Fitter Faster: The Smart Way to Get in Shape in Just Minutes a Day - Softcover

Davis, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0814437710 ISBN 13: 9780814437711

Publisher: AMACOM, 2017

Synopsis

A lifetime of fitness in just minutes a day. I don't have time . . . I'm too tired . . . I hate gyms . . . These are among the most common excuses for not exercising. But the truth is that getting in shape requires less time and effort than you might think. Examining everything from pre-workout stretches to post-workout protein shakes, this science-backed book slices through fitness fads and misconceptions to reveal how you can exercise quickly and effectively. For example, is it best to exercise in the morning? Does aerobic activity burn more fat than weight lifting? You'll also learn how to get and stay motivated, what equipment to buy (and what not to waste money on), which dietary supplements really help, and how to combat muscle soreness. Fitter Faster explains how to: Find the right balance between cardio, strength, and stretching * Slash workout times with high-intensity interval training * Prevent boredom * Enhance fat-burning The accompanying Fitter Faster Plan, developed with celebrity trainer Brad Kolowich, Jr., pulls everything together. Requiring as little as 15 minutes a day, these quick workouts maximize efficiency-allowing you to reap the greatest benefit in the shortest possible time...all without ever having to set foot in a gym. With photographs illustrating each exercise routine, this eye-opening book will forever change the way you work out- and help you get fitter faster.

About this title

About the Author

Robert J. Davis, Ph.D., is an award-winning health journalist whose work has appeared on CNN, PBS, WebMD, The Huffington Post, and in The Wall Street Journal. The president of Everwell, he hosts their myth-busting "Healthy Skeptic" videos, viewed by millions each month. He's the author of two previous books, Coffee Is Good for You and The Healthy Skeptic. 
Brad Kolowich, Jr. is a Certified Personal Trainer whose celebrity-packed client list includes actors, athletes, and TV personalities. He has been featured in fitness magazines and recognized as one of the Best Bodies of Atlanta.

From the Back Cover

Advance Praise for Fitter Faster:

“These workouts by Brad Kolowich are effective!”—Hines Ward, former NFL wide receiver and Dancing with the Stars winner

“Fitter Faster is the perfect real-world resource for both beginners and avid exercisers. The easy-to-do workout routines will change the way you think about exercise. Packed with myth-busting tidbits and tons of tips, this book will inspire you to get going and keep moving!” — Lisa “Hungry Girl” Lillien

“This book eliminates all the excuses and obstacles to getting in shape. Using a science-backed approach, it’ll help you get the fitness results you want without spending a lot of time.” — Joe Decker, “World’s Fittest Man” — Guinness World Record Holder

Do you struggle to get in shape? Are you too busy, too tired, or too unmotivated to keep up a routine? Fitter Faster breaks down every barrier to achieving a strong, healthy body—no gyms, fads, or major time commitments required.

Backed by the latest findings, Fitter Faster debunks exercise myths, explains what delivers the biggest impact in the least amount of time, and offers easy-to-follow workouts for all shapes, sizes, ages, and levels. Blending aerobic conditioning with strength training and stretching, the Fitter Faster method helps tone your body, lift your mood, and build a healthy lifestyle you’ll never give up. With Fitter Faster you’ll be able to:

• Save time: Slash workout lengths using high-intensity interval training (HIIT), along with illustrated, time-efficient strength-training routines for beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level users.

• Get results: Burn fat, boost strength, increase endurance, and improve your health with a well-rounded plan that’s proven to work.

• Make it fun: Choose your favorite activities, vary your routines, and learn tricks to reduce boredom and stay motivated. • Exercise anywhere: Work out in your home, outdoors, at the gym, or on the road with little or no equipment required.

• Enhance your workouts: Tap the latest science about what time of day is best for exercising, whether running hurts your knees, how to combat muscle soreness, which protein supplements to take, and much more.

Robert J. Davis, Ph.D., is an award-winning health journalist whose work has appeared on CNN, PBS, WebMD, and in The Wall Street Journal. The president of Everwell, he hosts its myth-busting “Healthy Skeptic” videos, viewed by millions each month.

