The Resistance Training Revolution: The No-Cardio Way to Burn Fat and Age-Proof Your Body—in Only 60 Minutes a Week

by Sal Di Stefano

"Sal Di Stefano's raw fitness truths about motivation, resistance training and intuitive eating can help anyone, at any age, at any level."
--Jason Fung, MD, New York Times bestselling author

Tired of spending hours on the treadmill? Dealing with the joint paint of high impact exercise? And seeing very few results in terms of fat-burning and weight loss? If so, it's time to join the revolution. Sal Di Stefano, the founder of the mega popular Mind Pump podcast, reveals how resistance training is the best form of exercise to burn fat, boost metabolism, and achieve health benefits you cannot obtain from other forms of exercise. Based on Mind Pump's Muscular Adaptation Programming System (MAPS), The Resistance Training Revolution features:
How to optimize your workout time with over 60 fat-burning, metabolism-boosting workouts you can do at home
Raw fitness truths about what works and what doesn't
The newly discovered health benefits of resistance training in terms of heart health, bone strength, joint protection, and especially antiaging
The exact formula for nutrition that makes losing fat while sculpting your body a breeze
Dozens of self-assessments to track your progress, and much more

"Stop those mindless hours of 'cardio' and make real gains in health and weight loss... Resistance exercise that builds muscle is key to weight loss, metabolic health, even healthy aging."
--William Davis, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wheat Belly book series

Genres: Health, Fitness, Nonfiction, Bodies, Audiobook, Self Help, Science

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2021

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been very heavy, though when I did head in that general direction about ten years ago, and when my doctor suggested I needed to go on medications for my heart, bp and cholesterol, I turned to running. My Dad died on the operating table from his second by-pass surgery, so I always have that to motivate me. I had once been a track coach and have always jogged 2-3 days a week for general health, but I started then to prepare for marathons and got lean and my heart rate and bp plummeted. But you know how it goes, when I began getting busy again I ran less, and I got in a little worse shape again. Then Covid hit and so I decided to get a Fitbit watch and run and walk every day, which I have now done for a year and a half. All good results with cardio, what's not to like?

Well, all the heart signs are great, but I had not gone to the gym all this time, of course. I knew of these folks who claim cardio is bad for you, it lowers your metabolism, it'a an inefficient way to lose weight, and so on, but I always have had good results from it, and you know, I recall my dad saying goodbye to me before his surgery. But I read/skimmed this book and rejoined the gym to get back to more resistance training. We'll see. At this stage in my life it's not about body-sculpting, of course (ha!), but I'd like to live longer and have more oxygen energizing my brain so I can write more and read more books and just keep active.

[A.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not exaggerating – even a little bit – when I state that if you are trying to lose fat and improve your overall health, the mindset and methods presented in this book will help you! If you're like me, it may be difficult (at first) to wrap your head around the claim that you don’t need to focus on cardio to get in shape. However, Di Stefano takes you through the issues and dismantles objections with scientific logic and references. Furthermore, I can attest to this approach with my own personal experiences!

Some background – I have struggled with my weight since childhood. This led to all sorts of desperate attempts at weight loss at first – every pill, shake, workout shortcut, and fad diet that I came across, I tried. Nothing worked in the long-term. Finally, when I was about 18, I jumped head-first into cardio. An hour a day, all out, 6 days a week...and the fat just melted away in months! In my brain, this put cardio at the pinnacle of all things fitness. Only later on, was I able to put it into context: 1) I stopped shoving garbage into my body – sodas, chips, pizza, candy, etc. was all either limited or stopped altogether, 2) I got a job at a furniture store and spent most of my time there loading trucks, moving mattresses and sofas, 3) I was young and saw a multifaceted lifestyle change. Of course my body was going to react quickly – I literally changed everything! However, that “cardio is king” approach was burned into my brain, and stayed there for a LONG time!

