Well it’s time for another book review. This time my focus is on two training manuals I recently purchased from Ross Enamait – “Infinite Intensity“ (mostly with dumbbells for maximum speed, endurance and strength), and “Never Gymless” (bodyweight training and minimal equipment for total fitness). The man stands apart from the current politics and fitness factions regarding methods of training. He tries everything himself, and passes the best on to us. And judging by his physique, his methods work.
These books are jammed full of information well beyond any other fitness “gurus”. Ross Enamait works out like an animal and his techniques lead to tremendous benefits in strength, power, speed, and endurance. He does not promise to reveal ’secret’ training methods or get into historical romanticism, use pseudo scientific jargon or promise ’silver bullet’ exercises.
What I like is that he uses different modalities as a means to an end – the development of the complete athlete. His view, that several roads can lead towards better overall development, is refreshing in light of so much overblown marketing hype on the internet.
With a regular dose of hard work and a properly designed program, Ross shows you can use almost any modality towards elite fitness attainment. This type of training conditions for multifaceted development, with individual attributes developed separately. For example, there may be several weeks of maximal strength training, then a shift towards explosive strength and after several more weeks, he heads towards strength endurance.
This is not fluff people, but good stand alone information which will lead you to lose body fat and slap some serious muscle onto your body. Enamait is the real deal, and in my view, both these books are among the finest of their class because he constantly experiments with new things in a never-ending quest to improve his abilities.
Of course there will be those who scoff at perceived limitations to their sport with his approach, or perhaps that his training could be dangerous. This is rebuffed in classic style by Enamait who says: “Ignorance is more dangerous than any exercise.”
If you have always been puzzled by the numerous types of fats mentioned in many health books, then this amazing book is for you. It is a landmark work in the study of fats, explaining what they are, how they are metabolized, types of fats, how they relate to our health, and so on.
According to Dr. Erasmus, since 1900, Omega 6 consumption has increased by about 20 times the previous levels, primarily because of increased use of certain vegetable oils in food preparation, while Omega 3s are now only 1/6 of previous levels. This means that we get too much Omega 6 and too little Omega 3 fatty acids.
Erasmus gives a comprehensive presentation of what happens at the molecular level with foods that we typically consume, and puts a unique perspective on what our bodies need. He does an excellent job in denouncing the myths about fats in the diet, pointing us to the well documented truth of the vital role ‘good fats’ plan in our body and the harmful effects of the highly processed fats.
Now you can learn the truth about the manufacturing processes that turns healing fats into killing fats; the effects these have on human health and information that enables you to choose the right types of oils.
Erasmus has a gift of taking the complex and making it simple, but still, some of the in-depth chapters can be a tough read at times. He goes to great length explaining the chemistry behind fats, but even if you skip the in-depth chapters, you will still learn more than with almost any other book on the subject – it’s that good.
Jordan Rubin takes the reader through a graphic and often humorous description of his ordeal with Crohn’s disease. He tried every method seeking a cure, but what turned him around was a twofold approach involving traditional whole foods, as well as trying soil-based organisms providing beneficial bacteria for his digestive tract.
He synthesizes dietary advice from the Bible and backs up this ancient wisdom with modern scientific studies. The results, he says, are what made the Israelites the healthiest people in ancient times can help restore your health today.
Rubin talks about fermented, soaked or sprouted grains as the healthiest types, and lists fat is our friend, specifically saturated fat and essential fatty acids. Modern agriculture is also given a thumbs down, especially the practice of cows fed grain, producing meat and milk markedly inferior superior to those animals fed fresh grass. The fatty acid ratio of grass-fed beef resembles that of fish, and grass-fed dairy is high in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a potent cancer fighter.
Other subjects feature the importance of natural sunlight, the proper amount of sleep, supplementation, fluoride, artificial sweeteners, chlorinated water, immunizations and many many more topics.
Rubin’s program will be difficult for many to follow, as it calls for dramatic dietary changes. But overall it gives common sense advice that, if followed, will produce a healthier lifestyle. His approach is unique, and he covers a wide variety of subjects which may be unknown to the average reader. This alone provides a refreshing alternative to the dribble of today’s fad diets.
“Eating Alive” is a must read for anyone who would like to know more about illness and the answers to solving those problems. It answers many questions about about eating for health, and will remove all of your confusion about proper intestinal well-being.
It’s definitely not a dry read and the concept are easily absorbed. Dr. Matsen has an understanding of disease and digestion that is fundamentally sound, effective and simple to implement. Anyone reading this book with an open mind will benefit immensely from integrating its principles. Those who do not, are probably not following the guidelines for the necessary time period.
In my opinion, this is one of the best texts on health for the common consumer and should be an integral part of your library. Consult it if you have problems, or even just to brush up if it’s been a while since you read it. The time spent will help you feel significantly better, as you apply the information.
