The reviewer appreciates the practical and straightforward advice in The 4-Hour Body, despite the self-help genre's stigma. They find the principles sound and valuable, particularly the emphasis on simple, effective exercises and nutrition. The book's experiments and anecdotes, while sometimes extreme, provide useful insights and have led the reviewer to successful personal fitness experiments.
The reviewer admits to enjoying The 4-Hour Body despite the stigma associated with self-help books. They find the core principles presented by Timothy Ferriss to be sound and practical, especially the emphasis on straightforward exercises like deadlifts, bench press, and sprints, along with a diet focused on lean meats, healthy oils, and vegetables. The reviewer appreciates the book's no-nonsense approach to fitness and health, which contrasts with the often confusing messages found in the fitness industry. While some of Ferriss's experiments are extreme, such as ice baths and unusual supplements, others are more accessible and have led the reviewer to successful personal fitness experiments. The book's main strength lies in its ability to simplify complex health principles and encourage readers to experiment with their own bodies to find what works best for them.
Quick quotes
I mean, I do know it's kind of embarrassing. No one wants to like a self-help book. Not on here anyway. Because we're all educated, self-aware goodreaders, and when we hear that cloying, mutually congratulatory snake-oil rhetoric, we see right through it.
On the other hand, the principles that Ferriss uses to develop his crazy ideas are all perfectly sound. If you disagree, I will fight you.
In some cases this results in some really weird experiments. Like torturous ice baths to exploit the thermic metabolic effect; or overdosing on cinnamon, cod liver oil, and cissus quadrangularis (I don't recommend any of these, by the way) to rapidly reconstitute the body's insulinic or testosterone response.