Health & Fitness in Plain English Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book in conjunction with "The Ab Revolution" and since putting the advice contained in both into practice, I feel better and more importantly, I feel like I'm getting much more out of my workouts. The books advocate incorporating fitness strategies into your daily life, not just during an hour or two doing obligatory "exercise". I am a real gym rat and enjoy the time I spend there, but I never gave much thought to working on my fitness level throughout the day. For example, now I run up the four flights of stairs at work several times a day to work on my anaerobic capacity, thanks to the abs book and the info on abs in the Health and Fitness book I get a lot more out of my time spent on the stairmaster and elliptical machines because I maintain proper posture.
I always have a million questions related to proper stretching, proper weightlifting technique (eg lower weight more reps? or more weight fewer reps?), etc. and this book is proving to be an invaluable reference tool - so much so that now I schlep it around in my gym bag.
The author does a very good job of explaining complicated exercise physiology so that people like me understand and can apply the concepts. I feel like I'm really progressing now whereas before I always wondered whether I was working hard enough, etc. I've been on a weightloss/fitness building mission for almost a year now and now I'm as motivated as I was in the beginning because I feel like I know what I'm doing.

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This remarkably rich book explores the most frequently asked about (and misunderstood) aspects of health, nutrition, and fitness. Each subject is addressed in non-technical language that aims to replace myths and misinformation with easy-to-apply knowledge. Ideal for individuals at any level of health and fitness experience, and for personal trainers and related health & fitness professionals who wish to share information with their clients in terms that they can understand. Includes information on Exercise (abs, stretching, workouts, body-building, weights, what works & what doesn't), Health (heart, cholesterol, osteoporosis, body fat tests, weight loss), Nutrition (vitamins, health foods, diets supplements, ergogenc aids), Pain & Injury (back pain, neck, shoulder, and knee pain, ankle sprains, leg cramps, headaches) and much, much more.Produced in cooperation with the American Council on Exercise.

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fitness Boxing Illustrated Review

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(More customer reviews)I have taught boxing aerobics for many years, and I have published reviews of numerous boxing books in the past. This book is one of the best books I have ever read on Fitness Boxing. It is one of the most comprehensive and well illustrated books ever published on using boxing as a total fitness activity. It covers every aspect of fitness, not just the punching exercises of boxing. This book also includes a 650-minute DVD which demonstrates the fitness exercises and movements in the book. However, there is one flaw in the DVD in that it promises to take you through 12-two minute boxing rounds, but all it does is show you how to do the exercises. Nevertheless, the book is still worth purchasing. This text is broken down into four parts. Part one provides an introduction and reasons to choose fitness boxing as your workout choice. Various warm up exercises are also shown in this section. The second part covers training tools of boxing,taking a fitness boxing class, how to use power and balance balls, using weights and how to do partner exercises. Part three finally gets into the actual mechanics of boxing. This part covers stance, balance, footwork, how to throw the basic boxing punches, and using workout bands in your boxing workout. The final section covers various workout routines such as shadown boxing and bag work.
In conclusion, if you are interested in boxing for total physical fitness, you will want a copy for your personal library. I also recommend this book to fitness professionals who teach or would like to teach boxing for fitness.
Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Samurai Aerobics: The Kenjutsu/Kendo Workout Program)


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Pilates Pregnancy Guide: Optimum Health and Fitness for Every Stage of Your Pregnancy Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a Pilates teacher who recently has three pregnant students. I reviewed many books from my library system and found this one of the absolute best value and advice. Be careful what you read can be extremely contradictory with pilates(which works the abdominal muscels) and pregnancy. This book is sensible and safe. You will certainly get your moneys worth. It is a great reference book for teacher. Have it in your studios.

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Body Control Pilates for the full nine months of pregnancy and beyond.

