Recent good reads? Recommendations?

[kathryn]

I have about 3 dozen fitness books (mostly on safe,effective training, in particular weight training, and not counting those on nutrition) but I'm in the mood for something new. Anyone read any good, recent ones lately? I'm particularly interested in functional fitness at the moment, and info that isn't the same old stuff rehashed.

My two newest acquisitions are "Thrive" by Brendan Brazier (vegan Canadian triathlete and ultramarathon winner) and "The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler.

Brazier talks alot about stress, the adrenals, how to manage exercise-enduced stress, particularly using nutrition to help our bodies deal, and specific nutrients, like Hemp, Chlorella and Maca, that help the body deal with stress. A good, quick read. He does promote his own "Vega" supplement, but the first edition of the book was written before it even existed (and he was brewing a concoction in his own kitchen that eventually turned into the product) so it's not just a promo for the product.

"The New Rules of Lifting" is an EXCELLENT book focusing on what Schuler calls the "six basic movements": squat, lunge, deadlift, push, pull, twist. There's a very "functional fitness" feel to the info, even though it comes from a more traditional weight training perspective, and the term "functional fitness" is never used. It also shows specific exercises, that are all variations on the basic moves (ie: step-ups are a variation of the lunge), gives good form pointers, focuses on safety and effectiveness, and even sets up several programs ( designed by Alwyn Cosgrove) for fat loss, muscle growth and strength.

What are YOUR recommendations?

 

[SRP]

No recommendations here - but you recommended "Thrive" to me in my post about cheese! I'm glad I read this and your summary of it. Is it something you ordered or found at a book store?

 

[amyg]

Kathryn, it sounds like you have a great library!!! I'm afraid my books won't be much help... I've got "The Diabetic Athlete" that I found useful (funny thing, being a diabetic athlete, LOL) and beyond that I've got "Weight Lifting for Dummies" would likely be the kind of thing you'd pick up at a bookstore to page through for laughs.

I do have both the ACE manual and the ACSM materials, which have good info, but I don't think that's what you're looking for, either.

Have you gone to Amazon and seen what they recommend? That's what I can think of. Sorry I can't help much!!! But I'm going to check out "Thrive" for myself!!

 

[rjroubi]

I haven't read anything on functional fitness lately, but I did finish "Thrive" as well. I did gain a lot of knowledge in relation to Hemp and Chlorella (I had no clue it was a natural source of B12 and 65% protein). I thought the nutritional information was good even though I'm not a firm believer in his pH theories..."those who maintain an acidic environment within their body are prone to fatique" etc, etc. Some of it is true...high protein leaching calcium from the body, but some of it just seems way out of proportion. True metabolic acidosis is usually drug induced not diet induced and requires hospitalization.

I did make the recipe for the Vega Energy Pudding a couple of times and I thought it tasted really good (be careful not to add too much water or it will get too much like a soup). I don't like the chocolate Vega in a smoothie (I like the Berry Vega) so putting it in Brendan's tastey pudding with bananas, almonds and blueberries I was able to get the nutritional benefit without the "yuck" factor. If I have some time in the next couple of weeks I may try some of the other recipes like the Vega sport drink and Tofu Lime Curry. I'm not sure I will run out and buy his new book of recipes coming out this year because the ones in "Thrive" don't look all that appetizing, but I haven't ruled it out either (I'll try a few of his other recipes and see). You know, it may be good for me, but I still have to really enjoy what I'm eating

Oh, I do love the cereal he promotes.. that Optimum Rebound by Nature's Path. Now that is really good (10gms protein per serving).....I could eat an entire box at one sitting. I don't care for chips, but hand me a box of Optimum Rebound and movie and that box will be empty. I go through 2 boxes a week all by myself

Have you tried any of the recipes?

Robin:9

 

[kathryn]

>No recommendations here - but you recommended "Thrive" to me
>in my post about cheese! I'm glad I read this and your summary
>of it. Is it something you ordered or found at a book store?


I got it from Amazon.com.

 

[kathryn]

> I'm not a firm believer in
>his pH theories..."those who maintain an acidic environment
>within their body are prone to fatique" etc, etc. Some of it
>is true...high protein leaching calcium from the body, but
>some of it just seems way out of proportion. True metabolic
>acidosis is usually drug induced not diet induced and requires
>hospitalization.

A lot of naturopathic physicians think that disease cannot thrive in an alkaline environment, and keeping the body somewhat alkaline (at least not an acid environment---not even to the extreme of metabolic acidosis--which is promoted by stress, processed foods, sugars, etc.) can help prevent disease. Some go so far as to say that you can't get cancer if the body is not in an acidic state. (I would venture that metabolic acidosis is rare because the body has such a marvelous coping mechanism that it does everything possible to avoid this life-threatening state, so it buffers the acids before the body reaches acidosis. Perhaps in the case of drug-enduced acidosis, the drugs prevent the body from doing its job (a job which causes havoc on the system, but saves it from destruction.)

I haven't tried any of the recipes, but I use his "Vega" bars. I haven't gotten into the taste of the meal replacement powder. Tastes like dirt to me, but I do mix hemp and maca in my morning smoothie, and the last few days, I've added a "Perfect Food" green supplement---which tastes very green, but I think my taste buds are adapting, because it doesn't tastes quite as "green' this morning! It has chlorella in, but only as one of the ingredients. When it's gone, I plan to get some chlorella--tablets or vegan capsules, thank you very much, because I think the 'yuk" taste, for me, in Vega is the chlorella.