Five Factor Fitness: How Hollywood's A-list Gets Into Shape And How You Can Too

Rating:
Summary: A Happy Customer
Review: I've always had a difficult time getting started on
a fitness regimen. I read about 5-Factor Fitness in the LA Times a couple of weeks ago and knew from the article that this was the program for me. After just a couple of days, I knew that I was right. If you don't like going to the gym or just don't have the time, this plan is perfect: twenty-five minutes a day, five days a week. I look forward to my brief sessions and I feel great knowing that I'll be doing this as long as I'm vertical. I'm an actor in LA. Not on the "A List" maybe, but pretty damn good.




Rating:
Summary: Im really impressed how it can work for every agegroup...
Review: After many tries with all of the diets and programs I have actually begun the workouts for a couple of weeks and I must say I have never been more excited to go back to the gym. The most fascinating thing is that my parents have both read the book and have begun the workouts. I thought "what's new with work" was the highlight of the Sunday dinner conversations but now I find myself discussing the variation of reps and sets that were are going to be doing in the next week of workouts and exchange tips on form for lying dumbell flys. Thank you Harley I can already feel myself become more muscular. This book is truly a gift to share with others. Just like my new beverage of choice that replaced my morning brew. Its called s oyfee and taste so wonderful with no caffeine or acids. Organic and made from soya! Bye bye acid stomach and hello healthy tummy! Google it under "acid free coffee"




Rating:
Summary: What's old is new again...
Review: As a 47 year "young" woman who has always been active and never had a weight problem until I had to go on medication about 3 years ago, I am thrilled to have found Harleys book! 25 minute workout, weight training with good ol'dumbells, and one cheat day a week to eat whatever you want. How great is that! Book is very user-friendly and gets back to the things we all knew about working out but forgot in this high-tech workout world of today. I have just finished a week on the program, I feel incredibly great and I don't have to suck in my tummy to get my jeans zipped!

Rating:
Summary: Finally - Someone who gets it!
Review: Coming from a backgrounds in science and struggling with my weight, I became so desperate I went against all of the lessons learned from my education and tried all of the fad diets out on the market. Most of the time they showed little results and all of the time they were NOT SUSTAINABLE. My weight problem was never solved and I felt helpless without drive and self confidence.
Finally --Harley Pasternak's book has changed the way I look at workouts and eating. Since the book has come out I have followed the workout plan to a tea. His recipes and tidbits of information have opened my eyes, again, to the world of science and its impact on my every day life. The best thing about this regimen is that I can see myself doing it for years to come. The workouts are fun and the food is delicious and surprisingly easy to make. I have learned a lot and I never thought this would happen but I'm finally beginning to gain control over my life. If you have been through the diets or if you have just decided to take control of your life, FIVE FACTOR FITNESS is for you. Thank you Harley Pasternak!


Rating:
Summary: busy working mom gets help
Review: Great ideas and strategies throughout the book...has proven helpful with overweight teenager.... extremely motivating!


Rating:
Summary: Results . . . Fast!
Review: I live in a very fast paced world, so the prospect of going to the gym for 2 hours at a time just doesn't work for me. Finally, this has taken away my excuse of not having enough time to work out or eat well. If you have a fast paced lifestyle, five factor will let you workout, eat better, and feel great . . . and not sacrifice the rest of your life to do it!

Rating:
Summary: Won't deliver on hyped up promises
Review: The book starts with reasonable approach that exercise and nutrition should be simple and practical, not tedious, restrictive, or impractical. It also offers good general advice that exercise should be carried out five days per week and meals also should be closely spaced to prevent malnutrition. Yet, soon you find out that the author has restricted himself by his obsession with number five. For example, he describes the five elements of exercises as the type, reps, sets, intensity, and rest interval. This omits the sequence of exercise and quality of execution. Also, he groups major muscles in five entities: back, quadriceps, chest, shoulders, and arms, he then trains the latter two only once a week. That approach induces muscular imbalance problems since there is no reliable index to assess flexibility or coordination by such improvised categorization of exercise.

On the scientific grounds, the author claims to base his 5-factor theory on the Bulgarian Powerlifting approach and other scientific facts, yet Bulgarians do not train by dumbbells alone. They never do half-squat by dumbbells as the author demonstrates. The Quadriceps is a huge muscle and requires much heavier weights in order to develop strength. Dumbbell deadlift and dumbbell squat prove that this author is entirely inexperienced in strength training. The sequence of exercises he recommends on pages 62-66 is flawed since it does not take into consideration spinal loading. It starts with chest dumbbell flys and ends with triceps extension. This would really upset the Bulgarians who know very well the basics of mechanics that most American trainers flunk. The same exercises are then repeated on pages 78-82 just to fill the space in a 174-page book.

The strength training approach is also flawed. The author considers the shoulders and arms minor muscles and the chest, back, and quadriceps major muscles and appropriates time depending on the size of the muscles. Thus, he appropriates one day per week to the shoulders. That is entirely haphazard approach to strengthening. The shoulders, lower back, and legs must be trained in almost every exercise. His misunderstanding of the shoulder's anatomy made him confuse the upper back, chest, and shoulder combination. These three groups of muscles mainly work on the shoulder joint from the back, upward, and forward, respectively. You cannot work out your chest or your upper back had your shoulder been stressed out.

The author forcibly cites success stories for his training method, yet from the photographs in the book, you could easily tell that he ignores the range of motion, the mechanics of lifting, and the training load. The author also hypes up the possibility of achieving higher goals with simple tools, limited time, and few exercises. Ten minutes of strength training with dumbbells would not accomplish higher goals. Although the author mentions the role of testosterone and growth hormone in building muscles, he improvises ridiculously flawed 2-4 sets exercises of 10-25 reps. High reps are not effective in stimulating these hormones. High intensity and low reps is the golden rule of strength training.






Rating:
Summary: Excellent, succinct no nonsense approach
Review: The size of this book speaks volumes as to the direct, organized approach that Harley outlines. This is a plan that anyone can implement without having to be married to a gym or working with complicated diets and formulas.

The approach to diet is common sense as is the exercise regimen. Everyone from any walk of like or physical capacity can benefit from this book.

Great work!

Rating:
Summary: SO SIMPLE, STUPID!!!!
Review: THIS is the way to lose weight in a healthy manner. Very similar to Weight Watchers, Harley will inform you how to balance diet and exercise to obtain LONG LASTING results. I stayed on his program for 4 weeks now, and already lost 12 lbs! This book will change you! I promise.

Rating:
Summary: 5 Factor Fitness
Review: Well, I finished your book this weekend and started your program Monday the 17th, and already I know that this is something I can work with.

As a 45 year old woman who is a long time work out/diet person (everything from the Zone, Atkins, Weight Watchers, all protein, no protein, and on and on), I'm very excited about your program. What I'm particularly excited about is the 25 min. work outs!! As a person that has spent lots of money on personal trainers and hours on workouts, I'm looking forward to the shorter, more intense workouts. I'm already sore all over (in a good way) and I haven't been sore from a work out in over a year!

I'll keep you informed of my progress. Thanks again for the thoughtful book. It's a new year for me.