Core Performance Women: Burn Fat and Build Lean Muscle

by Mark Verstegen, Peter Williams

A world-class trainer to high-profile athletes showcases his breakthrough core-strength program for women who are serious about performing better in all aspects of their lives.

World-renowned strength and performance coach Mark Verstegen has trained top-notch athletes and countless workaday warriors in getting into the best shape of their lives. He's spent years developing a variety of strategies for a wide range of clients, and he knows the essential keys for building lean muscle, increasing strength and endurance, and breaking through plateaus. Expanding on his successful Core Performance brand, Verstegen shares his valuable, revolutionary program tailor-made for women.

Core Performance Women is geared toward developing the right mind-set for success, while presenting a targeted nutrition and workout plan to guarantee results. Essential to Verstegen's program is his focused approach to proper recovery and muscle regeneration, which helps athletes gain full advantage of their time in the gym and prevent injury. Verstegen offers his strategies for success, revealing his "non-diet" plan and four new rules for nutrition, including fast-food meal plans for women on the go. Packed with full-color photographs detailing each exercise, along with full workout routines and integrated meal plans, Core Performance Women takes every woman to the top of her game.

Genres: Fitness

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2009

Reviews

[Sondra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This version of the program is specifically geared toward women. Love Verstegen's ideas on warm-up and regeneration (foam-rolling). Reminds me I need to includes more of these regeneration exercises into my regime to prevent injury. A lot of other reviewers felt he took too long on the nutrition section, but I found his thoughts (while not revolutionary) to be comprehensive. He lays out exactly how much water and protein you should be consuming per day based on body weight for optimal health and to achieve your goals. Decided to purchase this book so I have a a visual reference. The exercises laid out are very well photographed and described very clearly.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would actually rate this book 3.5 stars. The exercise program is good, but around half the book is dedicated to diet and nutrition. Nothing in that first half is revolutionary or groundbreaking, so it could have been omitted or drastically cut and the price of the book decreased. Just saying.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the other Core Performance book, I skipped the nutrition part, and I'm using the exercises. The trigger point and regeneration exercises have been great so far. I had no idea a tennis ball could help so much.

[Sarah Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most fitness books, it could be half as long. But once you get past the introductory chapters of motivational chit chat, the workouts are pretty straightforward with lots of helpful photos. Exercises don't require a lot of equipment, so they could easily be done at home.

[J.R. Hampton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll read anything someone recommends to me… and this was recommended to me. That’s all I have to say lol

[Lalani · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's perfectly lovely the way he talks about girls".

I thought the basic ideas in this book were fantastic. You need to take care of your body now or you won't be able to take care of others as well later. The author seemed to make a good effort to explain he understood my situation and motivations as a mother and how to increase my abilities through healthy diet and exercise.

I am extremely excited to start. My only problem with this book is that it seems to be missing a page right in the middle of explaining how to do the exercise portion. So I get to the workout schedules at the end, and one of the elements makes absolutely no sense to me. After reading the website I think I've pieced together what to do, but that missing page is a real pain.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, especially due to how it's organized.
The writing is good, accessible, and motivating.
There are several sections on which exercises to do and when, plus very useful lists of what to eat, and fitness-related topics.
That said, I honestly felt that this book could have been a magazine article with the added lists and tutorials linked in at the end.

If you are looking for a reference book to start focusing on building up your core, this is for you. But if you want a really in-depth fitness book, look somewhere else.