The best body-sculpting fitness books

Body By Design: The Complete 12 Week Plan to Transform Your Body Forever

From Kris Gethin, editor in chief of BodyBuilding.com, the world's leading online fitness site, Body by Design (Touchstone Books, January 2011), is an innovative 12-week plan that will give you the mind and body you desire by teaching you muscle-building, fat-burning workouts, the motivation to stick with your fitness plan and nutritional guidance that will supercharge your metabolism. In 12 weeks, you will be a new, fitter, happier exercise fan who will want to share your body-changing story with others. To prove it, Gethin includes transformational stories from others who have triumphed over their weight-gain obstacles and are now in the best shape of their lives.

Bring It! The Revolutionary Fitness Plan for All Levels That Burns Fat, Builds Muscle, and Shreds Inches

P90X master Tony Horton is renowned for body-sculpting, kick-butt workouts featured in the P90X DVD set. In his fitness book Bring It! (Rodale, December 2010), Horton shows you how to build your own fitness and diet plan tailored to your specific lifestyle, goals and preferences. Complete with illustrations of Horton's favorite exercise moves, this fitness book gives you fat-burning cardio workouts, lower-body blitzes, core-strengthening, plyometrics, yoga and more. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom with little time to work out or a hard-core gym junkie, Bring It! will give you the workouts you need to get the fitness results you want.

You Are Your Own Gym

One of my all time favorite fitness books, You Are Your Own Gym (Ballantine, January 2011) by Mark Lauren, presents illustrated bodyweight exercises that make your gym membership obsolete. In his fitness book, Lauren, an elite Special Ops physical trainer, shows you how the military stays in fighting shape: with the resistance of their own bodyweight and ability to workout anywhere, anytime. You'll shred fat, build muscle, get a cardio workout and boost your fitness level in record time just by taking on one of Lauren's multi-level workouts. Lauren's 125 bodyweight exercises will also reduce your risk of injury and help you develop outstanding balance and stability. Though Lauren is an expert in training the military elite, You Are Your Own Gym is designed for civilians at any fitness level.

Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body

Written by fitness and nutrition expert Andrea Metcalf, Naked Fitness (Vanguard, December 2010) will help you break down the barriers and fears that are holding you back from embracing fitness for your health and longevity. Exercise is a proven anti-aging factor and Metcalf, who is a renowned fitness veteran and Oprah.com blogger, teaches you how to gain perfect body alignment so you look and feel your absolute best, whether you're working out or going through your daily activities. Naked Fitness features personalized fitness routines and guidance on how to lose weight, live healthier, exercise smarter and, if you're an avid athlete, improve your performance. You can even complete the Naked Fitness Web questionnaire and download your personalized exercise routine DVD.

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