Fitness Book

Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy Review

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First of all (and I have to say this inspired by a last review I read): this is not a book for women who decided to start running after they got pregnant- it's aimed towards women who are already above the average active.
I found it extremely useful since I'm a semi-pro athlete and was worried about exercising while pregnant- now I'm 29 weeks along and I plan on running as long as I can. I am adjusting my level of exercise to my pregnancy weeks of course, this is not a period of your life for setting records and testing your limits.

To all mom-to-be runners: use the second trimester the best you can- it's amazing how as soon as I hit the 3rd my body just slowed down and is asking for more rest. Listen to your bodies. :)

Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy Overview

Each year, about 785,000 women runners who are pregnant or who have recently given birth hear conflicting fitness advice from friends, family, and even doctors. Save for a handful of magazine articles, these women have nowhere to turn for accurate, up-to-date information.

Until now. The Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive look at the how-tos and benefits of running for expectant mothers. And the benefits abound. Even a modest pregnancy running program gives women a reduced risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and premature birth. It also leads to fewer cesareans, faster recovery after delivery, and even smarter babies!

From the worldwide authority on running, the Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy offers the latest, most detailed information available, along with real-life tips to help you succeed. Inside you'll find:

- Advice from experts including sports gynecologists, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists

- The most current heart rate and training guidelines

- Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy stretching and strength programs

- Cross-training suggestions including yoga, Pilates, swimming, and more

- Running-specific menu plans for a healthy pregnancy

- Strategies for preventing injuries

- Money-saving tips for choosing the best maternity running gear

- Guidance for postpartum running

The Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy gets to the bottom of the how-much-is-too-much debate once and for all. Pregnant runners will never be puzzled by conflicting advice again.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 21, 2010 22:54:18

Yoga Review

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Very cool piece of art. Everyone in the class wants to steal it ! =)

I'd recommend it for everyone, even for those who don't practice yoga.

The quality of the paper and the pics themselves is what dazzle you as first impression, but the name of every asana and very well organized chapters, make the book a very useful tool... Now the teacher calls the asanas by their real sanskrit names and I know what to do (or what I'm supposed to do), but maybe I will have to wait 30 years in order to reach a similar level than the guys in the pictures; they are all masters and there is a lil profile of everyone of them at the end of the book.

Yoga Overview

Yoga’s 5,000-year tradition is rich and varied, and has always evolved to meet the needs of the culture it serves. Ever increasing numbers of people come to the practice and encounter its many benefits: the union of opposites; an understanding of the effect of the outside world on the body; a significant reduction in stress; a path to liberation; and the discovery of one’s true self. Above all else, yoga has been and continues to be about the process of transformation. Linda Sparrowe discusses yoga’s roots in the sacred texts and provides a look at the 20th-century yogis who brought it to the West — Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Indra Devi, and B. K. S. Iyengar, to name a few. Four hundred artful posture-illustrating photographs of the most famous yoga practitioners, including Rodney Yee, Patricia Walden, Sharon Gannon, David Life, and Richard Freeman, pull the reader ever closer to this powerful practice.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 20, 2010 22:42:04

Hardcore Circuit Training for Men Review

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Hardcore Circuit Training for Men
by McHale and Udu
Price World Publishing

Reviewed by : Dr. Joseph S. Maresca

This book is about high intensity fitness training.
An object of the book is to set forth training modalities
to help with weight loss/maintenance, muscle tone and
superfitness. A major theme of the presentation is
on conditioning. Nutrition is integrated with
the regimen. The rules are to eat little but often.
Eat after exercise and eat raw food to preserve the nutrients.

I find that juicing fresh vegetables is the best to promote
gastrointestinal health , roughage to aid in peristalsis
and overall high nutrient content. Peristalsis involves
successive waves of involuntary contraction
along the intestinal walls aimed at forcing the contents
(usually food) forward. Historically, the Paleolithic and
Mediterranean diets have been excellent in my personal
experience which has been confirmed by extensive readings .

A trainee should warm up for several minutes and
concentrate on the muscle groups to be worked.
There is a reversal of the warm up or cooling down after
intense exercise. This step transitions the body from an
exertion state to a rest state. In my own experience,
an extensive workout should have a winding down sequence
so that the body can make iterative adjustments to the
reduced activity.

