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The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman Hardcover – December 14, 2010

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The game-changing author of The 4-Hour Workweek teaches you how to reach your peak physical potential with minimum effort.

“A practical crash course in how to reinvent yourself.”—Kevin Kelly, Wired

Is it possible to reach your genetic potential in 6 months? Sleep 2 hours per day and perform better than on 8 hours? Lose more fat than a marathoner by bingeing? Indeed, and much more. 

The 4-Hour Body is the result of an obsessive quest, spanning more than a decade, to hack the human body using data science. It contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of jaw-dropping personal experimentation. From Olympic training centers to black-market laboratories, from Silicon Valley to South Africa, Tim Ferriss fixated on one life-changing question: 

For all things physical, what are the tiniest changes that produce the biggest results?

Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women. It’s the wisdom Tim used to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time. From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works. 

You will learn (in less than 30 minutes each):

• How to lose those last 5-10 pounds (or 100+ pounds) with odd combinations of food and safe chemical cocktails
• How to prevent fat gain while bingeing over the weekend or the holidays
• How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested 
• How to produce 15-minute female orgasms 
• How to triple testosterone and double sperm count
• How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks 
• How to reverse “permanent” injuries  
• How to pay for a beach vacation with one hospital visit

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 50 topics covered, all with real-world experiments, many including more than 200 test subjects. You don't need better genetics or more exercise. You need immediate results that compel you to continue.

That’s exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers.
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  5. Summary of The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
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  1. The decent method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.
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  3. Magnesium and calcium are easiest to consume in pill form, and 500 milligrams of magnesium taken prior to bed will also improve sleep.
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From the Publisher

data science;genetics;timothy ferriss,stretching;excercise;body;training;goals;goal setting;new you

data science;genetics;timothy ferriss,stretching;excercise;body;training;goals;goal setting;new you

data science;genetics;timothy ferriss,stretching;excercise;body;training;goals;goal setting;new you

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tim Ferriss has been called “a cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk” by The New York Times. He is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and more than fifty other companies. He is also the author of four #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, and Tools of Titans. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

THE MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE

From Microwaves to Fat-Loss

Arthur Jones was a precocious young child and particularly fond of crocodiles.

He read his father's entire medical library before he was 12. The home environment might have had something to do with it, seeing as his parents, grandfather, great-grandfather, half-brother, and half-sister were all doctors.

From humble beginnings in Oklahoma, he would mature into one of the most influential figures in the exercise science world. He would also become, in the words of more than a few, a particularly "angry genius."

One of Jones's protégés, Ellington Darden PhD, shares a prototypical Jones anecdote:

In 1970, Arthur invited Arnold [Schwarzenegger] and Franco Colombu to visit him in Lake Helen, Florida, right after the 1970 Mr. Olympia. Arthur picked them up at the airport in his Cadillac, with Arnold in the passenger seat and Franco in the back. There are probably 12 stoplights in between the airport and the Interstate, so it was a lot of stop-and-go driving.

Now, you have to know that Arthur was a man who talked loud and dominated every conversation. But he couldn't get Arnold to shut up. He was just blabbing in his German or whatever and Arthur was having a hard time understanding what he was saying. So Arthur was getting annoyed and told him to quiet down, but Arnold just kept talking and talking.

By the time they got onto the Interstate, Arthur had had enough. So he pulled over to the side of the road, got out, walked around, opened Arnold's door, grabbed him by the shirt collar, yanked him out, and said something to the effect of, "Listen here, you son of a bitch. If you don't shut the hell up, a man twice your age is going to whip your ass right out here in front of I-4 traffic. Just dare me."

Within five seconds Arnold had apologized, got back in the car, and was a perfect gentlemen for the next three or four days.

Jones was more frequently pissed off than anything else.

He was infuriated by what he considered stupidity in every corner of the exercise science world, and he channeled this anger into defying the odds. This included putting 63.21 pounds on champion bodybuilder Casey Viator in 28 days and putting himself on the Forbes 400 list by founding and selling exercise equipment manufacturer Nautilus, which was estimated to have grossed $300 million per year at its zenith.