Now in my early 40s, I’ve stayed relatively healthy and active since. Only recently have I really taken a step back, taken stock of my approach, changed my goals a bit, and realized that I’ve basically been doing the same thing and staying at the same level for years. My weight (once around 265-270), kept hovering between 200 and 210. When I did lift, the amount would pretty much stay the same. I was still devoting massive amounts of time to cardio - going nuts with it, and keeping my calories at around 1700 - 1800. I just felt like I was treading water. So, I hired a personal trainer. Coincidentally, this is about the same time I discovered the Mind Pump podcast (Di Stefano is one of 3 hosts).

Getting with a trainer who started me on the right path was absolutely the best thing I could have done. He began to explain to me the concepts that Di Stefano lays out in this book. By focusing so much on cardio and eating a calorically restrictive diet, my body was becoming really efficient at going through the cardio motions, but at the cost of my metabolism and muscle mass. Yes, I could run for 45 minutes, jump on a Jacob's Ladder, or hit the elliptical for an hour and burn (what I thought were) massive amounts of calories, but I was really telling my body to slow my metabolism and not put on any muscle (muscle is greedy tissue and burns a lot of calories just to exist, so when you do massive amounts of cardio, your body will often sacrifice it for the calorie expenditure). I was told, and this is backed up in Di Stefano’s book, that the most effective strategy for fat loss is to build muscle through resistance training. I’m currently about 9 weeks into this approach, and the results speak for themselves: I have stepped back from cardio (not eliminated completely), began focusing on resistance training, and actually INCREASED my calories incrementally, now at 600 more per day than when I began! I have lost over 7 pounds of fat and put on 2.5 pounds of muscle! I’m sleeping better, and I feel better overall.

I apologize if it seems like I've rambled on about myself, but I want to make it clear that I am living proof that the principles, strategies, and techniques found in this book work! It is true that I had started on this path before I opened the book, but what it did was offer clarity, detail, and validation. It took me about 15 years of trial and error, desperation, feeling like I was working my absolute hardest and getting nowhere, to arrive at this point and finally start seeing (and feeling) results. Pick this book up, read it, check out the author's podcast (Mind Pump), apply these lessons (there are tons of useful exercises, tips to help your mindset/attitude, and links for instructional videos), and you will see positive results!

[Wendy Clow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh....
Ok, that might be harsh, lol! It was a good read, and I agree with most of the theories taught in this book. I've been into fitness my entire adult life and have held a few certifications in personal training and group fitness. I'm an avid reader and learner of topics I enjoy, health and fitness being one of my favorites. To me, this book would be a good read for a beginner in learning about the theories of working out and good nutrition. But if you've been around for a while, it's pretty basic.

That being said, I've read a lot of hype and crap made up by people who just want to sell stuff. This is not that. I believe De Stefano is qualified and knows what he's doing. I've listened to his interviews and read other stuff by him. He is someone I would trust for advise.

I wrote a review of this book on my blog if you want to read more: https://bookloverslife.com/2021/06/16...

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For years I've been following the mainstream health advice of 150 minutes of cardio a week and strength training twice a week. So much of the emphasis has been put on the cardio, with resistance training added almost as an afterthought. This book explains why resistance training is what we should be focusing on in our workouts, and why too much cardio could keep us from losing weight.

There are three workout plans: a bodyweight only workout, a dumbbell workout, and a gym or home gym workout. There are also chapters on diet and getting ready to make changes in your life. The section "Motivation Versus Discipline" is especially good, and can be applied to many areas of one's life. DiStefano cites many studies in the book, and I was glad to see that there is a References section at the end of the book.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The majority of the Resistance Training Revolution is filled with very motivational knowledge from an experienced fitness instructor. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to hear this quote?

“Cardio, though it has its place, is the least valuable activity for our body. Cardio slows your metabolism. Cardio-type exercise is an ineffective tool for weight loss. You will learn to exercise less, eat more, and boost your fat-burning to new levels of efficiency.”

