Exercise trends come and go, and one of the ones that went in the late 1990s was the idea of exercising slowly to burn more fat. The theory was well rooted in exercise science--you burn a higher percentage of fat while exercising slowly and a higher percentage of carbohydrate as you speed up--but not very practical for most people. If you're only going to exercise for a half-hour a day, you burn a lot more calories by going fast than slow, regardless of how many of those calories come from fat.

Now Stu Mittleman, probably the foremost advocate of slow exercise, wants to reopen the argument. Slow Burn presents an entire lifestyle plan built around running slowly. He doesn't disagree with the idea that you can lose weight faster by training faster; he just thinks it's too stressful for the body to exercise that way.

Mittleman is one of the most famous long-distance runners in the world, and by long, we're talking really long: he once ran 571 miles in six days. So the program he outlines in Slow Burn shows you how to slow down and achieve more--an exercise plan that's less stressful to your body; a diet plan with less sugar and more healthy, unsaturated fats from fish and olive oil; and some tips about rethinking your everyday life to make it less stressful. (For example, he advocates the 85 percent rule: try to do everything the right way 85 percent of the time, and don't knock yourself out over the last 15 percent.) He also peppers the book with theories he's picked up from various branches of alternative medicine and nutrition--applied kinesiology, reflexology, and eating according to blood type. Mittleman's plan isn't for everyone. Certainly, if you like weight lifting or fast-paced sports like hockey and basketball, you won't find much to like here. But if you hate the pressure to always go faster, faster, faster, in life and in exercise, you'll find that Mittleman is on your side. --Lou Schuler

Change your workout, change your life

What a fabulous book!! Anyone who runs will find this book useful.

I think taking the full mind--body--spirit approach to running is the way to go. Too many people taking running too seriously and push themselves so hard they end up getting injured. Using Stu's approach will ensure a life-time of healthy running.

Overall this book could have been half as long and still had the same info. The author feels compelled to talk about his personal stories and examples for illustration.

Most disconcerting is his constant reference to Tony Robbins and Alternative Medicine techniques of Muscle-Testing used in Applied Kinesiology. These might be OK for those interested in such paths, but I had little patience or interest in them; I prefer my footnotes and examples to come from peer-reviewed journals.

Overall his ideas are OK. He talks about using heart rate monitors to gauge your optimal heart rate...then goes into his own definitions of Mostly Aerobic Pace (MAP) Most Efficient Pace (MEP) and Speedy Anaerobic Pace (SAP) target heart rate ranges.

I don't know if there are better books on this subject on the market. This one has some good info in it, but not 300 pages worth of riveting, motivating reading. I got a lot more, and better, info from Jeff Galloway's books which advocate slow running with walk breaks. But if it gets some people out there running....

Like all exercise books this one is difficult to review, because everyone comes looking for different information, different motivations, & how much information they want.

First, let me say, I write as a casual runner who keeps getting more into the sport (that's why I read the book). I am looking for the nuts-and-bolts of programs & diets, but not necessarily a bunch of anectdotal stories and/or paragraphs & paragraphs of material that could be said in one, maybe two, paragraphs, which is what I found much of this book to be. Second, I do love his basic running methodology, the heart rate material, & training advice, which, if this was a 20 page booklet with that information would receive 5 stars.

With that said, here is my basic take on the book:

The book is divided into three sections - thinking, training, & eating.

The THINKING section I could do without - believe you can achieve, set goals, and work for it ('baby steps'). If you are a runner, then you probably have some motivation and goals, so this isn't that helpful and will not provide anything different from what you have heard or read before.

The TRAINING section, I believe, is the best part, but, again, there is a lot of extraneous material and he spends 4 or 5 pages for what should be said in 1 page. The big error in this section, however, is that there are no in-depth training programs for particular distances. So, if you are looking to train for a marathon, then this section will not provide you with specifics. Yes, there are broad guidelines, which will help any runner, but not the specifics. Yet, he recommends his website "for more information about more specific 5K, 10K, and marathon training charts", but I found none at his site. Maybe you have to pay for them? But that is part of the reason I bought the book. Overall, however, his Most Efficient Pace, Mostly Aerobic Pace, and Speedy Anerobic Pace material is helpful.

The DIETING part has some interesting tid-bits (I want to get my acidity tested), but, as a person generally interested in fitness, I didn't find a lot of new material here - eat a lot of veggies and fish, avoid processed foods and sugars - although possibly some strange stuff. The supplement section is interesting and useful.

In short, I think the book is very worthy of a library checkout, but is not necessary to add to your personal library. You will lose weight, burn fat, and be in much better shape if you follow Mittleman's program, so that is worth 5 stars, but the book itself, which should be a booklet, is not.

I hope that helps you in your purchase decision process.

Very inspiring and motivating. I've completed about 50 marathons and wish I had read this book about 50 marathons ago.

I enjoyed the writing style and points the author wanted to communicate.. Hope to bring it to use soon