The Firefighter's Workout Book: The 30-Minute-a-Day, Train-for-Life Program for Men and Women

Talk about performing under pressure! New York City firefighter Michael Stefano describes wrestling with a 2.5-inch-thick high-pressure hose gushing water at over 200 gallons per minute, raising and climbing heavy ladders, operating superpowerful saws, and rappelling down the sides of multistory buildings--all while weighted down with bulky protective equipment, and often while soaking wet ("where there's fire, there's water"). Endurance, strength, and vigor are not only necessary for peak performance--they are lifesavers.

The point of The Firefighter's Workout Book is not to make you a firefighter, but to help you transform your personal physical-fitness level, in a program that takes four hours a week. Stefano explains the basics about exercise and gives guidelines for cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. Explanations are clear and accurate. He also gives nutritional guidelines for losing fat without sacrificing muscle, but his dietary recommendations are curiously outdated: he relies on the old "four food groups," which have been replaced by the American Dietetic Association's food pyramid.

Thirty-one strength-training exercises are well illustrated with photographs, and each step is clearly explained, with "trainer's notes" giving modifications to increase intensity. Most use dumbbells and barbells, though some use just body weight. Thirteen stretches are also illustrated and described. Stefano gives examples of different routines--full body, split, circuit training, pyramid training, and slow-motion training. Firefighting stories spice up every chapter, giving you a good read as well as a good fitness program. --Joan Price