[.ca] Functional Training: Everyone's Guide to the New Fitness ... (ISBN 1578260639)

Not the best:
This book, while offering some good guidelines for general fitness, does not have adaquate, specific, workout plans to address the various areas of fitness. Any book by Stew Smith, especially Maximum Fitness, or The Boot Camp Workout does a better job without all the high-and-mighty "I am a trained professional so just do as I tell you" attitude that these authors show. This book is written by several different people and as such. lacks continuity and a definitive workout plan. Alot of it comes across as the various authors' opinions. Do yourself a favor and buy Stew Smith's books instead.

FUNctional FITness is where it is at!:
Great book on an important trend in fitness. Whether you want to train for sports or just want to get more out of your workouts, this book details a variety of programs and exercises that add innovation and fun to your routine. Recommended.

Don't miss the point:
To the reviewer who said they never do "heavy lifting while balanced on an oversized inflatable ball...": That's not the point. The point is to strengthen your core muscles, to help you develop a healthy and strong back and abdominal muscles, which will help you prevent injury and reduce your risk of getting hurt when you perform other daily activities. It's a way of a) training your body to stay healthy and in shape and b) transferring the skills employed in the gym to your every-day life. The stability ball is merely a tool in helping you strenghthen your core, and your ability to balance and multi-task. Give this type of training another chance, keeping this information in mind, and I guarantee you will start to see things differently.

Based on the Latest In Fitness!:
Unfortunately the latest is not the greatest. The author's idea of functional training is that the most important element in any excercise is instability. However, I rarely find myself doing heavy lifting while balanced on an oversized inflatable ball. Sure, there are some good uses for Swiss Balls, but they're more of a supplement to traditional heavy weight routines. This is the type of training that I have always found most "functional". Unless you have very poor balance or you do most of your activities on an unstable surface, then other types of training will probably give you better carryover. Basically, this book is capitalizing on a recent trend in the fitness industry towards functionality. Unfortunately, nothing in this book will help you move furniture, open a pickle jar, or become a better athlete. Take a look at books by Tsatsouline, Kubik, Bass, Strossen, Siff or others for more thorough books on fitness.