Synopses & Reviews
The bestselling science reporter from The New York Times tells us what works and what doesnt when we work outUltimate Fitness is Gina Kolatas compelling journey into the world of American physical fitness over the past thirty years. It is a funny, eye-opening, brow-sweating investigation into fads, fiction, and the science and hucksterism of fitness training.
From the early days of jogging, championed by Jim Fixx--who later died of a heart attack--to stretching, cycling, aerobics, and Spinning, Kolata questions such popular notions as the "fat burning zone," "spot reducing," the effects of food on performance, how much exercise helps build fitness, and the difference between exercise to help the heart and exercise to change the body. She explains the science of physical fitness and the objective evidence behind commonly accepted prescriptions. Along the way she profiles researchers and mavericks who have challenged conventional wisdom, marketed their inventions, and sometimes bucked criticism only to back down from their original claims.
Ultimate Fitness spotlights the machines and machinations of the fitness industry, exposes the charlatans and gurus, and cuts through the marketing and hype not only to assess what is healthy, but also to understand what our obsession with staying healthy says about American culture today.
Review
"[Kolata] commands the intelligent curiosity, well-honed reporting techniques and smooth prose style of a top science reporter." Beryl Lieff Benderly, The Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
This is Kolata's compelling journey into the world of American physical fitness over the past 30 years. It is a funny, eye-opening, brow-sweating investigation into the fads, fictions, and science of fitness training. 8 pages of illustrations.
Synopsis
Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and Health is Gina Kolatas compelling journey into the world of American physical fitness over the past thirty years. It is a funny, eye-opening, brow-sweating investigation into the fads, fictions, and science of fitness training.
From the early days of jogging, championed by Jim Fixx who later died of a heart attack to weight lifting, cycling, aerobics, and Spinning, Kolata questions such popular notions as the fat-burning zone and spot reducing, the effects of food on performance, how much exercise helps build fitness, and the difference between exercise to help the heart and exercise to change the body. She explains the science of physical fitness and the objective evidence behind commonly accepted prescriptions. Along the way she profiles researchers and mavericks who have challenged conventional wisdom, marketed their inventions, and sometimes bucked criticism only to back down from their original claims.
Ultimate Fitness spotlights the machines and machinations of the fitness industry, and cuts through the marketing and hype not only to assess what is healthy, but also to understand what our obsession with staying healthy says about American culture today.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [269]-282) and index.
Synopsis
From the highly acclaimed
New York Times science writer Gina Kolata, the book for people who love exercise as much as they value the truth.
In Ultimate Fitness, Gina Kolata, science reporter for The New York Times, takes a fascinating journey into the fads, fictions, and genuine innovations that have defined the world of physical fitness. From weight lifting for men and women in the early days, to jogging in the 1970s, cycling in the 1980s, aerobics in the 1990s, and now Spinning, Kolata explains the science of conditioning and the objective evidence behind commonly accepted prescriptions.
Ultimate Fitness is also a book about the individuals who have challenged and influenced or failed to influence the industry, and the many of us who have participated in
this multimillion-dollar corner of American culture.
Synopsis
The bestselling science reporter from The New York Times tells us what works and what doesnt when we work outUltimate Fitness is Gina Kolatas compelling journey into the world of American physical fitness over the past thirty years. It is a funny, eye-opening, brow-sweating investigation into fads, fiction, and the science and hucksterism of fitness training.
From the early days of jogging, championed by Jim Fixx--who later died of a heart attack--to stretching, cycling, aerobics, and Spinning, Kolata questions such popular notions as the "fat burning zone," "spot reducing," the effects of food on performance, how much exercise helps build fitness, and the difference between exercise to help the heart and exercise to change the body. She explains the science of physical fitness and the objective evidence behind commonly accepted prescriptions. Along the way she profiles researchers and mavericks who have challenged conventional wisdom, marketed their inventions, and sometimes bucked criticism only to back down from their original claims.
Ultimate Fitness spotlights the machines and machinations of the fitness industry, exposes the charlatans and gurus, and cuts through the marketing and hype not only to assess what is healthy, but also to understand what our obsession with staying healthy says about American culture today.
About the Author
Gina Kolata is a science writer for
The New York Times and the author of four previous books, most recently
Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Table of Contents
1.Less is more, or is it --2.History repeats itself --3.How much is enough --4.Maximum heart rates and fat-burning zones --5.Training lore --6.The athlete's world --7.Mount Everest --8.Is there a runner's high --9.Sculpting the body beautiful --10.The fitness business --Epilogue : the truth about exercise.