Pilates specializes in building core muscles to create a "girdle of strength." This is crucially important in pregnancy, when the body is under tremendous stress and strain by the added weight and changes in posture. Pilates Pregnancy Guide features a series of exercises tailored to condition these core muscles for a more comfortable pregnancy, an easier labor and a faster recovery.

Suitable for women at all fitness levels -- with or without Pilates experience -- this book provides a comprehensive program during the entire period of pregnancy, with exercises specific to each trimester. Features include:

Preparing for pregnancy
The benefits of Pilates during pregnancy
The basics of Body Control Pilates
A program for the first six weeks after the birth
A continuing program for staying in shape.

Workout menus designed for each stage of the pregnancy offer recommended exercises complete with guidelines and warnings. Illustrated with color photographs, each exercise sequence is outlined in specific stages: Aim, Starting Position, Action, and Watchpoints. This exercise program ensures controlled and safe routines throughout the pregnancy and beyond.

Thorough and encouraging, with reliable general information about pregnancy, Pilates Pregnancy Guide will be a natural first choice for any expectant mother.
(200609)

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Kathy Kaehler's Celebrity Workouts: How to Get a Hollywood Body in Just 30 Minutes a Day Review

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(More customer reviews)In her book she says that the sub-title of this book "How to Get a Hollywood Body in Just 30 Minutes a Day" sounds a little gimmicky. You aren't going to look like Jennifer Aniston tomorrow, but you are going to be healthier and fitter as you follow this program. She focuses on getting healthy and feeling comfortable with the body shape you have. A fun mix of walking, light weight training, yoga, stretching and a handful of fun exercises that make you feel like a kid on the playground. The exercises have easy to follow illustrations, and written directions. It includes a group of exercises to help you ease back into a fitness program, recipes and fun celebrity photos and quotes that are reminiscent of reading "People" in the grocery store check-out. A good bonus: there isn't really any equipment that you need to buy that you probably don't already have.

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The Pilates Edge (Avery Health Guides) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was pleased to finally find this book a few years ago, as I was looking for a way to help with my fencing. As a book geared towards athletes, it assumes that you don't simply want to "look and feel fit", but build a real core that helps you become a stronger athlete, no matter what your sport.
I appreciated that the illustrations of the exercises (which are very well done) featured both authors, drving home the idea that Pilates is a fitness regimen for BOTH men and women who want to be stronger. Too many times books about exercise systems focus on one gender, which can turn people off... I often felt that Pilates suffered from being marketed too strongly towards women when it is a very universal exercise system.
I also very much liked that the core exercises (there are many) were ones that did not require any extra equipment, relying on your own body weight and range of motion to accomplish the movement. The sample exercise programs at the rear of the book emphasize this. Other sections of the book that include weights, bars, etc. are considered as supplemental to the core system and can be added as needed. Personally, this helped me to stay with the exercises, because I didn't need to have anything with me to do them.
An excellent book. I highly recommend it.

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Complete body conditioning for golf, running, tennis, swimming, cycling, skiing, and other sports and activities. Originally developed by Joseph Pilates for boxers, gymnasts, and dancers, Pilates is a unique body-conditioning method that teaches precision movement generated from the center of the body-the "powerhouse"-which includes the abdominal muscles, lower back, and buttocks. The Pilates Edge demonstrates how the basic principles of Pilates can enhance sports training and promote athletic achievement as well as everyday health and fitness. With this instructive book, athletes and anyone seeking to improve their physical performance will learn to strengthen and condition their bodies while preventing injuries through a basic Pilates workout, designed with variations for beginner and advanced levels. The authors provide specific workouts for golf, running, racket sports, swimming, cycling, and skiing, giving special attention to the muscle groups and common injuries associated with each sport.

