March 20, 2004
Yet Another 5 out of 5 star review for
TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION at
www.amazon.com!
Surprise youself, March 17, 2004
Reviewer: mjdpost from Fair Haven, NJ United States
I've practiced the various disciplines described in Total Body Transformation - strength training, cardio training (as a bike-riding commuter), and a few yoga classes - separately at various points in my life. I've experienced benefits from each, but never did all three at the same time. I purchased this book because I was interested to see how these different fitness disciplines could be combined into a single practice (also because I was interested in getting myself into great shape).
There are a few impressive things about this book. First is that Ilg has created a schedule that gives you enough of each discipline to experience the benefits of all of them. And not just one schedule, a cyclical regimen you can use to train continuously, without overtraining. The amount of time, learning, and trial and error the author must have spent in constructing such a program is astounding. It's great to have his experience distilled in such a concise, readable form. This is the kind of advice that once only elite athletes could get; now, thanks to Steve Ilg, it's available for the price of a hardcover book.
The most surprising thing about this book is the insights that Ilg provides into the inner experience of doing the program. Lifting weights had always seemed like a pretty mechanical operation to me; before this book, I never considered how mental focus could improve the quality of the exercise. Now, for example, in the middle of a back squat, for, I'll remember a snippet of his advice about what to think about in order to do the exercise better. Similar is his advice to be bold about trying certain movements, like Hang Cleans, that look intimidating until you actually give them a try.
If you are serious about getting into good shape, not just better shape, give this book a read.