Using his own research and experiences throughout the world, Lieberman recounts without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other necessary and rewarding physical activities while avoiding needless exertion.Exercised is entertaining and enlightening but also constructive. As our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases such as diabetes, Lieberman audaciously argues that to become more active we need to do more than medicalize and commodify exercise.Drawing on insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman suggests how we can make exercise more enjoyable, rather than shaming and blaming people for avoiding it. He also tackles the question of whether you can exercise too much, even as he explains why exercise can reduce our vulnerability to the diseases mostly likely to make us sick and kill us.

    Lions, rhino, and buffalo roam the plains on either side. But I haven’t come to Kenya to spot wildlife. I’ve come to run.”   Whether running is your recreation, your religion, or just a spectator sport, Adharanand Finn’s incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya will captivate and inspire you. Part travelogue, part memoir, this mesmerizing quest to uncover the secrets of the world’s greatest runners—and put them to the test—combines practical advice, a fresh look at barefoot running, and hard-won spiritual insights.   As a boy growing up in the English countryside, Adharanand Finn was a natural runner. While other kids struggled, he breezed through schoolyard races, imagining he was one of his heroes: the Kenyan long-distance runners exploding into prominence as Olympic and world champions. But as he grew up, pursued a career in journalism, married and had children, those childhood dreams slipped away—until suddenly, in his mid-thirties, Finn realized he might have only one chance left to see how far his talents could take him.   Uprooting his family of five, including three small children, Finn traveled to Iten, a small, chaotic town in the Rift Valley province of Kenya—a mecca for long-distance runners thanks to its high altitude, endless running paths, and some of the top training schools in the world. Finn would run side by side with Olympic champions, young hopefuls, and barefoot schoolchildren . . . not to mention the exotic—and sometimes dangerous—wildlife for which Kenya is famous.   Here, too, he would meet a cast of colorful characters, including his unflappable guide, Godfrey Kiprotich, a former half marathon champion; Christopher Cheboiboch, one of the fastest men ever to run the New York City Marathon; and Japhet, a poor, bucktoothed boy with unsuspected reservoirs of courage and raw speed. Amid the daily challenges of training and of raising a family abroad, Finn would learn invaluable lessons about running—and about life.  Running with the Kenyans is more than one man’s pursuit of a lifelong dream. It’s a fascinating portrait of a magical country—and an extraordinary people seemingly born to run.

    Unbreakable Runner tears down these traditions to reveal the new rules for fast, powerful running. The creator of CrossFit Endurance, Brian MacKenzie, dispels the tenets of run training like high mileage and high-carb diets to show how high-intensity training can make runners strong for races from 5K to ultra marathon.

    Author Chad Waterbury offers the most current neuromuscular science to debunk the fitness myths and conventional wisdom that may be wreaking havoc on your workouts and inhibiting your gains. Forget lifting moderate weights slowly for lots and lots of sets and reps. The best way to get huge in a hurry is to use heavy weights and lift them quickly for fewer repetitions. Waterbury's groundbreaking programs will enable you to: -Add Mass and size. Gain as much as 16 pounds of muscle in 16 weeks--and add 1 full inch of upper arm circumference in half that time!-Get stronger...fast! Even seasoned lifters can realize a 5 percent increase in strength in the first few weeks. And in 12 weeks, you can boost your overall strength by up to 38 percent.-Build power and stamina. Increase your one-rep max in your core lifts by as much as 30 percent.-Shed fat fast. Burn off up to 10 pounds of body fat, losing up to 2 pounds of fat per week.With Men's Health Huge in a Hurry, you'll not only get bigger faster, you'll do it with less time wasted in the gym and with less post workout pain and a much lower injury risk.

    Women's bodies are not the same as men's, and though we can train just as hard and with the same passion for excellence, we have certain special concerns.It's the simplest, fastest, most accessible way to fitness and good health known to woman. You don't need a partner, equipment, or even much time. Now, Claire Kowalchik, former managing editor of Runner's World magazine, answers every question about the overwhelmingly popular activity that builds endurance, melts fat, and even prevents illness. In this total running book for women, you'll learn:-How to get started and stay motivated -What to eat for optimal nutrition -How to run during pregnancy and after menopause -Why running is the most effective form of exercise -How to prevent and treat injury -What to wear -- from sports bras to running shoes -How to prepare for everything from a 5K to a marathonAuthoritative and friendly, The Complete Book of Running for Women is a sourcebook for both beginners and long-time runners. Along with wisdom drawn from the author's personal experience, you'll find advice from the experts: coaches, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, doctors, and other women runners. Including question-and-answer sections and a complete list of resources, The Complete Book of Running for Women tells you everything you need to know to be off and running toward better health and richer living.

