The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman Read online

  PRAISE FOR

  The 4-Hour Workweek

  “This is a whole new ball game. Highly recommended.” —Dr. Stewart D. Friedman, adviser to Jack Welch and former director of the Work/Life Integration Program at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

  “It’s about time this book was written. It is a long-overdue manifesto for the mobile lifestyle, and Tim Ferriss is the ideal ambassador. This will be huge.” —Jack Canfield, cocreator of Chicken Soup for the Soul®, 100+ million copies sold

  “Stunning and amazing. From mini-retirements to outsourcing your life, it’s all here. Whether you’re a wage slave or a Fortune 500 CEO, this book will change your life!” —Phil Town, New York Times bestselling author of Rule #1

  “The 4-Hour Workweek is a new way of solving a very old problem: just how can we work to live and prevent our lives from being all about work? A world of infinite options awaits those who would read this book and be inspired by it!” —Michael E. Gerber, founder and chairman of E-Myth Worldwide and the world’s #1 small business guru

  “Timothy has packed more lives into his 29 years than Steve Jobs has in his 51.” —Tom Foremski, journalist and publisher of SiliconValleyWatcher.com

  “If you want to live life on your own terms, this is your blueprint.” —Mike Maples, cofounder of Motive Communications (IPO to $260M market cap) and founding executive of Tivoli (sold to IBM for $750M)

  “Thanks to Tim Ferriss, I have more time in my life to travel, spend time with family, and write book blurbs. This is a dazzling and highly useful work.” —A. J. Jacobs, editor-at-large of Esquire magazine and author of The Know-It-All

  “Tim is Indiana Jones for the digital age. I’ve already used his advice to go spearfishing on remote islands and ski the best hidden slopes of Argentina. Simply put, do what he says and you can live like a millionaire.” —Albert Pope, derivatives specialist at UBS World Headquarters

  “Reading this book is like putting a few zeros on your income. Tim brings lifestyle to a new level—listen to him!” —Michael D. Kerlin, McKinsey & Company consultant to Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and a J. William Fulbright Scholar

  “Part scientist and part adventure hunter, Tim Ferriss has created a road map for an entirely new world. I devoured this book in one sitting —I have seen nothing like it.” —Charles L. Brock, chairman and CEO of Brock Capital Group; former CFO, COO, and general counsel of Scholastic, Inc.; and former president of the Harvard Law School Association

  “Outsourcing is no longer just for Fortune 500 companies. Small and mid-sized firms, as well as busy professionals, can outsource their work to increase their productivity and free time for more important commitments. It’s time for the world to take advantage of this revolution.” —Vivek Kulkarni, CEO of Brickwork India and former IT secretary of Bangalore; credited as the “techno-bureaucrat” who helped make Bangalore an IT destination in India

  “Tim is the master! I should know. I followed his rags to riches path and watched him transform himself from competitive fighter to entrepreneur. He tears apart conventional assumptions until he finds a better way.” —Dan Partland, Emmy Award–winning producer of American High and Welcome to the Dollhouse

  “The 4-Hour Workweek is an absolute necessity for those adventurous souls who want to live life to its fullest. Buy it and read it before you sacrifice any more!” —John Lusk, group product manager at Microsoft World Headquarters

  “If you want to live your dreams now, and not in 20 or 30 years, buy this book!” —Laura Roden, chairman of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs and a lecturer in Corporate Finance at San Jose State University

  “With this kind of time management and focus on the important things in life, people should be able to get 15 times as much done in a normal workweek.” —Tim Draper, founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, financiers to innovators including Hotmail, Skype, and Overture.com

  “Tim has done what most people only dream of doing. I can’t believe he is going to let his secrets out of the bag. This book is a must read!” —Stephen Key, top inventor and team designer of Teddy Ruxpin and Lazer Tag and a consultant to the television show American Inventor

  ALSO BY TIMOTHY FERRISS

  The 4-Hour Workweek

  Copyright © 2010 by Tim Ferriss

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Crown Archetype,

  an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,

  a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  www.crownpublishing.com

  Crown Archetype with colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

  All registered trademarks in this book are property of their respective owners.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Ferriss, Timothy.

