While we were on a short holiday in two resort communities in Northern Michigan, there was plenty of time for me to cool my heels while Ruth shopped for the “perfect souvenir sweatshirt or T-shirt from one of these places.

So, since there were no “real” hardware stores within walking distances, I always walked into the nearest book store and checked out what was on the shelves these days.  Checking the “diet and exercise” section of several different stores, including a couple of the big box stores, I found the new book, “Champions Body for Life” in stock and prominently displayed. A couple of these book stores were very small, with limited inventories, and even they carried the book.

I’m still reading mine, believe it or not! There is a ton of information in there, and no small amount of it actually came from my own little blogs and missives that I sent to Art Carey, the author of the book. Given the fact that the suggested retail price is $26.95 and most places sell it for a bit under $20, the book is certainly worth taking a place on your shelf of fitness and diet information you use regularly.

Ruth (my wife) and I really like the entire book but are especially pleased to see that the exercises that are depicted show clearly that every body part can be thoroughly worked with just dumbbells, a fitness ball, and some exercise bands. There are no machine exercises depicted, and that’s great, because machines all differ, and the instructions for them are right on the machine, so there was no need to waste the space on them.

The “top ten” lists throughout are fun and for the most part contain some great tips for the serious participants. Another thing I really like about the book is that it recognizes the accomplishments of some featured challengers and others who have not yet been crowned champions.

Are there some things that one could be negative about? Sure. Some of the photos in the B & W sections are not as crisp as they might have been, but when you get contributions from all the participants and many are really designed to have been printed in color, they can look a bit muddy when changed to black and white.

All in all, though, it’s a great read with literally tons of information in it. It’s a welcome substitute for the original book which was written nearly a decade ago. It was high time that the collective experience of all the champions and challengers since that time was updated and put into a special focus to help others.

Give it a shot and pick up yours today. In fact, pick up two or three. You know you’ll end up giving away one to somebody who thinks that you are taking steroids or something! And the other will make a great gift for that family member or friend who could use a boost.