Rating: 
Summary: Too much personal information
Review: As a physical fitness addict, I bought this book hoping to read about like-minded sorts who love to work out because it makes us feel and look better. Well, after reading it through, it's a decidedly mixed bag, and asks more questions than it answers. Basically, most really fit people know that in order to look good past the age of 35, you have to exercise vigorously and constantly. There are no shortcuts once you reach the dreaded middle age. The people you see on exercise infomercials with the ripped abs and huge biceps are taking steroids. The sleeker, toned look comes from diet and having a personal trainer. People with a good, fit figure, work very hard at it, and make it their top priority in life. Tyhe infomercials that tell you, "just four minutes a day to a better body" are lying.My main criticism with Kolata is that she wastes a great deal of time on her own experience with "spinning" on a stationary bike. I like the stationary bike as much as anyone, but intricate details of her life on one is not my cup of tea. Another weakness is that Kolata doesn't explore aerobic experience completely, she sort of dismisses long distance running as a "fad from the 70's," which is a very curious statement in a book supposed to be about fitness. Her sections on strength training also contain some dubious information. Ultimately, the formula for fitness is one that few can achieve because hardly anyone has the time to exercise strenuously 20 hours a week. If you do this, you can pretty much pig out on what you like and laugh at the people stuck on the hideous Atkins diet, stuffing themselves with unhealthy garbage like bacon, steaks and red meat. I really wanted to like this book, but came away disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Ultimate Fitness
Review: Chisa Shimoguchi Ultimate Fitness the Quest for Truth about Exercise and Health Weight has been the one of biggest issues amount of people in America. Many people are always concerned about their weight. Today, in 2004, we live in a growing society where it provides everything for us to live our lives with advanced technology and rich agriculture. Because of rich agriculture, we do not have to starve ourselves and because of high technology, we are able to go anywhere we want. We certainly do not have to worry about things that people worried about decades ago such as foods; however, as society has gotten wealthier, our daily life and eating habits have changed which caused many Americans to gain weight. Many of us have started to be concern about our weight. Therefore, exercise has become our culture; however, since there are many theories of different ways to exercise and an excess amount of products from it, we are not sure what to believe about exercise guidelines. Gina Kolata, the author of Ultimate Fitness the Quest for Truth about Exercise and Health, is also one of the biggest fans of fitness. In the book, she did research and answered the general questions many of us had about fitness.
Fitness did not start to prevail recently; it has been always part of our culture. To understand about exercise movement, Gina Kolata goes back to its history. She finds out that ancient Greek was the first to report about exercise. At the time, exercise was considered as medicine to better people's health. Gina discusses how the society and people in different times accept exercise over time. In the 18th century, people and scientists thought that low intensity exercise such as walking was better than high intensity exercises like running, but, in the late 1800s, it was "muscular Christianity" (37), when people first began to be strongly enthusiastic about exercise and decided to start training. By today, we still believe that exercise does preserve our health.
Many people exercise in different ways. Some people enjoy jogging, running and another people enjoy going to fitness centers. Many scientists and physicians have stated that low intensity exercise is better than vigorous exercise. This statement came up because many athletes have died at very young ages. Is it true? By researching, Gina finds out that low intensity exercises such as walking preserves our health and decreases the possibility of acquiring heart diseases; but if you want to preserve your health and lose weight at the same time, vigorous exercise is a better choice if it's not too intense. If you work hard, you have to make sure you drink plenty of water, and also by taking in the right kind of sugars your body uses less glucose and carbohydrates, which will give you more energy.
Not only do people exercise to preserve their health, but also they want an attractive body. How do we know the reasonable level of exercise we need to lose those unwanted calories? Study shows that when the heart rate comes to a maximum of about 60 or 70%, you lose most fat and carbohydrates, but when you go over that heart rate, you would not be able to burn as much. How would we know what our heart rate is? Gina states, "Your maximum heart rate equals 220 minus your age." (79). By using this equation, you are able to know that own zones such as "fat-burning zone". However, if you work out, it is obvious to notice that some people get muscle quicker than others, and some people get better tone of muscle than others. It is because of muscle genes. She also talks about how our heart beats fast while we are exercising, how athletes work, and what they eat in their daily lives.