  The 4-hour body / Timothy Ferriss. — 1st ed.

  Includes bibliographical references and index.

  1. Health. 2. Physical fitness. 3. Weight loss. I. Title.

  II. Title: Four-hour body.

  RA775.F47 2010

  613.7—dc22

  2010018533

  eISBN: 978-0-307-46365-4

  All illustrations by Fred Haynes/Hadel Studio, unless otherwise noted in the Photo and Illustration Credits section

  Jacket front-flap photos: (top) (c) Mark Reifkind; (bottom) (c) Photos taken by Inge Cook, provided courtesy of Ellington Darden, PhD

  v3.1

  For my parents, who taught a little

  hellion that marching to a different

  drummer was a good thing. I love you both

  and owe you everything. Mom, sorry about

  all the crazy experiments.

  Support good science—

  10% of all author royalties are donated

  to cure-driven research,

  including the excellent work of

  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  GROUND ZERO—GETTING STARTED AND SWARAJ

  Comparison of Methods for Estimating % Bodyfat

  Male Examples—Bodyfat

  Female Examples—Bodyfat

  Ramit Sethi’s Betting Chart

  Weight Glide Path

  SUBTRACTING FAT

  Comparison of Dietary Fats and Oils

  Air Squats

  Wall Presses

  Chest Pulls

  Ray Cornise’s Fat-Loss Spreadsheet

  Continuous Glucose Monitor

  Glucose Trend: Ferriss, Tim

  Modal Day: Ferriss, Tim

  Glucose Trend, September 25

  Glucose Trend, September 26

  Testosterone and Nandrolone

  ADDING MUSCLE

  The Kettlebell Swing

  Touch-and-Go Deadlifts

  Two-Legged Glute Activation Raises

  Flying Dog

  The Myotatic Crunch

  Abdominal Muscles

  Cat Vomit Exercise

  Front Plank

  Side Plank

  Hip Flexor Stretch

  Alpha-Actinin 3 (ACTN3)

  Time Ferriss, Before-and-After Shots

  Pull-down

  Machine Shoulder Press

  The Locked Position

  Slight Incline/Decline Bench Press

  Leg Press

  Barbell Overhead Press

  Squat

  Sample Workouts Calendars

  The “Yates” Bent Row

  The Reverse Drag Curl

  S
acroplasmic Hypertrophy and Myofibrillar Hyertrophy

  IMPROVING SEX

  Conventional Missionary and Improved-Angle Missionary

  Improved-Pressure Missionary

  Conventional Cowgirl and Improved-Pressure Cowgirl

  The Clitoris

  The 15-Minute Female Orgasm

  The Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testosterone Axis (HPTA)

