About a year ago I read the The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss and even with the hokie title thought it was a very interesting book with lots of great information. I became a reader of Ferriss’s blog and was pleased to learn he was working on a second book on fitness. Since I read the first book from the public library, I figured I would actually purchase the next book. His new book is The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman.
Unfortunately his pre-order for the book was via Barnes and Noble, thus I had to wait almost a full week after the book came out for it to arrive (Amazon tries to time arrival with the book release date). I found it to be a very enjoyable read. It is meant to be read A-La-Carte based on your specific goals (weight loss, strength, speed, etc). This is a good recommendation because if you read it straight through (like I did) it comes across very ADD. One chapter may contradict the information given in a previous chapter (because the goals are different). Ferriss has a very enjoyable writing style and the chapters really come across as a series of blog posts (in fact many of them stem from blog posts he had written previously). While many of the recommendations are based on Ferriss’s and a small group of volunteers’s own experience, the information is rooted in research and many links and references are provided in the book. While I have not tried many of the techniques in the book (I tend to shy away from taking supplements I have never heard of at the recommendation of random authors) the information is quite interesting. I would recommend anyone that enjoys Ferriss’s blog to check out this book. It is like a collection of well written blog posts. You will go through the almost 600 pages in record time.
At the end of each chapter, Ferriss gives links to more information. I went through and collected them all here for my own reference since I didn’t visit them during reading. Some of the links are NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so click at your own risk. Also I noticed that all of the URL’s that redirect to Amazon.com use Ferriss’s affiliate links (in case that kind of thing bothers you).
Update: Tim has put the links with extended descriptions up on his site here: 4 Hour Body Links
Table of Contents
Start Here
Thinner, Bigger, Faster, Stronger? How to Use This Book
Fundamentals – First and Foremost
The Minimum Effective Dose: From Microwaves to Fat-loss
Rules That Change the Rules: Everything Popular Is Wrong
-Page 34
http://www.fourhourbody.com/wisdom
http://www.fourhourbody.com/almanac
http://www.fourhourbody.com/munger
Ground Zero-Getting Started and Swaraj
The Harajuku Moment: The Decision to Become a Complete Human
-Page 43
http://www.fourhourbody.com/stoicism
http://www.fourhourbody.com/friends
Elusive Bodyfat: Where Are You Really?
-Page 53
http://www.fourhourbody.com/orbitape
http://www.bodycompositioncenter.com
http://www.lifemeasurement.com/clients/locator
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bodymetrix
http://www.fourhourbody.com/escalibio
http://www.fourhourbody.com/slimguide
http://www.fourhourbody.com/evil
From Photos to Fear: Making Failure Impossible
-Page 64
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fatreplica
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pbworks
http://eat.ly
http://www.habitforge.com
http://www.stickk.com
http://www.bodybuilding.com/superhuman
http://www.dailyburn.com/superhuman
Subtracting Fat: Basics
The Slow- Carb Diet I: How to Lose 20 Pounds in 30 Days Without Exercise
-Page 78
http://www.fourhourbody.com/breakfast
http://www.stilltasty.com
http://www.foodporndaily.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/gout
The Slow-Carb Diet II: The Finer Points and Common Questions
Damage Control: Preventing Fat Gain When You Binge
-Page 113
http://www.fourhourbody.com/binge
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cq
http://www.athleticgreens.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cesto
http://www.nutritiondata.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/thera
http://www.fourhourbody.com/minibands
The Four Horsemen of Fat-Loss
-Page 120
http://www.fourhourbody.com/garlic
http://www.fourhourbody.com/greentea
http://www.fourhourbody.com/ala
http://www.fourhourbody.com/policosanol
Subtracting Fat: Advanced
Ice Age: Mastering Temperature to Manipulate Weight
-Page 132
http://www.fourhourbody.com/colpac
http://www.fourhourbody.com/diy-ice
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pugh
http://www.raycronise.com
The Glucose Switch: Beautiful Number 100
-Page 148
http://www.dexcom.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/jazz
http://www.fourhourbody.com/app-glucose
http://www.julietmae.foodzie.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vest
The Last Mile: Losing the Final 5-10 Pounds
-Page 156
http://www.rxmuscle.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bigger
http://www.medibolics.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/anabolics
Adding Muscle
Building the Perfect Posterior (or Losing 100+ Pounds)
