Shape Up Before Beach Season

It’s almost summertime. In the midst of popular video workouts such as P90x and Insanity, some people still lean towards instructional books before they hit the weights. I chatted with some people around the city to see what they are reading to get in shape.

The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises by Adam Campbell

As I was commuting downtown on the No. 2 train, which runs on the West Side of New York, I spoke with Adrian Friel, 23, who was reading a paperback book called The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises by Adam Campbell. It’s a book I purchased myself in the beginning of the year – you know when we make those nice new year resolutions we never managed to keep. As Adam was drinking his protein shake, he was flipping through the pages to learn some routines to teach at his job. He works as a personal trainer at a New York Sports Club, and uses the book as a step-by-step guide for beginner clients, and for himself as well. In addition to the various workout methods, it provides information regarding nutrition he follows on a daily basis.

“It’s very visual,” said Adrian. “The book has over 600 plus exercises. If it’s your first time in the gym, it shows easy-to-understand exercises with pictures to achieve proper form when you train. It gives to ways to train in all types of situations such as crowded gyms or if you don't have any weights at home. It will definitely keep you busy for quite some time.”