He had no patience for fuzzy thinking in fields that depended on scientific clarity. In response to researchers who drew conclusions about muscular function using electromyography (EMG), Arthur attached their machines to a cadaver and moved its limbs to record similar "activity." Internal friction, that is.

Jones lamented his fleeting time: "My age being what it is, universal acceptance of what we are now doing may not come within my lifetime; but it will come, because what we are doing is clearly established by simple laws of basic physics that cannot be denied forever." He passed away on August 28, 2007, of natural causes, 80 years old and as ornery as ever.

Jones left a number of important legacies, one of which will be the cornerstone of everything we'll discuss: the minimum effective dose.



The Minimum Effective Dose

The minimum effective dose (MED) is defined simply: the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome.

Jones referred to this critical point as the "minimum effective load," as he was concerned exclusively with weight-bearing exercise, but we will look at precise "dosing" of both exercise and anything you ingest.1

Anything beyond the MED is wasteful.

To boil water, the MED is 212°F (100°C) at standard air pressure. Boiled is boiled. Higher temperatures will not make it "more boiled." Higher temperatures just consume more resources that could be used for something else more productive.

If you need 15 minutes in the sun to trigger a melanin response, 15 minutes is your MED for tanning. More than 15 minutes is redundant and will just result in burning and a forced break from the beach. During this forced break from the beach, let's assume one week, someone else who heeded his natural 15-minute MED will be able to fit in four more tanning sessions. He is four shades darker, whereas you have returned to your pale pre-beach self. Sad little manatee. In biological systems, exceeding your MED can freeze progress for weeks, even months.

In the context of body redesign, there are two fundamental MEDs to keep in mind:

To remove stored fat -- do the least necessary to trigger a fat-loss cascade of specific hormones.

To add muscle in small or large quantities -- do the least necessary to trigger local (specific muscles) and systemic (hormonal 2) growth mechanisms.

Knocking over the dominos that trigger both of these events takes surprisingly little. Don't complicate them.

For a given muscle group like the shoulders, activating the local growth mechanism might require just 80 seconds of tension using 50 pounds once every seven days, for example. That stimulus, just like the 212°F for boiling water, is enough to trigger certain prostaglandins, transcription factors, and all manner of complicated biological reactions. What are "transcription factors"? You don't need to know. In fact, you don't need to understand any of the biology, just as you don't need to understand radiation to use a microwave oven. Press a few buttons in the right order and you're done.

In our context: 80 seconds as a target is all you need to understand. That is the button.

If, instead of 80 seconds, you mimic a glossy magazine routine--say, an arbitrary 5 sets of 10 repetitions--it is the muscular equivalent of sitting in the sun for an hour with a 15-minute MED. Not only is this wasteful, it is a predictable path for preventing and even reversing gains. The organs and glands that help repair damaged tissue have more limitations than your enthusiasm. The kidneys, as one example, can clear the blood of a finite maximum waste concentration each day (approximately 450 mmol, or millimoles per liter). If you do a marathon three-hour workout and make your bloodstream look like an LA traffic jam, you stand the real chance of hitting a biochemical bottleneck.

Again: the good news is that you don't need to know anything about your kidneys to use this information. All you need to know is:

80 seconds is the dose prescription.

More is not better. Indeed, your greatest challenge will be resisting the temptation to do more.

The MED not only delivers the most dramatic results, but it does so in the least time possible. Jones's words should echo in your head: "REMEMBER: it is impossible to evaluate, or even understand, anything that you cannot measure."

80 secs. of 20 lbs. 10:00 mins. of 54°F water 200 mg of allicin extract before bed

These are the types of prescriptions you should seek, and these are the types of prescriptions I will offer.



RULES THAT CHANGE THE RULES

Everything Popular Is Wrong

This is clearly a lie. Gaining 34 lb in 28 days requires a caloric surplus of 4300 calories per day, so for a guy his size, he must have eaten 7000 calories a day. He expects me to believe that he dropped 4% in bodyfat as a result of eating 7000 calories? . . ."

I took a big swig of Malbec and read the blog comment again. Ah, the Internet. How far we haven't come.

It was amusing, and one of hundreds of similar comments on this particular blog post, but the fact remained: I had gained 34 pounds of muscle, lost 4 pounds of fat, and decreased my total cholesterol from 222 to 147, all in 28 days, without anabolics or statins like Lipitor.

