I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a copy of Terrell Owens's Finding Fitness. I presumed that it was yet another celebrity/athlete cashing in on fame while delivering little in the way of any useful information. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Finding Fitness presents a holistic approach towards fitness--and, no, not in a funky "New Age" sort of way. Rather, Owens believes that the key to lasting fitness and ultimate satisfaction begins with the mind and not the body. He states what is missing from so many books merely detailing routines: exercise and good eating must be rewarding for you or you simply will not do it.
To that end, he has included different motivational tools for the reader to utilize (though motivation must ultimately come from the user, of course).
Owens goes over nutrition and debunks some widely held preconceptions believed by novices and log-time fitness enthusiasts alike. (For example, you CAN eat within three hours of bedtime and still not explode like a cow.) More intriguingly, he provides a glimpse at his eating habits, day-by-day, meal-by-meal to show you how a finely tuned professional athlete doesn't starve himself but does not gorge either. Moreover, a template is provided for the common man or woman looking for guidance. I say template because Owens is a firm believer in adapting regimens to one's body so there is a sort of freedom there.
With all that said, the exercise regimens are the true highlight of the book. Variety is not a problem at all. There are a myriad of programs to follow, from beginner to advanced, with several different exercises for each fitness level using free weights, body weight, or strength bands or cables. Owens's trainer, Buddy Primm, does a fantastic job in explaining exactly how to do each move from start to finish and pointing out fine points to be mindful of. Even better than the detailed instructions are the dozens upon dozens of photographs illustrating each exercise beginning to end. I found this highly helpful when pulling off the trickier moves, such as the roundhouse kicks with strength bands. Oh, did I mention that the book contains sport-specific programs as well? So you can dominate in martial arts, golf, baseball, football, tennis and more. I know that I've added power to my kicks!
I honestly can say that, despite over a decade of shuffling through dozens fitness programs, many of these moves are new to me.
As for the negatives, some that aren't sports fans, specifically of football, might not be interested to hear about some of T.O.'s personal career highlights that are interspersed throughout the book. Nor will they care to see pictures or x-rays of some of the many injuries that he's suffered throughout the course of his career--although I have to admit I've never seen a broken collarbone before. He also includes personal photos that some might feel are out of place or merely filler. (I found it inspiring to see how a guy that was skinnier than I was in high school could build himself up into an impressive physical specimen.)
With that said, Terrell Owens is never preachy or condescending when it comes to fitness. He is truly enthusiastic about the subject and it comes through well. What he constantly reiterates is that fitness is a personal goal and not a competition. Good health, mental and physical accomplishment is all that truly matter. You have to find YOUR ideal of fitness.
