Fitness For Dummies

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 432 pages
• Published by: For Dummies
• Edition: 3rd Edition April 1, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764578510
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764578519
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1.3 pounds

Product Review
The original Fitness for Dummies, published in 1996, was a real breakthrough: a book that took a reader through all the fitness basics without being offputtingly complicated or insultingly simplistic. This second edition only improves on that tough balancing act.

The authors are two of the most experienced fitness writers in the business--Suzanne Schlosberg is a longtime contributor to Shape and Liz Neporent is a veteran personal trainer, corporate fitness consultant, and contributor to Shape and The New York Times. In addition to being experienced at explaining exercise, they're both exercise junkies, and their firsthand knowledge and love of the topic is evident throughout.

Each section of the book--whether dealing with basic fitness issues, cardiovascular training, strength training, flexibility, joining a gym, or exercising at home--offers a combination of well-researched, easily understandable information, combined with informed opinion. For example, in chapters discussing exercise equipment, they're able to offer personal reactions to the gear--mentioning that Life Fitness makes great exercise bikes but a treadmill they don't care for.

New information in this second edition includes "100 Reasons to Break a Sweat," featuring the latest research on exercise benefits; sections incorporating Internet fitness resources; and beefed-up exercise-video advice. That latter section includes tips about avoiding rip-offs (older videos are sometimes repackaged, with new covers promising different benefits) and a handy guide to choosing the best video instructors for different fitness levels.

The core information, though, is the best reason to buy this edition of Fitness for Dummies. Exercise science is complicated, but this book makes it as simple--and entertaining--as it can possibly be. --Lou Schuler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Review
"This is the most comprehensive and entertaining fitness book I've ever seen." -- Sharon Cohen, Executive Editor, Men's Fitness Magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Fitness for Dummies (Paperback) When I bought this book I thought it would cover all the basics (= for dummies) and allow me to start working on my own at home. To my disappointment this book contains very little needed info to do that. Example - there are three pages about stretching, giving rules such as "Stretch all your muscles, not just those you've used in your workout", with the chapter describing the muscles coming up 45 pages later. I'd expect : 1. The chapter about muscles to be close to or preceding the section about stretching. The design keeps the relevant info too far apart. 2. A list of stretching excercises to be given with pictures. No excercises are given at all (though there are plenty of space given to useless pictures, e.g. of a computerized bike panel), denying me the info I need. The section recommends buying a video that shows how to stretch. For the price of a video and a video cassete (about $300 in Israel) I could get personal training. The "Nutrition Basics" chapter is another disappointment - five and a half pages are spent on vitamins providing less information than given in leaflets given for free in pharmacies, the section about titled "Watch Your Calories" gives trivial advice, and no table of caloric values of different kinds of foods is included, etc. I find this book very disappointing, will not buy any other "for dummies" books, and will sell this book at a second hand books store - at least I'll get some of my money back and not waste any shelve space on this useless book.