Want a beach bod? There’s no time to waste

Pool parties, beach outings, outdoor barbecues, day hikes -- the summer is loaded with events that call for less clothing and more muscle. If getting in shape is one goal for the warmer months, there’s little time left to do it. These books promise substantial results in a matter of weeks (or less) -- but require total commitment.

-- Jeannine Stein

Walk this way ... no, this way

Training for Life: Walk Your Way to Fitness and Weight Loss in 14 Days: By Debbie Rocker (Springboard Press, 2007), comes with audio CD.

If you’re ready to give yourself over to the power of Debbie, then two weeks might be enough time to see some results. Rocker is a former elite athlete and the inventor of the WalkVest, a weighted vest that, not surprisingly, figures prominently in her walk-based exercise routine.

Likes: Rocker’s philosophy doesn’t include quick fixes or on-again-off-again diets. Her regimen is designed to kick-start major lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet and an overall positive attitude. She emphasizes awareness of everything -- body placement, exercise intensity, food choices -- so don’t plan on checking out during those daily walks. Walking regimens vary in intensity to build strength and endurance, and workouts include basic exercises such as push-ups, triceps dips and leg lifts.

Although she advocates treadmills, they’re not a necessity, making this a reasonable plan for those on a budget (if forgoing the $80 WalkVest, of course).

Dislikes: Rocker makes an enormous push for her invention (designed to add increasing resistance while walking), and the hard sell is wearying after a while -- as is her two-week diet, which includes two days of near-fasting on vegetable broth and cooked vegetables, not the best idea for those with blood sugar issues. Although healthful and balanced, regular meals are boring, rarely straying from the most basic preparation of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and a few starches. Likely only the most dedicated Rockerites will be able to adhere to it for the full two weeks. And some of her workouts may be too intense for rank beginners.

Price: $24.99.

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Can miracles really happen?

12-Day Body Shaping Miracle: By Michael Thurmond (Warner Wellness, 2007).

Fans of plastic surgery reality show “Extreme Makeover” will recognize author Thurmond as the beefy exercise guru who helped many a surgically enhanced contestant go from flab to fab.

Likes: For those aching to know the whys of diet and exercise, Thurmond goes to great lengths, explaining -- among other things -- how the body burns fat and the differences between fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Strength exercises mostly rely on low-cost ankle weights and bands, and he advocates walking and slow jogging for cardio. For the most part, his plan is sensible and probably will result in lower weight and improved muscle tone, providing one can just say no to the fries.

Dislikes: Thurmond extols the virtues of doing cardio in a fat-burning zone, then turns around and says interval training is important too, creating some confusion. He also claims that machines such as elliptical trainers and stair climbers should be avoided, because they’ll bump users up to an anaerobic level. That’s absurd -- workouts can simply be done at a lower intensity. Thurmond recommends drinking 12 eight-ounce glasses of water a day, way more than most people can down, and an amount some health experts say has no merit.

And then there’s this, which is just plain annoying: On his plan, “Fat will start receding from your body the way the ocean leaves the shore at low tide.” Whatever.

Price: $23.99.

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Making it through the home stretch

Making the Cut: By Jillian Michaels (Crown Publishers, 2007).

Jillian Michaels is yet another made-for-TV trainer, with appearances on “The Biggest Loser” propelling her to fame. Her latest book is for those who want to drop the last 10 to 20 pounds, usually the toughest to lose, and she gives them a month to do it. Michaels makes it clear from the introduction that this is not for wimps -- she doesn’t even allow girl push-ups. It’s also not for those who are completely deconditioned.

Likes: Michaels includes numerous recipes in her book, a nice alternative to some books that offer only meager diet guidance, such as “Eat two ounces of lean turkey.” Some look tasty, such as the Bombay Curried Shrimp, and make ample use of non-fattening spices and herbs. Also refreshing is Michaels’ strong caution against using colonics, laxatives and fasting as a means to a thinner end, discussing the dangers of each in detail.

Dislikes: Michaels makes it clear that her program must be followed to the letter in order to see results, and a month is a long time for some people to be virtuous. The challenging workouts will no doubt result in visible changes, but high motivation is required to maintain such intensity, especially when she recommends that those tough 45-minute circuit-training sessions be followed by 15 minutes of cardio. She also includes a seven-day “peaking diet,” designed to reduce water weight and reveal those cut muscles. Among her tips are two 20-minute sauna sessions with a 10-minute break in between, a diet that includes 100 ounces of water a day (that’s 12 1/2 eight-ounce glasses), and extremely low-calorie meals high in protein but very low in carbs. Although she cautions about the dangers the shortened program might cause, Michaels says the diet is about “the jaw-dropping effect we all need from time to time.” We all need from time to time? Those of us who don’t frequent the red carpet can skip it.

Price: $24.95.

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If you need to dig deep for your inner mojo

Hyper Fitness: 12 Weeks to Conquering Your Inner Everest and Getting into the Best Shape of Your Life: By Sean Burch (Avery, 2007).

If your motivation tends to flag a few weeks or months after starting a workout program, Burch might be your guy. The owner of a fitness consulting company, he turned his somewhat slothful life around by deciding to climb Mt. Everest and do a bunch of other really hard things, thereby discovering his inner mojo. His emphasis is on the workouts, although diet counts, too. The circuit-training and cardio regimens are divided into three difficulty categories.

Likes: The if-I-can-do-it-you-can-do-it gestalt is infectious; even the most cynical couch potatoes won’t be able to resist getting with the program. By relating his own trials, tribulations and fears (and how he overcame them), Burch lets readers know that their own goals are not that far off. The book is also full of tips, such as correct breathing techniques and reminders on how to ensure that progress is being made and that exercise levels aren’t too strenuous.

Dislikes: The individual exercises and routines leave a great deal to be desired. Some instructions are extremely confusing, as with the “squat shadowbox dumbbell punch with double Thai knee smash” that says, in part, “Squat and follow with lead dumbbell hand jab, squat and follow with rear hand, cross.” Um -- what? With few photos, it’s nearly impossible to decipher some of these.

Because many of these exercises require cable machines, dumbbells, Bosu balls and medicine balls, they’re likely going to be done in a gym. But probably not a gym that would allow moves like the “handstand push-up with one foot in cable strap,” or broad jumping over a treadmill. One bad slip and that’s the end of any exercise routine. Why Burch would sacrifice safety for the sake of a nontraditional workout is baffling.

Price: $24.95.