The entire experiment had been recorded by Dr. Peggy Plato, director of the Sport and Fitness Evaluation Program at San Jose State University, who used hydrostatic weighing tanks, medical scales, and a tape measure to track everything from waist circumference to bodyfat percentage. My total time in the gym over four weeks?

Four hours.3 Eight 30-minute workouts.

The data didn't lie.

But isn't weight loss or gain as simple as calories in and calories out?

It's attractive in its simplicity, yes, but so is cold fusion. It doesn't work quite as advertised.

German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe had the right perspective: "Mysteries are not necessarily miracles." To do the impossible (sail around the world, break the four-minute mile, reach the moon), you need to ignore the popular.

Charles Munger, right-hand adviser to Warren Buffett, the richest man on the planet, is known for his unparalleled clear thinking and near-failure-proof track record. How did he refine his thinking to help build a $3 trillion business in Berkshire Hathaway?

The answer is "mental models," or analytical rules-of-thumb4 pulled from disciplines outside of investing, ranging from physics to evolutionary biology.

Eighty to 90 models have helped Charles Munger develop, in Warren Buffett's words, "the best 30-second mind in the world. He goes from A to Z in one move. He sees the essence of everything before you even finish the sentence."

Charles Munger likes to quote Charles Darwin:

Even people who aren't geniuses can outthink the rest of mankind if they develop certain thinking habits.

In the 4HB, the following mental models, pulled from a variety of disciplines, are what will separate your results from the rest of mankind.



New Rules for Rapid Redesign

NO EXERCISE BURNS MANY CALORIES.

Did you eat half an Oreo cookie? No problem. If you're a 220-pound male, you just need to climb 27 flights of stairs to burn it off.

F*cking hell, right? It's enough to make a lumberjack cry. Confused and angry? You should be.

As usual, the focus is on the least important piece of the puzzle.

But why do scientists harp on the calorie? Simple. It's cheap to estimate, and it is a popular variable for publication in journals. This, dear friends, is referred to as "parking lot" science, so-called after a joke about a poor drunk man who loses his keys during a night on the town.

His friends find him on his hands and knees looking for his keys under a streetlight, even though he knows he lost them somewhere else. "Why are you looking for your keys under the streetlight?" they ask. He responds confidently, "Because there's more light over here. I can see better."

For the researcher seeking tenure, grant money, or lucrative corporate consulting contracts, the maxim "publish or perish" applies. If you need to include 100 or 1,000 test subjects and can only afford to measure a few simple things, you need to paint those measurements as tremendously important.

Alas, mentally on your hands and knees is no way to spend life, nor is chafing your ass on a stationary bike.

Instead of focusing on calories-out as exercise-dependent, we will look at two underexploited paths: heat and hormones.

So relax. You'll be able to eat as much as you want, and then some. New exhaust pipes will solve the problem.



A DRUG IS A DRUG IS A DRUG

Calling something a "drug," a "dietary supplement," "over-the-counter," or a "nutriceutical" is a legal distinction, not a biochemical one.

None of these labels mean that something is safe or effective. Legal herbs can kill you just as dead as illegal narcotics. Supplements, often unpatentable molecules and therefore unappealing for drug development, can decrease cholesterol from 222 to 147 in four weeks, as I have done, or they can be inert and do absolutely nothing.

Think "all-natural" is safer than synthetic? Split peas are all-natural, but so is arsenic. Human growth hormone (HGH) can be extracted from the brains of all-natural cadavers, but unfortunately it often brings Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with it, which is why HGH is now manufactured using recombinant DNA.

Besides whole foods (which we'll treat separately as "food"), anything you put in your mouth or your bloodstream that has an effect--whether it's a cream, injection, pill, or powder--is a drug. Treat them all as such. Don't distract yourself with labels that are meaningless to us.



THE 20-POUND RECOMP GOAL

For the vast majority of you reading this book who weigh more than 120 pounds, 20 pounds of recomposition (which I'll define below) will make you look and feel like a new person, so I suggest this as a goal. If you weigh less than 120 pounds, aim for 10 pounds; otherwise, 20 pounds is your new, specific goal.

Even if you have 100+ pounds to lose, start with 20.