There are a series of push ups, back extensions, leg raises
and other exercises. Next, the author presents the kettle bell
exercises like single arm bench presses, Turkish " get ups",
Russian twists and other elaborate sequences.
The kettle bell is a wonderful exercise to enhance torque
movements in the body. I have found the kettle bell useful
for range of motion enhancement/preservation and conditioning.

Extensive sequences are shown for plate workouts, squats,
lunges and barbells. The Swiss ball workout was designed
originally for physiotherapy. The body responds
to the instability of the ball and engages more muscles to
keep you in balance. The exercise may be done best under
supervision- particularly for older trainees and novices.
Extensive cycling and rowing exercises work even more muscles.
There is a section on working out with light weights,
as well the bench press exercises.

Overall, the book is well organized, understandable and
priced reasonably for virtually every household budget.
The presentation would be well-suited for a wide constituency
of readers.

Hardcore Circuit Training for Men Feature

• ISBN13: 9780972410267
• Condition: New
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Hardcore Circuit Training for Men Overview

Think circuit training is for the feeble and faint-of-heart? Think again. This book revolutionizes the way circuit training is viewed by men all over the world. In addition to its truly hardcore workouts, this book provides links to dozens of Web sites for elaboration on its principles and examples of its techniques. Its workouts are intense, diverse, creative, and, most importantly, proven.

One of its workouts is the exact one used by the cast of 300 as it prepared for filming.

Hardcore Circuit Training for Men is a no-nonsense approach to high intensity fitness training. The exercises and circuits provided will give you the motivation you need to get super fit, and the expertise required to dramatically improve your muscular strength and aerobic fitness. In a park, a hotel room, a gym, or even the living room there is a circuit here to suit every man s needs.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 19, 2010 22:36:06

The Grip Master's Manual Review

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i bought this book on here not to long ago and was pleasently surprised i got it alot earlier than expected so thanks amazon

the contents of this book are absolutely brilliant where i live its hard to find good training information and this book has shown me that with very little equipment i can get a set of strong healthy and nimble hands

the exercises from the foundational strength exercises and some more specific grip work are soon going to be included in my workouts and from the information i can see my self in the near future ripping cards and possibly moving on to short steel bending

the only problem i had when purchasing it was i didnt reliase that mastery of hand strength came first but thankfully this books stands alone

i will be adding more of John Brookfields work to my strength training library

The Grip Master's Manual Overview

Moving beyond Mastery of Hand Strength, John Brookfield continues his tradition of breaking new ground in grip training: John's creative new exercises and unbridled enthusiasm are what The Grip Master's Manual is all about. John begins with some general training pointers, including how to practice good hand health, and then shows you how to build your overall upper body and lower arm strength, laying a foundation for the specific hand and lower arm training that follows.

And what follows is typical of John: a wide array of innovative techniques and exercises designed to motivate and challenge you -- and to build your hand strength from every conceivable angle, along with your dexterity and muscle control. John, who invented what are now commonly called "strap holds," is also your guide to "climbing the mountain" to close the No. 3 Captains of Crush Gripper. Finally, John leads you through the consummate grip master's repertoire: bending steel bars, bending horseshoes, coiling and scrolling iron, bending nails, and even tearing cards.

John wrote this book to help you take your hand strength to the next level, and if you follow his advice, we're sure you will get there and then some. If you want to be a grip master in the true sense of the word, get your hands on The Grip Master's Manual and then go out and crush a can of Coke.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 18, 2010 21:18:55

The New Yoga for Healthy Aging: Living Longer, Living Stronger and Loving Every Day Review

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In recent years there has been a paradigm shift in health care. It is moving away from focusing on chronic disease, toward preventive lifestyle changes. To Suza Francina, yoga is an integral part of this shift.

A certified Iyengar yoga instructor in Ojai, California, Suza has over 30 years of experience in teaching older students. Her previous books include The New Yoga for People over 50.

This new book primarily addresses the unique needs of people over 60. B.K.S. Iyengar, now almost 90, is a master role model: "a timeless, ageless practitioner who is showing the world what healthy aging really looks like."

[Citing the National Academy of Sciences, Suza states that if the average age of institutionalization of the elderly could be postponed by just one month, it would save over billion in Medicare and Medicaid. And one year of yoga costs less than a single day in the hospital.