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Get on the Ball for Great Abs: Exercises to Flatten Your Stomach and Strengthen Your Core Review

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(More customer reviews)This book doesnt tell you anything you already know about losing weight and defining your abs, you have to already be thin for anything in the book to work otherwise you will just be building strong abs over a layer or fat if you are new to using an Ab ball then this might have something for you to read but otherwise i would look for another book

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Forget those expensive ab infomercial gadgets - all you need for toned abs and a strong, defined, flexible body is an exercise ball and Get on the Ball for Great Abs. In her first book, Get on the Ball, fitness expert Lisa Westlake showed just how fun and easy it is to get in shape using the wobbly exercise ball, as stabilizing one's body on it requires using new skills to "wake up" your muscles. Now, she offers more than 60 all-new, easy-to-follow exercises, including some featuring weights, specifically geared toward strengthening the core, abdominal and obliques muscles to perfect your waistline. Each exercise is illustrated with a black and white photo and the workouts progress from easy to higher degrees of difficulty, making this ideal for beginners, avid gym-goers, and top athletes alike. For anyone who wants a slimmer waistline and more stable, defined abs, Get on the Ball for Great Abs will help readers get the best from their exercise ball.

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StarrPower Restorative Pilates for Cancer Survivors: Taking Back Your Physical Power One Muscle At A Time Review

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(More customer reviews)I Have been waiting for a book Like this for two years,Thank Goodness-I feel stronger after using the program. It's Only Been 3 Weeks!
LBJ

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The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia Review

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(More customer reviews)Every once in awhile, a book on childbirth comes along that is a standout. The Labor Progress Handbook is one of those books, but what else would one expect from Penny Simkin and Ruth Ancheta? The authors have produced a lucid, logical, beautifully organized, clearly written, bounteously illustrated, meticulously documented book that gives birth professionals a systematic, practical basis to prevent, diagnose, and treat poor progress in labor. Approaching dystocia holistically, the authors consider the effects of the woman's emotional state, her environment, and the impact of hospital or caregiver policies and attitudes in addition to the standard "powers, passage, passenger" explanation for labor progress. And they are woman centered: the laboring woman is the active agent in resolving difficulties, and the unacceptability of a recommendation always contraindicates its use. If you teach about labor, care for laboring women, or work as a doula or birth assistant, you should--no, must--read this book.

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The Pilates Deck Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a beginner and I think pilates deck is really good. I have friends who are far more advanced with pilates and they weren't so impressed.
I like to mix in the exercises from The 5-Second Flat Belly Secret - Lose 2-3 Inches from Your Belly in Less Than 1 Month with these pilates positions to get more focused work on losing my belly and that's been working out superb.


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Develop a strong and flexible body that moves with ease and grace. With these 50 pilates exercise cards, you'll enjoy invigorating exercise that targets areas which support good posture and long muscles. Without relying on machines, The Pilates Deck makes working out easy by incorporating mat exercises that progress from preparatory movements to advanced sequences.

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The Perfect Pointe Book: All you need to get on pointe, stay on pointe and be the very best dancer you can be Review

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(More customer reviews)I have used this book regularly to help my students understand what they need to do to safely prepare for pointe work. I find it a great resource and highly recommend it to students and teachers. It taught me a lot about preparing students for pointe work and how to help them prepare safely and be strong enough to find pointe work enjoyable.

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Brazilian Jujutsu: Side-Mount Techniques Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been studying Joe Moreira's style of BJJ for years and am impressed he was able to share so much of his wisdom in this inexpensive book. Those who want Hollywood style marketing/packaging need not apply. Those who want logical and indispensable BJJ strategies from the Side-Mount in a compact paperback will not regret this purchase. Highly recommend A+

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Detailing over 100 moves through photographic sequences and detailed captions, this volume uses Moreira's 'sequential teaching' style to delineate the network of options available to combatants dealing with side-mount situations. Whether a student, teacher, or simply a fan of jujutsu, this edition will serve as a comprehensive reference for side-mount moves and instill a deeper understanding of the art's emphasis on techniques rather than strength. Some of the techniques included in Moreira's book include the straight-arm American lock, knee popper, crucifix choke, fall back to armbar, roll to collar choke, and much more.

