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Fitness For Dummies

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The latest and greatest in getting fit and staying that way "Fitness For Dummies, 4th Edition, " provides the latest information and advice for properly shaping, conditioning, and strengthening your body to enhance overall fitness and health. With the help of fitness professionals Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, you'll learn to set and achieve realistic fitness goals without expensive fitness club fees Achieve motivation and social support from social networking sites such as Twitter and FacebookTake advantage of digital resources such as e-exercising programs, video instructors, digital training systems, apps, and moreGives you the latest tips and methods to test your own fitness level, set realistic goals, stick with your program, and get great resultsShows you how to spot where fat is sneaking into your dietGet the most out of high-tech exercise machines and equipment, plus tips for using dumbbells or a simple jump rope to achieve resultsOffers step-by-step instructions on creating a home gym on a budget

Featuring all-new informative fitness photos and illustrations, this revised edition of "Fitness For Dummies" is all you need to get on track to a healthy new body

432 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 1997

72 people are currently reading
738 people want to read

About the author

Suzanne Schlosberg

43 books6 followers
Suzanne Schlosberg is a top health, nutrition, and parenting writer. A former senior editor of Shape magazine, she is the author or coauthor of ten books, including Fitness for Dummies, The Ultimate Diet Log, and The Essential Breastfeeding Log. Her articles have appeared in Health, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, and Parenting, among others. She resides in Bend, Oregon."

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5 stars
54 (23%)
4 stars
63 (27%)
3 stars
89 (38%)
2 stars
21 (9%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Xanthi.
1,650 reviews16 followers
March 3, 2014
Published in 2001, this book is now very dated but there is still a lot of sensible and useful information for fitness novices like me. Written in a very easy to read style and complete with photographs. I learnt a fair bit. I now just have to get off my arse and do it. ;)
Profile Image for William Schram.
2,433 reviews99 followers
August 28, 2018
Fitness for dummies is yet another installment of the “for Dummies” series. The version that I have happens to be the Fourth Edition. Bringing the internet and its phenomenal resources to more of a forefront than before, this edition was quite due. According to the authors, not much else has changed from the book. Certainly, there have been quite a few ‘fad’ diets, new fitness crazes, and new gadgets that have come out, but the basic ideas and tenets of fitness have not.

For instance, nutrition is paramount. You can try to compensate for that Triple Bacon Cheeseburger with a few hours on the treadmill, but it is far more efficient to merely choose better foods. As for fitness itself, it isn’t merely looking good in a mirror. True fitness is a state of being with tons of parameters. Say you look like a bodybuilder model but you can’t run a mile without panting heavily. This means you probably aren’t that fit. Given that there are multiple facets to fitness the book goes over all of them while asking pertinent questions.

While the book discusses good advice, it also covers really bad advice and tells you why it is bad. It gives you a way to develop your own BS detector. With the internet being so widespread now, it gives out tons of online resources so that you can do your own research. Keep in mind that this is the fourth edition though, the previous editions apparently had only a paragraph or two talking about the internet.

The book mentions that there are five aspects of fitness and tells you how to improve all of them. They are nutrition, cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility. Now personally, I found this book to be really well done. They cover all the basics while including some intermediate stuff. I know some things about being in shape and how to get fit, but I never do any of it with any regularity. Fitness for Dummies talks about how to establish a routine as well.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. If you can find a later edition, then I would pick it up. Otherwise, it might not be worthwhile to buy or read it if the information is outdated.
17 reviews
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August 6, 2025
For anyone wondering is Mad Muscles legit, many users report positive results using the app for workout guidance and habit building, which complements the straightforward fitness advice found in Fitness for Dummies. The app’s video tutorials and structured programs can be helpful for beginners looking for motivation and clarity.
Profile Image for Cassandra Moody.
131 reviews1 follower
January 28, 2022
This book is a good reminder of all the things you’re supposed to be thinking about while working out such as form, tension, increase in weight, etc. A good resource for those just starting out, and contains a good chapter on nutrition. Would recommend this to someone just getting interested in their health & working out.
95 reviews
April 17, 2020
For someone who has never had a regular exercise routine and is intimidated by the amount of info out there about the subject, I found this book to be very helpful. It was concise with good tips and provides a foundation for me to start filling in the gaps for my own personal workout plan.
451 reviews6 followers
June 20, 2017
Excellent introduction to the importance of fitness and the many different approaches available to achieve it.
Profile Image for Umakant.
8 reviews
August 6, 2022
It covers most topics related to fitness , it gives you introduction but not in depth
Profile Image for J.M..
121 reviews2 followers
May 26, 2023
A good overall view of fitness. I appreciated the sections on cardio. I credit this book with getting me to take the stairs, and walk more at work.
Profile Image for rey.
24 reviews
December 16, 2024
very informative only downside is it talked more about how to lose weight than to gain weight which is what i struggle with.
Profile Image for Ed.
364 reviews
January 5, 2009
I skimmed the "good parts" rather than read this baby cover to cover but possession it's been said is nine tenths of the law so i'll count this baby as "read" (pronounced to rhyme with the color red). There's some good info here.
40 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2012
I learned a lot about all aspects of fitness from this book. It gave me what I needed to get started in a fitness routine instead of stuck planning one.
Profile Image for Ruth.
24 reviews27 followers
August 28, 2012
I like it! Im pumped and ready to workout :)
Profile Image for Emily.
Author 2 books82 followers
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April 17, 2018
A great intro to fitness book, which I re-read to get motivated when I need it. :) There are useful tests for gauging your fitness, explanations on gym machines, and also a great section on free eights and strength training for devising your own program. The section on yoga is a bit...well...skimpy. But this isn't a yoga book. If you really want to try yoga, then get thee to a good studio.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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