What is so positive about yoga is that it is never too late to begin. The New Yoga for Healthy Aging is full of inspiring role models and uplifting personal vignettes. Many featured practitioners began yoga in their 50s, 60s, 70s, or even later, and some have travelled to Pune once or more to study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute (RIMYI). The cover shows the joyful energy expressed by Betty Eiler, over 70, doing full hanumanasana--enough to make anyone eager to find out more. This young-at-heart lady, a long-time student of Ramanand Patel's, says that yoga practice can help us to cope with whatever challenges life may bring.

Suza makes a place for everyone to tell their story: how yoga helps them to live longer and be stronger. One practitioner's story is especially dear to our local community--that of Bernard Spira. Although Bernard has now sadly passed away, the memory of his commitment to practice inspires us with possibility.

Suza first encountered Bernard when reading the Event Book from Guruji's 2005 book tour to Southern California. A photo of Bernard in Virabhadrasana II was captioned, `To Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar, who has made all this possible, Thank you,' with Bernard's birth date, October 12, 1911, and a website address: [..]

Suza has structured her book to serve aspiring novices as well as those who already practice. She gives a glimpse into one of her own classes, so newcomers may witness the benefits experienced by those who have practiced yoga regularly.

Readers are shown the special benefits of using the props developed by B.K.S. Iyengar. Throughout, lovely photos by Jim Jacobs show practitioners --all over 60 -- increasing the possibility of their poses, with props; Jim is himself an Iyengar student over 60.

"I believe that someday yoga chairs, bolsters, wall ropes, pelvic slings, and even backbenders will seem as normal as any other common item," writes Suza. Props are not just an investment in healthy aging--they can be a lifeline.

Suza articulates yoga's ability to ameliorate the health challenges we typically face at 60 and beyond: keeping the cardiovascular and skeletal systems healthy, relieving arthritic joints, and coping with rehabilitation after hip surgery. She also covers yoga for neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Suza cites numerous medical studies on how yoga benefits our quality of life, and how there is an ongoing integration of yoga with Western medicine to treat medical disorders.

Suza presents a series of short sequences for healthy aging, including a sequence called `Your daily yoga vitamin.' These are organized to illustrate, explain and guide the practitioner step by step through each pose. Teaching tips are also provided.

The last chapter is appropriately titled "The Last Asana." It concerns savasana--corpse pose. Yoga teaches that we cannot be ready for death when we remain psychologically attached to the things of this world: "In savasana, we practice the art of releasing ourselves from our attachments and letting go." An afterword provides an excellent list of resources and a bibliography on related subjects.

Opening this book is like opening a door into a new, positive world of possibility--the world we all seek as we age. This book shows, by example, a way to ongoing health and grace. It demonstrates how we can be independent and strong, and why yoga is especially important to this age group.

If we embrace our golden years, we are open to possibility: to discover great wisdom, compassion and joy. We owe it to ourselves and to those dear to us to buy this book, to read it, and to commit to its wise message: "Do not waste the Gift of Old Age."

Info: [..]

Catherine Fisher is a yoga teacher and the editor of Yoga Vidya, Journal of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Association of Southern California.

This review originally appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of Yoga Vidya and is posted with permission.

The New Yoga for Healthy Aging: Living Longer, Living Stronger and Loving Every Day Feature

• ISBN13: 9780757305320
• Condition: New
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The New Yoga for Healthy Aging: Living Longer, Living Stronger and Loving Every Day Overview

A step-by-step guide for the millions of baby boomers who want one simple practice for feeling and looking great—yoga!

One in five Americans is now moving toward the age bracket of "sixty and beyond," and while many are calling sixty the "new forty," this milestone is the perfect time to take stock in good health. One form of exercise that is proven to prevent or alleviate a host of physical and mental ailments for the last 5,000 years is yoga.

