Faster, Better, Stronger: 10 Proven Secrets to a Healthier Body in 12 Weeks

Are you one of the millions of people out there who feel like they've read everything there is to read on fitness and have spent an enormous amount of time and money trying to get fit—and still failed? Until you know how your body really works and reacts to physical activity, you may never succeed. Eric Heiden, M.D., and Massimo Testa, M.D., two preeminent sports physicians who know the training needs of beginners as intimately as those of elite athletes, want to fix this problem. They know there has been an entire field of training science and medicine that has never been translated for the general public—until now. In a program that is designed for everyday people, Heiden and Testa bring us Faster, Better, Stronger, a customized, science-based program designed to guide you into a lifelong fitness habit, giving you step-by-step instructions on how to make the most of your body through exercise—physically, mentally, biomechanically, and nutritionally.

In Part I, the doctors detail the solid science behind your body's responses to exercise. They share the same philosophy and medical expertise they have shared with world-class athletes and give scientific "secrets" in several areas of fitness: the prescriptive aspects of exercise; the biology of movement; the importance of fueling your body with the right food and water; what rest really accomplishes; and motivation. They also debug and clarify some all-too-often misunderstood medical and biological truths about training, and offer you ways to find your hidden talents and strengths.

These doctors know that the luxuries of time and access are significant factors in getting fit, and thus Part II helps you design your own unique, individualized exercise program no matter your age, ability, experience, or schedule. Once you have assessed your current fitness level, the doctors guide you through assembling blocks of activities into a twelve-week program that will get you started on the road to lifelong health.

Eric Heiden, M.D., won five gold medals in the 1980 Olympics. Then he became a champion cyclist and received a medical degree from Stanford University. Together with Massimo Testa, M.D., one of the foremost cycling trainers in the world, he founded the UC Davis Sports Performance Center. Both authors live in Park City, Utah.

Massimo Testa, M.D., is one of the foremost cycling trainers, physicians, and exercise physiologists in the world. He has been a professional cycling team physician since 1985 and has worked with some of the best pro-cycling teams in the world, including the one that ushered a U.S. team into the international spotlight for the first time.

DeAnne Musolf has written for The Economist, the Washington Post, Life, and Fortune. Her next book is Catapult: The Biology of Ambition. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.