8 Weeks to SEALFIT

February 17, 2014
Former Navy SEAL Commander Divine (The Way of the SEAL), owner of the SEALFIT Training Center in San Diego, Calif., presents a guide that covers physical and mental training, a modified Paleo diet, and SEAL philosophy, affirmations, and journaling intended to turn committed exercisers into athletes with a “warrior mind.” SEALFIT combines Ashtanga Yoga, Navy SEAL regimens, and CrossFit training with endurance sports and some forms of martial arts to create lifetime athletes who are disciplined in both mind and body. The first six chapters focus on SEALFIT philosophy, enhanced by Divine’s anecdotes and advice on how to “embrace the suck,” think like a warrior, and endure rigorous training. Chapter 7, “On-Ramp Training,” details a four-week regimen to bring participants up to speed. Chapter 8, “Advanced Operator Training,” offers the heart of program, with precise day-by-day workouts that make-up phases of Divinie’s eight-week conditioning plan: stamina, strength, power, de-load, and personal record. The appendices include additional resources for fortifying the mind, a modified basic training program for those who don’t have the time to commit to Advanced Operator Training, as well as extensive grocery lists. Divine’s brusque tone will appeal to readers looking to be pushed beyond their limits. 120 b&w photos.

April 1, 2014

Recent exercise literature touts the health benefits of performing brief spurts of highly intense workouts that add resistance training and incorporate a broad range of multiple-joint movements. Not surprisingly, many combat or military fitness books have been published on this subject. Yet most are based on elite standards or extremes in instruction. Divine, a former SEAL who has trained many would-be members of the U.S. Navy and now owns and operates his own teaching facility, strives to mediate this. The author shows readers how to develop themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually and focuses on actions that are functional, intense, and involve combinations of cardiovascular exercise, gymnastics, and body-weight lifting to achieve healthy results. Each session starts with a baseline and warm-up and references the author's website, sealfit.com; which guides readers through how to perform stretches/exercises. This book might help readers push beyond normal aerobic routines, but its print format and advanced nature may hamper use. VERDICT Overall, Divine's guide caters to those who want functional workouts combined with the ability to interchange various activities that can be performed at high intensity. Suitable for most fitness collections and for avid health enthusiasts.--John N. Jax, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., La Crosse

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.