The Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program to Transform Your Body & Your Life

The Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program to Transform Your Body & Your Life | Mark Verstegen, Pete Williams | Core Performance

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The Core Performan...

	The Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program to Transform Your Body & Your Life Mark Verstegen, Pete Williams Rodale Books, 2005 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 66 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Change Your Life

I have purchased this book over and over for friends and family following my experiences employing the routines contained in the pages. Are you interested in improving your appearance? The change in my diet followed the employment of the exercise in this book, rather than suffering through wanting some kind of food and not taking it because "It was not on my diet". Instead, the nutrition component of this book served as a guide to avoid counter productive foods and periods of being famished. I have had people tell me I look great, even though I have not dropped all that much weight. My waistline is deminished, and I am more muscular. I began all this three months ago in order to have a winter program to improve my cycling season come spring. I am 48 years old and feel 10 years younger.

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Core Performance

This book is at the CORE of our training here at Abbott Laboratory's Human Performance Center (opened June 7, 2006). We use these same principles with all of our clients for personal training AND the fitness classes we teach. We recommend that everyone get a copy of this text so they can have a referrence on hand whenever they need it. Mark Verstegen is a true GENIUS and this FUNCTIONAL TRAINING is going to become a part of EVERYONE's life in 2007 and beyond!

One Word "Incredible"

I have been working out off and on for 15 years and I have played sports most of my life, well into adulthood. As a metter of fact, I still practice karate to this day. Never have I had a workout program like this. Marc truly hits on every aspect of your physical and mental well being. The first week or two was a little troubling for me because I thought I was in pretty good shape. It didn't take long to realize just how much of my body I neglected with "traditional gym rat" workouts. I have not yet completed the entire 12 week prgram but I already see a difference in my strength, lean muscle mass, stretching abilities and cardio. Instead of getting weird looks at the gym now, I have people asking me what I am doing and where I learned. I have also noticed more and more people utilizing the exercises I learned from the book.

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Comprehensive Workout Program

This is a comprehensive program that includes both nutrition and exercise. Although there is nothing new in the nutritional part of the book (unless all you've ever read were fad diet plans), it's nice to have it included with the workout concepts. The program is meant to develop balanced fitness - strength, muscle mass, flexibility, power, and endurance - without shortchanging any component. There is an emphasis on recovery and good nutrition

Two good things about the workout part of the program:
1. Empahsis on strengthening the core. The core (trunk, hips, shoulders) is were all movment originates.

2. The core workout has seven types of exercises, each with a specific purpose:

Movement Prep: an active warmup routine that replaces traditional pre-exercise stretching. No equipment is needed.

Prehab: a proactive approach to protecting yourself from injury.

Physioball Routines: (also known as Swiss ball) a series of exercises to improve hip, core, and shoulder strength and stability.

Elasticity: a unit to help the body generate force and make it springy. Elasticity decreases the potential for injury and allows you to produce more force in less time.

Strength: Traditional, bodybuilding-based strength training programs focus on one-dimensional movement and working body parts. The Core Workout trains body movements so you increase levels of strength, lean body mass, stability, and mobility.

Energy System Development (ESD): a departure from traditional cardio work, creating powerful bursts of energy.

Regneration: a series of low-intensity activities designed to enhance recovery.

I like the idea of a comprehensive workout plan. Most plans I've read have some exercises and simply say to warm up at the start and cool down at the end, without any specifics. This plan also emphasizes recovery through the regeneration series. I tore a calf muscle a couple of months ago due to it getting too tight. After that experience, I want to make sure that I do whatever I can to prevent it happening again.

The program is a bit complex, with all these different types of exercises, but is easy to follow. The book presents a four-phase, twelve week program, and tells you exactly what exercises to do each day. Each day's workout takes an hour or less. There are even samples workouts for when you are traveling or don't have much time. However, the plan in the book is one-size fits all. Its goal is to improve overall performance. Of course, you can make your own changes (i.e. adding more of one particular type of exercise) but you're on your own figuring out if it's going to work for you or not.

I've also read Verstegen's second book, Core performance Essentials. I would recommend the second book if you haven't exercised in years. It's a simplified version of the Core Performance workout and starts off easier. Once you've completed the Essentials workout (you move to each level at your own pace), move onto the Core Performance book.

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Intimidating But Worth It

This book has some complex instructions to it. However, if you take the "core" (pun intended) message it is GREAT. Trying to do the exact program is difficult to follow. However, I read the book, took some of his great exercises and mixed them in with my more traditional workout and the results are great. Anyone with lower back pain will appreciate how much these exercises help with this problem. I also have increased my agility using his exercises for soccer.

The writing style and side bars are easy to read and absorb. I also recommend checking the Core Performance website every day for updates on exercises and research on fitness.

I recommend this as a great source of a new way to look at exercising, but warn of being intimidated by the complexity of following the program strictly.

Good luck on your fitness.

dion

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