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Running Injuries: Treatment and Prevention Review

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(More customer reviews)First let me say that I am a big fan of Galloway. For those of you who are not familiar with him, he advocates a three day a week, low mileage training method where you alternate walking and running rather than running consistently for races from the 5k to the marathon. He firmly believes that this reduces injury rates. Personally I have struggled with runners knee for years and despite doctors and therapists I continue to struggle with it. Galloway's running methods have allowed me to continue running regularly with minimal knee problems, so when I saw this book I thought I may find some new and helpful information. Well, for those of you familiar with Galloway, don't waste your money, nothing new here. As far as the treatment reccomendations by Dr. Hannaford, they are vague and general. For example, regarding runners knee he states that strengthening VMO (a portion of your quadraceps muscle) is very effective but then does not give any exercises on how to do this, or states that a knee brace or strap may be helpful and that you should try a variety of them to see what works for you. Again, no guidance. Why would I use an open patella brace over a closed one? Why try a tendon strap. Some direction would be helpful. Truthfuly he does a far better job at describing injuries than he does at reccomending treatment, a major flaw in this book. Overall not very helpfull. I am donating mine to the library, maybe someone will find it more helpful than me.

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"Running Injuries - Treatment and Prevention" offers easy to access tips on treating and avoiding injuries. It is written in a language that is easy to understand. This book will help runners and walkers understand how injuries occur, how to print them, how to heal them: knee, foot, calf, iliotibial band, plantar fasciia, achilles tendon, neuroma, and much more. There is also a section on coming back from an injury and exercising while injured.

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Get Fit in Bed: Tone Your Body & Calm Your Mind from the Comfort of Your Bed Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this book! All of the exercises are so easy to follow, and with so little time to work out I can finally get some much needed toning in from my bed! It's fantastic! Since I've started using the exercises in Get Fit in Bed, I really do feel healthier, and more rested too! I recommend everyone tries this at least once.

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Here is the fitness solution many of us have been waiting for - a strengthening, conditioning and toning program that anyone can do from the warmth and comfort of his or her own bed. Older folks, people with health problems such as fibromyalgia, arthritis and chronic fatigue, those recovering from surgery or injury and expecting mothers who've been put on bed rest will especially benefit from these techniques. A series of forty-two exercises drawn from yoga, pilates, karate and stretching, the routine is grouped into three sections: exercises to be done lying on your back, sides and stomach. Regular practice will tone muscles, increase strength and endurance, calm the mind and, yes, even improve sleep! Each exercise is described in lucid detail, illustrated with a series of step-by-step photographs, and includes modification for certain health and lifestyle conditions.

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Gait Analysis: Normal and Pathological Function Review

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(More customer reviews)A previous writers tries to tell us, that gait analysis with our own eyes and understanding is outdated in a high tech world. I disagree. As it is true for many steps in the process of finding the reasons of disorder and disfunction and working on solutions, as medical doctor or as physiotherapist, it is allways the core of real quality if one understands by himself and his education in the field, what some high tech apparatus tries to tell him, sometimes telling it wrong. So giving up all your knowledge and expertise into the hands of a computer, or even showing that you have no interest to get this knowledge in the first place, is a sure way to failure in the medical field. And by the way, gait analysis isnt some dry, boring stuff, in fact, it is fascinating to realize how very important it is to be able to identify the different stages of this very short moment, to find the fitting solution for your therapy. I am just a beginner after completing a first course in gait analysis lead by a german pupil of Jacquelin Perry, and as a doctor in a rehab clinic I can tell you, its very up to date. And talking about the high tech world, who is able to buy a technical system, the hard- and software for gait analysis, for example as a simple practitioner? Better take your time to get some education by experienced gait instructors, read this book and all what you need is in your head and hands, plus eventually a small camera to make a short clip for analysis and presentation on a Monitor.

