Rating: 
Summary: Simple but Effective
Review: I am a Personal Trainer with a degree in Exercise Science. I saw a breif story on a entertainment news program about the book. As with most new fads/techniques, I performed my own little study on its efficacy. It was great. I saw visual, as well as, measured (increased strength, decreased body fat ...)improvements. It describes exactly what to do during each exercise to get maximal results.
I even sent it to my sister in another state to use to as she prepares herself to look great on her appraoching wedding day. I wish I could train her myself but this is the next best thing.
If you can't hire a trainer, I recommend you buy the book, read it cover to cover, then do it! It is simple and effective.
Rating:
Summary: hot point fitness
Review: I am sixteen years old and I have been working out on and off since I was about twelve. My sister and I decided that we wanted to hit the gym again but we wanted some "assistance". My sister went out and found this book called Hot Point Fitness. Of course I was a little sceptical and I felt that a book would not have much to offer, but I was wrong. I have been following the day to day routine religiously for about the last month or so since that day she bought it, and let me tell you there is a huge difference in both my appearance and confidence. I may have been working out for a while but I really had no idea what to do and how to do it properly. Not only does this book tell you what to do and when to do it but it gives you a detailed summary about each and every particular exerice with pictures as well. If you are an ammature or even a regular at working out and you want to see a big difference in yourself and see it fast, this is the book for you. It's simple and easy to use and it surely is a lot cheaper than a personal trainer.
Rating:
Summary: My Results: Hotpoint Fitness and Steve Zim Deliver!!!!!!!!
Review: I have just completed the entire Hotpoint Fitness program. My results:My Final Body Fat: 4.8% !!!!!!!!! In 12 weeks I went from 16.6% body fat to 4.8%. I have lost 18.3 pounds of fat and gained 11 pounds of muscle. My total body weight went from 157 to 150. Steve Zim delivers everything he promised. I look great, I feel great, and I owe it all to Steve. His book is motivating and contains the right combination of diet, cardio, and weight training to safely make the fat melt away and build solid muscle. I am simply amazed with my results. I can lift nearly double the weights I can when I started, my self confidence is solid, and I am PROUD to show myself off at the beach now. I am a computer professional, and never considered myself the athletic type. So if I can do this, anyone can - all you need to to provide is the determination: Steve provides the know-how and motivation! THANKS STEVE!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: RESULTS
Review: I STARTED HOT POINT FITNESS IN APRIL AND AS TOLD I RECEIVED THE RESULTS PROMISED. I HAVE LOST 25LBS IN 3 MONTHS AND LOST FROM A SIZE 12 TO SIZE 7 AND STILL LOSING. I HAVE ALSO RECOMMENDED THE BOOK TO SEVERAL OTHERS AND THEY ARE SEEING THE SAME RESULTS. THIS BOOK IS FOR EVERYONE AS I HAVE SEEN IN MYSELF AS WELL AS OTHERS. STEVE GIVES SUPPORT BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CHAPTER AND THE BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN I FELT AS IF HE WERE THERE WITH ME ALL THE WAY. STEVE ALSO TAKES THE TIME TO ANSWER EMAIL ONLINE AND HELP WITH ANY QUESTIONS. THIS IS A WELL ROUNDED PROGRAM WHERE YOU WILL EAT AND LOSE YOUR WAY TO THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS. NO STARVING, NO SPECIAL DIETS. A HEALTHY DIET AND EXERCISE PROGRAM. I CAN STAY ON THIS PROGRAM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AND NOT FEEL DEPRIVED OR LIKE MY LIFE HAS BECOME A SLAVE TO WORKING OUT. I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE WHO ASK ME HOW I LOST SO MUCH AND CHANGED MY BODY SO QUICKLY AND ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent! Thanks, Zim!
Review: I think this book is excellent - people with a basic knowledge of free weights, gym equipment, and exercise can jump right in to an effective and complete program (aerobic, weight training, and nutrition) that's life-changing and rejuvenating. Zim tells you exactly what to do and how to do it, and it really works. I'm getting towards the end of Phase I, I already look and feel radically better, and, instead of worrying about whether I'll drop out or miss work-outs, I feel totally committed, excited, and even MORE motivated than when I started! As with any exercise program, people who have never worked out before should find a personal trainer or someone qualified to teach proper weight lifting form/technique, in order to begin this program effectively, and without injury. Zim does a great job of organizing very specific weight training work-outs around a core group of exercises - each day is a different work-out. There is familiarity, but also plenty of new techniques to keep things challenging and interesting. Also, exercises many people may do routinely are subtly altered to maximize the benefits. Photos and descriptions are easy to follow. Both outdoor and typically gym-based aerobic exercises are reviewed, with suggestions for technique to maximize results, and how to choose the exercise that fits you best. Nutrition is addressed in detail, with a general plan for people who can't or won't measure their food intake every day, and a specific plan for those who want to get very exact ratios in their diet. At key points in the program, Zim insists that you take body measurements and also decide exactly when you will be working out during the following few weeks. This provides both motivation and a plan of attack. Zim breaks down his program into manageable blocks of time, after which you measure and evaluate your results, and make the next time commitment. Thanks, Zim! I wish your gym was closer to Michigan. . .!