  The Menstrual Cycle

  PERFECTING SLEEP

  FitBit Sleep Analysis

  WakeMate Sleep Analysis

  Zeo—Good Sleep Example

  Zeo—Bad Sleep Example

  Monophasic Sleep and Polyphasic Sleep

  REVERSING INJURIES

  Barefoot Walker’s Feet and Modern Man’s Feet

  Static Back

  Static Extension Position on Elbows

  Shoulder Bridge with Pillow

  Active Bridges with Pillow

  Supine Groin Progressive in Tower

  Alternative: Supine Groin on Chair

  Air Bench

  ART, Before and After

  Thoraco-dorsal Fascia

  The Chop and Lift

  Full and Half-Kneeling

  Ideal Placement on One Line

  Tricep Rope Attachment

  Single-Leg Flexibility Assessment

  Down-Left Chop Ideal Placement

  Turkish Get-Up

  Start and Finish of Two-Arm Single-Leg Deadlift

  RUNNING FASTER AND FASTER

  Hip Flexors Stretch

  Reverse Lunge Demonstration

  Untrained and Trained Start Positions

  Reverse Hyper(extension) on a Bench and Swiss Ball

  Enzyme Activity Graph

  Super Quad Stretch

  Pelvic Symmetry and Glute Flexibility Stretches

  Repositioning the Pelvis

  Pre-Workout Glute Activation

  Running by the Numbers Video Snapshots

  Diagram of Energetic Systems

  Taper Schedule

  12-Weeks to 50k Schedules

  GETTING STRONGER

  How to Perform the Conventional Deadlift

  Brench-Press Plyometrics

  The Torture Twist

  The Sumo Deadlift

  The Sharapova Sit-Up: Janda

  Bench Pressing 854 Pounds: Set up

  Bench Pressing 854 Pounds: Technique

  FROM SWIMMING TO SWINGING

  Full Stroke

  The Cushion

  The Slot

  Impact Position

  Historical CSRs

  Area of Impact (AOI)

  Angle L

  Practicing Your Angles

  APPENDICES AND EXTRAS

  Weight (Food) Conversions

  Body Weight Conversions

  Volume (Food) Conversions

  Muscles of the Body (Partial)

  Today’s Random Medical News

  P-Value Grid

  Number of Respondents by Weight Loss

  Average Weight Lost by Number of Meals Per Day

  CONTENTS

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  START HERE Thinner, Bigger, Faster, Stronger? How to Use This Book

  FUNDAMENTALS—FIRST AND FOREMOST The Minimum Effective Dose: From Microwaves to Fat-Loss

  Rules That Change the Rules: Everything Popular Is Wrong

  GROUND ZERO—GETTING STARTED AND SWARAJ The Harajuku Moment: The Decision to Become a Complete Human

  Elusive Bodyfat: Where Are You Really?

  From Photos to Fear: Making Failure Impossible

  SUBTRACTING FAT

  BASICS The Slow-Carb Diet I: How to Lose 20 Pounds in 30 Days Without Exercise

  The Slow-Carb Diet II: The Finer Points and Common Questions

  Damage Control: Preventing Fat Gain When You Binge

  The Four Horsemen of Fat-Loss: PAGG

  ADVANCED Ice Age: Mastering Temperature to Manipulate Weight

  The Glucose Switch: Beautiful Number 100

  The Last Mile: Losing the Final 5–10 Pounds

  ADDING MUSCLE Building the Perfect Posterior (or Losing 100+ Pounds)

  Six-Minute Abs: Two Exercises That Actually Work

  From Geek to Freak: How to Gain 34 Pounds in 28 Days

  Occam’s Protocol I: A Minimalist Approach to Mass

  Occam’s Protocol II: The Finer Points

  IMPROVING SEX The 15-Minute Female Orgasm—Part Un

  The 15-Minute Female Orgasm—Part Deux

  Sex Machine I: Adventures in Tripling Testosterone

  Happy Endings and Doubling Sperm Count

  PERFECTING SLEEP Engineering the Perfect Night’s Sleep

  Becoming Uberman: Sleeping Less with Polyphasic Sleep

  REVERSING INJURIES Reversing “Permanent” Injuries

  How to Pay for a Beach Vacation with One Hospital Visit

  Pre-Hab: Injury-Proofing the Body

  RUNNING FASTER AND FARTHER Hacking the NFL Combine I: Preliminaries—Jumping Higher

  Hacking the NFL Combine II: Running Faster

  Ultraendurance I: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks—Phase I

  Ultraendurance II: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks—Phase II

  GETTING STRONGER Effortless Superhuman: Breaking World Records with Barry Ross

  Eating the Elephant: How to Add 100 Pounds to Your Bench Press

  FROM SWIMMING TO SWINGING How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days