On a 1-10 attractiveness scale, 20 pounds appears to be the critical threshold for going from a 6 to a 9 or 10, at least as tested with male perception of females.

The term "recomposition" is important. It does not mean a 20-pound reduction in weight. It's a 20-pound change in appearance. A 20-pound "recomp" could entail losing 20 pounds of fat or gaining 20 pounds of muscle, but it most often involves losing 15 pounds of fat and gaining 5 pounds of muscle, or some blend in between.

Designing the best physique includes both subtraction and addition.



THE 100-UNIT SLIDER: DIET, EXERCISE, AND DRUGS

How, then, do we get to 20 pounds?

Imagine a ruler with 100 lines on it, representing 100 total units, and two sliders. This allows us to split the 100 units into three areas that total 100. These three areas represent diet, exercise, and drugs.

An equal split would look like this:

________/________/________ (33% diet, 33% drugs, 33% exercise)

It is possible to reach your 20-pound recomp goal with any combination of the three, but some combinations are better than others. One hundred percent drugs can get you there, for example, but it will produce the most long term side effects. One hundred percent exercise can get you there, but if injuries or circumstances interfere, the return to baseline is fast.

/__________/ (100% drugs) = side effects

//__________ (100% exercise) = easy to derail

Here is the ratio of most of the fat-loss case studies in this book:

______/_/___ (60% diet, 10% drugs, 30% exercise)

If you're unable to follow a prescribed diet, as is sometimes the case with travel or vegetarianism, you'll need to move the sliders to increase the % attention paid to exercise and drugs. For example:

_/____/_____ (10% diet, 45% drugs, 45% exercise)

The numbers need not be measured, but this concept is critical to keep in mind as the world interferes with plans. Learning diet and exercise principles is priority #1, as these are the bedrock elements. Relying too much on drugs makes your liver and kidneys unhappy.

The percentages will also depend on your personal preferences and "adherence," which we cover next.



1. Credit is due to Dr. Doug McGuff, who's written extensively on this and who will reappear later.

2. In fancier and more accurate terms, neuroendocrine.

3. In this case, the "4-Hour Body" is quite literal.

4. These "mental models" are often referred to as heuristics or analytical frameworks.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harmony; 1st edition (December 14, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 030746363X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0307463630
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.78 x 1.75 x 9.53 inches

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Timothy Ferriss

Timothy Ferriss

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Tim Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company‘s ‘Most Innovative Business People’ and one of Fortune‘s ‘40 under 40’. He is an early-stage technology investor/advisor (Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ others) and the author of four #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef and Tools of Titans. The Observer and other media have called Tim ‘the Oprah of audio’ due to the influence of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, which is the first business/interview podcast to exceed 200 million downloads. Tim received his BA from Princeton University in 2000, where he focused on language acquisition and East Asian Studies. He developed his non-fiction writing with Pulitzer Prize winner John McPhee and formed his life philosophies under Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburo Oe. He is far dumber than both. Tim enjoys bear claws, chocolate croissants, writing ‘About’ pages in third person and neglecting italics.

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Customers find the information in the book great, complex, and thought-provoking. They describe the writing style as engaging and entertaining. Readers mention the book is a thorough guide to weight loss, fitness, sexual life, and wellness in general. They say it works fantastically and tremendously.

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946 customers mention "Information quality"843 positive103 negative

Customers find the information in the book great. They say the author does a great job of explaining complex information while still keeping it entertaining. Readers also appreciate the practical advice and thought-provoking writing style. They mention the book can help them identify their goals and provides a defined game plan for accomplishing them. Additionally, they mention the data provided is astounding, teaching good values in nutrition and how to exercise their bodies.

"...But I also feel that this is very, very important...." Read more

"...The diet is interesting, and most resembles a typical no-carb diet...." Read more

"...its length, the book's engaging writing style and practical advice keep readers engaged and eager to explore each chapter...." Read more

"...It's high in protein, with balanced amino acids; includes essential fatty acids; vitamins, especially the B vitamins lacking in vegetarian diets;..." Read more

764 customers mention "Readability"742 positive22 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, inspirational, and worth reading. They mention it's a breeze to read, with a fairly large typeface and 1.5x spacing. Readers also mention the content is good and the author recommends skipping to the relevant chapters.

