Synopses & Reviews
What exactly is new in fitness? In the exercise world, there’s something new in equipment, research, classes, gadgets, videos, and Web sites just about every day. The last few years have also seen the invention and marketing of new schlock—like pills that claim to eliminate cellulite or burn extra carbohydrates and machines that purport to tone your thighs “without any effort on your part.” It’s all too easy to get confused by all the myths and mixed messages out there.
But don’t sweat it! This thoroughly revised edition of Fitness For Dummiesupdates you on all the latest—the good, the bad, and the bizarre—tackles your fears about getting fit, and gives you the knowledge and motivation to stick with fitness for the rest of your life. Renowned fitness experts Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent show you how to:
- Test your fitness level and set realistic goals
- Pinpoint fat sources in your diet
- Create a personalized fitness program
- Find Internet fitness forums and Web sites
- Brave a public gym
This is your essential get-fit guide, covering state-of-the-art fitness techniques, equipment, programs, and health clubs in a practical, friendly way. You’ll see how your individualized fitness program will help you strengthen your heart and lungs, burn lots of calories, lower your stress level, and even help you stay injury-free. You get the latest on low-carb eating, new food pyramids, the glycemic index and trans fats, and new carb guidelines. Plus, you’ll see how to:
- Take advantage of hot trends like Yoga and circuit training
- Incorporate weight training in your workout
- Choose the best fitness equipment for your home gym
- Stay fit at all ages and stages
Complete with a list of ten great fitness investments under $100 (and ten fitness ripoffs!) as well as proven ways to stay motivated, Fitness For Dummies, Third Editionis your one-stop guide to a slim, trim new you!
Synopsis
Perfect as an introduction for couch potatoes or as an authoritative update for workout wonks, this completely revised edition of the bestselling Fitness For Dummies is the definitive guide to getting and staying fit. Loaded with facts and laced with lively humor, it debunks common myths, demystifies the jargon, and helps readers design a fitness program they can live with.
-- A complete guide to losing fat and getting fit
-- Packed with advice on the latest fitness products, innovations, and videos
-- Up-to-date information on Internet fitness forums and Web sites
-- Coverage of the latest fitness crazes -- kickboxing, spinning, Pilates, and more
-- How to avoid getting ripped off when joining a health club or buying equipment
-- All-new photos and illustrations demonstrate proper technique.
Synopsis
"Fitness For Dummies makes it a cinch to get in shape and stay that way." —
The Los Angeles Times"Full of smart, jargon-free, commonsense advice." —Peg Moline, Editorial Director, Shape magazine
Praise for Fitness For Dummies:
"One of the most comprehensive, authoritative ? and entertaining ? fitness books I've ever seen." ?Men's Fitness
"A funny, irreverent, and very smart guide to wading through the confounding maze of fitness information." ?Cooking Light
Features new photos and hot trends like Pilates and kickboxing!
Confused by mixed messages surrounding diet and exercise? Don't sweat it! This is your essential get-fit guide, covering state-of-the-art fitness techniques in a practical, friendly way. Cutting through fitness myths and contradictory advice, it's your key to a slim, trim new you!
Discover how to:
- Test your fitness level and set realistic goals
- Pinpoint fat sources in your diet
- Create a personalized fitness program
- Find Internet fitness forums and Web sites
- Brave a public gym
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Synopsis
In the exercise world, there's something new in equipment, research, gadgets, videos, and Web sites just about every day. Health clubs are offering innovative new classes like cardio kickboxing and firefighter boot camp, and nifty new machines, like the elliptical trainer. Meanwhile, scientists have published scores of new studies suggesting that exercise may, among other things, improve memory, reduce the risk of breast cancer, and give you a mood boost.
Fitness For Dummies, 2nd Edition, updates you on all the latest – the good, the bad, and the totally weird. But the central mission of this book is to tackle your fears, whether you worry that operating a stairclimber requires a degree in mechanical engineering or fret that no matter what exercise routine you start, sooner or later you'll end up back in the recliner. This book is for anyone who wants to
- Set realistic fitness goals
- Analyze your eating habits
- Maximize your cardio workout
- Demystify strength equipment
- C hoose a health club
This down-to-earth guide tells you the stuff you really want to know, such as:
- Will you burn more fat if you exercise at a slower pace?
- Which brands of home exercise equipment are most reliable?
- Can you actually become "Rock Solid in 6 Weeks," like the magazines say?
- Which weight training exercises are best for beginners?
- What the heck is Pilates, and how do you pronounce it?
- How many days a week do you really need to work out?
- How can you tell if a fitness trainer is qualified?
- Will exercise ever be fun?
Don't become a fitness statistic. The fact is, among people who start an exercise program, half quit within eight weeks. Fitness For Dummies, 2nd Edition, presents strategies for making exercise a habit and explains the basics of healthy eating so that you steer clear of fad diets and useless supplements. This book gives you the knowledge and motivation to stick with fitness for the rest of your life.
About the Author
'Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent are fitness experts who write frequently for newspapers and magazines. Together, they cowrote Weight Training For Dummies®. '
Table of Contents
'Introduction.
Part I: Getting Your Butt off the Couch.
Chapter 1: Fitness 101: Getting the Scoop.
Chapter 2: Testing Your Fitness.
Chapter 3: Establishing Your Plan of Attack.
Chapter 4: Hiring a Trainer.
Part II: Enjoying Total-Body Health: Eating Well and Staying Injury-Free.
Chapter 5: This Doesn’t Have to Happen to You: Avoiding Common Injuries.
Chapter 6: The Scoop on Stretching.
Chapter 7: Nutrition Basics.
Part III: Getting to the Heart of the Matter.
Chapter 8: Cardio Crash Course.
Chapter 9: Using Cardio Machines.
Chapter 10: Exercising Outdoors.
Part IV: Lift and Curl: Building a Stronger Bod with Weights.
Chapter 11: Why You’ve Gotta Lift Weights.
Chapter 12: Your Muscles: Love ’Em or Lose ’Em.
Chapter 13: Demystifying Strength Equipment.
Chapter 14: Designing a Strength-Training Program.
Part V: Cardio-Strength Workouts: Getting the Best of Both Worlds.
Chapter 15: Circuit Training for Fitness and Fun.
Chapter 16: All about Yoga: Mind and Body.
Chapter 17: Pilates: Sculpting and Strengthening.
Part VI: Conquering the Gym (Even at Home).
Chapter 18: Health-Club Primer: Getting the Most Out of Your Gym.
Chapter 19: Choosing an Exercise Class or DVD.
Chapter 20: Designing a Home Gym.
Part VII: Exercising for All Ages and Stages.
Chapter 21: Fit Pregnancy: Exercising for Two.
Chapter 22: Kids, Tweens, and Teens: Fun Activities for the Whole Family.
Chapter 23: Staying Active as You Age.
Part VIII: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 24: Ten Great Reasons to Break a Sweat.
Chapter 25: Ten Great Fitness Investments under $100.
Chapter 26: Ten Fitness Rip-Offs.
Chapter 27: Ten Ways to Stay Motivated.
Appendix: Educating Yourself.
Index. \n
'