The exercise programs don’t appear until 124 pages into the book. And, I hate to say it, there is little new there, at least in the beginner’s program. I’m still not sold on not warming up before exercise but instead “priming”. The last third of the book includes a section on intuitive eating that also didn’t wow me.

Overall, the first 120 pages were great and may just be the push you need to start exercising. However, the rest of Resistance Training Revolution didn’t follow through on the promise of innovation that it led me to expect. 3 stars.

Thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone on a weight loss journey, I was very impressed with the easy to understand format. It felt like I was getting work out advice from a really fit friend! The author was encouraging and stressed the importance of working at the right pace for your body. The pictures of each exercise were so helpful. I also enjoyed the detailed descriptions. They empowered me to get up in the moment and try following the instructions just to see how accurate they were. I was not disappointed especially because as stated, this program is designed to be done in the comfort of your own home if you wish. You don't need to go broke buying expensive equipment; just the basics and your body weight. This is definitely a book I would keep on hand for reference and motivation.

[Gideon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to resistance training. It also is a good read for anyone who has trained for a while (be it 3 years plus) that feels frustrated or don’t know how to progress. The book reminds one of how important it is to get the basics right, in terms of training, life style and diet. Highly recommended this book. It helps not only with insightful advice and tips, but also aims to help one build a healthy relationship with exercise, weight loss and food - a goal I think it succeeds in.

[Ricky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring account on how to build muscle and exercise with our modern day lifestyles. I also enjoyed his framing of food and our relationship with food and connecting it to how our bodies feel.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guide provides solid information for people interested in improving their fitness and health. The author shows why resistance training is better for building muscle compared to group classes or cardio. There's an array of routines for every fitness level and each exercise is clearly shown with photos and descriptions. This is the kind of book you'd want to buy and keep handy for quick reference. Like all exercise books, there's a section on nutrition, and while it includes good advice, there's nothing earth shattering. Anyone embarking on a new exercise goal will find this book extremely useful.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot in this book I already knew (but wasn't actually doing) but it has inspired me to get back into resistance training!

I like how it addresses the importance of maintaining a routine (spoiler-motivation isn't reliable, consistency is key) and provides practical ways to start a realistic, beneficial journey.

It has chapters on resistance vs cardio, intuitive eating, health benefits, actual exercise plans and challenges so much of what we think we need to do to get fit.

Do read.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very motivational and he breaks down weight loss through resistance training into a very easy, achievable goal. I picked up my hand weights the next day and started. There are instructional videos on his website as well to get technique correct.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had firsthand (grueling) experience on how a cardio approach to fat loss fails. I lost 60lbs doing the steady cardio approach and counting my calories ("just eat less and exercise more" they say) and thought I was making real progress...truth is I lost mostly muscle and water weight, not much fat. Worst of all, my body adapted to my exercise and caloric restriction, so I had to starve myself and exercise more to lose and maintain weight. Eventually I couldn't keep it up and started eating normal meals and the weight came back on at an alarming rate, except this time I had less muscle, which put me in an even worse situation.

I first learned about how chronic cardio was doing more harm than good in Craig Ballantyne's book "The Great Cardio Myth". That book was a paradigm shift for me (along with "The Calorie Myth" by Jonathan Bailor). I cut back on cardio and saw amazing results.

The Resistance Training Revolution has convinced me to scale back cardio even more. I had been putting resistance training at the beginning of my workouts and doing cardio at the end for a couple years (usually in intervals, sometimes high intensity intervals). While reading this I began to cut cardio out of most of my workouts entirely and am pleasantly surprised by the result. My weight has changed little, but my clothes fit better (indicating I'm burning fat and putting on muscle), and I save more time at the gym. It's become clear to me that I don't HAVE to do cardio at all to lose body fat (although I do like to go on walks and run a little bit; difference is, I don't run with the thinking I'm going to be burning fat).