"...These steps really do work. This is a great book and I'm grateful for the time Tim put into it...." Read more

"...If you are looking for a fun inspirational read to get you going on your own health program again this could be it for you." Read more

"...His chapters are goal centric, and he recommends skipping to the relevant chapters for what you are looking for...." Read more

"...It's entertaining:The 4 Hour Body is probably the most entertaining health related book I have read...." Read more

513 customers mention "Ease of reading"436 positive77 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They appreciate the engaging writing style and practical advice. Readers also mention the book distills complex concepts into simple, actionable steps.

"...The chapters are easy to understand and the fat loss one clearly and concisely dispells some of the common misconceptions associated with weight loss..." Read more

"...Despite its length, the book's engaging writing style and practical advice keep readers engaged and eager to explore each chapter...." Read more

"...It also focuses on the "individual". We are all different and we must create and test our own individual programs for optimal outcomes...." Read more

"I started reading this book and was enjoying it. Nice writing style, interesting theories and things to try...." Read more

220 customers mention "Entertainment value"220 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, interesting, and entertaining. They say the writing is casual and entertaining. Readers mention the content provides a constant feed of entertainment. They also say the book is enthusiastic and keeps them eager to explore each chapter.

"...style and practical advice keep readers engaged and eager to explore each chapter...." Read more

"...It also increases their libido...." Read more

"...There is so much fun information and inspiration that my review cannot really do it justice...." Read more

"...but Tim has a wonderful style of weaving interesting and fun stories into each chapter, which makes reading easy.Better sex!..." Read more

212 customers mention "Weight loss"174 positive38 negative

Customers find the book a thorough guide to weight loss, fitness, sexual life, and wellness in general. They say it makes staying on their diet easy and provides a simple, somewhat low-carb diet. Readers also mention the logic of the diet is reasonable and specific steps to minimize fat gain while binging.

"...15 pounds lighter, I wake up much easier in the mornings, I never feel bloated or fat or gross, I have more energy throughout the day, and I'm..." Read more

"...He also says to eat the same few meals over and over. This makes staying on your diet easy...." Read more

"...Slow carb diet is sensible, though probably more oriented to regular people (who are really fat) than people who are already athletic...." Read more

"...3. Specific steps to minimize fat gain while bingeing4...." Read more

151 customers mention "Effectiveness"133 positive18 negative

Customers find the book's exercises fantastically and easy. They say it works their entire body and the diet plan is effective.

"...How's it worked so far? Actually, extremely well! I started at 200 pounds with a target of 170...." Read more

"...KB training: yes -very effective, as are most protocols of this nature: my favorite is Tabata...." Read more

"...Because it worked quite well for me on the first cycle...." Read more

"...I am very surprised that the diet plan works considering that there are so few rules and no calorie counting...." Read more

126 customers mention "Ideas"121 positive5 negative

Customers find the ideas in the book useful, exciting, and fantastic. They say it encourages experimentation and the basic premise is interesting. Readers also mention the book is fun with lots of radical ideas.

"...It can help you identify your goals and gives you a defined game plan for accomplishing them. My Goals?..." Read more

"...Overall, this is an interesting, original, and thought-provoking book. Tim seems very much like someone I would have been friends with in college...." Read more

"The huge amount of unique and interesting material in this book will make it worth the price for most people...." Read more

"...Boo.However, there are lots of good ideas and neat experiments in here. It makes for good reading, and gives you some great inspiration...." Read more

202 customers mention "Value for money"115 positive87 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the value for money of the book. Some mention it's worth the price just for the entertainment, while others say it lacks substance and value.