-Page 170
http://www.fourhourbody.com/kettlebells
Six-Minute Abs: Two Exercises That Actually Work
-Page 180
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bosu
http://www.fourhourbody.com/stability
http://www.fourhourbody.com/hitchhiker
From Geek to Freak: How to Gain 34 Pounds in 28 Days
-Page 192
http://www.fourhourbody.com/muscles
http://www.fourhourbody.com/comparison
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cartman
http://www.fourhourbody.com/jones
Occam’s Protocol I: A Minimalist Approach to Mass
-Page 210
http://www.freeprintablecalendar.net
http://www.fourhourbody.com/youbar
http://www.fourhourbody.com/parkinsons
Occam’s Protocol II: The Finer Points
Improving Sex
The 15-Minute Female Orgasm-Part Un
-Page 236
http://www.fourhourbody.com/buckwheat
http://www.liberator.com
http://www.beautifulagony.com
http://www.sexwise.me
http://www.tallulahsulis.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/loveorgasm
The 15-Minute Female Orgasm-Part Deux
-Page 251
http://www.fourhourbody.com/doingmethod
http://onetaste.us
http://sfsi.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.fourhourbody.com/roach
http://www.tinynibbles.com
Violet’s Recommended Reading
http://www.fourhourbody.com/60second
http://www.fourhourbody.com/erotica
http://www.fourhourbody.com/earth
Violet’s Recommended Tools
http://www.babeland.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bullet
http://www.fourhourbody.com/smoothie
http://www.fourhourbody.com/chroma
http://www.fourhourbody.com/something
http://www.fourhourbody.com/luna
http://www.kegelmasters.com
Sex Machine I: Adventures in Tripling Testosterone
-Page 260
http://www.fourhourbody.com/spectra
http://www.fourhourbody.com/butterblend
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cod
http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/locator.php
http://www.fourhourbody.com/testd
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vitamin-d
http://www.sperti.com
Happy Endings and Doubling Sperm Count
-Page 273
http://www.fourhourbody.com/armband
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pong
http://www.fourhourbody.com/disappearing
http://www.spermbankdirectory.com
http://www.spermcenter.com/sperm_bank_listings
http://www.sart.org/frame/detail.aspx?id=3893
http://www.healthgrades.com/local-doctors-directory
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fertility
http://www.findafertilityclinic.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/semen-analysis
Perfecting Sleep
Engineering the Perfect Night’s Sleep
-Page 285
http://stereopsis.com/flux
http://www.fourhourbody.com/poppy
http://www.fourhourbody.com/zeo
http://www.fourhourbody.com/golite
http://www.fourhourbody.com/nightwave
http://www.fourhourbody.com/humidifier
http://www.lexwarelabs.com/sleepcycle
http://www.fourhourbody.com/lucid
Becoming Uberman: Sleeping Less with Polyphasic Sleep
-Page 292
http://forums.trypolyphasic.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/everyman
http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm
http://www.kukuklok.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/clocky
http://www.wakerupper.com
Reversing Injuries
Reversing “Permanent” Injuries
-Page 317
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vibram
http://www.fourhourbody.com/terra
http://www.fourhourbody.com/toe-stretch
http://www.activerelease.com
http://www.hacketthemwall.org
http://www.aaomed.org
http://www.acopms.com
http://www.chiromat.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/mat
http://www.scoi.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/surgery
http://www.chiromedicalgroup.com/biopuncture
http://www.fourhourbody.com/biotensegrity
http://www.egoscue.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/netter
How to Pay for a Beach Vacation with One Hospital Visit
-Page 323
http://www.fourhourbody.com/woodman
http://www.imtjonline.com/resources/patient-guide
http://www.bumrungrad.com
http://www.medretreat.com
http://www.medtrava.com
Pre-Hab: Injury-Proofing the Body
-Page 345
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fms
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fms-self
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cl
http://www.fourhourbody.com/tgu
http://www.fourhourbody.com/1SDL
http://www.fourhourbody.com/squat
http://www.fourhourbody.com/kayak
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cl-band
http://www.fourhourbody.com/chain
http://www.fourhourbody.com/carabiner
Running Faster and Farther
Hacking the NFL Combine I: Preliminaries-Jumping Higher
-Page 353
http://www.fourhourbody.com/jump-mat
http://www.fourhourbody.com/combine-dvd
http://store.allvet.org/abblloga.html
http://www.fourhourbody.com/wilson
http://www.fourhourbody.com/flatbed
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pool-eloi
Hacking the NFL Combine II: Running Faster
-Page 366
http://www.fourhourbody.com/defranco
http://www.fourhourbody.com/40yard
http://www.parisischool.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/ghr
Ultraendurance I: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks-Phase I