Now, under the guidance of a qualified and well-known Iyengar yoga teacher, who is also the author of The New Yoga for People Over 50, readers can reap the benefits of yoga with this gentle and clear guide written specifically with today’s baby boomers in mind. Filled with clear instructions, including the use of yoga props and modified poses, plus crisp follow-along photographs, The New Yoga for Healthy Aging takes readers step by step through the asanas (poses) that can prevent or lessen ailments such as osteoporosis, hip fractures, chronic pain, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. With heartfelt interviews and tips from some of America's most active yoga teachers and their older students—each sharing wisdom, insights and successes—readers will discover a source of inspiration that will help their practice evolve into more than just those moments they spend on the mat.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 17, 2010 20:51:07

The Creative Teacher: An Encyclopedia of Ideas to Energize Your Curriculum (McGraw-Hill Teacher Resources) Review

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I've been collecting teaching resources for the past 15 years (since I began teaching), and have found many of them to be invaluable in the classroom and for tutorials. "The Creative Teacher" is a great tool for teachers, both new and experienced, and covers different subjects as well as grade levels. It can also be used as a homeschooling resource, and for parents who would like to supplement their child's curriculum at school with interesting and creative activities. The book is organized into the following chapters:
Book Reports
Math
Writing
Science
Social Science
Art

Each chapter has multiple suggested activities for different grade levels and integrates different thinking skills. Each learning activity has a list of materials provided, as well as step by step guidelines for the activity. Reproducible worksheets are also provided for the various suggested activities. At the end of the book, there is a list of suggested resources which includes both children's literature references, resource book references, and website references.

"The Creative Teacher" is a practical, interesting, and enlightening educational resource book that will complement any teacher's/parent's library and is also recommended for school and public libraries.

The Creative Teacher: An Encyclopedia of Ideas to Energize Your Curriculum (McGraw-Hill Teacher Resources) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780071472807
• Condition: New
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The Creative Teacher: An Encyclopedia of Ideas to Energize Your Curriculum (McGraw-Hill Teacher Resources) Overview

A comprehensive, practical resource packed with proven techniques and seasoned advice for time-strapped educators

For teachers of grades K-6

Facing ever-more-demanding state standards and less disciplined students, even the most experienced teacher carries a heavier burden today than ever before. The Creative Teacher offers inventive tools to enhance standards-based curricula and helpful strategies for creating new and engaging lesson plans. Fillled with fresh ideas for everything from bulletin boards to math activities, this one-stop resource will quickly become the most valuable volume in your library.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 16, 2010 20:42:04

The Body By Science Question and Answer Book Review

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I was reluctant to buy this book at first. Many Q&A books just reiterate what the main book stated. I am glad that I purchased it but there are a few topics that I believe are very important that were barely touched upon. These may be the stumbling blocks that prevent many trainees from experimenting with High Intensity Training as espoused by Dr. Doug McGuff.

In both Body by Science and this volume, the subject of free weights is glossed over but the advice is not practical. Arthur Jones covered free weight training extensively in his "Nautilus Training Principles - Bulletins 1 and 2". Most of the routines in the Nautilus Bulletins deal mainly with free weights. The free weight exercises presented in "Body by Science" are dangerous and not a very good alternative to Machines. The bent over row and squat as depicted in BBS are two examples. More information is given in the current book but it seems that there is no middle ground. It's either machines like Hammer Strength or a clumsy Barbell.

There are some medium tech options which form a "middle way". A few pieces of equipment have allowed me to discontinue my gym membership as it was hard to concentrate with the loud music, posers and multi-set hogs that stake their claim on the leg press while simultaneously texting.

A high quality dip and chin station is not expensive and provides intense inroad to both pushing and pulling muscles of the upper body. Both of these movements have been labeled "The Upper Body Squat". I would stay away from the cheap models as they are usually not stable. It is hard to concentrate while your equipment is swaying.

The next accessory would be the Hip Belt for Hip Belt Squats, Calf Raises and for adding weight on dips and chins. The Hip Belt Squat feels better than any leg press machine and much safer than the squat. There is no pressure on the low back and it has many advantages over the barbell squat. You can easily perform these at any cadence (10/10, 10/5 5/5, 3/3, 2/4 etc) and you can go to failure and beyond. At the point where motion becomes impossible you may assist by pressing your hands to your thighs. You can stay in the static position and then safely lower to floor.

The effectiveness of the time honored 20 rep squat routines are mentioned in BBS Q&A at least 2 times. I do a controlled rep hi-rep squat at about 3/4 speed on first reps and then push as hard as possible when the weight really feels heavy, it comes out to about 2/5. Very easy to emphasize the negative while using the hip belt. I ordered my Hip Belt from Ironmind and it is a great investment.