"...what you want But there is so much great information for such a reasonable price that it deserves no less than 5 stars...." Read more

"...If it doesn't work for you, then it doesn't work for you. It's not miraculous, and it requires commitment, but it IS easy and maintainable...." Read more

"...packed into this book that if you find value in only ONE chapter, it is worth it...." Read more

"...and a lot of what he's touting here is nonsense or unactionable or unactionable nonsense. How do I know this?..." Read more

Just beginning …
3 out of 5 stars
Just beginning …
Just beginning to read but find it interesting on page 15, there are two references to other areas of the book.“There are dozens of tests mentioned throughout this book. If you ever ask yourself "How do I get that tested?" or wonder where to start, the "Getting Tested" list on page 478 is your step-by-step guide.”The list is actually on 472“ Not sure how much a gram is, or what the hell 4 ounces is? Just flip to the common measurements on page 476 and unleash your inner Julia Child.”Actually on page 470.The contents have both listed correct. - no big deal but considering the cost the editors should have discovered this.Maybe a pet peeve - doesn’t change the value of the information.
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Top reviews from the United States

Z. Darner
5.0 out of 5 stars "Do" the Book -- Take 3 min and read my review, I'll tell you why
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2011
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Okay,

First, let's talk about reviews. If you read 3 negative or 3 positive reviews about one book, movie, car, whatever and base your decision to move forward on that without taking into account the rest of the reviewers then you'll probably get what you want based on what you perceive. If you tend to favor positive reviews on things you'll probably trend positively; same goes for negative reviews. EVERYONE has an opinion. Often, those opinions are incredibly, emotionally powerful--one way or the other.

I'm giving Tim's book full stars. The reasons are simple... The author is crystal clear about asking us, his readers, to experiment, to try for a short period of time his method and to track the changes. Face it, we're all where we are because of steps we made yesterday.

I'm 47 years old and while not in terrible shape neither can I say that I'm in good shape. Clothes hide the effects of the steps I made daily to get... here. So I started reading and was instructed by this author to focus on 4 chapters: Fundamentals, Ground Zero, The Slow-Carb Diet I and II, and Building the Perfect Posterior. Those chapters focus on effective weight loss. Sure I read the rest of the book, four times through now, and can see how some have gotten confused by what might appear conflicting information.

But again, he breaks out what to read for what you're looking for: Fat loss, muscle gain, strength gain, or sense of total well-being. Most of us would think, "Well, I want all that!" So, we dive in and try to do it all.

Stop!

Re-read his Five Rules in using the book:

1. Think of this book as a buffet.
2. Skip the Science if it's too dense.
3. Please be skeptical.
4. Don't use skepticism as an excuse for inaction.
5. Enjoy it.

For me, my first priority is getting rid of fat. Then I'll look at muscle gain, then strength gain, then well-being. How's it worked so far? Actually, extremely well! I started at 200 pounds with a target of 170. My focus has been only on those four "Fat Loss" chapters. I started 3 weeks ago and am at 185. I've had some ups and downs with the eating plan and can clearly see why. I'll share more on that shortly.

In addition to reading the book several times through I've also spent a lot of time on his blog. Please, please remember folks... This author is asking us to step out of what we've been doing in the past and try something different. On the surface that sounds easy. But it isn't. Most of the posts I've read basically ask "permission" to step out of the guidelines he's asking of us: Can I have bread if it's healthy? Can I have juice if it's organic? Can I, can I, can I?

Sure you can! But then what you're doing is the same you've done yesterday, and the day before, etc. And I've done it too. Better yet, it's okay. But it won't result in change. Most of us pick up a book like this because we want change. We would like to look a little better, feel a little better, and have the ability to do more with our families and friends. Great reasons for change! But remember, CHANGE IS HARD. Remember that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again while expecting different results. We all do it, but that doesn't mean we can't do things differently.

Tim has made this process easy for us. How about for 2 months, just 8 weeks trying this: (Note: he's asking just 1 month. I'm asking to try for 2.)

Avoid "white" carbohydrates
Eat the same few meals over and over again
Don't drink calories
Don't eat fruit
Take one day off per week

That's it! But... the hard part: Our brain is already gearing up to bargain with us... "But I can't start my day without my healthy cereal." "I get bored with the same meals." "But I have to have my Coke Zero." "My doctor says that fruit is healthy." (Note, most of us don't gripe about the taking one day off part.)

This author has shared through example and humor how HE has created change in his life. (You might also like his, "Four Hour Work Week.") But he's also been clear that it takes work, focus, and the importance of measuring and managing as we go.

For me, yeah this has been hard. I messed up on my "cheat day" and didn't follow his suggestions on how to best (and easily) care for myself on that day. I was surprised that I gained back more than I lost. BUT, I began again and quickly reversed that trend. Walk through the few chapters he offers you to focus on what you are most trying to do. Don't make it hard.

