Review of Tom Venuto & Jon Benson’s Fit Over 40
Those of you familiar with Tom Venuto’s superb Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle (reviewed here) will probably not be surprised to find that his latest offering (in which he teams up with success coach Jon Benson), is another superb publication. I had spent less than 20 minutes with Fit Over 40 when it dawned on me…
Fit Over 40 is unlike anything that has ever been published before in the health, fitness and personal development fields. It’s an inspirational and compelling work, one that both enlightens, and educates. Better yet, it forces you to reach deep inside yourself for answers and solutions. And, despite the title, it offers immense value to anyone, of any age.
Fit Over 40 does much more than chronicle the efforts of 50 inspirational individuals, many of whom struggled against overwhelming odds to succeed in attaining health and success. If that’s the case, what is Fit Over 40 really all about?
Fit Over 40 empowers you to attain your weight loss and personal health goals by providing all the tools you need to do it. These tools include a series of role models for inspiration, specific diet and exercise information, and tools to manipulate the power of your subconscious mind into “stacking the deck” in your favor.
If I had to boil the essence of Fit Over 40 down to two words, they would be…
Attaining goals. For those of you who prefer specifics, here’s a little more detail…
The book is divided into three sections…
Section #1: Jon’s Journey: You’ll experience co-author Jon’s spiral into obesity and the associated health-related issues (i.e., elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, etc.) that accompany it. You’ll travel with him on the road to recovery, and while doing so, you’ll learn several vital lessons.
In chapter 2 of this section “Mind Matters, Principles of Inner Transformation”, you learn about the principle of the core — the combination of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual make-up that makes you what you are. You’ll learn how to align your core with clear and defined goals to attain success. You’ll learn that “words create worlds”, and how to avoid negativity that filters to the subconscious and inhibits your ability to succeed.
Although I felt this was the most powerful aspect of this section, you’ll also receive valuable information on training, eating and exercise. There’s a fantastic section on the power of role-modelling as well. It’s all good!
Section #2, Role models: This section introduces each of the 50 inspirational role-models I talked about earlier. And I’m not talking mere “before and after” photos either. Each individual outlines his or her core philosophy, before detailing training and eating programs. What’s interesting here is that you’ll find almost as many different strategies and approaches as they are people.
You’ll find role models in 4 different age groups…
i. 40-49
ii. 50-59
iii. 60-69
iv. 70 + (yes, there’s actually a story of a 77-year-old grandmother who trains and competes in bodybuilding with her 48-year-old daughter!).
Reading these stories really does open your eyes. There’s so many different people here from all walks of life, some of whom who have battled (and in some cases continue to battle) against overwhelming odds, that in retrospect it was easy to see how your own personal issues aren’t nearly as insurmountable as once perceived.
Section #3: Tom’s Training and Mental Strategies: As Tom says, “it all starts with the mind.” You have to believe in yourself to succeed. And the great news, as Tom points out, is that there are plenty of studies that indicate you can be fit at any age, and it’s never too late to start.
Sticking with the mental strategies, you’ll learn that a belief is a form of subconscious programming that governs your behavior. You’ll learn that the first step in the process of change is to make note of your beliefs, and work to change any that may limit your potential.
Better yet, you’ll learn that age need not be equated with frailty — it is not age, but inactivity, that causes many of the ravages associated with age. As Tom says… “you can’t define old with a specific number because there can be such a huge difference between chronological and biological age. ”
The reminder of this section covers the 5 Pillars of Anti-Aging (weight training, aerobic activity, flexibility, nutrition, recovery and renewal) with a chapter dedicated to each.
Tom’s wrap-up, “Final Thoughts: The Excellence Mindset” focuses once again on the mind-body connection, and concludes with “mental patterns of the fit and ageless”. These are a series of positive affirmations common to the “fit and ageless.” An example? Sure…
“I am a lifelong learner and I stay active mentally.”
These prove to be a fantastic wrap-up to this book.
In conclusion, I’d have to say this publication is certainly one of the best and most complete I have ever read. It definitely rivals Tom’s own publication, which has always been one of my favorites. In short, I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone who would not benefit immensely from Fit Over 40. I learned plenty, and I’m not over 40 myself.
Aesthetically, Fit Over 40 is gorgeous PDF e-book, professionally compiled and edited. It’s easy to read and navigate, and there are plenty of inspirational photos as well!
I highly recommended Fit Over 40 to anyone.