Ultraendurance II: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks-Phase II
-Page 403
http://www.crossfitendurance.com
http://der.org/films/marathon-monks.html
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/roadrunner
http://www.fourhourbody.com/metronome
http://www.fourhourbody.com/exilim
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pose-method
http://www.fourhourbody.com/crossfit
http://www.fourhourbody.com/genr8
http://www.trailrunnermag.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/borntorun
http://www.fourhourbody.com/harvard-barefoot
http://www.fourhourbody.com/talon212
http://www.fourhourbody.com/f-lite230
http://www.fourhourbody.com/talon220
-Page 401
Favorite 5 U.S. Marathons
New York City http://www.ingnycmarathon.org
Portland http://www.portlandmarathon.org
Marine Corps Marathon http://www.marinemarathon.com
Rock ‘N’ Roll San Diego http://www.rnrmarathon.com
Boston http://www.bostonmarathon.org
Top 5 Picks For First-Timers
Napa Valley http://www.napavalleymarathon.org
Hartford http://www.hartfordmarathon.com
Fargo http://www.fargomarathon.com
Dallas White Rock http://www.runtherock.com
Disney http://bit.ly/3chiv
5 Most Beautiful U.S. Marathons
Big Sur http://www.bsim.org
Boulder Backroads http://www.bouldermarathon.com
Myrtle Beach http://www.mbmarathon.com
St. George http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com
Kauai http://www.thekauaimarathon.com
Marathon Search Engines
http://www.fourhourbody.com/marathon
http://www.fourhourbody.com/race-finder
Triathlon Search Engine
http://www.trifind.com
Getting Stronger
Effortless Superhuman: Breaking World Records with Barry Ross
-Page 423
http://www.fourhourbody.com/over-under
http://www.fourhourbody.com/underground
http://www.fourhourbody.com/hsrp
http://www.fourhourbody.com/asr
http://www.fourhourbody.com/smolov
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fatgripz
Eating the Elephant: How to Add 100 Pounds to Your Bench Press
-Page 430
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bench
http://www.fourhourbody.com/primitive
http://www.powerliftingusa.com
From Swimming to Swinging
How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days
-Page 443
http://www.fourhourbody.com/immersion
http://www.fourhourbody.com/kaiman
http://www.fourhourbody.com/shinji
http://www.swimmersguide.com
The Architecture of Babe Ruth
-Page 452
http://www.fourhourbody.com/impact
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cevallos
http://www.theswingmechanic.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/radar
http://www.fourhourbody.com/moneyball
How to Hold Your Breath Longer Than Houdini
-Page 457
http://www.fourhourbody.com/blaine
http://www.fourhourbody.com/krack
http://www.fourhourbody.com/freediving
http://www.fourhourbody.com/powerlung
http://www.fourhourbody.com/apnea
http://www.ftrain.com/lungvacuuming.html
On Longer and Better Life
Living Forever: Vaccines, Bleeding, and Other Fun
-Page 468
http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bonfils
http://www.blood.co.uk
http://www.alcor.org
http://www.fourhourbody.com/transcend
http://knol.google.com/k/ron-mignery/protein-cycling-diet/2s3nmvrwklbxs/1#
http://www.mfoundation.org
http://www.imminst.org
http://www.fourhourbody.com/snowball
Closing Thoughts
Closing Thoughts: The Trojan Horse
Appendices and Extras
Helpful Measurements and Conversions
Getting Tested-From Nutrients to Muscle Fibers
-Page 480
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bodpod
http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcouncil
http://www.23andme.com
http://www.navigenics.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/spectracell
http://www.fourhourbody.com/biophysical
Muscles of the Body
The Value of Self-Experimentation
-Page 490
http://www.fourhourbody.com/new-ideas
http://www.quantifiedself.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/self-experiment
http://www.curetogether.com
http://www.daytum.com
http://apps.pachube.com/datalogger
Spotting Bad Science 101: How Not to Trick Yourself
-Page 500
http://www.fourhourbody.com/blackswan
http://www.fourhourbody.com/corporation
http://www.fourhourbody.com/biases
Spotting Bad Science 102: So You Have a Pill . . .
The Slow-Carb Diet-194 People
Sex Machine II: Details and Dangers
The Meatless Machine I: Reasons to Try a Plant-Based Diet for Two Weeks
The Meatless Machine II: A 28-Day Experiment
-Page 549
http://www.goodguide.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vegan-athletes
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cowboy
http://www.fourhourbody.com/myth
http://www.beyondveg.com
Bonus Material (with additional info at Ferriss’s site)
Spot Reduction Revisited: Removing Stubborn Thigh Fat
Becoming Brad Pitt: Uses and Abuses of DNA
The China Study: A Well-Intentioned Critique
Heavy Metal: Your Personal Toxin Map
The Top 10 Reasons Why BMI Is Bogus
Hyperclocking and Related Mischief: How to Increase Strength 10% in One Workout
Creativity on Demand: The Promises and Dangers of Smart Drugs
An Alternative to Dieting: The Bodyfat Set Point and Tricking the Hypothalamus
Seems like you are still enjoying Mobile, AL 🙂