As a former trainer, I know more than a little bit about exercise and have read a ton of fitness books. This is, hands down, the best one out available right now. I've noticed that in the past few years, exercise has become unduly complicated... there are countless DVDs, gyms, programs, books, and late-night infomercials and each company claims their system is the ONLY one that will get you into shape. It's enough to make your head spin.
Despite the ads for machines, or drinks or pills that say how easy it is to get in shape, there's no magic wand. The obesity rate in this country is through the roof, because we're the nation of the quick fix. I should know - I was once almost 100 lbs over my ideal weight, despite a long relationship with numerous diet pills and mail-order fitness equipment doohickeys that gathered dust in the back room. Quick fixes do NOT work, or we'd all be on the cover of Glamour by now. If you want the gorgeous body, *you have to be willing to do the work*. End of story. Repeat that until it's seared on your brain, and then tune out the noise and excuses and focus on doing something for you. Being strong and fit feels amazing - do not deprive yourself of that, and all the wonderful things that go with it.
I'm a big fan of facing facts, because if you don't, you assume it's over before it starts, accept mediocrity and miss out on the joy of achievement. Are some people genuinely "big boned"? Sure. Does that mean they're doomed to be heavy? NO. Whenever I start to feel "fluffy", or "bloated", and scowl at the mirror (which is obviously warped), I can't help but think of Al Bundy, the character on "Married with Children" who said to his wife when she asked if her dress made her look big, "Peg, it's not the dress that makes you look fat; it's the *fat* that makes you look fat." I gained 95 lbs in a few short years. Grad school, a family, an exhausting, stressful job I didn't like, elderly parents to take care of - you name it. In short, my life was like everyone else's - crazy and unpredictable (welcome to being human). To cope with the stress, I ate. And I'm fine with that. That was okay for then - hey, I was doing what I had to do to get through it all - but I don't want that to become my whole life. Being overweight is very, very painful in the long term, on so many levels. Eventually, I just got tired of it. My comfort foods (powdered donuts! pie! pizza!) had made me extremely uncomfortable. The question then became "what the heck do I do now?"
You may have to do your own mental housecleaning and life rearranging before you can even think about getting serious about your body and your health, and that's okay. Just remember that when you're in shape, literally everything about your life suddenly gets a lot easier. You have more energy, more confidence, and the truth is, fairly or not, people respond to you very differently. It spills over into literally every area of your life, in a very good way.
So when you're ready, really ready, to be the person you hope in the back of your mind that you were supposed to be, this book is the roadmap that will tell you exactly how to get from where you are to where you want to go. It cuts right through all the fitness craze insanity, and explains you what works and why. This is literally everything you need to know about working out in a gym, presented in a clear, easy-to-read format. If it's not in here, it doesn't matter. There are detailed photos, medical explanations phrased in layman's terms, and, very helpfully, 20+ specific workouts. Copy them into your notebook, put in your headphones and get going. You can do this. (p.s. No, I'm not Tom Holland's mom, his wife, or in any way connected to him. I had no clue who he was before I read this book, but it's made a huge difference for me already and it will for you too.) Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets--Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag
I got the book on a Wednesday and read it all by Saturday (unheard by me, not a big reader). I am so excited after reading the book, and I am excited to incorpoate some of the workouts from the book. You don't have to be a gym member or own a lot of equipment. I've wanted a book like this FOREVER that tells it like it is and without all of the mumbo jumbo things as in fitness type magazines. Those type of magazine REALLY seem to want to push supplements non-stop and Tom' book is straight to the point and brutully honest too. I just want to be fit and some muscular build and this is what he teaches the reader. Thanks for all that you are doing and I am a Team Holland supporter forever. Who knows I'm not much of a runner but I know that he just might get me to becoming a runner as well.
I have lifted weights for over forty years for the health benefits of the exercise. In that time I have read a LOT of books on weight lifting.
In my opinion, "Beat the Gym" is being mis-marketed. I suppose the publisher--or perhaps the auther, or his agent, or etc.--felt the book needed a gimmick--a "hook". So the blurb makes a fuss about the book telling you inside secrets of gyms and personal trainers. Which it does to some extent, and that's interesting and potentially valuable information.
But for me, the unexpected delight in this book, and its real hook, was the exercise descriptions and pictures. Sure, most books have pictures, but the ones in this book really resonate with me. First, they are generally well lit: I've seen too many books with gloomy photos. And there is something else beside the lighting. Perhaps because instead of "start" and "end" pictures, the pictures are taken (I think) just after the start, so the model is already under stress. I don't know if that's the secret, but these photos are different from those in other books, and that makes the book a worthwhile buy for me.
I also like the written descriptions. I like the photos of bad versus good form. I like the training tips. I recommend this book! - Strength Training - Mens Health - Weight Training - Fitness'
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