5-Factor Fitness
by Ethan Boldt, Harley Pasternak
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.73 You Save: $18.22 (83%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of 5-Factor Fitness
Book Review: So far..this works!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just picked this book up from Borders the other day.
A few weeks ago I had a chance to see the author on the show Access Hollywood working out with one of the hosts. Right there I started to apply some of the suggestions and wanted to learn more with the book.
In 2004 I started getting serious about losing weight and working out. I lost a little bit of weight doing my routines at the gym and at home with my bench. However the last couple years it felt like I hit a wall and I haven't lost as much weight as I should have with all the time I spend at the gym.
Friends of mine in great shape have told me "well you need to cut something out in your diet then or change your work out if you're not getting results". They never told me exactly what to do. This book does but it doesn't preach to exact sets of rules to the letter.
I didn't think it was going to be possible to have a good work out in just 25 mins. The exercises looked too simple. I was used to running long and lifting heavy for 2 hours or more with my old ways. I was wrong!
The exercises are simple but challenging. Right in the second phase suggested for the day I can feel the burn and worked up a good sweat. In the days before I started the program I hardly broke a sweat and it felt like I was going through the motions wasting time for 2 hours in my work out.
Tonight for example was my off day from lifting but I chose to do the optional cardio as suggested, totaling 25 mins. By the time I got to the locker room I had to really peel the shirt off from the sweat. That was something I didn't even do running 45 mins all at once.
I feel great just with the work outs! I haven't even started the diet suggestions yet.
Book Review: Best fitness book I have ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm 23, and over the years I've experimented with various diets (Atkins/Keto Diet, South Beach, Zone, Sugarbusters), and various workout concepts (HIT, German Volume Training, etc). I've stayed in pretty good shape for the most part, but over the last couple of years I've slipped a bit, being in school and all.
I heard of this book this summer when I ran into my old martial arts teacher. He's 50ish and last I saw him he'd gotten pretty husky. He still lifted weights some, but he wasn't in great shape or anything. When I ran into him this time, he was ripped and looked like a hollywood star or something. I asked him about it and he told me about this book and mentioned some of the concepts to me. I know this sounds like a tv infomertial but...
This book is the best. This guy really really knows his stuff. He clears up so many misconceptions about nutrition and exercise, and the system he has devised is really very innovative... it's not just "eat this, do 3 sets of 10 reps on bench press, blah blah"; there's sound science to it... but at the same time, he's set it up in a way that is simple and will make sense to everyone.
The way I see it, there are three main aspects to working out correctly; something that works, something that evades adaptation (and encourages muscle growth), and the key thing, something that won't damage your body (joints, etc). This plan hits all these points.
Anyway I can't say enough about this book... after reading so many books and having to substitute my own ideas and concepts I'd read in still other books, it's nice to see all the right information in one book that is easy to read.
Book Review: GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT fitness book
Summary: 5 Stars
Before harvey's fitness book i was working out three hours a day six days a week burning 1500 calories a day (according to the elliptical machine) and was getting no results i was gaining weight. I had no idea how to eat, when i got harley's book it was wonderful i learned how to eat and incorporated my own strategy for maintaining weight loss i cut sugar out of my daily life when once i couldn't live without it i started watching how much i ate and brougt plates that where small such as large saucers which is enough food (we as americans eat to darn much for our bodies to digest at one time turning the left overs into fat) I started making my own recipes like for a snack i'll have---FAT FREE SUGARLESS PLAIN YOGURT, w/alittle splenda and a apple cut up in wedges (to give the illusion of much more on a saucer) started putting my salads in a child bowl or a little larger for lunch --CREAM OF WHEAT w/ a turkey sausage or two and lots of water, for dinner a half of a salmon steak a small portion like a 1/2 a cup or less of mashed sweet potatoes w/ splenda and some asparagus or other green vegetable and my weight has stayed off. My arms are toning i do 15 minutes of high intensity cardio a day like up hill power walking-or the elliptical on high intensity or power jumproping their are web sites on that. I am extremely happy as far as life time use i think i will incorporate different intensity, reps and rest times as I get stronger and definitely keep the eating habits which account for 80% of my success. I LOOOOVVVE YOU harvey if anyone wants any more ideas please feel free to contact me at Tjonesnewark@aol.com GOOD LUCK>Book Review: 5 Factor Fitness
Summary: 5 Stars
Harley Pasternak has formulated a fitness program that works great. I am 67, female, and very familiar with weight training. Two years ago I became "burnt out" on exercising, stopped it, ate too much, gained weight and felt awful. I wanted something that had variety and didn't require a lot of time. The book 5 Factor Fitness is fast and easy to read and understand. The way Harley put everything together is excellent. The only equipment required are dumbbells and a bench. I think that those who don't think this routine could possibly work just haven't tried it. After all, he didn't say it is for competitive bodybuilders. It works for busy people who want to be strong, fit, and look and feel good.
His recommended 5 meals a day (eating every 3 hours) works better than eating every two hours. I have more energy now than I've had since I was young. No more afternoon slump, no need for caffeine, no food cravings (a big one for me), yet plenty of energy. For one of the meals I include a lactose free whey protein powder which (for my system) works better than anything else. It is a new experience to be concerned with eating on time rather than tightening my belt (literally) so that I will feel full all the time. I had developed the distorted mindset of aneroxia a few years ago when getting the last 5 or so pounds of fat off. With this program there is no risk of malnutrition, it is working, I am becoming strong again, I have plenty of energy and I feel great. The book is easy to follow, and I recommend it highly.
Book Review: Flawed with some good ideas
Summary: 3 Stars
This book promotes an idea that I call resistance aerobics. It is primarily an aerobic type of fitness program with weights to up the intensity and fat burning of an aerobic program. There are faults with this book. One, the author in trying to keep the program as short as possible short changes the pure cardio section by limiting it to 5 min. It should be longer. Second there is no mention of stretching. This is an important component of fitness that is often overlooked. Third is my general problem with the use of the glycemic Index to choose what foods to eat. Some foods that are good for you are given short thrift such as carrots and baked potatoes. They're roots in a natural state with lots of vitamins and few calories. Eat them. With the potato you may put on some fat free cottage cheese and/or tomatoes. You won't miss the sour cream and butter. My last problem with this book is that it will not build serious muscle unless you are new to weights altogether. The author seems to imply otherwise and that is plain wrong and misleading. I do like the selection of exercises with the exception of the "tap squat". I'd recommend the use of the normal squat. I also like how the author mixes up the reps and recovery time to prevent muscle adaptation.
In short this program is good for people new to exercise, for general fitness and to tone up for a special event such as a reunion. It is not good if you goal is to put on serious muscle. For that you need to lower the reps and increase the weight used.