If, like me, you’re passionate about a healthy lifestyle and you love to read to indulge the habit, then stay tuned; from now on I’ll be impartially reviewing fitness books which have struck a chord with me for some reason or another. I love discovering new and exciting fitness / health ideas – whether it’s a different system of eating, training or thinking, there’s always something new to consider. However, there’s far too much ‘ego’ in the fitness industry and whilst some might claim otherwise, I do think that you never stop learning, even if you already know alot, as perhaps somebody’s story can inspire and motivate you to try something different & get off your bum! Pick and choose the bits you do agree with, and leave the rest, like a little pick-n-mix bag of fitness ideas (yum, sweets!).
Click MORE below to read about the radical change methodology I’ve got in the picture above, written by one of the world’s foremost body composition experts – a very good read!
Faya x
Here’s a book-magazine hybrid that I chomped through whilst lying by the pool on holiday recently at the lovely La Reserve de Bealieu. Joe Warner, a journalist at Men’s Fitness magazine is put under a gruelling 12 week body transformation plan (in a quest to build muscle, toast fat and get some chiseled abs) by personal trainer and Ultimate Performance founder Nick Mitchell. Mitchell is described by supplement emissary Charles Poliquin as ‘Europe’s number one body composition expert’ and the results certainly speak volumes.
The book’s broken down into 4 parts – the transformation, training, nutrition and supplementation plus a few ‘tricks’ before the final photo shoot. There’s a reassuring and simple logic to the way it’s arranged and communicated, which is both motivational and inspirational. The weight training consists of 46 workouts split across 8 microcycles with various training goals (e.g. strength; hypertrophy). It focuses on progressive overload, resulting in strength gains and hypertrophy. Low intensity cardio is avoided here, & instead high intensity interval training (HIIT) is the preference.
The interesting side of his ethos comes out in the nutritional part; he generally advocates a low-carb, moderate-fat, and high-protein diet. For example if you love a large bowl of low-GI, slow-release, complex-carb porridge in the morning, Mitchell reckons that you have some meat with a handful of nuts instead. As well as including greens and vegetables with every meal. Sounds kind of different and a bit extreme, but the results are extreme too.
The book is thorough and well worth reading, if for nothing else than to immerse and educate you on another view on health & fitness. But be warned - this is NOT a ‘get-rich-quick’ fitness program, and if you’re going to try the 12-week body plan, it requires the investment of a lot of your time and mental energy. The workouts put you through a very tough routine which is sure to see you huffing a puffing! The same can be said about the nutrition – dedication and a lot of planning will need to go into it. I’d also say it can also be quite costly, including many premium supplements as well as more beef than any industrial swedish cow farm I’ve ever seen! If you’re a beginner, it might be hard to stick with it – willpower and cost-wise – but if you do, the rewards seem significant. Either way, it’s a great, educational read that you can come back to time and again, and which might just motivate you to get training a bit more!
Wearing: Vitamin A by Amahlia Stevens, ‘Runway Wrap Maillot’
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