  The Architecture of Babe Ruth

  How to Hold Your Breath Longer Than Houdini

  ON LONGER AND BETTER LIFE Living Forever: Vaccines, Bleeding, and Other Fun

  CLOSING THOUGHTS Closing Thoughts: The Trojan Horse

  APPENDICES AND EXTRAS Helpful Measurements and Conversions

  Getting Tested—From Nutrients to Muscle Fibers

  Muscles of the Body (Partial)

  The Value of Self-Experimentation

  Spotting Bad Science 101: How Not to Trick Yourself

  Spotting Bad Science 102: So You Have a Pill …

  The Slow-Carb Diet—194 People

  Sex Machine II: Details and Dangers

  The Meatless Machine I: Reasons to Try a Plant-Based Diet for Two Weeks

  The Meatless Machine II: A 28-Day Experiment

  BONUS MATERIAL Spot Reduction Revisited: Removing Stubborn Thigh Fat

  Becoming Brad Pitt: Uses and Abuses of DNA

  The China Study: A Well-Intentioned Critique

  Heavy Metal: Your Personal Toxin Map

  The Top 10 Reasons Why BMI Is Bogus

  Hyperclocking and Related Mischief: How to Increase Strength 10% in One Workout

  Creativity on Demand: The Promises and Dangers of Smart Drugs

  An Alternative to Dieting: The Bodyfat Set Point and Tricking the Hypothalamus

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION CREDITS

  INDEX

  TIM’S DISCLAIMER

  Please don’t be stupid and kill yourself. It would make us both quite unhappy. Consult a doctor before doing anything in this book.

  PUBLISHER’S DISCLAIMER

  The material in this book is for informational purposes only. As each individual situation is unique, you should use proper discretion, in consultation with a health care practitioner, before undertaking the diet, exercises, and techniques described in this book. The author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from the use or application of the information contained in this book.

  ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

  I am not the expert. I’m the guide and explorer.

  If you find anything amazing in this book, it’s thanks to the brilliant minds who helped as resources, critics, contributors, proofreaders, and references. If you find anything ridiculous in this book, it’s because I didn’t heed their advice.

  Though indebted to hundreds of people, I wish to thank a few of them up-front, here listed in alphabetical order (still more in the acknowledgments):

  Alexandra Car
michael

  Andrew Hyde

  Ann Miura-ko PhD

  Barry Ross

  Ben Goldacre MD

  Brian MacKenzie

  Casey Viator

  Chad Fowler

  Charles Poliquin

  Charlie Hoehn

  Chris Masterjohn

  Chris Sacca

  Club H Fitness

  Craig Buhler

  Daniel Reda

  Dave Palumbo

  David Blaine

  Dean Karnazes

  Dorian Yates

  Doug McGuff MD

  Dr. John Berardi

  Dr. Justin Mager

  Dr. Lee Wolfer

  Dr. Mary Dan Eades

  Dr. Michael Eades

  Dr. Ross Tucker

  Dr. Seth Roberts

  Dr. Stuart McGill

  Dr. Tertius Kohn

  Dr. Timothy Noakes

  Dustin Curtis

  Ellington Darden PhD

  Eric Foster

  Gary Taubes

  Gray Cook

  Jaime Cevallos

  JB Benna

  Jeffrey B. Madoff

  Joe DeFranco

  Joe Polish

  John Romano

  Kelly Starrett

  Marie Forleo

  Mark Bell

  Mark Cheng

  Marque Boseman

  Marty Gallagher

  Matt Brzycki

  Matt Mullenweg

  Michael Ellsberg

  Michael Levin

  Mike Mahler

  Mike Maples

  Nate Green

  Neil Strauss

  Nicole Daedone

  Nina Hartley

  Pavel Tsatsouline

  Pete Egoscue

  Phil Libin

  Ramit Sethi

  Ray Cronise

  Scott Jurek

  Sean Bonner

  Tallulah Sulis

  Terry Laughlin

  The Dexcom Team