This book recommends body weight workouts at home. I did a little of that when Covid first hit. I liked it but was unsure how effective it was versus a gym. I was pleasantly surprised to see the recommendation in this book. I will probably keep my gym membership a couple of more months and then transition to exclusively doing home workouts (the convenience is hard to beat). The pictures in the book are very helpful as well.

This will probably be the last exercise/fitness book I read for a long time. I think the evidence for resistance training is compelling and it is clearly laid out in this book.

[Mark Blane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 5 stars because Stefano really hammers home how Cardio can make you fat, and how resistance training, and HIIT is really the way to go for fat loss and getting ripped. Since he focuses on this aspect heavily, it makes his fitness book different from most, and keeps the Cardio myth exposed for all willing to learn why.

Even though this book is for beginners on a resistance training program, it still gets five stars for exposing the myths of cardio and reminding people why it is super important to build muscle for health and vitality. Well done Stefano.

[Andrew Cousins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was an absolutely brilliant no nonsense guide to resistance training and diet. The diet and motivation advice seems very well researched. I’m not sure that I will use the exercise programs, even though they are excellent because I already have my own program with kettlebells, but I’ve still picked up some great ideas for body weight exercises that I will be trying out.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resistance traing has been the core of my fitness regimen for 20+ years. The easy-to-understand, backed-by-science information in this book will save you the decades it took me to learn these core principles by trial and error (er…wasted time and injuries).

A must read for anyone (especially women):
- new to resistance training
- who believes cardio is the way to lose weight
- who is looking for the best way to transform their bodies into a more healthy version.

Thanks, Sal (and Adam, Justin, and Doug), for the important work that you are doing spreading this message about resistance training

[Taddow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this book, Sal Di Stefano, is one of the hosts of the Mind Pump podcasts- it's one of my few go-to fitness podcasts that I enjoy listening to, and I’ve learned a lot on health and fitness from its hosts. A lot of the information in this book can be learned from listening to various episodes of Mind Pump, but I still found the book enjoyable because this information is found in a single source (instead of listening to parts of different Mind Pump episodes) and the writing style was easy to read and entertaining. I think the book is targeting a beginner or perhaps someone returning to fitness who has been away from it for a while, but I still found it valuable. Even with my decades of fitness knowledge and experience, I still found a few things I didn’t know and even of couple of fitness myths that I still believed.

As a side note, I recently decided to change up my workout routine and decided to purchase a couple of Mind Pump’s Muscle Adaptation Programming System (MAPS) work-out programs. At the time of this review, I am on week 7 of Anabolic and I am seeing some gains (increased strength and muscle definition), so I’m happy with it and looking forward to seeing what results I’ve accomplished when the program is complete.

[ChristineK · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading only the first chapter of The Resistance Training Revolution, I was convinced to increase resistance training and decrease my cardio workouts. This is an inspiring book.
The reader benefits from the author's personal experience and from clients he has trained. There are tests to evaluate where you are in regard to mobility, posture, sleep, gut health, etc.. Many tips on how to live healthier and "raw fitness truths" appear throughout.
Chapter 5 was a favorite, Sal DiStefano explains how to develop discipline. He also covers how to overcome obstacles to reaching your fitness goals.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I like how it gives photos of correct form for exercises. The 9-week workout plans seem easy to follow and stick with. The food chapters focus on intuitive eating. The resistance training models presented here and the advice on food seem primed for becoming habit and routine. The author is clearly knowledgeable and brings insight from years of working as a personal trainer. I’m excited to give this program a try!

