Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat: The Secret Science Behind Physical Transformation [Format Kindle]

From the Introduction: A Revolutionary Way of Looking at Maximum Muscle and Minimum FatThe Renaissance culture that flourished in fifteenth- and sixteenth century Italy idealized the classic muscular body, promoted in part by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. These two great artists attempted to define the ideal human body proportions through drawing and sculpture. The last sixty years, however, have brought dramatic changes in the way men and women treat their bodies. We are now living in a seemingly new renaissance of “body adoration,” and more people than ever are dieting and exercising, striving to build bodies that are hard and lean.The goal of achieving a lean and muscular body began long before the time of da Vinci and Michelangelo. The admiration of muscularity and physical power was depicted in ancient Assyrian, Philistine, Minoic, Greek, and Roman art. Physical power was perceived as a primal male virtue required for protecting one’s family and defeating or dominating other males.According to anthropologist Desmond Morris, women are attracted to hard and muscular men with the potential to become strong mates and protectors of their children. But nowadays, women’s desire to look hard and lean is almost as great as men’s. Without delving more deeply into the anthropological definition of “lean ’n’ mean,” the question is: Why do you want to build muscle and lose fat? The most obvious answers are that a hard and lean body:• Is attractive• Is healthy• Earns admirationMany people, and perhaps most, want to gain muscle and lose fat primarily because they believe that a muscular and lean body looks great. Although that is certainly true, there is a great deal of confusion as to how muscular and lean the body should be. For many men and women, looks come first, whereas health and performance come second. Nothing is wrong with a passionate desire to look big and lean. But big muscles do not guarantee maximum power, and a lean look isn’t always a sign of health, especially in women. In spite of dieting and exercising more than ever, people today are getting fatter and sicker than ever. The vast majority of modern fitness enthusiasts are failing to improve their conditioning in spite of following steady exercise routines.The purpose of this book is to cut through the confusion of claims, speculations, and pseudo-science often associated with modern diets and fitness programs, and to present the hard-core truths about muscle gain and fat loss. Based on science and epidemiological evidence, the book offers a revolutionary way of improving human conditioning and performance. Science is about predictions based on predictable fact. Life is about surprises based on the unpredictable reality. This book is about both.

“If you are serious about building muscle and melting off body fat, the information contained in this book will provide you with the perfect game plan—the tactical approach you need to turn fitness dreams and desires into concrete reality.”
—Marty Gallagher, Olympic lifting and powerlifting champion; coach of national and world championship teams; and author of The Purposeful Primitive

“Ori Hofmekler's Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat gets into the nitty gritty of the biological concepts that aid muscle gain and fat loss.”
—Beauty, Health, Wellbeing Blog