This is a fantastic book about exercise! It is not a self-help book that encourages you to exercise daily; it is a dive into the biology, psychology,This is a fantastic book about exercise! It is not a self-help book that encourages you to exercise daily; it is a dive into the biology, psychology, anthropology, and scientific research into the why's and wherefore's of exercise. The book is filled with fun facts and myth-busting research into what exercise can and cannot do to improve one's fitness, well-being, health, and longevity.
Did you know that in ancient times, and in today's isolated tribes, people sit just as much as people in modern society? Primates like chimpanzees are no more active than humans (though they do tend to walk further). Did you know that people can outrun horses--not in short sprints, but in long, drawn-out races? (The author participated in one such race and in fact did outrun some horseback riders.) People in hunter-gathering tribes do not exercise; they look at purposeful exercise as something that crazy people do! But they do get plenty of exercise by walking, and their daily activities. And, ancient people were not stronger than today's modern society; in a society where food is not abundant, excessive muscles that require a lot of energy to maintain are more of a burden than an aid.
Exercise is something that most people dislike. Humans have evolved to run, but we have also evolved to sit! Research has found that exercise will not help you to live longer, but it will help you to live a healthier, more active life.
This book is filled with the results of scientific research, and helped me to understand better how evolution has shaped our active--and inactive--lives. The book's conclusion is concise:
"Make exercise necessary and fun. Do mostly cardio, but also some weights. Some is good, but more is better. Keep it up as you age."
This is a very interesting book about a lifestyle that, until recently, was entirely unknown to me. It is not just about nutrition, although that is pThis is a very interesting book about a lifestyle that, until recently, was entirely unknown to me. It is not just about nutrition, although that is perhaps the major component. It is also about cooking techniques, exercise and philosophy. It really is a complete way of life.
The nutritional advice emphasizes whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and certain vegetables (but not all vegetables). The diet allows some fish, but no meat or poultry. The book contains a selection of recipes, with a very strong reliance on Japanese cooking. I don't know if the Japanese style of cooking is required by a macrobiotic diet--I suspect not--but that is the only style discussed in this book.
The exercises are mostly stretching exercises--not very strenuous, but the diagrams show a woman exhibiting a lot more flexibility than I could possibly muster! The benefits of each exercise are described in terms of relationships to acupuncture meridians. There is no attempt to document the scientific basis of any of the connections. Also, walking is very strongly encouraged as a wonderful exercise. No jogging, running, strength training, or any other type of strenuous exercise is included.
Some philosophy is also discussed, such as the dichotomy between yin and yang; I didn't quite follow the reasoning, nor did I understand the implications. A lot of theoretical philosophy is described that might have some experiential basis, but not detailed at all in this book.
This book opened my eyes to a totally different way of life. I agree with almost all of the nutritional advice. The philosophical aspects don't quite convince me, though....more
This is a very entertaining and informative book about the benefits of exercise. Gretchen Reynolds explores how much, and what types of exercise are rThis is a very entertaining and informative book about the benefits of exercise. Gretchen Reynolds explores how much, and what types of exercise are really useful for improving one's health and well-being. The more you exercise (up to a point), the better one's fitness. However, there is a law of diminishing returns--you can exercise a little--say 20 minutes a day--and get a significant benefit. or you can exercise a lot, and get just a tiny bit more improvement.
The later chapters in the book were most interesting, as they described the interactions between evolution, genetics, and mental health and exercise. There are actually genes--or rather, sets of genes--that control whether or not you actively enjoy exercising, or prefer to be sedentary.
I've read much of the information in this book in other books, but this book is surprisingly comprehensive and engaging. A lot of recent research into fitness training is described--much of it dispels some long-held ideas that are now being discredited. I appreciated much of the book as a sort of pep talk, encouraging me to exercise more. I didn't read this book--I listened to it as an audiobook. Karen Saltus is a good reader, with a very upbeat style of speaking....more
So what do you do when you suddenly discover that you are middle-age, overweight, and out of shape--huffing and puffing when you climb a flight of staSo what do you do when you suddenly discover that you are middle-age, overweight, and out of shape--huffing and puffing when you climb a flight of stairs? If you are Rich Roll, then you go on a nutrition regimen, start training, and immediately register for a marathon race! Soon after that, he trains for an iron-man race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim in open water, a 112-mile bike race, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon!
