Product Description

What exactly is new in fitness? In the exercise world, there’s something new in equipment, research, classes, gadgets, videos, and Web sites just about every day. The last few years have also seen the invention and marketing of new schlock—like pills that claim to eliminate cellulite or burn extra carbohydrates and machines that purport to tone your thighs “without any effort on your part.” It’s all too easy to get confused by all the myths and mixed messages out there.

But don’t sweat it! This thoroughly revised edition of Fitness For Dummies updates you on all the latest—the good, the bad, and the bizarre—tackles your fears about getting fit, and gives you the knowledge and motivation to stick with fitness for the rest of your life. Renowned fitness experts Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent show you how to:

• Test your fitness level and set realistic goals
• Pinpoint fat sources in your diet
• Create a personalized fitness program
• Find Internet fitness forums and Web sites
• Brave a public gym

This is your essential get–fit guide, covering state–of–the–art fitness techniques, equipment, programs, and health clubs in a practical, friendly way. You’ll see how your individualized fitness program will help you strengthen your heart and lungs, burn lots of calories, lower your stress level, and even help you stay injury–free. You get the latest on low–carb eating, new food pyramids, the glycemic index and trans fats, and new carb guidelines. Plus, you’ll see how to:

• Take advantage of hot trends like Yoga and circuit training
• Incorporate weight training in your workout
• Choose the best fitness equipment for your home gym
• Stay fit at all ages and stages

Complete with a list of ten great fitness investments under $100 (and ten fitness ripoffs!) as well as proven ways to stay motivated, Fitness For Dummies, Third Edition is your one–stop guide to a slim, trim new you!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65993 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From the Back Cover
Covers hot trends like yoga and circuit training!

Cut through the fitness myths and get more from your workout

Confused by mixed messages surrounding diet and exercise? Don′t sweat it! This is your essential get–fit guide, covering state–of–the–art fitness techniques, equipment, programs, and health clubs in a practical, friendly way. With expert guidance in proper nutrition and staying active for all ages, it′s your key to a slim, trim new you!

Praise for Fitness For Dummies, 2nd Edition:

"One of the most comprehensive, authoritative — and entertaining — fitness books I′ve ever seen."
—Men′s Fitness

"A funny, irreverent, and very smart guide to wading through the confounding maze of fitness information."
—Cooking Light

Discover how to

• Test your fitness level and set realistic goals
• Pinpoint fat sources in your diet
• Create a personalized fitness program
• Find Internet fitness forums and Web sites
• Brave a public gym

About the Author
Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, M.A., are well–known fitness experts who write frequently for newspapers and magazines. They are also the coauthors of Weight Training For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

Customer Reviews

Too basic
I did not learn much from this book. A lot of it is advice on what to do inside a health club, and since I've been a member of one, a lot of it was old news. I was looking for something more than simple "do not smoke, keep your heart rate up", advice, I did not find it here.

Much hyped book a real dummy!
For anyone wishing to start a fitness programme this book is useless. There are no suggested workout routines, no graded exercise routines, just a lot of rather smarmy, patronising comments. The way the book is plastered with gushing testimonials is also rather irritating. There are vastly superior manuals out there, just do a search on Amazon.

A reasonable overview of fitness and getting fit
Firstly this book is written by two Americans and as a consequence there are occasional references to things American, however i found these instances to be the exception rather than the rule.
To the book itself; It is essentially divided into 7 parts looking at various aspects of fitness. There is an initial part entitled 'getting your butt off the couch' and while this part has some 'throw away' stuff there is useful advice here on nutrition and some advice on testing your current level of fitness.
Following this is a section on working your heart, which focuses predominantly on cardio exercise, and this is following by a section looking at weights, a section on flexibility follows this.
The later sections are on going to the gym, exercising at home, and finally a more general section giving advice that wouldnt sit in any previous part of the book.
Generally speaking this book is pretty good, there is advice in the book that are real gems and are very useful. However i tend to think that overall this book just tries to serve too many masters. In my case i was particularly interested in the strength and nutrition sections, and while this book gave useful advice on these subjects there just wasnt enough there and i have therefore bought the Dummies books on weights and nutrition to overcome this.
I think this book is mostly suitable for people who don't have much idea about where to start when it comes to fitness and for these people i imagine this book to be very useful. However if you have something specific that you need to learn about, i would advise you look elsewhere.