The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman [Hardcover]

 

 

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I would say that 2/3 of the book really appeals to me, and the other 1/3 does not, and yet I feel like the $24 I spent on this 500 page beast of a book was well worth the price. From reading some reviews and discussion surrounding this book, I've come to realize that a lot of people really seem to hate it and its author Timothy Ferriss. I've seen him being accused of hacking Amazon's rating system (check the article comments on TechCrunch) and it's been said that he's nothing more than a sleazy marketer who knows how to talk up a room. As for the book, there are some people who write it off as being "nothing new" or full of unsubstantiated claims. I'd venture a guess that 99% of those people haven't actually read it. The book does make a lot of bold claims, some which may seem unbelievable (gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days by only working out for 60 minutes per week? Yeah, right!) at first, but then become more plausible as you delve deeper into the book.

This is one of those books that has a little bit of something for everybody, and is not intended to be read from front to back. There are sections on how to build muscle, how to lose fat, how to get a 6-pack, and even how to improve your sex life.

I've learned a lot from reading this book, and one of the most important things I've come to realize is that what you eat, and when you eat it, matters a lot more than how many hours you spend on the treadmill. Exercise is obviously important, but ultimately it's all about what you eat. You can go to the gym everyday, run 60 minutes on the treadmill and lift a bunch of weights, but if you go home and eat a bunch of packaged foods and drink a keg of beer, you're going to get fat. Eating the right stuff at the right times throughout the day can really help you out, and help you reach your goals.

Some other things I've learned, had reconfirmed, or changed about my day-to-day life:

- Don't drink calories. Pop, juice and even milk are mostly just empty calories. Drink lots of water, and some green tea and a glass of red wine doesn't hurt.
- Eat carbs, but only after you've just worked out.
- Mixed nuts such as cashews, Brazil nuts, and almonds are great snacks and are full of stuff that is good for you.
- Vegetables are good for you, and should comprise the biggest chunk of your meal. Start with vegetables, then add protein.
- Fish > Chicken > Beef
- Eat a high-protein and carb meal within 30 minutes of finishing your workout.
- Don't eat a lot of dairy products. Cheese and milk might taste good, but they're not all that healthy for you. You can get the calcium and vitamins from nuts and fish instead.

There's a lot of information in this book, and it is actually a bit overwhelming. Anyone who's spent time in the gym or has even a bit of education in human kinetics will probably find a lot of the material is just rehashing things they already know. That being said, Ferriss' gift is that he puts it all in an easy-to-follow framework, with short chapters told through engaging stories. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in their own well-being and actually wants to think about what they eat and how to get the most out of a workout.

I'm a big fan of the Four Hour Work Week. Not only was it a great read, but it contained rather unique ideas that caused me to reevaluate how to run my business and also my life. I would go as far to say that it is one of the last decade's seminal pieces of business literature that all serious business people should read.

With that in mind, it's unfortunate that The Four Hour Body is such a big let down. First, it's not really a book, but rather a series of independent chapters that the author says can be read independently. As such, the book doesn't really flow, and there's no real end goal. Second, I really can't tell who the target audience is, but a lot of the book appears to be geared towards people with very serious athletic ambitions. Want to run marathons, fix previous injuries with plasma injections, or lift more than 3x your weight? Sure, you'll get something out of the book. But the legions of normal people who bought the Four Hour Work Week probably won't.

Another problem I have is that the majority of the links that the author uses in the book appear to be affiliate links where the author makes money when someone purchases an item. Given that I can't seem to find any disclaimer that this is the case, I personally feel like it undercuts the serious message in some of the chapters, especially with the chapter on how to lose weight. How does one know that those supplements aren't being recommended simply to make money off of them? It's a conflict of interest, and it undercuts the message.

The author also has spent a lot of time doing medical experiments on himself, the results of which are used to reinforce some of the ideas in the book. Unfortunately, a experiment with one person is completely useless statistically. All it shows are the results for the author, and nothing else can be inferred from their presentation. In fact, there's one series of data that the author presents, but then spends far more time discussing all the problems with how he did the experiment than the time spent discussing the actual results. If the experiment was so bad, why not revise the methodology, or exclude it completely? It just seems hastily put together.

I was expecting a lot more from this book based on the marketing, the revolutionary ideas in The Four Hour Work Week, and some of the entries on the author's blog. But this book was one of the first books in a long time I started skimming near the end, simply because I was no longer interested in it.

I recently received this book as a gift (but had been planning to buy it anyway) and am very pleased with it so far.

As has been noted in other reviews, the book is not one that is intended to be read cover to cover. So far, I have implemented just one piece of advice from the book, and that was to eat two tablespoons of almond butter before bed to make waking up easier by combating low blood sugar. As someone who would wake up at 11 am if left to my own devices and still feel tired, I was thrilled with the results! I had an excellent night's sleep and woke more refreshed than I have in years.

Though I have yet to implement them, the chapters on muscle gain make sense for a hard-gainer like myself. The advice is very similar to what is written in Scrawny to Brawny, which I know from experience works for slight-of-build folk.

From my own experience so far, I would say this book does what it states and would recommend it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The 4-hour Body
This book added years to my life, if you don't buy it is your loss. Speaking of losses I weighed 285 lbs. at start, 8 months later 203 lbs. 50+ in first 4. Read more

Published 17 days ago by Rod Bettcher

4.0 out of 5 stars A good purchase for me
Most of the chapters either taught me something new or refreshed my memory on things that I had read before. Read more

Published 1 month ago by GPX

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of all worlds
If you want rapid body transformation, with straight forward talk, look no further. And all from a guy who got into the trenches and used his own body as the lab! Read more

Published 2 months ago by reclifter

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Got the book after listening to the audio version. The book has tones of info at you finger tips , great stuff.

Published 3 months ago by Joe Blow

5.0 out of 5 stars The 4-Hour Body
This book is amazing and a delight to read. The author makes his points in a very decisive manner while introducing humour in a subject that is very dry! Read more

Published 3 months ago by Angel

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Inspiring and Movivating!!
I can't remember the last time that a book motivated or inspired me this much! What a tremendous amount of information packed into chapters that are digestible. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Lyle

3.0 out of 5 stars My mistake
Have not listened to it yet - my mistake - I thought I was ordering the book - my husband's request was for a book but I'm sure this will do - thank you.

Published 7 months ago by kproehl@ualberta.ca

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing..Just another unrealistic fad diet book
I enjoyed the four hour work week, and purchased this book hoping it would be offer some interesting and practical solutions for weight loss. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Lisa North

5.0 out of 5 stars Dont buy another book on diet or fitness until you read this.
In this book Tim has basically taken all the latest research on body modification, nutrition and training and tested it on himself. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Mark Twain Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Logical ideas that actually work
Ferriss' book is easy to read, well organized and interesting enough that it usually can't be put down before finishing a chapter. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Erica

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