cover image Voight: Precision Training for Body and Mind

Voight: Precision Training for Body and Mind

Karen Voight. Hyperion Books, $19.45 (135pp) ISBN 978-0-7868-8159-8

For someone who has made her reputation as Hollywood's premiere fitness trainer (her clients include Elle MacPherson, Tina Turner and James Taylor), Voight has produced a remarkably straightforward and no-nonsense fitness book that deserves to become a standard in the field. It's a standout by virtue of its clarity and conceptual coherence, and by the fact that it's written without jargon or psycho-babble. The book is divided roughly into three sections: introductory material about weight loss, discipline and commitment; workouts for arms, legs, buttocks, abdominals, back and stretching exercises; and advice about safety in movement and eating habits (including a weeklong diet plan). Workouts are clearly and effectively illustrated with photos of Voight in action. And while the title may suggest some New Age tendencies, Voight's exercises borrow from traditional weight and fitness methods (such as her highly effective abdominal exercises) and basic Yoga techniques (the back and stretching exercises are standard Yoga movements and postures). Without hype or condescension, Voight packs a powerful program onto these few pages. Author tour. (May)