My g/f is walking through this with me and it took her a while before she started seeing results. It really helped to read that is VERY normal for a woman over 40 who's had children to see quick change right off the bat. Don't give up. Keep trying. She is also seeing movement in the direction she's hoping for.

Take measurements. Take photos. If you see you're not losing weight go back and see if you've lost inches or body fat. If not, DO NOT stop. It's too easy to stop, we've all been doing that all our lives. Trying one thing for a short amount of time and then sliding back into our comfortable habits. Instead of trying how about doing?

Yoda reminds us that there is no "Try," there is only "Do." Do these steps. Live them for a while. Put them on and see how they fit. Yes they are different than what you've been doing. Yes it will be tough. But each moment of each day you will be doing the steps of your life.

I know this review has been long. But I also feel that this is very, very important. It's important for me to quit feeling run down, out of energy in the afternoon, having crappy sleep, etc. It's important for me to feel good in my body, that my partner finds me attractive, more importantly that I find me attractive. I LOVE being 47 and can't wait for my 50s! But I want that decade to be different than this one.

These steps really do work. This is a great book and I'm grateful for the time Tim put into it. There will ALWAYS be negative comments about anything you might be interested in. This isn't a fad, it's not a scheme, and it's not a quick fix.

I am not connected to Tim in anyway other than being an interested, thankful reader. Take my comments as just that, my comments. All the best to you and yours in this Journey!

Zane

Remember too: If you want tomorrow to be different than today, then you must take different steps today than you did yesterday. It really is as easy as that.
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mrm
5.0 out of 5 stars Are those new jeans? Nope, they just actually fit me now
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2011
Verified Purchase
I had some friends over for a dinner for my fiance's birthday two days ago and one of my friends asked if my jeans were new. They weren't and, in fact, I had worn them several times around the same friend before. This time, however, the jeans actually fit and look great, like they're supposed to.

See, I was an athlete my entire life. Starting in my childhood, and through high school I played three organized sports, or more, each year. In college I played basketball several times a week with roommates. I was tall and lean and could eat without guilt no matter what. Once I finished college, however, everything began to change.

I landed a cushy desk job and moved away from my normal workout buddies, so I grew sedentary. Not being 100% sure on how to deal with my burgeoning waste-line, I delved into the popular P90X diet and workout regimen. Following the plan to the T, I transformed my body into something that I was truly proud of. Even when I was in the weight-room for over an hour a day and doing football drills for another hour a day in high school, I didn't look as good as a looked on the backside of the P90X routine. However, the whole think is a daunting task. Nearly 10 hours of workout time per week plus a very strict diet that requires a ton of time and energy just to count/portion/maintain. Luckily, I had a work schedule that lended itself to the lifestyle; but when I got a new job, P90X became impossible for me.

Over the next couple years, I lost the incredible body that I had after P90X and somehow got to a point where I was embarrassed to not wear a shirt. My clothes didn't fit well anymore and I was unbuttoning the top one (or sometimes two) buttons on my pants when I sat down! I was lucky enough to happen upon this book and sat in on a Q&A with Ferris, in which he encouraged me to do what works for me whether that's P90X or his new book 4-Hour Body. He said the trick was finding something that I could maintain - something that wouldn't cause me to YoYo.

I bought the book that day and began to read and understand what I needed to do to give his weight loss plan the ol' college try. First of all, Ferris tells you to choose the section that you are most interested in: fat loss, muscle gain, sex life, among others. He says to focus your attention on that one section for some time until you feel you are ready to move on. Clearly, I needed to focus on fat loss and I've been doing that for the past 6 weeks or so.

The chapters are easy to understand and the fat loss one clearly and concisely dispells some of the common misconceptions associated with weight loss. As an engineer, I looked to his testing and science for my peace of mind. The weight loss section talks about several aspects of his weight loss plan: 1) diet 2) supplements 3) temperature conditioning 4) there may be others.

I have really only implemented number 1) in my daily life, since they get progressively harder to make part of your routine as they go (2 is harder than 1, 3 is harder than 2, and so on). The diet is interesting, and most resembles a typical no-carb diet. These can be dangerous when done in long stretches (read: dangers of atkins), but there is a trick to this diet which I will get to in a few lines.

