Publishers Weekly,Personal trainer Hahn and his physician co-writers, who previously authored the bestselling Protein Power, purport to have discovered the secret to strengthening heart and bones, enhancing flexibility, burning fat and improving athletic performance. This "revolutionary method of strength training that far exceeds the benefits of almost any other kind of exercise" is the Slow Burn-a "tough but short" workout consisting of measured lifting of heavy weights to the point of complete muscle exhaustion. For those with access to gym equipment, the weight should be "so heavy that for the first second or two you feel like you won't be able to budge it" (readers sans gym memberships work with their body weight and a few small free weights). Before describing any Slow Burn exercises, however, the authors spend 70-odd pages trying to debunk most common assumptions regarding exercise and diet. Not all exercise is beneficial, they argue, and some exercise can be downright harmful (jogging, the authors insist, causes, "bad knees, damaged hips, and weak backs"). Similarly, the old dictate "eat less, exercise more" is not the simple weight loss solution it seems, and the book provides all sorts of evidence to explain why (the pages are liberally sprinkled with footnotes and scientific terminology).This book seems more like a good argument for strength training than it does a full-blown revolution, but the exercises are easy to follow and should improve fitness when practiced appropriately. (on sale Jan.1) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