In the book, researcher Dave Costill explains the reason why we are so tired from working out is because we lose a lot of water when we perspire; and so your blood pressure goes down. When your blood pressure goes down, your muscles receive less blood and the surface of your skin gets less blood, glucose and oxygen, so the skin would not be able to cool you down. That causes your heart to beat faster, but since there is less blood, you get hotter and tired, which forces your body to slow down. However, if you work out more, as a result, you get stronger physically, and you will be able to work out for longer periods of time. Because working out betters the condition of your cardiovascular system, the cardiovascular system would be able to transport more blood to muscles. Since muscles develop more blood vessels when they are being worked out, it will be able to accept more blood, and that action allows your heart to recover quicker. Cardiovascular work out causes the mitochondria in muscles to multiply improving their ability to store more glycogen, which is fuel for the body; therefore, you will be able to work out longer without getting tired. Also, when the heart delivers more blood, it increases metabolic rate, so our body will be able to burn more fat.
Gina also discusses two major types of muscle fibers, which are fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch muscle fibers require more blood to provide oxygen and slow-twitch muscle fibers, where much of the glycogen is stored, requires less blood; therefore, when you are walking, your quadricep muscles use more of the slow-twitch muscle fibers.
This book really answers the questions that majority of people have about fitness. We all should get knowledge about fitness; therefore, we do not always have to depend on media or personal trainers. Because it is about own body, we should be able to take care of it by ourselves. This book is also very easy to understand; therefore, I prefer many people who are interested in fitness read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Narcissism masquerading as Insight
Review: Fitness and health, seems to be only a trend that has been around at the most for 100 years however little do many people know that it dates back to the Ancient Greeks. Gina Kolata gave this insite in her most recent book. Continueing on she discussed the different fads and trends about eating well and training the body that have changed so many times since then that as a result many theories about fitness have evolved. In Gina Kolata's most recent book, Ultimate Fitness: The Quest For Truth About Exercise and Health, she goes into a great depth and descriptions of early beginnings of weight lifting all the way through the current craze of Spinning and the theories that have followed along in the years. Many of these I too I have known about from my experiences from weightlifting and also a few are common sense that most people should already know. This book is great for giving general knowledge of health, your body, and general awareness of what is going on when you exercise. Before she goes too deep into the theories of exercising she first explains the history of where it all began. Such as the first people to start looking into health and nutrition were the ancient Greeks. It wasn't to much longer that Hippocrates then wrote a book about health called Regimen in Health. Another great influence of fitness and health was a man by the name of Galen who was one of the great physicians of the gladiators. He completed a book called On Hygien which discussed who exactly needs to exercise and what should be counted as exercise. Great people like these two were very influential in the creation of exercising and health. Along with these men were those who were the great firsts of exercising. Kolata explained that exercise during this time and years to come was merely for enjoyment and a form of entertainment. Races were not won by the first to cross the finish line but yet to see how far or fast you could do something. She showed that during this time there was no personal records. All of the events that were accomplished were because of wagers at were placed. Some of the theories that have been developed over the years also includes a formula of what maximum heart rate is. Through research she discovered it can be calculated by taking 220 minus your age, the result will give your typical maximum heart rate. She also explains how you get older your maximum heart rate will also change to be come less. Furthermore she goes into depth of what the difference is between a fat burning zone and a cardiovascular zone is. How each of these work you the muscles and fatty tissues in your body differently. Such as how the best heart rate to lose weight and gain muscle is to have it at about 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate. For most people that work out it is obvious to see that some people are naturally more muscular or defined than other people. She discusses that this is not always because these people always work out and are in top notch health but because of their genetics. Only about 10% of the human population can gain significantly the rest slowly gain and an astonishing another 10% cannot receive any results what so ever. With people that do exercise, it was interesting to read of her conclusions of what a Runners High is and if it even exists. She believed that it does exist and it is from the great exhilaration of exercising. She discussed how exercise is now even used for very depressed people. The results that were found that everyone was become very well and were even coming off their anti-depressants. This has been common knowledge for quite sometime because of the belief of endorphins and how the interact on the brain and person.
Finally, Kolata discusses the great business that has came about with exercise such as gyms, supplements, magazines, trainers, equipment, etc. She talks about how it is all about making the money now, such as with the supplements that are now being produced and how most of them the FDA writes warnings about them but those never seem to make it on the actual supplement bottle. The companies that make these are not caring about the people who use them and the harmful effects that will happen to their bodies. I feel like that Kolata went a little too far with her personal life and how Spinning was so great. It almost felt as if she was promoting it for a health club. Overall I really enjoyed this book, it gave me some great ideas for my personal life and how I exercise. But this book is particularly for beginner people who don't know much about their bodies and or exercising in general. I would recommend this book to almost anyone because it to would help out other people in their day
Rating:
Summary: Great Lockeroom Reading...
