For my book Summit Success: Training for Hiking, Mountaineering, and Peak Bagging I included several photos to illustrate the exercises. Actually, my book publishing software claims 88 photos in the book. For each of the exercises in the book I had two choices. I could put in a photo of myself, or a photo of a fitness model.
Fitness models aren't that hard to come by. In the two local gyms I've trained in here in Summit County there are about a dozen between them. The typical SHAPE magazine model, skinny as a rail, does several hours of cardio every day, no muscle tone, are pretty common. As is the slightly buff weight lifting type. I could probably have made a pretty good deal and put them in my book.
I've seen plenty of training instruction manuals that did just that. I didn't think it would be fair to my readers though, so I chose to use myself as the fitness model. I am a Joe Average in the big scheme of things. A nearly 50 years old faceless cubicle guy at 240 lbs. when I started. I slowly worked my way down to 180 using the exact same type of workout as in the book. In that time I've gotten to the summit of two of the peaks of Mount Rainier (of three), Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, Orizaba in Mexico, and Kilimanjaro in Africa, among many other lesser peaks.
I think I am the best representation of what you too could achieve if you put the book to work, follow the plans exactly, and keep at it consistently for the 16 weeks. There are even instructions for how to maintain your growth and progress after the 16 weeks.
So no, I didn't squeeze in any of the girls from SHAPE, or guys from Men's Health, but I am being totally honest and up front in my representation of potential results from this style of training. It would be well worth your while to get a copy and start training now for Spring 2015 or in the immortal words of Warren Miller:
Fitness models aren't that hard to come by. In the two local gyms I've trained in here in Summit County there are about a dozen between them. The typical SHAPE magazine model, skinny as a rail, does several hours of cardio every day, no muscle tone, are pretty common. As is the slightly buff weight lifting type. I could probably have made a pretty good deal and put them in my book.
I've seen plenty of training instruction manuals that did just that. I didn't think it would be fair to my readers though, so I chose to use myself as the fitness model. I am a Joe Average in the big scheme of things. A nearly 50 years old faceless cubicle guy at 240 lbs. when I started. I slowly worked my way down to 180 using the exact same type of workout as in the book. In that time I've gotten to the summit of two of the peaks of Mount Rainier (of three), Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, Orizaba in Mexico, and Kilimanjaro in Africa, among many other lesser peaks.
I think I am the best representation of what you too could achieve if you put the book to work, follow the plans exactly, and keep at it consistently for the 16 weeks. There are even instructions for how to maintain your growth and progress after the 16 weeks.
So no, I didn't squeeze in any of the girls from SHAPE, or guys from Men's Health, but I am being totally honest and up front in my representation of potential results from this style of training. It would be well worth your while to get a copy and start training now for Spring 2015 or in the immortal words of Warren Miller:
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do."
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