    The injuries he sustained pushed him within inches of his life. Miraculously, more than 40 operations and months later, Matt was able to start his recovery. In spite of the severity of his injuries, Matt found the psychological consequences of the accident nearly as hard to process. He would no longer be able to compete at the highest level.In the 18 months before the accident, he had competed in more than 20 events including several triathlons and marathons and had qualified for running's most prestigious race, the Boston Marathon. After the accident, his doctor told him he'd be lucky if he could even walk without a cane.The Long Run is an emotional and incredibly honest story about Matt's determination to fight through fear, despair, loneliness, and intense physical and psychological pain to regain the life he once had. The book chronicles Matt's road to recovery as he teaches himself to walk again and, a mere three years later, to run in the 2008 New York City Marathon--a gimpy seven-and-a-half hour journey through the five boroughs. "Running saved my life," Matt says, and his embrace of the running community and insistence on competing in the marathon has inspired many, turning him into a symbol of hope and recovery for untold numbers of others.

    

    Why? Because runners find shedding their heavy, overly-cushioned shoes provides a more enjoyable running experience while reducing injury and allowing better form. Jason Robillard uses a combination of research, collaboration, and his own experiences to bring the latest methods for making a safe, enjoyable transition to barefoot or minimalist shoe running. This new expanded second edition includes training plans, information on ultramarathons, photos, tested running tips and helpful hints. Includes contributions from top barefoot runners and experts including Barefoot Ted McDonald, Barefoot Rick Roeber, Dr. Daniel Lieberman, Dr. Michael Nirenberg, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Scott Hadley, Dr. Joseph Froncioni, and many more.

    While marathons and triathlons are wildly popular and bring much gratification and camaraderie to the participants, the majority of athletes are too slow, continually tired, and carry too much body fat respective to the time they devote to training. The prevailing chronic cardio approach promotes carbohydrate dependency, overly stressful lifestyle patterns, and ultimately burnout.Mark Sisson, author of the 2009 bestseller, The Primal Blueprint, and de-facto leader of the primal/paleo lifestyle movement, expertly applies primal lifestyle principles to the unique challenge of endurance training and racing. Unlike the many instant and self-anointed experts who have descended upon the endurance scene in recent years, Sisson and his co-author/business partner Brad Kearns boast a rich history in endurance sports. Sisson has a 2:18 marathon and 4th place Hawaii Ironman finish to his credit, has spearheaded triathlon s global anti-doping program for the International Triathlon Union, and has coached/advised leading professional athletes, including Olympic triathlon gold and silver medalist Simon Whitfield and Tour de France cyclist Dave Zabriskie. Under Sisson s guidance, Kearns won multiple national championships in duathlon and triathlon, and rose to a #3 world triathlon ranking in 1991.Primal Endurance applies an all-encompassing approach to endurance training that includes primal-aligned eating to escape carbohydrate dependency and enhance fat metabolism, building an aerobic base with comfortably paced workouts, strategically introducing high intensity strength and sprint workouts, emphasizing rest, recovery, and an annual periodization, and finally cultivating an intuitive approach to training instead of the usual robotic approach of fixed weekly workout schedules. When you go Primal as an endurance athlete, you can expect to enjoy these and other benefits in short order: . Easily reduce excess body fat and keep it off permanently, even during periods of reduced training. Perform better by reprogramming your genes to burn fat and spare glycogen during sustained endurance efforts. Avoid overtraining, burnout, illness, and injury by improving your balance of stress and rest, both in training and everyday life. Spend fewer total hours training and get more return on investment with periodized and purposeful workout patterns. Have more fun, be more spontaneous, and break free from the pull of the obsessive/compulsive mindset that is common among highly motivated, goal-oriented endurance athletes. Have more energy and better focus during daily life instead of suffering from the active couch potato syndrome, with cumulative fatigue from incessant heavy training makes you lazy and sluggishPrimal Endurance is about slowing down, balancing out, chilling out, and having more fun with your endurance pursuits. It s about building your health through sensible training patterns, instead of destroying your health through chronic training patterns. While it might be hard to believe at first glance, you can actually get faster by backing off from the overly aggressive and overly regimented Type-A training approach that prevails in today s endurance community. Primal Endurance will show you how, every step of the way."

    But did you know that the traditional way of stretching—lock your knees, bounce, hold, hurt, hold longer—actually makes muscles tighter and more prone to injury?There’s a new and better way to stretch: Active-Isolated Stretching. And with The Whartons’ Stretch Book, the method used successfully by scores of professional, amateur, and Olympic athletes is now available to everyone.This groundbreaking technique, developed by researchers, coaches, and trainers, and pioneered by Jim and Phil Wharton, is your new exercise prescription. The routine is simple: First, you prepare to stretch one isolated muscle at a time. Then you actively contract the muscle opposite the isolated muscle, which will then relax in preparation for its stretch. You stretch it gently and quickly—for no more than two seconds—and release it before it goes into its protective contraction. Then you repeat. Simple, but the results are outstanding. The Whartons’ Stretch Book explains it all.Part I contains the Active-Isolated Stretch Catalog, with fully illustrated, easy-to-follow stretches for each of five body zones, from neck and shoulders to trunk, arms, and legs—over fifty stretches in all. Part II offers specific stretching prescriptions for over fifty-five sports and activities, from running, tennis, track, and aerobics to skiing, skating, and swimming. You’ll also find advice on stretching for daily activities such as driving, working at a desk, lifting, and keyboarding. Part III discusses stretching for life, with specific recommendations for expectant mothers and older athletes. It also includes specific stretching exercises that could help you avoid unnecessary surgery.Give Active-Isolated Stretching a try for three weeks. You’ll never go back to your old stretching routines again.

    For women over forty it can be the key to the most fulfilling years life has in store.Katherine Switzer, a pioneer in women's fitness since 1967, when she became the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon, is once again blazing a trail with the very first running and walking program designed specifically for women over forty. Now every woman can benefit from Katherine's highly personal, motivational, and step-by-step advice.For women beginning fitness programs at age forty, fifty, and beyond, the results can be nothing short of dramatic. For the first time they are reaching the body weight and physical conditioning they've always dreamed of. Women who have been reasonably active off their lives can also find a new and exciting road of fitness ahead of them after age forty. Some even find themselves outrunning women half their age! --Katherine Switzer

    Jennie Brand-Miller, coauthor of the bestselling Glucose Revolution, called it "without a doubt the most nutritious diet on the planet." Doctors Michael and Mary Dan Eades, authors of Protein Power, said, "We can't recommend The Paleo Diet highly enough."Now Dr. Cordain joins with USA triathlon and cycling elite coach Joe Friel to adapt the Paleo Diet to the needs of athletes. The authors show:o Why the typical athletic diet (top-heavy with grains, starches, and refined sugars) is detrimental to recovery, performance, and healtho How the glycemic load and acid-base balance impact performanceo Why consumption of starches and simple sugars is only beneficial in the immediate post-exercise periodAt every level of competition, The Paleo Diet for Athletes can maximize performance in a range of endurance sports.

    Spartan Warrior Workout takes you from merely being in shape to having the strength and endurance to withstand the ultimate test.Whether you're a veteran in the weight room or a new recruit, Spartan Warrior Workout will challenge you like nothing you have ever tried before:• Arms and shoulders are sculpted with kettlebell cleans and presses • Abs are toned with windmills and planks • Back and butt are strengthened with kettlebell swings and pull-ups • Chest is chiseled with bench presses and push-ups • Legs and glutes are shaped with jumping lunges and squatsMore than just exercises, the book's guidelines on active rest, pre-hab and nutrition will help keep your body healthy and fueled as you push yourself to the limit and reach higher levels of fitness.

    Now he shares the story of his triumphs and the never-say-die dedication that has made him the world's most successful triathlete.In 2010, at the age of 37, Macca beat the odds and won the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii for a second time in what many called the most dramatic finish in the race's history. Macca's journey to athletic greatness is more than just one of physical perseverance. After coming in fourth in Hawaii in 2009, Macca returned to the island on a mission: He was there to win. A game plan containing a new strategic approach to winning brought him first across the finish line.Chris McCormack has dedicated his life to training for-and winning-the Ironman Hawaii, one of the most grueling tests of mental and physical endurance in the world. The race challenges athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon, 26.2 miles, using all their strength and willpower to overcome the incredibly harsh conditions.In I'M HERE TO WIN Macca provides concrete training advice for everyone-from weekend warriors who casually compete to seasoned veterans who race every week to armchair athletes looking for an extra push-and provides insight into the mind of a great champion with excitement and inspiration on every page.I'M HERE TO WIN is also available as an enhanced e-book with embedded video and audio.

    . . with the book that goes beyond 12 weeks, and then some: TRANSFORMATION: How to Change EVERYTHING. Within these pages, Phillips delivers on the title's promise. In a unique fusion of art, science, common sense, and the wisdom of the life experience itself, TRANSFORMATION illuminates the right way to making significant, meaningful, and healthy changes. Specifically, Phillips guides readers step-by-step through his 11 Transformation Tenets, which, when practiced daily, "energizes authentic and lasting change, beginning deep within your heart and then radiating out into every aspect of your life, and are reflected in everything you see, do, feel and experience. Truly . . . the Transformation is the way to change everything . . . beginning within your Self, but only beginning there."