The BackSmart Fitness Plan: A Total-Body Workout to Strengthen and Heal Your Back

"This is essentially a book of exercise advice - exercises and routines designed to help people with back problems. It's certainly comprehensive covering tons of stretches, pilates, swiss-ball, bodyweight, free weights, machines and cables machines.

It coveres a lot of non back exercises. It really is a manual of general exercise and health for people with bad backs rather than another set of exercises specifically for people with back problems.

My criticisms of it are that it isn't a lot of help to someone with a lot of current pain. There is only a little info on dealing with an acute back episode and most of the exercises are way too hard for someone struggling in their daily life. I'd have liked to see a very gentle remedial programme. But maybe the book isn't aimed at that. It also misses out some key back exercises in my opinion but then the author may know better and this may be deliberate.

It strikes me as a bit of a personal book. He developed the exercise regimes from his own pain. I wonder how useful that approach is for people who don't have the same causes for their pain.

Overall it's a good book and one worth buying for the back sufferer who already has the usual back exercise books. It gives you a whole-body approach. It offers good weights exercises that won't hurt your weak back which is useful."
~ Written on 2006-07-31

"Having read most of the golf books on the market I was looking for something new to take a little bit off my game. Admittedly, I am totally addicted to the game and practiced 10 minutes every day on the swing as well as playing every week, but I had previously put similar efforts over the years without ever becoming a good golfer until now.
After reading an article by Dr. Weiss on back stiffness and the effect on golfer’s swing, I was intrigued. I have read my fare share of exercise books over the years to remain fit but this book I am happy to say surprised me. This book is well laid out and easy to follow, it does not over complicate things with certain pieces of exercises equipment or to drink magical potions to get a benefit from the exercises. Rather the book offers many different exercises to achieve greater strength and flexibility.
As a golfer of many years I found not only my back feeling better, but also my shoulders are feeling much better and I am hitting the ball better. I have played to a handicap of 18 for years, since this book I now play to 11. I do not play any more golf than previously but I do enjoy playing golf much more."
~ Written on 2006-03-01

""The Backsmart Fitness Plan" will "The Backsmart Fitness Plan" will motivate you to change your exercise program and lose weight.
The author explains his unique fitness philosophy with detailed descriptions and straight forward pictures of exercises and how to do them.
It's a great book with a through, detailed p[lan from stretching, weights, core training(the abs exercises alone was worth the price I paid) , and a simple diet plan.

you to change your exercise program and lose weight.
The author explains his unique fitness philosophy with detailed descriptions and straight forward pictures of exercises and how to do them.
It's a great book with a through, detailed plan from stretching, weights, core training(the abs exercises alone was worth the price I paid) , and a simple diet plan."
~ Written on 2005-12-21

"If you're suffering lower back pain, you're not alone.
Millions of people of all ages, body types, and activity levels have problems ranging from simple spasms to dreadful sciaticas or disk ruptures. I honestly don't know what I really have but my lower back has been bugging me for about a year now, mostly from lousy weight lifting forms while performing squats, romanian deadlifts, and dumbell lunges.

Today I tried out a few stretches suggested by Dr. Weiss in his book "The Backsmart Fitness Plan" while I was hanging out on Beach. The "daily dozen", as Dr. Weiss called them. Remember Karate Kid training on the beach watching the sunset?

The stretches did help to ease the rest of the day and seemed to have many healing benefits, if performed on a daily basis. I highly recommend this book for anyone suffering back pain or seeking to increase the flexibility and strength of their core muscles. People should never compromise their flexibility or core exercises to cut their workout time, as it may lead them to the stage I'm at now.
I've gained several kilograms of fat and lost a few pounds of muscle as a result of a long period of inactivity due to chronic back pain, albeit mild. A good thing about this program, other than it being designed to heal back pain, is that most of the exercises could be performed anywhere, perfect any lifestyle."
~ Written on 2005-09-27

"An excellent book that covers absolutely everything that you can possibly do at home or in the gym includes use of the stability ball and mixes the free weights and machine nicely that further works your entire body. It is well broken down into chapters covering each individual body part, which is both easy to read while displaying good detail, with helpful tips for most exercises. I believe that it will be useful for a wide range of people with different exercises focusing on strength, balance, co-ordination and flexibility. Overall it is a great all round exercise book for developing core strength for anyone"
~ Written on 2005-09-03