4-Minute Fit

Starred review from February 20, 2017
According to first-time author Baleka, a former NCAA Division 1 athlete, the answer to the obesity epidemic isn’t calorie cutting or working out to exhaustion; it’s boosting metabolism with a simple set of guidelines that anyone can follow. He describes developing this fitness plan after he switched careers to long-haul trucking—sometimes called the unhealthiest occupation in America—and quickly gained a substantial amount of weight. Baleka calls for 15 minutes of daily exercise, four of them vigorous, and a high-protein meal or snack every three hours. The truck driver–tested program eschews menus and “forbidden” foods, but does include do-anywhere fitness moves illustrated by photos of Baleka working out in parking lots, laundromats, and motel rooms. The low-key tone and pragmatic approach of this plan will win some enthusiastic fans.