The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
My partner introduced me to Tim Ferriss. This big ass blue book called The 4-Hour Body sat on the table. I didn’t read as often as I do now, so I thought to myself, why the heck would I read that? He talked about this book religiously, so I took a glance. Of course, I ended up turning to the middle of the book. For those who are familiar with this book know exactly what I was hit with. If you aren't familiar with the book, grab a copy.
Before you dive into the book, Tim gives you insights on how to use the book. The first chapter is even titled Start Here. I thought it was odd, but who am I to judge when the first thing I did was open to the middle of the book, right?
Tim doesn't start off slow. He just slaps you in the face with some real shit. This chapter yells, "You think you know shit, but you don't really know shit!" He strips your conditioned mind and forces you to erase what you think you know and everything you've been told while educating you on some real stuff you never even heard of.
This chapter starts off with Tim sharing his experience on approaching weight management the wrong way. BMI, BEI, BMR, Heart Rate, etc. etc. He touches on a few methods and tools to use, minus dieting. We then get to the motivation part. I actually enjoyed this read because he didn’t get all technical. His methods to keep motivated are simple, basic, and effective.
The basic chapter. Lose 20 pounds in 30 days! Now, many would argue that losing that amount of weight in such a short time can actually be unhealthy. Here’s the kicker. He says we can lose this weight without dieting, exercising, or taking supplements! All we have to do is follow 5 simple rules. He then answers every question one could think to ask, gives a list of mistakes we all make when attempting to diet and, literally giving us no reason for excuses. Then we dive into binge eating. Now, I'm no binge eater, but this was the first time in my life I have ever been given advice on how to properly binge eat. This subchapter ends discussing 4 things: Policosanol. Alpha-Lipoic Acid. Green Tea Flavanols. Garlic Extract. Yeah, I know. WTF! So, I'll just say this. All of that stuff=fat loss.
The advanced chapter. Okay, so this chapter is for those with the time, energy, and dedication to go all out. It’s all about water temperature and weight. Think ice cold showers and ice baths. Lastly, he dives into glucose and your last few pounds with an overwhelming amount of information that I skimmed over and ended with some interesting knowledge on steroids. Ladies, you might want to double check your birth control.
This chapter is king of simplicity, and I love simplicity. So, what did I learn from this chapter? Arms, legs, and losing body fat in one month can be achieved by using a kettlebell. I’m a huge advocate for the kettlebell and used it to help my scoliosis. Just make sure you have the proper form, or you will throw your back out. What else? 6 minutes of fancy crunches and cat vomit exercises can give you abs in just 3 weeks. I haven’t tested this, but I think I might do a 3-week challenge. The rest of the chapter consists of different exercises for losing and gaining weight.
So here we are. The middle of the book. As a woman, I really wanted to know what kind of advice this dude was giving and what kind of “workouts” he suggested. Much of the information came from interviews and some true hands on experience. So, I read it. It goes in depth about female orgasms, improved sex positions, and step by step tutorials, with pictures btw, on how to properly make a woman orgasm in 15 minutes with your hands. I shared this chapter with a few close girlfriends. There was a moment of silence, and we all realized something. Our husbands. Our boyfriends. They have all read The 4-Hour Body. I'm going to leave that comment there and move on. He ends this chapter talking about boosting testosterone and male fertility. Men, if you don’t care to have children, keep your phone in your pocket near your balls.
This chapter was actually really short. I think if he were to write this chapter again, today, there would be a lot more information. So in this chapter, he uses tools to measure and improve his sleeping habits, like the Fitbit or Zeo. He gives you a bunch of useful tips that I have tried myself and found effective. He ends the chapter talking about polyphasic sleep (The Uberman Method), which literally means you don't sleep. You just take naps all the time. I know a few people who use this method and are just as focused, if not more, than someone who sleeps 7 to 8 hours. Anyway, there is a whole science to this, and it definitely requires discipline. I tried it. I failed. I went back to sleeping my 6-8 hours.
In this chapter, Tim talks about the thousands of dollars he spent on his health that he could have saved using a variety of methods ranging from yoga to injections. He goes in depth about his trials and experiences. Then I got a break from information overload. Di you know combining travel and healthcare can save you thousands of dollars in medical expenses. Think about it. 2 weeks in another country relaxing on the beach, dining out and sipping on wine. You spend 5 hours getting a full healthcare checkup plus some extra stuff like bloodwork and MRI's. All of that for less than 3 grand! Beam me up Scotty! The chapter ends with a bunch of exercises and things you can do to prevent injuries. At that point, you don’t give two shits because your focus is now on how to convince your partner to take two weeks off and travel to Nicaragua for your annual checkup and sip on endless Macuas.
This chapter was boring. I started reading it. Then I skimmed. Then I moved on. I mean if you run marathons, then this will literally give you all the information you need. Some of the workouts and tips are great for those who maybe want to boost their endurance. Other than that. Not useful. A chapter for true runners.
This chapter wasn't exciting for me personally, but I recommend it if you bench presses or lifts weights. He gives you step by step instructions on the proper way to use equipment and the best methods that will make your workouts more effective. This is important because so many people injure themselves working out. I messed up my back once doing yoga so imagine fucking around with some weights.
This chapter resonated with me from the first line when he stated swimming always scared the hell out of him. Swimming scares the hell out of me too. He blessed us with the method he used to overcome his fear of swimming, some beginner tips, and finally saying he loves swimming. So, as I sit here writing this post, I think it's about time I face my fear and learn how to swim. I'll even add it to my 2020 affirmations list. Now I just need a pool and a swim coach. If you like baseball, you will love the end of this chapter. It's all about angles and positions and... well...that's it.
This last chapter is simply about extending our lifespans. This chapter was odd. It was similar to watching a good movie, and all of a sudden, the screen goes black, credits roll, and you're like so wtf just happened and why did it end like that. Yeah. It was kind of like that. But wait...there's more! The ending consisted of some closing thoughts and then almost 100 more pages of random in-depth information that corresponds with the chapters, a few random recipes, and guidelines. It was like going to the movie theatre. The credits roll. You get up, stretch, put your jacket on, began to walk out, and then the movie comes back on, and you realize there’s more to the movie. Yeah. It was exactly like that. But I enjoyed the hell out of those extra pages.
The 4-Hour Body was an interesting read. It's one of those books that can be enjoyed by everyone. It goes beyond the academic perspective. It forces you to accept that there is so much we don’t know. That we need to stop believing what we are told and do our own research. You definitely need to read this book with an open mind.