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Core Performance Endurance: A New Fitness and Nutrition Program That Revolutionizes the Way You Train for Endurance Sports Review

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(More customer reviews)First, the good. I've been a big fan of Core Performance workouts since reading the first book by Mark Verstegen. As I shifted toward more endurance sports like triathlon, I found the original book to be less helpful. Core Performance Endurance is the long-awaited combination of a core conditioning program with endurance training. On this most important point, I think Verstegen has again come through in a big way. Workouts emphasize flexibility, core strength, and injury prevention. Days are divided by emphasis on "strength", "power", "regeneration", and "rest". The idea is that, through this approach, an athlete will train efficiently and get the most results for the effort expended. What most people would call the "cardio" work is here referred to as "energy system development" or ESD. ESD work is done on most days, but it varies between slow days at less than race pace, relatively short intervals at race pace, and brief intervals at greater than race pace. The goal is to use the combination of approaches to improve the lactate threshold, the point where muscles start to "burn" and increase the level at which an athlete continuously perform without lactic acid build up. This flies in the face of "more is better" training, and it is consistent with the most recent advances in exercise physiology.
The Bad. If you are expecting a spoon-fed workout, you will be disappointed. The ESD workouts do not specify which sport is to be performed. That approach would work best for a pure runner or biker. For a multi-sport triathlete, it leaves a fair bit of the work in designing the program to the individual. For instance, should a swim be combined with a "power" day or a "strength" day? Should one alternate? How should "brick workouts" (two sports one after another, usually biking followed by running) be integrated? I like to take a hands-on approach to the details, but I can see how many might be put off by this. This book should properly be considered a foundation to an endurance exercise program, helping an athlete maximize their results and prevent injury. It should not be considered the whole program in itself.
The Ugly. An athlete progresses through stages (i.e. A, B, C) and levels (1, 2) that increase in length of time and difficulty. When ready to go to "level 3", you are instructed to go to the website, coreperformance.com. The problem? It's a site that REQUIRES A PAID MEMBERSHIP. I thought this was pretty sleazy. I don't think I would have bought the book if it had been marketed as "Two Thirds of Core Performance Endurance". When I first read the instruction to go to the website, I was pretty steamed. I was ready to dash off a 1-star review and trash the book. After I cooled down, I decided that, had there NOT been a 3rd level at all, I would have thought the workout was still pretty darn good. Judging the workout program by what is between the covers, I am reasonably happy. I decided to do my best to inform potential buyers and let them decide if it was a deal breaker or not. Consider getting the free trial offered at the site before buying the book, just to see if you think there is any value added for you.
So, for an excellent and innovative workout, I think Core Performance Endurance delivers. It would have been a much better book if it wasn't also a teaser for a subscription for an online exercise program run by the author. 4 stars.


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Therapeutic Exercises Using Foam Rollers Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a must for anyone working with rehab, mature, and relatively healthy individuals. I use this book to help target specific areas/muscles where a person may need additional strength or stretching. It is a GREAT reference to keep exercise/exercise therapy fun!

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Therapeutic Exercises Using Foam Rollers is one of themost comprehensive foam roller books available today.This bookprovides more than 175 illustrated exercise options for the individuallooking for a comprehensive foam roller program, or for the healthcarepractitioner wanting to photocopy and create an individualized foamroller exercise program for their clients.Additional chaptersinclude diaphragmatic breathing, stretching, case studies, andtreatment protocols.

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The Complete Guide to Soccer Fitness and Injury Prevention: A Handbook for Players, Parents, and Coaches Review

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(More customer reviews)Don Kirkendall is a doc that really has "been there and done that." This book provides super information, based on studies and years of experience from the youth to national team level on what comprises soccer fitness, how to improve it, and how to test for it. The section on injury prevention alone is worth the cover price. This is a great way for club and high school coaches, in particular, to get up to date with the latest in exercise physiology as it relates to soccer. It's a much more user friendly book than Jens Bangsbo's excellent, but way down in the physiological weeds, book.

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