How would you describe a fit female? Maybe she's someone who looks great in everything she wears, has defined arms, a small waist, no jiggle, and lots of confidence. She definitely looks like she works out but she's not starved, cranky, or exhausted. Whatever she's doing, it agrees with her. If you see her at the gym or in front of you in the grocery store checkout line, you might say, "That is what I want to look like!"
Rachel Cosgrove's new book, The Female Body Breakthrough, is about achieving that "fit female" look in the speediest way possible. The workouts are cutting edge but the information is presented for a mainstream audience. It doesn't assume you're an already-lean, research-quoting, internet fitness forum junky. This is a book that you could hand to your aerobicizing, fat gram-counting, pink dumbbell-lifting, clueless sister-in-law and totally bring her up to speed on current methods - free weights, metabolic resistance training, total body workouts, healthy fat, nutrient timing, etc..
For trainers and advanced exercisers, the book includes a look inside the latest training methods at Rachel and Alwyn Cosgrove's gym, Results Fitness, a facility that's world-renowned for rapid fat loss. It includes 16 weeks of periodized routines and is divided into four phases. The format is reminiscent of Afterburn but there's something important missing - the treadmill. There is no traditional cardio at all, not even machine intervals. Holy snot!
The program follows the "hierarchy of fat loss" so that if your schedule only allows for two workouts per week, they'll be total body strength workouts because those give you the biggest fat-blasting, shape-changing bang. In later phases, and if your schedule allows, you'll add a third strength day. More time? You'll add metabolic resistance workouts (think jumping jacks, walking lunges, kettlebell swings, push-ups). More time? Fine, hop on a spin bike or lace up the running shoes, but only if it's something you enjoy. Traditional cardio is considered icing, not the cake.
It cracked me up that the periodized routines are actually "periodized," meaning you do the easiest, lowest-volume workouts during PMS week when you're more likely to feel run down and bleh, and you do the most mentally and physically demanding workouts later in the month when you're less likely to wimp out or have a psychotic episode. Very clever. I also appreciate that even though this book is for women and talks about hormones, thyroid, birth control pills, etc., it doesn't allow you to use them as an excuse. The answer is still to eat well, lift heavy, train hard, and get lean. There's no, "There-there, dear, learn to accept your menopot" advice.
The nutrition is a typical clean-eating, higher-protein, whole food approach. I've become an intuitive eater but I realize that you can't start there. It takes a strong foundation of healthy habits to achieve a fit physique. If you go "intuitive" before the basics are in place, your intuition will tell you to eat cookies, lots of ‘em. The Female Body Breakthrough creates a good nutrition base without crossing the line into food scale and spreadsheet territory. I was thrilled to see that Rachel shares my "if it's working, don't mess with it" philosophy. So, if you make a few basic changes and get results, there's no reason to start any kind of calorie-counting, zig-zagging, carb-cycling, fruit-restricting madness. Those options are explained and available to you if you stall or if you're taking your physique to a really high level, but they're not applied to everybody.
The book touches on Rachel Cosgrove's own struggle with disordered eating and the rebound weight gain that occurred after competing in fitness. It's filled with photos and stories from real women who have overcome obstacles and achieved their fitness goals. There are some models and athletes but there are also a whole lot of regular women who have made dramatic improvements. I find the real world photos more inspiring than the starved, dehydrated, spray-tanned, pro photos that you see in transformation contests and supplement ads. You know that the bronze woman with the gaunt face and striated abs looked that way for about an hour, then she drank some water and ate a banana and gained eight pounds. That doesn't inspire me anymore. I'd rather see someone achieve a real world fit chick physique and stay that way. That's inspiring!
The Female Body Breakthrough will appeal to frustrated dieters, exhausted cardio fiends, trainers who work with female clients, and advanced exercisers looking for a new Cosgrove workout. Haters of e-books will be happy to learn this is a book-book. It's only $14.95 and available in bookstores. If you order it from Amazon today (Thursday November, 12th), you'll also score bonus goodies like a motivational poster and coaching opportunities with Rachel. Here's the scoop on that.
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I have in my possession a review copy of Leigh Peele's 
I'd been fiddling with the materials for an hour at that point but I couldn't resist trying a workout. I started with Build Phase 1. I was a little apprehensive about it because I *hate* workout DVDs. I was expecting to kind of groan and eye-roll my way through corny music, forced dialogue, and cheeseball special effects. It is NOT like that! Whew! It's like if you went over to Val's house and worked out with her. There was no dancy, bouncy nonsense, no script, and no lame pep-talks. It was just Val doing the workout with you and offering some pointers. It was easy to imagine myself as a celebrity client getting one-on-one instruction. The video production was very nice, the mood was light and fun. I'm surprised at how much enjoyed it. I don't think I'll be retreating to the printed workout sheets.
I've been on a fitness buying hold for a few weeks. No new workout programs. No new nutrition/health books. I would like to say that I've become smart or thrifty or whatever, but what happened is I started reading the