When Working Out Isn't Working Out: A Mind/Body Guide to Conquering Unidentified Fitness Obstacles (Paperback)

by Michael Gerrish (Author) "When I was twenty years old, I graduated from college..." (more)
Key Phrases: fitness obstacles, diet coach, muscular failure, Top Ten Ways, Sea of Energy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The most remarkable facts about the "fitness boom" are that most people still don't exercise, and among those who do, few get the results they envisioned. For every couch yam who turns his health around and successfully runs a marathon, there must be hundreds or thousands who can't maintain even the least-ambitious fitness program and end up worse off than they were before: heavier, less healthy, and more despondent over their failure to improve the way they look and feel.

Michael Gerrish is uniquely qualified to examine the phenomenon of exercise nonadherence, being both a certified and experienced trainer and a psychotherapist. He suggests that many of the problems people have with their fitness programs start long before they ever step into a gym. Long-term, low-grade depression can make it impossible to follow through on an exercise plan. Relentless perfectionism can be another stumbling block (which he calls UFOs, or "unidentified fitness obstacles"). Or you could have attention deficit disorder, causing you to tune out important bits of instruction or "forget" crucial components of a workout schedule.

For each potential fitness UFO that Gerrish identifies, he offers a checklist you can go through to see if any of it applies to you, a list of ways to overcome the problem, and resources to turn to for help, if you decide you need it. --Lou Schuler

From Library Journal
Exercise physiologist and personal fitness trainer Gerrish has compiled an inspirational framework for unraveling Unidentified Fitness Obstacles (UFOs). Initially, he analyzes self-sabotaging patterns of emotional barriers, energy blocks, and societal pressures that fuel fitness failures. Taking a psychotherapeutic approach, the author explains how physical energy is affected by such mental states as depression, perfectionism, and biochemical imbalances. He encourages fitness fulfillment by exorcising the body-image ego that has been indoctrinated with consumerist obsessive-compulsive fitness aspirations. Gerrish also addresses physical, nutritional, cardiovascular, and weight-training issues. His book is packed with reasonable advice for derailing the pressures of internal and societal UFOs (e.g., seven tips to combat Frequent Exposure to Fattening Foods), although some readers may consider his conclusions obvious and too brief. Recommended for public libraries with consumer health collections. (Index not seen.)Rebecca Cress-Ingebo, Wright State Univ Libs., Dayton, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312199597
• ISBN-13: 978-0312199593
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #760,937 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six stars! Fresh, comprehensive, phenomenal!, February 27, 1999

By A Customer

I've already read an advanced copy (twice) and can't wait to read it again! Kudos to Michael Gerrish for writing a truly original book, the first that I've read in a long, long time that really does break new ground. With insightful, compassionate guidance, Gerrish suggests that "it's not our fault" - that when we work out (and fail to succeed) it's not for the reasons we think. He reveals what he calls "UFOs" (Unidentified Fitness Obstacles) and clearly shows how, unknowingly, they prevent us from reaching our goals. The best thing about this book, though, is the spirit in which it is written - sensitive, smart, and informative with uncommon respect for the reader. Not only that, but it made me laugh (some parts are done tongue-in-cheek). I found myself nodding and smiling a lot from the intro right through to the end.

Thanks to this book, I've radically changed my perspective about working out. I now have a sense of what's "really" been making me struggle to get in good shape. With simple, self-diagnostic tests, I discovered my top UFOs (chemical allergies, SAD, and weight-training at the wrong speed) and now I'm prepared to address each one in the way that the author suggests.

Enlightening, clear, and well-conceived, this book is a wonderful read. The stories are great, the tone is sincere, and the self-tests are easy to take. In fact, I'll be shocked if this hot new book doesn't prove to be widely embraced. If you're anything like I am (you've read every fitness book there is), you're going to appreciate reading this one - it has all the answers you need!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When Working Out Isn't Working Out, February 29, 2000

By	Sharon Day "sharonday" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Michael Gerrish shares his rare combination of deep technical knowledge, compassionate caring, goofy humor, and more than anything, his personal experiences with the challenge of wrestling his own body into shape. "When Working Out Isn't Working Out" includes a wealth of resources and motivating tips to guide the way towards fitness for any of us mere mortals.

Sure, I can read a book about the weight training method du jour, or about someone's latest research on no protein, no carb, no fat (!) nutrition, but where else will I find information that connects sleep apnea, or Attention Deficit Disorder, with my lack of so called will power? This book helps me to be gentler to myself. In the dead of winter I now see that maybe those grey skies and short days are what's got me sleeping through my morning jog, rather than that I am a worthless slug who can't stick to my workout schedule. I have new knowledge, and can make a point to get out in the sun more often.

Read this one, and find out your own personal UFO's. Your body and mind will thank you!

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book really made me think., June 11, 1999

By A Customer

I held off on buying this book at first, mostly because I assumed it was for exercise dropouts or people who couldn't lose weight. I was wrong. This book can be of tremendous help to advanced exercisers, too.

I'm a 29 year old male, 6'0", 185 lbs. I work out regularly (5-6 times per week) and have done so for about ten years. Prior to reading this book, I tried just about every diet and exercise program imaginable, but had never been able to get my body fat below 14% Although 14% is considered fairly low for someone my age, it isn't as low as it should be, considering how hard (and how long) I've trained. It wasn't until I read this book that I discovered: 1) I was not training right for my body type (Ayuvedic body type "Kapha"); 2) I was ignoring (or forgetting) important workout-related details (I have symptoms of attention deficit disorder); 3) My adrenal function may have suffered as the result of using the wrong type (or dose) of a medication (Hydrocortisol); 4) I injured my shoulder by moving too quickly, and in the wrong way, with too much weight; 5) I'm insulin-sensitive (I'd often eat "high-glycemic" foods that decreased my fat-burning rate); and 6) I suffer from "snack amnesia," which caused me, without even realizing it, to eat too much between meals. I found out a whole lot of other things, too, but these were my main UFO's (Unidentified Fitness Obstacles). The happy ending to this story is that for the first time in my life, my body fat percentage is now below 10%! Now that I've followed the author's advice, I eat MORE and don't gain weight! I'm also a lot more focused and have more energy when I work out. This book gets a huge thumbs-up from me. I must say, I was surprised.