Review: Gina Kolata's recent book "Ultimate Fitness" was was my reading material for a number of weeks while I warmed up on a stationary bike at the gym this past winter. I have long read the author's columns on science, health and fitness in the pages of the New York Times and found her to be an interesting, questioning writer and her columns are often thought provoking. In "Ultimate Fitness" she attempts to answer many of the questions that the average reader has about the pursuit of fitness? How much exercise do we need to be healthy? Many of us have witnessed people year after year in the gym who seem to make little progress. Are there people who simply don't get fit? Those of us who have spent time coaching and who have analytical minds have long questioned the oft-repeated formula (220 minus the exercisers age) used to determine maximum heart rate and exercise zones, where did it come from and does it make any sense? What special nutritional needs to athletes have and are expensive supplements of any use? What are the effects of exercise on body fat and cholesterol? What should one look for in a trainer? Finally, why do we feel good after exercising? These are all questions that Kolata sets out to answer. She uses her own pursuit of fitness through the popular stationary bicycle exercise Spinning as a narrative thread throughout the book. This device helps to give the text a more human quality than other books on fitness. Kolata also gives us sketches of men like the promoter Bernarr Mcfadden, running guru Dr. Kenneth Cooper, researcher Dr. David Costill and bodybuilder Jack LaLane, all of whom have contributed to the preoccupation with fitness that has swept much of America over the past several decades. It's a readable and interesting book that provides thoughtful answers to questions that we all have about exercise and health.
Jeffrey Morseburg
Rating: 
Summary: Much needed investigation of fitness "wisdom"
Review: I found this book to be a refreshing and much-needed addition to the fitness and nutrition section of my local bookstore. Rather than acting as the fitness bible that many exercise books purport to be, Kolata's book instead takes the time to investigate many of the most popular assertions in the fitness industry. No, she doesn't offer up a fitness program, but that's not the purpose of this book. Rather, she takes you on an informed walk through the last hundred, and particularly, last 20 years, of the exercise movement's historical development and accompanying mythology.
She draws on her own experience with exercise, most recently geared to spinning, in a way that personalizes her account, and in my opinion, engaged me as the reader. I found the relaying of her own experience a nice way to break up scientific and historical information, tie the book together, and generally give the reader a sense of insight into the motivation of an amateur, albeit, passionate, fitness enthustiast. As someone who begrudges exercise, I appreciated Kolata's sharing of the sense that drives someone to return to this activity, and in fact felt myself inspired by her accounts of exhiliration and enthusiasm for fitness. This was in spite of her revelations that so much of accepted fitness truth is wildly misleading! I was taken aback at all the information that was inaccurate, from fat-burning zones, training ability, heart health, to just general effects (and lack thereof) of exercise on health and disease prevention.
All popular movements in our culture, whether fitness, fast food, or anything else, deserve closer examination--one that exposes their origins, development, and accepted wisdom. Kolata has done this for fitness, in a way that's engaging, rigorous, and insightful. A must-read for anyone who's seeking fitness advice and wants a context for understanding it.
Rating:
Summary: Tiresome and repetitive- why did she write this book?
Review: I still can't find the answer to that question. This book began with no voice to lead one through it's sprawling travels of unlinking timelines and ended with no point in hand. I have no time to begin with but then to waste ones time on a book like this makes me crazy. There is not one remarkable, enlightening statement made in this book, everything in it is a no-brainer, don't waste your time like I did.
Rating:
Summary: Great material but needs to be more accessible
Review: I workout regulary and have done a fair amount of reading on fitness. Books
on weight lifting are a dime a dozen, but there is little on the book shelves about
cardio. That's were this book comes in. Ms. Kolata addresses many important
questions, such as: Where did the '220 minus your age' formula come from and does it make any sense?
Why is 'fat burning zone' and 'cardio zone' pasted on every piece of gym equipment?
Does weight lifting raise your metabolism?