Rating:
Summary: Simple but Effective
Review: I was looking forward to this book after reading wonderful reviews. I have a master's degree in exercise physiology and own a personal traing business as well as manage a health club with over a dozen personal trainers. I am always looking for fresh approaches to exercise programming. The theory behind this book (MRI imaging to find exercise techniques that fully target the muscles) is very interesting. Unfortunately the author is not a writer, and apparently had a poor choicee for an editor. There are many typos and poor writing that detract from the book. The nutrition guidelines give okay percentages, but when you do the calculation it leaves you very short on calories based on energy expenditure (and part of the calculation is written backwards!). The most amazing mistake (in addition to misinformation about metabolism and energy) is the repeated reference to ENDOMORPHINS!!!! Come on--how can that have even made it to print??? An Endomorph is a particular body type---ENDORPHINS give you the 'runner's high'. ANY experienceed personal trainer should know that. So, sorry Mr. Zim...I had high hopes but can't get past all the errors.
Rating:
Summary: Exercising is Fun Again!
Review: I'd begun to dread my time at the gym, seeing it as a necessary chore. With "Hot Point Fitness," however, I'm so eager for my next exercise day that I exitedly skip ahead in the book to see what I get to do. He provides an excellent 3-phased system that is designed to work for individuals at any fitness level. His principles are simple. Common sensically, he recommends combining resistance and aerobic training with a disciplined diet. He believes that leg strength is important to the whole body and that the bulk of aerobic training should come at the *end* of each workout. To support these simple principles, however, he provides dozens of exercises and daily routines designed to continually surprise the body. Not only does this make for fast results, it makes the gym a fun, new experience every time. To those who panned this book, I'll grant that it is poorly written -- full of typos, dropped words, wrong words. And I'd take some of Zim's nutrition science with a grain of salt. However, he more than makes up for these deficits by packaging dozens of exercises in a way that ensures results, and more importantly, makes the gym a fun place to be!
Rating:
Summary: Great Fitness Plan - not all-encompassing, though
Review: I've been lifting weights and doing some cardio work on and off for more than 20 years. Boy that makes me feel old at 34! I would go into the gym and thought with my vast "knowledge" I could just wing it. I wasn't a mess, but I really hadn't progressed in a long time. Same old, same old. Reasonably strong, but not getting stronger, and about 30lbs overweight. I read this book about the same time I read Howard Shapiro's Picture Perfect weight loss, which is a fantastic, common-sense approach to eating better (not dieting). I started out exercising according to Hotpoint Phase 2, and following the principles in Picture Perfect weight loss. In just under 3 months, I've reduced my body fat from 33+% to about 21% (I know, I still need to lose more, but I will). Hotpoint fitness provided the motivation and structured weightlifting plan that has really made a difference. If you are looking for a book to teach you EVERYTHING about fitness, this alone won't cut it. He really doesn't talk about the specifics of cardio, he just says: get your heart rate in this zone, for this length of time. That was fine with me, but others might like more detail. I just went and bought a [price] heart rate monitor (chest strap and watch) from [a local retailer], and I can walk fast, run, bike, almost anything to stay in the zone for the prescribed lenght of time. I didn't pay much attention to his nutrition either. It seemed like sound advice, but I was/am following the Picture Perfect plan for my eating. They seem to follow the same principals, Hotpoint is just more structured. For a "get-in-shape" motivational book, with some great innovative exercises and levels for everybody, I've not seen a better workout book.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay -- but there are better books on fitness
Review: Steve Zim's "Hot Point Fitness" is a good, solid approach to building a more fit body. I see lot's of complaints in these reviews that there's nothing new here ... however, that's kinda the point. There really isn't anything "revolutionary" that anyone can write on this stuff -- just eat right, do cardio training and weight training. Zim writes some good stuff on applying these simple principles with his own "hot point" approach. However, I would recommend Bill Phillip's "Body for Life" way over Zim's book. Although fairly detailed weight training descriptions are covered in the book, it is very short on diet and cardio training details (examples, approaches, etc). There's also no description on how to do exercises in a home-gym setting and absolutely no discussion on supplements (good or bad). In addition, I think Zim focuses too much on cardio training and, by his phase 3, has one over-training (5 days lifting/cardio per week is too much!). My suggestion, go with Body for Life which is more complete and sensible.
Rating:
Summary: Finally some results!
Review: Steve Zim, thank you. Thank you for finally PROVING which resistance exercises give you the most impact for your effort. I have read dozens of books, worked with a personal trainer, used videos - you name it. I've worked out at home, I've been in the gym and it feels like I'm accomplishing very little because the changes are small. I lose interest because I don't see results. I've seen and used recommendations for pushing to failure and that's about the only way I've seen any changes at all ...but I've not seen information like the information in Hot Point Fitness which PROVES certain exercises incorporate the body at a level where visible results are practically guaranteed if you're willing to do the work. And let's face it, many people do the work and don't get the results - it's discouraging! This is not a chatty, I'm your buddy kind of book - it's straightforward and precise and gives you the tools to finally complete the work - not only feeling stronger on the inside, but having it actually show! I don't want to look like a bodybuilder, but I do want to look like I take pride in my fitness. Bravo to Hot Point Fitness and Steve Zim...I can't wait to see what this will mean for me and other people I recommend it to in the long term!
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