Judo Champion

"We are now using the BackSmart Fitness Plan with all our patients at each stage of their rehabilitation."
--Jose A. Hernandez, D.C., Director, Pacific Spine and Rehab Center

The BackSmart Fitness Plan presents a revolutionary full-body program designed to strengthen the back and prevent injuries. Dr. Adam Weiss, a chiropractic physician, developed the successful BackSmart Method to overcome his own back injury without the use of medications. In this step-by-step program, he provides an organized routine of exercises to improve physical strength, flexibility, balance, muscular endurance, and appearance--all without causing stress or injury to the joints and ligaments.

You'll learn how to heal, strengthen, and protect your back while achieving peak condition and losing unwanted weight. The BackSmart Fitness Plan includes:

• Hundreds of exercises emphasizing proper form and balance
• Guidance on the proper use of free weights and machines
• Modified Pilates exercises and Swiss ball movements
• Stretching exercises to increase flexibility
• Healthy diet tips

With The BackSmart Fitness Plan you can reap the many benefits of exercise and work your way to a healthier, stronger, and pain-free body.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007144338X
• ISBN-13: 978-0071443388
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #499,174 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #92 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging > Backache
  #95 in	Books > Bargain Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book-"The Next Body For Life" Type of book, March 30, 2005

By	sherri "reader with back and neck pain" (Florida) - See all my reviews

For someone who wishes to learn these exercises without the benfit of a trainer or instructor. Clearly written, it takes the reader from the beginner to advanced workouts- There is a great section on profiling by gender, age, fitness level and goals.
Profusely illustrated with over 100 photographs demonstrating the exercises from stretching, resistance training from body weight only moves to free weights and machines.I have been using the program just under a month and I can see and feel a differnce the way I move and how my clothes fit! The last part of the book has a Q&A section that helps the reader in understanding and preventing injuries and how they occure. I really thought the section on which exercises to avoid was very helpful and have never seen in any other book. A must have for anyone's collection.

98 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The advice is practical and well researched, May 12, 2005

By	Elaine (Chicago, IL.) - See all my reviews

The advice is practical and well researched, and very much consistent with everything all the specialists have told me during my decade of back problems.
I noticed improvement within a couple of days of starting the exercises. I have found doing the Daily Dozen Stretches in the morning like the author suggests and again in the evening, have helped me trendmendously over the past few months, I am not pain free yet but I feel a lot better than before I picked up this book.

Before I purchased this book, I woke up every morning with some pain and stiffness with bouts of my back "going out" on me and I'd spend a week or more doing nothing do to the pain and I lay around popping pain pills waiting to recuperate.

Now I wake up less stiff and sore and I am able to start my day immediately. I remain careful about how I treat my back throughout the day, but I'm very confident that the exercises are helping me get stronger and I feel more limber, my balance has improved, as has my flexibility. I recommend this book highly!

130 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get This Book, March 27, 2005

By	Lee "Lee" (Cailfornia) - See all my reviews

All I can say is that this book changed my life. Dr. Weiss understands what it takes to get the job done.Realistic and very cool exercises, the wall execersies for stretching and using the Dumbells was great! i could feel all my muscles working and no strain to my back the whole time I was doing them, a first for me usually I am sore for days after trying to workout but not with this program I felt great afterwards and I could move the next day a big plus to any one who suffers from back pain knows. A very innovative approach to back pain and fitness this book takes you from the begining asking you how do you workout to the every day things you do that may cause your problems- a very good eye opener for me. i found the doctor's own personal experience with back pain at an early age and how he over came his own pain-very moving to me and inspirational.There are many detail photographs that show you how to do the execersies which I found very helpful. I am trying to lose weight now and following the weight lose program offered in the latter chapters, so far the advice the book gives on diet and exercise is the best I have read in many years. A very strong recommendation to anyone suffering from back pain or anyone wanting to do new workouts!