How intense do you need to exercise?
etc... The total list of such questions is probably more then 20. My only serious complaint about the book is that it lacks a good summary. The ideal last chapter of this book would be to list each issue addressed and a paragraph summary. As it is you'll need to keep a highlighter close by. This book will also be informative for anyone not versed in double blind studies
or the scientific method. Repeatedly she discusses the pros and cons of academic
studies, highlighting the rigor required to create an effective study and contrasting it with the lack of evidence behind many fitness myths. There's been a lot of discussion here about Ms. Kolata's enthusiasm for Spinning. Ok, so she's addicted to intense workouts. It does not detract from her serious research, including sitings of many academic journal articles which are all referenced in the bibliography. Skim past the fluff and you'll find a lot of good information here.
Rating:
Summary: Narcissism masquerading as Insight
Review: Like the author, I am a bit of a fitness buff. I workout regularly, (actually am a member of one of the several gyms Ms. Kolata calls home), watch what I eat, and ensure there are places to work out when I travel. What I found frustrating about this book is the author's incessant insinuations of her own lifestyle into the text. Aside from the book reading like an infomercial for "Spinning" (is she on retainer?) must I read about the skin tight bicycle shorts her and her dear husband wear to the "Mount Everest" challenge, a story I may add, that stretches across at least 2 full chapters (possibly three, I starting skimming about halfway through). The concept behind this book had some strength, track the origins of fitness in our culture, attack some of the myths that pervade the dialogue on the subject, and perhaps come up with a few basic tenets that all could follow. What Ms. Kolata does instead is discourse ad nauseum about the appearance of the various Spinning teachers she interacts with, pats herself endlessly (hey all that exercise made her flexible I suppose?) on the back for being in such good shape/working out so hard and generally turning what was probably (at best) a 150 or so page book into a droning piece of self congratulation that stretches to nearly 300 pages. The only reason I give this book one star is that buried deep within all those self congratulatory pages is a good message for all of us. Eat right and exercise!
Rating:
Summary: lives up to title
Review: New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata provides an insightful look at the mythos of exercise. Ms. Kolata is a participant who enjoys working out, but a claim led her to wonder what is the supporting scientific evidence vs. the health industry distortions. Ms. Kolata includes a comparative historical perspective re exercise beliefs over the ages so that readers can see how the ancients compare with other generations to include the information age. The author shreds several of the leading accepted theories from the gospels that low-intensity exercise burns the most fat and that stretching must come before the workout to prevent pulls, etc. Adding to the account is a terse look at the promotion of food and food supplements to lose weight and increase muscle definition. ULTIMATE FITNESS: THE QUEST FOR TRUTH ABOUT EXERCISE AND HEALTH is more than a simple expose because Gina Kolata cares deeply about her subject that comes across as genuine especially when she tells her personal anecdotals and those of her daughter. The book is easy to read, can be put down and leisurely returned to, and does not j'accuse us couch potatoes for failing to save ourselves. Instead even us out of shape, overweight, non-exercisers will find this nonfiction work pleasurable to follow as Ms. Kolata makes it clear that the benefit of exercise at least to her is not losing weight, feeling healthier and fitter, but is in the active participation of playing the game. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Ultimate Fitness
Review: Review: Gina Kolata, a Science reporter and author for the New York Times takes a detailed look at all aspects of physical fitness in her book, "Ultimate Fitness, The Quest for Truth about Health and Exercise." It is an interesting book because she discusses not only the trendy fitness crazes that many people in our culture embark on but also the timeless traditional forms of health and exercise. She takes a detailed look at everything from yoga, Pilates, and spinning to running, weight lifting and conventional cardio workouts. Kolata examines various theories as to what drives people to exercise vigorously, and the pros and cons of the various exercise programs. Kolata is extremely knowledgeable in her the subject matter of health and exercise and her journalistic curiosity is quite evident. However, at different points in the book I felt like the author was trying to include too much information... that it was a little difficult to absorb all of it and may have been easier to follow had she stayed a little more on one track with her thoughts. I also found that she seemed to be a little biased when it came to her discussions about "spinning." It was obvious she was a big fan of "spinning," but she did not seem to take an objective look at it, at times it felt more like she was only promoting it. Whereas when she went into depth on other forms of exercise I felt like she was more about pros and cons and benefits and risks than promotion. I also found the books organization to be a bit disorganized. Possibly highlighting different topics and main points within the chapters would have made it easier to follow. On the whole, "Ultimate Fitness, the Quest for Truth about Health and Exercise" is informative and educational. I also feel both male and female readers can learn from it. It does lean more to the feminine side of exercise but as a male athlete I also appreciated this book. There were sections I could have lived without reading but was overall pleased. For all of the information she included I would have liked to see her be more in depth about sports and the fitness benefits of different sports.
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