G-Force: The Ultimate Guide to Your Best Body Ever

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Clear, Simple Format....Mostly for Beginners, 2008-10-27
I admit....curiousity about one of Hollywood's top trainers to the stars prompted me to read this book. Gunnar takes a logical, simple approach to fitness, without all of the added hype. His plan is easy to follow, and he offers several different excercises for each muscle group. He re-caps each chapter with a handy chart to use as a reference guide on each move. The plan is not intimidating, realistic, offers variety, targets all muscle groups, and WILL WORK if followed. I am giving it four stars because I did not learn anything new from this book. However, I would still recommend it to those at intermediate-to-advanced levels if you are looking for a way to mix up your current work-outs, as this guide will serve as a reminder about the different excercises you may have stopped performing months ago.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Top notch, 2008-08-14
I have read a lot of books on the subject, but this is one of the best by far!

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Endless combinations, 2008-08-06
Book is very easy to follow and has great technique tips for what not to do and what to do to see results and keep from injuring yourself. Off and on I have been using resistance training for over fifteen years. Two years ago I had back surgery and cut back on resistance training and was hesitant about getting back into it. He is someone who has gone through back surgery as well and disusses that in the book, which eased my fears. He gives you many different ways to do an exercise so you have options if you find one causes you discomfort. Overall I would recommend this book to newbies and vetrans. Have been at it for over two months now and my body and back have been feeling great.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

All you'll need, 2008-06-24
This is an excellent resource. After leaving the gym to save money, I have been trying to figure out how to get the best workout at home with minimal equipment. I have tried a number of workout DVD's including Core Secrets, The Firm(new ones not older ones)and Billy Blank's bootcamp series. I always went back to the Core Secrets DVD's because I am not a particularly coordinated person and the other DVD's required footwork that was frustrating for me. I'm also a perfectionist so I never felt good after a workout with the other DVD's because I couldn't master them no matter how hard I tried. The one thing my trainer taught me, when I was going to the gym, was that the most important thing is to do exercises correctly both so you don't get hurt and so you get the most out of the exercise. I didn't feel I could do that with any DVD other than Core Secrets. However, I eventually needed to incorporate something else, which is why I was trying other DVD's, because Gunnar wasn't producing any more Core Secrets DVD's and I was mastering all the ones I had. After getting frustrated with not finding a good DVD alternative, I started looking to books. br / br /I can't remember how I stumbled on to this one, but I'm glad I did! What a great resource. One of my favorite things to do at the gym was resistance training. I hadn't figured out how to do that well at home but this book made it easy. I think the reason I hadn't figured out how to do it well was because I was confused by ALL the exercises available out there. I love that he explains that there are basically 13 essential exercises and any other fancy ones we see are most likely a variation of one of those exercises. While there is a place for the fancy moves, he explains it's important to start with the basics. I really appreciated this. I felt like I was getting my favorite and most effective exercise routine from the gym at home. For those of you who are worried about getting bored, don't be. Once you master the 13 basic exercises that work your entire body, there is a more detailed chapter showing variations of those exercises. The variations include different equipment(don't get scared, it's not expensive), different positions, different durations, etc. There are hundreds of possibilities! br / br /The cost is minimal. I already had an E-Z Curl bar($40), straight bar($15), weight plates($1/lb), dumbells($1/lb)and exercise ball($15)at home. Since I didn't have access to the machine he shows in the book with the pulldown bar I went right to one of his twists and picked up a resistance band($13). I also substituted my exercise ball for a weight bench. For a girl, you could reasonably get started by spending a total of $60 for two 5lb dumbells, two 10lb dumbells, an exercise ball and a resistance band. Over time you could pick up a straight bar, E-Z Curl bar, weight plates, heavier dumbells and a medicine ball. br / br /He recommends starting with only one set of each of the 13 exercises for 4-6 weeks even if you're at an intermediate or advanced level. I thought for sure there was no way I was going to feel anything or see any difference since I was in relatively good shape to begin with. I was shocked to find that was not the case. I wasn't super sore, but I did notice results. I think the key to this is his explaining exactly how the move should feel to get the best results, pitfalls to avoid when doing it and encouraging you to use the highest amount of weight possible so that you can still do the move well but you can't do more than 8-10 reps before getting tired. I also eat reasonably healthy, try to drink plenty of water and give my body the 48 hours of rest he recommends before working out again. For cardio I either jump rope or jog after my resistance training. br / br /If you're looking for a good book to get you started with the basics of fitness and then grow with you as you progress, this is it. It is a very easy read and the instructions are crystal clear. As another reviewer mentioned, don't let the fact that he is a "trainer to the stars" steer you away. In reading this book, I found that most of what he had to say was exactly in-line with what my trainers have said before. This book is not about hype or a quick fix. It's about giving you honest instruction on how to take care of your body for the long haul. You can't go wrong by picking it up!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

**Just my opinion***Excellent book for the beginner, not recommended for an advanced fitness individual, 2008-03-24
I purchased this book after reading great reviews. Just my opinion, but-I am only giving 2 stars because I feel this book is very basic and serves as a "start up" to an exercise program. I would strongly recommend this book for the person looking to start out and get into a fitness routine. It is very well written, great sense of humor and an overall very easy read. He covers 13 basic exercises that he feels are all you need for a fitness routine-and he explains spin off variations for each-I would agree these are 13 excellent exercises. However, I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. I am fitness enthusiast, I have read/or subscribed to just about every fitness magazine out there over the past 10 yrs-from Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle Media (back in the day), Flex, Muscle Fitness, Musclemag, Women's Health, Shape and Oxygen-to name a few, and I am a certified personal trainer. I was looking to add variety to my routine and my personal training datatbase-if you will. This book just didn't add anything to my arsenal-again-**just my opinion.**I am a fan of Gunnar, I love his 1 page section in Muscle Fitness each month, so I was hoping for better. In conclusion, an excellent book for the beginner, extremely well written, easy to follow, I just wouldn't recommend for anyone with an advanced exercise background-if you will. br / br /Train hard.