Brad Kolowich, Jr. is a certified personal trainer whose celebrity-packed client list includes actors, athletes, and TV personalities. He has been featured in fitness magazines and recognized as one of the “Best Bodies of Atlanta.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

UNDERSTANDABLE EXCUSES

There are lots of reasons why many of us find it so difficult to exercise. Let's start with perhaps the most common one: too little time.

Consider the official recommendations from the federal government and health authorities. We're supposed to get at least 30 minutes, five days a week, of moderate aerobic activity (meaning things like brisk walking, biking, or doubles tennis). In addition, we're told that we need two or three days a week of strength-training exercises that target all the major muscle groups. Add to that at least two or three days of stretching exercises. Phew! It can be exhausting just imagining how to fit all that in, much less doing it.

A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that about 80 percent of American adults fail to meet both the aerobic and strength-training guidelines. That's not surprising, given the time required. The shocking part is that 20 percent manage to comply, though I suspect that a good chunk of them are stretching the truth.

Something else that keeps people from hitting the gym is that they don't like gyms. And it's easy to understand why. Working out alongside spandex-clad people with perfectly sculpted bodies can be intimidating, to say the least. And knowing what exercises to do and how to use the equipment, some of which resembles what you might find in a torture chamber, can be overwhelming. Taking classes can be a solution, but dragging yourself to a 6 A.M. boot camp or ending the day with a pedal-till-you-puke spinning class is many people's idea of hell. The fear of looking silly in front of others also keeps people away from gyms, as does the monthly cost of membership.

Then there's the problem that, for many of us, exercise itself is no fun. Or downright unbearable. That feeling is often reinforced by images we see on TV. Shows like The Biggest Loser feature overweight people forced to run on treadmills until they drop while being berated by trainers. I don't know about you, but I can think of lots of things that I'd rather do--cleaning animal cages at the zoo or sitting next to a screaming baby on an airplane among them. Infomercials for programs like P90X or Insanity make exercise look so grueling that I get exhausted just watching from my bed.

BARRIER-LOWERING WORKOUTS

This book is about overcoming those barriers--to redefine exercise so that it's less time-consuming and intimidating, and more convenient and enjoyable. To do that, I've teamed up with personal trainer Brad Kolowich Jr., who has years of experience working with both celebrities and ordinary folks of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels.

Brad and I have developed an easy-to-follow workout plan that requires as little as 15 minutes a day. It provides aerobic, muscle-building, and fat-burning benefits that are similar to--and potentially even greater than--what you'd get from regimens two or three times longer. We accomplish this by incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in which you go hard, then easy, then hard, and so on for a total of 10 or 15 minutes instead of exercising at a constant rate for 30 minutes or longer. In addition, we use circuits for strength training, in which you move relatively quickly from one exercise to the next and thereby cut the length of your workouts. Some of our routines further increase efficiency by providing aerobic and strength benefits at the same time or working multiple muscle groups. Our regimens are designed as accordions so that on days you have extra time and want to exercise longer, you can easily do so.

All our workouts can be done at home or outdoors, which means you won't need to join a gym or worry about scheduling around gym hours or class times. You can exercise at whatever time of day or night is most convenient for you. No fancy or expensive equipment is required--just a set of dumbbells.

In addition, the Fitter Faster plan includes two key features to reduce the drudgery of exercise: choice and variety. If running on a treadmill (or running, period) isn't your thing, no worries. Within the structure we've laid out, you'll be able to choose activities you find most enjoyable, whether walking, hiking, biking, dancing, or doing yoga. What's more, the program is customizable, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced plans, so you can select a level that's right for you and challenge yourself with new exercises as you progress. Further, we mix things up with a different routine every day of the week, which will help prevent boredom.

Of course, lowering barriers is meaningless if an exercise plan doesn't produce results. Ours does. Using the workouts in this book with clients of all types, Brad has seen tremendous improvements in their endurance, strength, and body fat.

Excerpted from FITTER FASTER: The Smart Way to Get in Shape in Just Minutes a Day by Robert J. Davis, Ph.D. and Brad Kolowich, Jr. Copyright © 2017 by Robert J. Davis, Ph.D. Published by AMACOM Books, a division of American Management Association, New York, NY. Used with permission.

All rights reserved. http://www.amacombooks.org.

Edition details

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814437710
• ISBN 13: 9780814437711
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240