Fitness FOR DUMmIES‰ 3RD EDITION by Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, M.A., with Tere Stouffer Drenth Praise for the first editions of Fitness For Dummies “Hey who are you guys calling a dummy? When it comes to fitness, like most male American slugs, I’m actually more of a complete blathering moronic idiot. This book will come in handy for those of us who don’t know a fat gram from Phil Gramm or a donut from a bagel. Now all I need to know is how to look cool and studly in the gym while sweating profusely.” —Steve Elling, Raleigh News & Observer “This book is a joy to read — written with wit and style, it comes as a wel- come reassurance that both razor-sharp accuracy and first-rate writing can co-exist in the same package.” —Jonathan Bowden, M.A.C.S.C.S., Senior Faculty, Equinox Fitness Training Institute and Contributing Editor, Fitness magazine “Fitness For Dummies is a smart buy for the exercise enthusiast. It’s the fitness equivalent of carbo-loading.” —Orange County Register “This is one of the most comprehensive, authoritative — and entertaining — fitness books I’ve ever seen.” —Men’s Fitness magazine “No one is more of a dummy when it comes to exercise than I am. Until I read Fitness For Dummies, I thought taking a book like this off the shelf counted as a workout. Now I know better. It’s only a warm-up!” —Phil Rosenthal, Columnist, Los Angeles Daily News “The exercise content and evaluations in this book are outstanding. Liz and Suzanne are the ultimate professionals, and Fitness For Dummies will help all exercisers maximize their potential.” —Fitness magazine “Fitness For Dummies is the definitive book for people who would like to achieve a stronger, healthier body.” —Mark Allen, Six-Time Ironman Champion “Suzanne and Liz have created an insider’s guide through the maze of mis- information about fitness. Before you buy an exercise gadget, a gym mem- bership, or a fitness video, read this book!” —Women’s Sports & Fitness magazine “Fitness For Dummies is a real rarity: a fitness book written by fitness writ- ers — two of the best. It’s full of smart, jargon-free, common-sense advice for anyone who’s interested in fitness. These two are not afraid to tell the truth. It’s like getting the word from a trusted friend.” —Shape magazine “I am duly impressed with the newest entry into the For Dummies series. From dispelling myths such as how we really burn fat to a comprehensive look at every choice of equipment on the market today, this book becomes a trustworthy, truly helpful guide to getting in shape.” —Diana Nyad, World Record Holder, Longest Swim in History, and TV Broadcaster Fitness FOR DUMmIES‰ 3RD EDITION by Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, M.A., with Tere Stouffer Drenth Fitness For Dummies®, 3rd Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permis- sion of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. 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Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2005920303 ISBN: 0-7645-7851-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 3B/RV/QT/QV/IN About the Authors Suzanne Schlosberg is a magazine writer known for her humorous approach to health and fitness. She is a contributing editor to Shape and Health maga- zines and coauthor of Weight Training For Dummies and Kathy Smith’s Fitness Makeover. She is also the author of The Ultimate Workout Log, Second Edition, and an instructor in UCLA Extension’s Certificate in Journalism Program. Suzanne writes frequently about her fitness adventures — from her failed tryout for The American Gladiators to her record-setting victory in Nevada’s Great American Sack Race, a quadrennial event in which competitors run 5 miles while carrying a 50-pound sack of chicken feed on their shoulders. Suzanne also has chronicled her two bicycle treks across the United States. She never travels without her weight-lifting gloves and has put them to good use at gyms in Zimbabwe, Morocco, Guam, and the Micronesian island of Yap. A Los Angeles native, Suzanne refuses to walk anywhere, including the Starbucks 0.4 miles from her house — to which she commutes daily in her SUV. Liz Neporent is a certified trainer and president of Plus One Health Management, a fitness consulting company in New York City. Her job is to make sure the members of more than a dozen fitness centers in hotels and corporations throughout New York are happy, motivated, and exercising on a regular basis. Liz holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and is certified by the American Council on Exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is coauthor of Abs of Steel, Buns of Steel: Total Body Workout, and Weight Training For Dummies. She also wrote Fitness Walking For Dummies. Additionally, she is the Gear Editor for Shape magazine and a regu- lar contributor to The New York Times. She appears regularly on TV and radio as an authority on fitness and exercise. Liz is an avid runner and has competed in more than two dozen marathons and ultra-marathons. She’s also a devoted sports climber, walker, hiker, and weight trainer. She lives in New York City with her husband, Jay Shafran, and her greyhound, Zoomer. Tere Stouffer Drenth is a fitness writer and retired professional runner who now spends her days hiking, walking, and snowshoeing with her workout partner, a chocolate Lab named Maxine. She is the author of Marathon Training For Dummies and coauthor of Fit Pregnancy For Dummies. Authors’ Acknowledgments The authors are indebted to Mitchel Gray, our photographer, and all the models depicted throughout this book: Nancy Ngai, Shel Bibbey, Terry Certain, Aja Certain, Annemarie Scarammucia, Melody Fadness, Yvonne Mitchell, Chris Stothard, Stacy Collins, Val Towne, James Jankiewicz, Jay Shafran, Doris Shafran, Melissa Saxon, Patty Buttenheim, Sunshine Hopkins, and Jane Scott. Thanks, also, to our agent, Felicia Eth, for staying on the ball. At Wiley, we’d also like to thank Acquisitions Editor Tracy Boggier, whose vision guided this project, and Project Editor Elizabeth Kuball, who managed our book project with grace, humor, and exceptional skill. Technical Editor Randall Broderdorf added tremendous value to the book with his spot-on recommendations and additions. From Suzanne: I’m grateful for input from Sarah Bowen Shea, Mary Duffy, Daryn Eller, Daniel Hernandez, Jim Kraft, John Lehr, Wendy Niemi Kremer, Jennifer Schlosberg, and Dana Sullivan.