[Ridho Febriansa · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book, provides information, personal experience, and public research on things that were explained in the book

answers few my question here:
- if we want to burn fat, why do we have to exercie
- what exercise exactly needed to burn fat

and got something that I didn't expect to be,
- cardio could ruins your "fat burning" program
- muscle is a way to burn fat passively in long term

definitely great, would like to read it again sometimes after trying out few things.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great resource for beginners in terms of best practices for managing your overall health -- what to focus on and not focus on with all the trends and diets. I enjoyed the reminders and picked up a few tips. But the audiobook did not include the actual workouts. So, if you are looking to start the strength training Sal advertises throughout the book, you have to pay hundreds of dollars on his website.

[Rachel Mclaughlin-Mcmanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Mind Pump team and podcast so I thought I’d give the book written by one of the hosts, Sal Di Stefano, a read. It is a bit dense and full of information, but the benefits of understanding and staying in tune with your body are immense. This book can help someone new to training, someone trying to build mass, and even just someone who wants yo have better control of their body. I would recommend this read to my own clients.

[Nikki Maxey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Mind Pump Podcast, they are funny and informative. I feel like the book fell a bit short though. It has some great advice and I’m sure you can achieve all your health journey goals buy taking their advice. But could a book be anymore boring and dry…..

[Taylor Zanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a ton of new info… didn’t realize most of the book would be photos of exercises. Wish there was more copy.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big subscriber to the Mind Pump mentality of weight loss and most importantly weight maintenance. This book lays that mentality out perfectly and would recommend it to anyone struggling.

[Vinod Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one. Provides good basics for resistance training.

[Kevin Halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much information out there on exercise and diet is a scam, a short-term solution that is unsustainable, or both. Sal Di Stefano of MindPump shares a better way in The Resistance Training Revolution.

I found the book really helpful. Di Stefano shares lots of great information (a little overwhelming at times) that will shake up your assumptions about diet and exercise). He shares a solid framework that I’ve seen work, mainly because of my brother’s influence on me. My brother is a certified personal trainer and sees Di Stefano as a major influence, although they differ on some minor points. (Follow my brother on Instagram and use him as a trainer if you’d like—tell him Kevin sent you.) I found myself agreeing with much of Di Stefano’s advice (I didn’t appreciate his evolutionary beliefs) but had to dumb it down for myself at points.

Here’s my take on four things most people can do to get started:

1) Resistance training (like lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises) adds muscle that makes you look better and increases your metabolism, making your body burn more calories while resting. That will help you lose and maintain weight. (If you don’t like the idea of weights, do simple bodyweight exercises like air squats, pushups, and pull-ups.)

2) Monitor calorie intake. This has helped me realize easy ways to cut wasted calories on things like mayonnaise on a sandwich, many salad dressings, drinking calories, high-calorie breads, bagels (which have as many calories as a donut but I thought were healthier), etc. Shaving off useless calories was easy and allows me to eat what I want to in moderation (Chicago style pizza and donuts, mainly) without gaining weight.

3) Get enough protein each day. Protein is key because your muscles need it for growth and maintenance. Many people recommend to take your bodyweight and multiply it by 0.8 to get the number of grams you need per day. Working to meet your calorie and protein goals will shape your diet and snacking, and thus will make an incredible difference immediately.

4) Get enough sleep. For most people it’s between 7-8 hours. It’s amazing how good sleep can help with so many things in life (diet, exercise, energy levels, mental alertness, stress, etc.).

If you do those four things right, and you’ll be on the right track. I focus on these four and eating healthy and can say I’ve never had better control over my overall health and fitness.

Di Stefano’s book is a helpful guide for taking care of your body. The good news is that anyone can implement it and there’s no snake oil or five easy payments of $19.99 involved!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

**.5

There is some good advice on starting a fitness and healthy eating programme with the primary aim of losing weight. Unfortunately, the way he goes about it is less than ideal.

The biggest substantive issue is that he presents resistance training vs aerobic exercise as an either/or zero sum game, and generally shits on aerobic exercise as being at best a waste of time. For instance, he repeats the long debunked myths that running causes injuries, weight gain, and muscle loss. Then, after spending a good part of the early chapters making the case that resistance training is better in every way (health, weight loss, fitness, longevity, appearance, etc.) he goes on to recommend that the reader walk, bike, hike, or swim daily!

