The Ultimate Fit or Fat

Amazing that this 10 year old book purports to "put an end to the diet mania." At least the author concludes the introductory interview with this statement. He is right, it should have. But still there are books year after year that tell people what to eat. Clearly, by now, everyone in the US knows what to eat, or at the very least that the quantity eaten is the key factor. Irrational? Yes (welcome to the US circa 2009)This book explains how to exercise so that eating is just one part of your overall fitness plan.The sad thing is that there is still no penalty for being fat in the US. As the book suggests, health care insurance MIGHT become more expensive in the US if you are fat, but 10 years out that appears even less likely to ever happen. A classic group (all Americans) versus the individual problem (next time you see a grossly obese person, remember we are all paying for their medical care).In any case, this is an excellent book that gives you a metric, body fat, and along with eating healthy, if you exercise as per Bailey's plan, leaves you zero excuses for being unhealthy.

About half way through required for a PE class. Its not bad. His words are funny, some stuff is dated but its from the 90's before everyone got all sensitive. Some good info. I love that he says diet won't get you there like exercise.

I like the Ultimate Fit or Fat because of its brevity (only 148 pages), completeness and conciseness. By linking cross-training, interval training and weight lifting with a simple method of estimating fat just using a tape measure, Covert Bailey has designed a simple method of becoming fit and healthy for people of all ages and fitness levels. Though 14 years old now, this book is timeless.What I enjoy the most is the combination of levity, candor and simplicity that this book offers. Don't exercise to burn calories but to change body chemistry. Brilliant. Intensity, not frequency or duration, is the fastest way to get fit. Interval training, cross training and weight lifting are the best in combination to get fit without getting injured. How to do interval training, cross training and weightlifting without weights in a simple format is nothing less than brilliant. Thanks Covert for a wonderful book before your retirement. I hope you are enjoying it!

I had to read this for a PE class i just took and i was dreading it. But wow did this change my view on exercising and how great it is for you to just be active. He gives great outlines on workouts and they make sense! I see why this is a best seller. Definitely worth the read, if anything you’ll learn a few things and be a lot nicer to yourself and your body image.

I preferred his earlier works. He used to be more definite in his conclusions. This version is all wishy-washy. For example, in his previous books he recommended 80% of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes a day, at least three times a week (preferably more), as the best compromise intensity for building fat burning muscles. Now you are supposed to sing a song and if you get part way through it bla, bla bla... I know that not everyone's maximum heart rate fits neatly with the formula but wouldn't it be wiser to develop some simple safe test to help people estimate their maximums than to give them such subjective criteria. If I ask an expert for his opinion, I want his damn opinion not some smorgasbord of suggestions. How hard can it be? If X and Y are runners and they both have 110 bpm heart rates at a 6 mph pace but X has a heart rate of 140 bpm at 8 mph and Y has a rate of 140 bpm at 7 mph, then obviously X has a higher maximum heart rate. Someone please do the science so I can stop singing Row, row, row your boat while I am running.

I had to buy this book for my pe class but while reading it I did learn a lot of good information. Even though I am done with that class I still go through the book when I want to change how I work out the week.

Covert Bailey makes it very clear that most people who want to lose weight are focusing on the wrong thing! They need to build muscle. We need to change our language from overweight to overfat! It is surprising when you look at the photos that even "skinny" people can be overfat. This book gives a common sense approach to exercise, including the "four food groups" of exercise: weight-training, stretching, aerobics, and wind-sprints. He teaches you the basic physiology of exercise. This is an excellent book for the average person wanting to get in shape.

I love Covert Bailey, I really do. I've read all his other books and they are really helpful and inspirational. Because it's been years since his last book, I thought this book could have some new information. Sadly, it does not. And not only that, but it waters down the explanations of how the body works and why we should do what he recommends. So, if you already have his earlier books, this one adds literally nothing. If you don't have his earlier books, you should buy any of them rather than this one. Covert's writing style is breezy and entertaining, and he has a lot of information for us. But it's all in his earlier books, not this one.

I bought this book following a recommendation in a health book stating this was the best way to exercise. I read this Ultimate Fit or Fat book in a day as I found it quite compelling reading. I have never been one for a great deal of exercise but now I see that there is a technique to getting it right in order to get results. I've never before read an exercise book that explained so well what happens to the body during exercise and what will and won't give you results. I'm still at the early stages and not fully committed yet (I am, after all, 63 and not a spring chicken!) but I do intend to give it my best shot and I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get fit via exercise. I just wish that I had read this book 50 years ago or whenever it was written!

I didn't really take to this book. I felt his approach was a little too condescending. A bit too basic for my taste. There are many alternatives that are more readable. Still, horses for courses. It's not too expensive if you can find it second hand. I'm sorry this isn't too helpful as a review, but if I had been able to look through it before I bought it, I wouldn't have spent the money. Three stars because I'm sure others will find it just what they are looking for.

I've heard of Covert Bailey and his short intense exercise protocol in the 90s. This is a good book which explains that short, high-intensity exercise is the way to go. Of course, this is not new. However, research is now showing that the longer, slower type of exercise is better as it doesn't create over-stress, is easier on the joints and just as effective. There's nothing new here.

I was told this would help me understand exercise and not as they say have a heart attack doing it, and this book explains this, and now I'm happier understanding my weight and what I need to do. Really pleased.

Always loved this book.