I wrote this book review for Obstacle Race Magazine.
Rewind back to 2010 when a friend introduced me to a book called The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. The title of the book sounded appealing to them but after a few pages, he got bored and gave it to me. I loved the book so much and got hooked on the Tim Ferris way of life so bought The 4 Hour Body.
I’ve read the whole book 3 times now and constantly learning new things. I’ve recommended it to countless friends and all of them who have chosen to follow his advice have had phenomenal results!
The main method that Tim advises is MED, Minimal Effective Dose. This is the minimum amount of input or effort required to gain the maximum results. It all sounds fantastic at first however in reality his approaches and methods can be unconventional and this where the majority of people can fall off the band wagon.
The chapters of the book that are relevant to fitness andOCR are:
- How to gain muscle in 28 days
- How to reduce body fat rapidly and keep it from returning
- How to go from running 5k to 50k in only 12 weeks
- And how to prevent injury, otherwise known as pre-habiliation, and how to reverse injuries.
These subjects are the tip of the iceberg, and he covers so much more in the book!
Everything sounds great when reading the chapter titles, but putting it into practice can be tricky as the majority (maybe all!) of his methods are not commonly practiced.
I’ve experimented with 8 major methods that Tim Ferriss recommends and all have given instant, significant and long term results!
A few of my friends who have also tried his methods have all had the same results, so it is not a coincidence that they work.
I love The 4 Hour Body Book because you can pick it up, read a few pages, digest what he says and then move on. In fact, he actually recommends to not read it from cover to cover but pick what you would like to concentrate on most.
If you are open minded and feel truly dedicated to achieving the results you dream of then this is definitely the book for you.
Tim speaks of a moment called The Harajuku Moment….. “it’s an epiphany that turns a nice-to-have into a must-have,” that real, true, lightening bolt moment when you make the decision to become a better human. For
For years I’ve always wanted to be able to run.
I’ve always been fit but at aged 29 I could not even run 1 mile without my knees becoming burning balls of fire and my lungs and heart feeling like they were going to explode.
My 30th birthday was my ‘Harajuku Moment’, I wanted to be able to run up mountains and in the countryside and actually enjoy it.
My journey began and 2 years on, I’m running marathon distances, taking part in ‘death races,’ and I’ve never been so fit and lean than I am now in my early thirties. I almost wish I could have read the book sooner, however I hadn’t had my Harajuku Moment.
Life is good and I owe pretty much all of it to Tim Ferris and The 4 Hour Body Book. Without it, I would not have started running, I would not have started taking part in obstacle races and I would not have entered into this incredible community and this incredible way of life and thinking.
Tim’s straight talking approach, his self-experimentation, strong research and humour will keep you going back for more! It could be one of the best books you ever read.
Take the plunge, be open minded, experiment, fulfil your dreams and aspirations and become part of The 4 Hour Body Revolution!
Afterthought: I always recommend the paper version over the iBook, Kindle or audiobook, as you can easily flick through the pages and decide what to read. Plus you can highlight and make notes on the pages, and put sticky notes as bookmarks. Oh dear, I’ve just given proof that I’m a complete and utter 4 Hour Body geek ; )