The other sections of the weight loss chapter are designed to get you through the last 5 to 10 pounds of loss that can be very tricky and stubborn. The last section is about managing and minimizing damage done during times of binge eating (holidays, days of weakness, etc).

Utilizing only the tips and suggestions and guidelines Ferris sets forth in the diet section of the weight loss part of the book, I am happy to say that I have lost just under 15 pounds, which is about 8% of my starting body weight. My face looks much more handsome since the bone structure is clearly visible. What's more is that my clothes fit me again! I don't feel disgusting anymore. I've dropped about 4 and a half inches off my waist and about 2 and a half off each thigh. What's more is this is all without stepping a foot in the gym.

Now on to the best part, I'm on a diet right now. This diet. But last Saturday, I ate 4 donuts, half a bag of cheetos, a Mexican pork dish, Spanish rice, some corn tortillas, and about 6 beers. Today (also Saturday) I've eaten a German pancake, corned beef hash, 2 eggs, some country-style potatoes, a package of thin mint Girl Scout cookies, some oreos, and a couple spoons of ice cream. You see, every diet has its cheat days. You always break down and cheat. With Ferris' diet, you MUST cheat once per week. In fact, it's a mandate, and without it, your progress will stall.

Right now, I am sitting in my living room, munching on cookies writing this review. I'm 15 pounds lighter, I wake up much easier in the mornings, I never feel bloated or fat or gross, I have more energy throughout the day, and I'm WEARING A BELT on pants that I bought when I was 21!!

Do yourself a favor and buy this book. Read it, learn it, and follow it. If it doesn't work for you, then it doesn't work for you. It's not miraculous, and it requires commitment, but it IS easy and maintainable. You can change the way you feel with this as your primary tool. You can change the way you look, the way you see yourself, and most of all you can change your life.
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Melissa Johnston
4.0 out of 5 stars Long read but informative!
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024
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"The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman" is a dense tome packed with a wealth of information on optimizing health, fitness, and performance. While it's undeniably a lengthy read, the depth and breadth of content covered in the book make it incredibly informative. Author Tim Ferriss explores a wide range of topics, from diet and exercise to sleep and sexuality, offering unconventional yet scientifically-backed strategies for achieving peak physical and mental performance. Despite its length, the book's engaging writing style and practical advice keep readers engaged and eager to explore each chapter. While it may require some time and dedication to digest all the information presented, the insights gained from "The 4-Hour Body" make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to transform their body and optimize their life.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ashley
5.0 out of 5 stars Transformative and Insightful: The 4-Hour Body
Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss is a comprehensive guide to achieving rapid fat loss, enhancing sexual performance, and optimizing overall health. Ferriss offers unconventional yet practical strategies based on rigorous research and personal experimentation. The book’s actionable tips and real-world results make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their body and well-being. Well-organized and engaging, it’s a must-read for those committed to transforming their health and fitness. Highly recommended for anyone ready to challenge conventional wisdom and achieve extraordinary results!
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Lorenzo Leka
5.0 out of 5 stars If you had any expectations this book would’ve passed them all
Reviewed in Italy on May 3, 2024
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Awesome book! Rich in practical details.
I read 1 chapter gave an overlook to every chapter and again Tim did a wonderful job

Thank you for sharing your researches 🙏🏻
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Geekis
5.0 out of 5 stars Tim Ferris se ha lucido
Reviewed in Mexico on April 26, 2021
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Un libro super extenso tienes que leerlo con calma, lleno de muchos datos técnicos pero que al final vale la pena leer
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Rodolfo André Cardoso Neves (Dirack)
5.0 out of 5 stars Mudou minha vida! muito bom
Reviewed in Brazil on July 18, 2017
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Foco nos resultados, Chega de ir na academia todos os dias, aprendi a fazer o necessário p crescer... e é uma metodologia que pode ser aplicada a todas as áreas da sua vida: Fazer mais com menos!
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Lilly Price
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend
Reviewed in Australia on January 31, 2024
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Loved loved loved this book!! Extremely interesting and full of helpful references. Added bonus, I lost weight too.
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