Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Body by Science summary
Doug McGuff
John Little
A Research Based Program for Strength Training, Body Building, and Complete Fitness in 12 Minutes a Week
22 mins
Brief summary
Body by Science by Doug McGuff and John Little is a fitness book based on scientific research that challenges traditional exercise methods. The focus is on high-intensity strength training with fewer repetitions and greater intensity to achieve maximum results in less time.
Table of Contents
Body by Science
Summary of 7 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 7
Not all physical activities result in a healthier body.
Greece, 480 BC. The united forces of Athens and Sparta defeat the invading Persian army at the Battle of Marathon. Generals give a young courier named Pheidippides an important task: to deliver the good news back to the capital.
Elated, he sprints the 25 miles to Athens. It only takes him a few hours, and his run becomes legendary. We still remember it as the first marathon. Surely, someone as fit as Pheidippides must have lived a long, healthy life?
Unfortunately, no. As soon as he arrived, the young courier collapsed and died.
His fate tells us something really important about how the human body works. This lesson is that exercise, fitness, and health aren’t always connected. In the following blinks, you will learn what modern science tells us about fitness training, and why running marathons – like Pheidippides did – may not be the best thing for your overall health.
The key message here is: Not all physical activities result in a healthier body.
So, what does it mean to be healthy? Surely science would have an answer to such a basic question, wouldn’t it? Well, as it turns out, you can pore through hundreds of medical texts, and you’ll probably find hundreds of theories. Still, in general terms, being healthy means being free of disease and having a body that naturally balances its internal chemical processes.
Two of these processes are really critical. They are called catabolic and anabolic. Catabolic processes are all about breaking things down. Turning proteins into energy would be an example. Anabolic processes are the opposite. They’re all about building things up. This includes growing muscle or producing hormones.
A healthy body will balance its catabolic and anabolic activities.
There’s a common misconception that all forms of physical activity will keep a body healthy. Sadly, this isn’t true. Some activities will make you fitter, which is to say better at withstanding the pressure of physical challenges. But these activities won’t necessarily improve your overall health.
Let’s look at long-distance running, for example. It will certainly make you faster, but there are trade-offs. Runners can develop serious health issues. Their knees can get damaged, their spines can degenerate, their hearts can develop unhealthy rhythms. This is because long-distance running supercharges the build-up of some parts of the body. But, in return, it also speeds up the degradation of other organs. So, over time, you end up with an imbalance.
But there are things you can do to improve your body’s overall fitness; to maintain the balance of catabolic and anabolic processes. This is true exercise, and in the next blink, we’ll take a closer look at what it looks like.
Want to see all full key ideas from Body by Science?
Key ideas in Body by Science
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Body by Science about?
Body by Science (2009) is a comprehensive guide to building muscle. This handbook is driven by data, and it offers a scientifically proven approach to sculpting a fitter, firmer body. All you’ll need is a few minutes a week.
Body by Science Review
Body by Science (2009) is a comprehensive guide to high-intensity training and its transformative effects on the body. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Full of scientifically-backed insights and cutting-edge research, it equips readers with the knowledge to optimize their workouts and achieve maximum results.
- By challenging traditional exercise paradigms, the book presents a revolutionary approach to strength training that promises greater efficiency and effectiveness.
- With its emphasized focus on recovery and the body's physiological responses, the book ensures a safe and sustainable training routine, preventing injuries and burnout.
Best quote from Body by Science
The fitness worlds misplaced focus on the cardiovascular system needs to be redirected to the muscular system.
—Doug McGuff, John Little
Who should read Body by Science?
- Fitness buffs looking to optimize their routine
- Couch potatoes eager to amp up their physical activity
- Anyone curious about the science of building up muscle
Categories with Body by Science
Book summaries like Body by Science
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
23 min
4.6
The Consolations of Philosophy
Alain De Botton
A Guide to Finding Wisdom and Comfort in Life
21 min
4.2
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Body by Science FAQs
What is the main message of Body by Science?
Body by Science provides a scientific approach to fitness, emphasizing intensity and efficiency in workouts.
How long does it take to read Body by Science?
The estimated reading time for Body by Science is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Body by Science a good book? Is it worth reading?
Body by Science is worth reading as it offers science-backed insights and a time-efficient workout method.
Who is the author of Body by Science?
The author of Body by Science is Doug McGuff and John Little.
What to read after Body by Science?
If you're wondering what to read next after Body by Science, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The 12-week Fitness Project by Rujuta Diwekar
- 30 Ways to Reboot Your Body by Ben Greenfield
- Master Your Core by Bohdanna Zazulak
- Existentialism Is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre
- Eat to Beat Your Diet by William W. Li
- Shift by Ethan Kross
- How to Speed Read People by Patrick King
- Eat, Move, Sleep by Tom Rath
- The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl