I’m going to admit I’ve been guilty of skimming books. I read, and I read A LOT.
When I was about 11 years old I remember that infomercial sweater guy who had a speed reading course on his amazing discovery “show,” and I wanted it soooo bad. Needless to say I didn’t get it, but I did learn to read pretty fast anyway. Sometimes I read too fast and sometimes there were books you just can’t read that fast at all.
Enter Alan Aragon’s Girth Control: The Science Of Fat Loss and Muscle Gain.
Alan Aragon is by far one of the coolest guys I have never met. I have had the pleasure of talking to him a few times and can assure you that he is as smart as he is, and he also “get’s it.” That’s a rare quality. Most who are really smart like that miss the boat. They don’t “get it” and they can’t communicate with people. Instead, they just end up talking in a gibberish that only 10 other “smart people” can understand. It becomes an intellectual pissing contest if you will. It’s sad to see, but a bit funny to watch.
You don’t get that with Alan. However, this post isn’t about him really, this is about Girth.
The first time I read Girth I would call it “more grazing.” I saw enough to know that I would like it if I REALLY read it.
I got the urge to read it again, and really read it. Maybe I’m just smarter or maybe it’s just that I am dying for quality information but it was a heck of a great read the second time around.
First, who is this book for?
Currently, my readers right now are a bit all over the map, and I will be honest that for some of you the beginning aspect of this book may be too technical at first. However, I encourage you to push those boundaries of knowledge comfort anyways. Sometimes it’s a good thing to challenge your ability to learn. That is not to say that this is fat loss rocket science, I’m simply noting that some parts are advanced in discussion (i.e. scientific).
I will say if you’re a trainer and you want to be worth a grain of salt, you will buy this book. And if you ever read the phrase “studies show” and it actually means something to you, then you should buy this book.
Most of the world does not realize what a study is and how flawed they are in general yet many will make really important daily life choices because of them, or worse because of press summaries of those same studies. That can be a very dangerous thing for your ability to choose your own destiny and to go outside of that box that you have stuck yourself in.
If you ever want to free yourself of relying on the words of others, if you ever want to provide yourself with the ability to be the ones “in the know” then this is one hell of a place to start. This is the kind of book Taubes wishes he could write.
“With bills to pay and/or mouths to feed, scientists aren’t magically exempt from the many temptations and the guerrilla tactics of doing business.”
The first three chapters teach you how to understand research on a level of the technical and, even better, how to form opinion from scientific observations. These first sections are the ultimate lesson in study do’s, dont’s and they did what’s?
After that you get into the bulk of the book which is the teaching of what proteins, carbs, and fats really are and why we have the feelings and theories behind them that we do.
Is GI index really important?
What kind of role does insulin really play on fat loss?
How much protein do we really need?
How are fats changing the way we look at health?
One of my favorite parts of the book is the insertion of studies. While it may seem at first glance that Alan keeps the reading buried a bit too deep in data, you have to look between the lines a little bit and see that sometimes he is downright exposing hypocrisy and the ridiculous acts of our government and the lives of other cultures. Point being, it’s only dry if you don’t see the work for what it is: an exposure.
“I’ve always felt that Mother Nature winced every time a yolk hit the waste basket. Having scoured the research, it’s comforting to know that my gut feeling on the issue has a fair amount of support.”
Following that statement are some great study highlights about the effects of yolks on our health. I don’t know if any of you read the recent headlines about how eating eggs will kill you, but Alan can easily show you not only is this not the case but also, again, how to read an actual study and see it’s flaws.
There is also some talk of supplements in Girth, what they do, and if you need them. A book that saves some money in your pocket is always a good read as the majority of us are always walking to GNC.
Alan finishes out the book with what you need to do to achieve either fat loss or muscle gain on a optimum and successful level. This is where his information, for the most part, is a pretty easy read. He covers some great topics from fasting, pre/post workout nutrition, interval training, and the bodies ability to adapt to dieting down.
“The body is simply doing its job as an adaptive survival unit when a plateau occurs. When you stop to think about it, the ultimate goal is to plateau!”
Obviously my focus is on fat loss, and, well, technically Alan is my competition but what can I say, the man does his job and he does it well. If you already have my books (’cause you know you should) then why not add Alan’s to the collection as well? Never be afraid to learn more, never be afraid to keep diving deep. There are few of us out there in the world who don’t like to be told what to think and do. I think this is why I liked Girth so much; I like those who scream against the crowd.
It’s safe to say that Girth delivers on the knowledge front. I hope you take a chance and believe in your ability of thought and give it a shot as well. Always strive to put knowledge in your own hands because that’s the true way to lead to a new life.
Knowledge is fat loss power.
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To get Girth go check out Alan’s site at www.alanaragon.com.
And if you want to DOUBLE your learning efforts take 10 lousy bucks ($10 USD) and sign up for his research review as well. (Click Below)