The presentation also leaves a lot to be desired. He presents well-established long-accepted conclusions as if they are revelatory and constitute a "revolution." He also tends to focus on aesthetics rather than health, at least in the first half of the book. He rightfully points out that there is no such thing as "toning" muscles, and that such terminology is part of the scam by Big Fitness. But then he turns around and uses the equally fallacious term "body sculpting."

The subtitle says "60 minutes a week" but once you get into the actual training plans, they are standard 30-45 minute sessions, 3x per week. Plus 10-15 minutes daily mobilization exercises. Plus 2-3 HIIT sessions weekly. For the same 3-5 weekly hours of every other programme. Not surprising, as there are no shortcuts, just a misleading clickbait title.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm about to commit to a lifelong strength training program—as long as I am able to—in my upcoming home gym. Since I don't have much knowledge about this at all, I wanted to listen to this audiobook as a preface before I begin the Muscular Adaptation Programming System (MAPS) Starter Bundle (by the same author + his team). I didn't wanna spiral into a vortex of information, so I happened to find Tim at gymcrafter.com and currently going by his recommendations, which includes this one.

= = = = =

Chapter 15 / 05:01:57
Mon, Sep 12 | 5:10:32 AM
Stay connected. Social isolation is…pretty bad.

Chapter 13 / 04:24:59
Sun, Sep 11 | 9:28:06 PM
Myth of eating small frequent meals throughout the day isn’t backed by any scientific research at all and apparently started with breakfast cereal companies

Chapter 13 / 04:10:02
Sun, Sep 11 | 2:08:28 PM
Someone named Vicky as an example

Chapter 8 / 03:03:21
Sun, Sep 11 | 11:57:25 AM
The Total Body Home Gym Program for intermediate level

Chapter 6 / 02:29:37
Sat, Sep 10 | 9:03:19 PM
“Here’s all you need to set up an effective home gym:” (plus affirmation that home gyms are the best gyms!)

Chapter 4 / 01:12:58
Sat, Sep 10 | 12:19:16 PM
“If you are over the age of 35 and not doing resistance training” omg good thing I’m starting now 😂

[Holly Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful and comprehensive introduction to resistance training. The best content by far is all of the content specific to resistance training, which is mainly the workouts and routines. I think it's great that he has different workout versions for at-home with resistance bands, dumbbell-only, and full gym. I particularly found the sections on mobility testing and exercises really enlightening and important, since this is something that is talked about but doesn't get explained very in-depth. He takes the time to explain common lingo like reps, sets, failure, etc., which is helpful because these terms get thrown around all the time but can be ambiguous to the average beginner.

I don't agree on the strong anti-cardio message, but I understand from a weight-loss perspective why it is counter-productive and overlooked. I was less impressed with any time he gives advice that is not specific to resistance-training (the nutrition I could give him a pass for, but the stress reduction I had to roll my eyes at). Overall, when he's in his lane and educating on resistance training, the information is solid. I would certainly recommend this for anyone looking to get into resistance training but don't know where to start, or if you have been resistance training but want to do your routine better.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Hachette Book Group - Hachette Go in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so educational to the max that I think I will be doing a lot more strength and resistance training for a long while. Sal DiStefano was so informative and descriptive without being complex and for people like me when it comes to my health, the simpler the better. I used to be fit doing a lot of cardio eating plenty of fish and fruits and vegetables but my skin did look flabby and I was still feeling bloated. Sal says in his book if I incorporated some resistance training, my skin can sculpt itself from the movement I do using weight resistance. I know Sal is not a healthcare professional and for doing any new workouts, please consult your doctor. Thanks to this book, I have never been more excited to incorporate more weight training into my workout and see my body re-sculpt into the body it can be.

We will consider adding this title to our R Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.