But Rich Roll doesn't stop there. He trains for the Epic-5 challenge. This is not a race, exactly, but an incredible challenge. It consists of finishing five iron-man races on five consecutive days, on five different islands in Hawaii! He finds that it is a challenge to his will power, his stamina, and even logistics. Roll, fortunately, had a lot of support from his family--his wife was very supportive. But it disturbed me that he ignores his kids for long spans of time while he is training. While I am not a runner or an exercise fanatic, I found this story to be fascinating. Roll's transformation from a typical middle-aged guy to a vegan, elite athlete is inspiring....more
This book presents a comprehensive exercises that require little or no extra equipment. The author is highly qualified, as a trainer for Special OperaThis book presents a comprehensive exercises that require little or no extra equipment. The author is highly qualified, as a trainer for Special Operations soldiers. I understand why he condemns pure aerobic exercises, but I still don't understand why he hates free-weight exercises so intensely. Perhaps because free-weights require extra equipment, so the convenience factor comes into play.
In any case, the book describes a very comprehensive set of body-weight exercises. And, in case some of the exercises are too easy, the author describes a number of ways to increase their intensity. I like the numerous ways in which the author suggests to vary intensity vs. volume. That approach should be useful, regardless of the form of one's exercise program....more
I've read a number of books on the subject of strength training. This book is the simplest of them all. The system espoused in this book is one of sloI've read a number of books on the subject of strength training. This book is the simplest of them all. The system espoused in this book is one of slow-motion, high-intensity training. The principal measure of intensity is "Time Under Load". The book recommends that each repetition of an exercise be performed in a slow cadence (usually 12-14 seconds) over a time span ranging from 45 to 60 seconds. Multiple sets are not recommended. The purpose is to get you in and out of the gym quickly, with a very high-intensity workout.
The system is simple and straightforward to understand. The descriptions of the exercises are terse, and the photographs are quite small, and only mildly helpful. There is emphasis on using the proper form, but it is impossible, from this book alone, to learn what the proper form really is. I would recommend supplementing this book with any other book that explains form in more detail, or better yet, to learn these exercises with a trainer.
This book also plugs the authors' web site: http://www.totalhuman.com Besides selling a few useful (?) products, the web site features a few interesting articles....more
Despite the author's claims, this book is clearly intended for very advanced body builders and strength training. The "Omega" training method is veryDespite the author's claims, this book is clearly intended for very advanced body builders and strength training. The "Omega" training method is very advanced, and can require two spotters.
A better approach is another book by John Little, "Body by Science". Although this book is more technical, its approach is intended for a wider audience, for all ages and abilities. I highly recommend it....more
This book is a review of much of the research that has been published in the past decade or so, on the subject of exercise's effects on the brain. ItThis book is a review of much of the research that has been published in the past decade or so, on the subject of exercise's effects on the brain. It is an absolutely first-rate book. I have read a lot about how exercise improves one's mood. But I had not realized the many other benefits to one's brain, intelligence, memory, problem solving, that are induced by exercise. The very first chapter describes how a strong school exercise program has benefited an entire school district. Exercise can actually induce physical enhancements to the brain, for example, increase the volume of the hypothalamus by up to 30%. This book is quite amazing--highly recommended!...more
This is a very interesting book about an approach to strength training. The approach is to perform a small number of high-intensity resistance exercisThis is a very interesting book about an approach to strength training. The approach is to perform a small number of high-intensity resistance exercises for a short duration, about once a week. The exercises involve slow repetitions to the point of muscular failure, and then holding the weight against resistance for about ten seconds, even after further full repetitions are impossible. The idea is (1) to break down the muscles to a significant extent and then (2) to give the body an adequate time to recover.
The authors are firmly against performing "aerobics" exercises just for the sake of improving fitness. They give well-researched reasons for their opinions, and well thought-out scientific explanations.
Up until today, I have been performing moderately intense strength training about twice a week. I intend to try the approach described in this book, to see if it improves my results.
My only complaint about this book is the picture of the deadlift exercise. The guy doing the deadlift shows terrible form--there is no excuse for this....more
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