Top 5 Books for Fitness & Life…
There are many great books out there, but there are few that have actually influenced me to change.
All of these books below have influenced me to make a positive change in my life- and although they are not all about fitness, they are all amazing.
Hope you enjoy them!
1. The Paleo Diet, by Loren Cordain, Ph.D.
The Paleo diet is based on the way we used to eat. It goes back to the days where we used to hunt and gather our food- before the agricultural revolution and before we started stuffing artificial crap, sugars, bi-products, and hormones into our foods so that big companies can generate a higher profit margin.
Although I don’t eat this way all of the time, I try to eat about 80% or more Paleo. Through personal experience, I can tell you that not only will you will feel better, have more energy, improve the quality of your sleep, and cleanse poisonous toxins and artificial “junk” out of your body, but you will shed fat faster than any other diet plan I have come across over the past 12 years of my personal training.
When I first started Paleo, I lost 9 pounds in the first 14 days while still maintaining all of my lean muscle mass. I feel healthy and balanced. It does take some preparation, but the benefits well outweigh the planning.
I recommend The Paleo Diet over ALL other diets because it works. It works for me, works for my clients and boot campers…and it will work for you.
2. Enter the Kettlebell, by Pavel Tsatsouline
This book is hands down one of the best introductions to kettlebell training out there. Reading this book was one of the pre-requisites for my certification as an RKC kettlebell instructor. It de-mystifies the Kettlebell and breaks down the fundamental movements so it is easy to learn.
I use kettlebells in just about every one of my workouts. Kettlebell training will help you to burn more calories in less time, make you stronger, more flexible, increase your stamina, and just give you more energy over-all. The best part about it is you don’t have to go to the gym- you can take your kettlebell ANYWHERE!
For those of you who live in Orlando, I hold a FREE “Intro to Kettlebell” class about every two weeks, and you are more than welcome to come join us! It’s really important to make sure you are training the right way to avoid injury and maximize your results. You can CLICK HERE to visit our Meetup Group for more information on our free classes!
***On a side note, if you do use a trainer for kettlebells, PLEASE make sure they are a CERTIFIED kettlebell instructor. Since kettlebells have become the hot new trend, a lot of personal trainers have deemed themselves amazing kettlebell instructors. You CAN get injured if you train the wrong way, so just be careful! OK, I’m done venting…
3. The Business of Happiness, by Ted Leonsis
This is one of my favorite books, and although it has NOTHING to do with fitness, it has everything to do with living life. Ted transformed his life from literally nothing, to become an uber-successful entrepreneur and owner of the Washington Capitals hockey team. This book is about the 6 secrets he discovered and lives by to create a more purposeful, happy, and successful business and personal life.
He talks about how YOU get to decide where your life will take you, NOT someone else! You have a LOT of responsibility: you need to take ownership of it and then take “MASSIVE ACTION” to make it happen.
Ted has a personal goal of giving away more and 100 MILLION dollars to charity in his lifetime. He is not only a great entrepreneurial role model, but is also a great man and philanthropist. This book will without-a-doubt inspire you.
4. The Primal Blueprint & Cookbook, by Mark Sisson
Mark’s philosophy is very similar to the Paleo style of eating. The Primal Blueprint, however, is also a lifestyle. It’s a little bit less strict than Paleo, and you will be allowed to occasionally eat some whole fat ice cream…(AWESOME!) and a few other foods.
The cookbook is also a great way to get you started with everything you need and is FILLED with great recipes that taste great and will reduce your waistline. We use his recipes a LOT in our house, and you have probably seen a few of them on the blog! Definitely a MUST HAVE!
5. The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg & John David Mann
This is straight from the site (TheGoGiver.com) because I could not have said it any better myself…
“The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. And so one day, desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees simply as the Chairman.
Over the next week, Pindar introduces Joe to a series of successful “go-givers”: a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial advisor, a real estate broker and “The Connector,” who brought them all together. Pindar’s friends share with Joe the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and teach him how to open himself up to the power of giving.
Joe learns that changing his focus from getting to giving—putting others’ interests first and continually adding value to their lives—ultimately leads to unexpected returns.
This book has such a great and meaningful story that everyone needs to read.
6. 
The 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Ferriss (who is also RKC certified by they way!)
This actually makes a top six, but I couldn’t leave this one out!
Although I “work” more than 4-hours a week, I do it because I really love it. When I first picked up this book a few years ago, I was working part-time at Nordstrom while I was trying to get my boot camp and Personal Training business off the ground here in Orlando.
This book helped to change my mindset about owning my own business and about how I spend my time.
After I read this book, I quit my part-time job and focused 100% of my energy on building my own business. If you have not yet read this book, I would absolutely recommend picking this book up TODAY.
That’s it! I hope you enjoy them!
Please feel free to leave a comment below…I would love to hear some of your favorite books, also!!