The other piece of equipment is the Trap Bar. I had been using an imitation model but recently purchased the original Gerard Trap Bar and you definitely get what you pay for. I use this for Dead Lifts which I alternate with the Hip Belt Squats on an A/B split. I also use this for overhead presses which beat both "press behind the neck" and overhead press with barbells or dumbbells. The hands are in parallel position, in line with spine at a perfect width. I feel this movement is more productive than the overhead press on any machine. Safe, aligned and perfectly balanced.

The other moves that can be done with the Trap Bar are upright rows, stiff-leg deadlifts and shrugs. All are superior to the barbell variety as strength rather than technique can be concentrated on. These pieces of equipment give the best of both worlds and are relatively inexpensive when compared to yearly memberships at health clubs where only about 1/10th of the equipment is practical.

Dr. McGuff mentions the use of exercise bands for rehabilitation and I agree with his prognosis. There is however, a time proven piece of equipment that gets very little attention these days as rubber bands and training balls seem to be the rage in many "core training" classes. I am speaking about the chest expander otherwise known as strands or cables. There are not many sets that I would consider as they are mass produced in China and are time consuming when changing the resistance.

Lifeline produces a good line and it is worth buying all 9 of their different strength sets. These hit muscles that no other machine or free weight can touch. The resistance is increased as the muscle contracts and one high intensity set will prove their effectiveness. Recently I stumbled upon a company called Sierra Exercise that IMO produces the highest quality, safest and best priced chest expander on the market. It is called "The Hook" and the cables are simply attached to the hooks. Two arm curls, lateral raises, upright rows and presses can be done as well as the standard strand pulling moves. There is also a high quality hook attachment for a door that will hold almost any weight. I use this along with their "Bodyweight/Isometric Strap" to do bodyweight rowing (which I alternate with chins) and a bodyweight bench press (alternated with dips). Sierra Exercise has high quality, hand made strength equipment at a lower price than the mass produced stuff.

Dr. McGuff mentions a diet of "Skittles"® candy a few times in BBS Q&A. This quote is obviously tongue in cheek but I remembered seeing a video interview that Dr. McGuff had with Ken Hutchins for "Super Slow Zone", a company that was to popularize Ken's Super Slow Training. I wish that Ken would have allowed Doug to answer the questions as he was touching upon some important information but as his explanations got deeper, Ken Hutchins would cut him off and change the subject. Ken Hutchins was pushing some type of diet, possibly based on Glycemic Index and Doug responded that he "once believed that anyone can gain strength on a diet of Skittles® but had changed his view after learning the dietary recommendations of "Super Slow Zone".

It appears that Dr. McGuff is back to his original hypothesis which is in line with Arthur Jones, the originator of Nautilus. The dietary information in BBS Q&A is simple, common sense. It does not require one to refer to charts or use a calculator before eating a meal. There is no hype about supplements and no advertising for bodybuilding "snake oils" like "Nitric Oxide", "Pump Enhancers" or "Natural Steroids". I highly recommend this followup book to "Body by Science". The combination of the old "20 rep squat routines" (one set at controlled speed) and Body by Science/Ultimate Exercise "abbreviated" HIT routines produce super results and bridge the "free weight vs. machines" battle with a scientific Middle Way.

The Body By Science Question and Answer Book Overview

Following publication of BODY BY SCIENCE, the public's interest in Dr. Doug McGuff's and John Little's evidence-based approach to exercise has increased dramatically, with the result that hundreds of questions have been posed and answered at the authors' various seminars, within magazine articles and on their website (www.bodybyscience.net). Such question-and-answer sessions provide an opportunity for the authors to expand on key points and principles within their book, as well as address important topics that were not included in BODY BY SCIENCE (such as rehabilitation issues, various training protocols, and long term health and safety issues). THE BODY BY SCIENCE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER BOOK is a companion volume to BODY BY SCIENCE that sheds additional light on the authors' rational, science-based approach to strength training, bodybuilding, and total fitness. Within the pages of this new book you will learn: -Why (and how) strength training is the best way to rehabilitate most common injuries (from rotator cuff issues and knee replacements to lower back pain and arthritis). -Why bodybuilding is not what it seems. -Why athletics may not be the best route to health and fitness -The truth about VO2 Max testing and REAL cardiovascular health. -The realities of nutrition and the "insulin problem." -How to optimize your workouts and ensure that your training facility is set up to maximize your progress. Plus answers to many more important questions on various aspects of health, fitness and strength.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 15, 2010 20:36:05