cover image The World's Fittest You

The World's Fittest You

Joe Decker. Dutton Books, $24.95 (286pp) ISBN 978-0-525-94759-2

In his first offering, Decker, dubbed the World's Fittest Man by Guinness World Records, challenges readers to""shock"" themselves fit through""positive eating,"" hard work and commitment. A former fat kid farm-fed on whole milk and fried chicken, Decker turned flab into fitness before dedicating his life to helping others do the same. Unlike some fad weight-loss plans, Decker's program relies on good old-fashioned hard work. Throughout the book, Decker reiterates his philosophy that most exercise plans fail because of""exercise boredom"" and encourages readers to combat this phenomenon with""Outside the Box"" workouts at playgrounds and baseball fields. His no-frills meal plans and easy-to-follow""World's Fittest Man"" recipes include foods anyone can find stocked at a neighborhood supermarket. Fitness novices will appreciate the instructional photographs and Decker's detailed descriptions of more than 30 strength-training exercises, and more advanced readers will value his tips on endurance activities and on how to varying cardio workouts. Readers who look past the clumsy writing and relentless back-patting--""World's Fittest Man Fitness Fact,""""World's Fittest Man Total Body Stretch,""""this will be your World's Fittest You water bottle,"" etc.--will find a simple, well-crafted approach to changing their lifestyles. B&w photos throughout.