Todd Durkin has been called the Tony Robbins of the fitness industry. Wow!
And “wow” just happens to be in the title of his second book, The Wow Book. (The first was The Impact Body Plan.)
Before you go thinking Durkin doesn’t know fitness, think again. (more…)
Omnivore’s Dilemma has taught me more about the food I eat than any other book I have ever read. For this reason, I can say without a doubt that this book must be read by all personal trainers and healthcare practitioners alike. (more…)
Ever since I read Better than Before, I have been saying to myself and others that its author, Gretchen Rubin and I are just alike. We both like to take action and if we feel strongly enough about something we ignore the advice of others. Having now read The Happiness Project, which was actually written before Better than Before, I still feel the same way.
The one thing I know for sure about Gretchen Rubin is this woman will do just about anything to become her best self. It is the #1 reason I resonate with her books so much. Big tasks. Little tasks. Meaningful tasks. Simple tasks. You name it she does it if it is going to make her life better. (more…)
Good Foods, Bad Foods by Judith A. De Cava is a book about the benefits of whole foods and the effect they can have on our lives compared to overly processed or synthetic foods that were “meant to be sold, not to be eaten.” Your health, your appearance and the length of your life can partially or in whole be traced back to the things you put into your mouth. Far too many people are choosing convenience over health, and consuming far too many calories from bagged, boxed and canned food options. Good Foods, Bad Foods takes an in-depth look at whole foods versus non-whole foods and carefully explains why whole foods are the only way to go because, quite frankly, you know what’s in them.
“If you are what you eat, and you don’t know what you eat, do you even know who you are?”
Whole foods are foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, and have been processed very little. (more…)
The Autobiography of Angela Davis is the story of a most intriguing little girl who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and went on to become an iconic revolutionary known worldwide for her unrelenting commitment to socioeconomic and political justice for African-Americans and working-class people of all races in America and abroad. During the 1960s, Angela sought to put an end to the discrimination of Black people by doing what she did best, trusting her intuition. Angela relocated so she could acquire the best education possible and arm herself for her cause. This lifestyle led to a scholarship to attend Brandeis University in Boston, and later an opportunity to study with some of the best philosophers in the world at the University of Frankfurt in Germany. She was a member of the Communist party and the Black Panther Political Party because of her disdain for racism and capitalism, which she unequivocally believed was responsible for the oppression of Black Americans and low-income Whites. This autobiography takes you deep into the mind and life of a woman who was willing to put her life on the line for change. Her story is one of intelligence, courage, strength, freedom and even death. And because Ms. Davis has such a gift for writing, I am able to relive and understand how it must have felt to live in a “Jim Crow” society that did all it could to prevent extending the inalienable social, economic, and political rights that were due to all African Americans living in the United States.
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“Confidence is shunned in our society. It is not popular to get up and say, ‘HELL YES! I’m good enough.’ It almost seems more appropriate to say, ‘I’m not deserving of it’ or ‘I don’t belong.’ This negative thinking is bullshit.”
These are the words of Josh “JB” Bowen, one of the best personal trainers in the US. In his new book, Your Time Is Now, Josh’s words have such energy and passion that you feel inspired just by reading it. After I put the book down, I felt empowered. My spirits were suddenly lifted and my negative way of thinking had been challenged. I no longer fear failure like I did before and I am going to work harder than before to achieve my goals. (more…)
What if I told you that I read an incredibly funny book that is sophisticatedly written, based on real scientific data, easy-to-understand, and practical enough for daily use? You’d probably think I was crazy, but I’m not! Whole Body Barefoot is such a book, and I would strongly encourage every bipedal human being on the planet to pick up a copy.
I am guessing that you might be wondering what this book is all about. As the title indicates, it’s about our feet, but it’s more than that. Whole Body Barefoot holistically describes the relationship between our feet, spinal column and several muscles in our body. (more…)
Teamwork as a topic might seem boring, but not when a world-class extreme race competitor like Robyn Benincasa writes about it. Her tales of teamwork while competing in an extreme race like the Eco-Challenge sometimes involve life or death situations and they are some of the most fascinating stories of strength, endurance and grit you will ever read. And, while her remarks on teamwork in business are nowhere as exciting as the ones on racing, they are just as valuable, and that’s what makes How Winning Works so compelling. This book really highlights how invaluable teamwork is to your success in life, business and sports. (more…)
Can You Go? Seems like a straightforward question, right? Well, that is why I am such a fan of this book and its author, Dan John. He is honest, straight to the point and easy to comprehend. Can You Go? is the third book I have read by John and his “kiss” (keep it simple silly) approach to health and wellness should be modeled by all trainers, in my opinion.
In this book you are going to learn how to qualify goals and quantify assessments. That’s it. The goal of John’s work is to enable you to identify who’s in front of you by finding out what they know and what they came to see you for, i.e., goals, and to be able to test where this person is currently, i.e., assessments. Only after you have done these steps well will you be able to design an effective program. And as a personal trainer, sometimes we are so excited to get started with a new client that we don’t take assessing seriously enough. According to John, you’re making a terrible mistake because “the first line of defense against injury is assessment.” Whoa, I never thought about assessments this way, but this statement could not be more true. (more…)
Daymond John has accomplished a lot in his life. He founded a clothing line that ended up being worth 6 billion dollars. He helps hundreds of businesses grow each year on his hit TV show, Shark Tank. And, somehow, he even finds the time to mentor a separate set of small business owners on the side. How does he accomplish it all? By using the “Power of Broke” mindset.
Most people would not believe that there is power in being broke. How can having the odds stacked against you be a better hand for would-be-entrepreneurs than a favorable deck? Could it be the energy you need to drive to success is found in the struggle? The answers to your most sought after questions only come through adversity? And, if you are willing to stay in the game long enough, you will acquire the know-how to fulfill your dreams? (more…)
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