Be Iron Fit: Time-Efficient Training Secrets For Ultimate Fitness

This fantastic book helped me achieve my goal of finishing an Ironman race. Congrats to you for taking on the challenge of an Ironman! I wish you the very best on this journey you are about to start.Here is what I like about the book in no particular order: It's heart rate based. So all the workouts are based on your heart-rate and time. So, as Don Fink says you get quality workouts and eliminate junk miles. I loved that approach especially because it helped me manage my daily schedule. I knew a 60 minute Zone 2 run would last exactly 60 minutes. Unlike other plans that say "go run for 5 miles." well, how long will that take and can I fit that in during a 60 minute slot? There are three training plans to choose from, Competitive, Just Finish, and Intermediate. I chose the intermediate plan for my training as it struck the perfect balance with my work/life.The training plan got me to the finish line feeling good and smiling. I felt well prepared for all three disciplines. At no point during the race did I feel like I wasn't ready and needed more training. The training volume and intensity that Don prescribed in the Intermediate plan was spot on.I loved the brick workouts. Bike to run. They helped so much, that by the time I finished the 112 mile bike, I wasn't dreading the run. It was just a natural transition into the run. And the bricks helped for my shorter races throughout the year leading up to Ironman.The training plans are 30 weeks long, perfectly doable for busy people.The book has a nice chapter on mental training. The writing is good too. It's not overly blah blah technical. Don Fink tells you what you need to know and just a little more. He doesn't bombard you with boring minutia.I would HIGHLY recommend the paper back version. That way you can highlight and pencil in notes as needed. My book looks like a well used college textbook!Here are some basics of my situation. That way you can assess how you can relate to this book: I used this book exclusively and stuck to the Intermediate plan as close as I could. I am not going to go back and count days to give an exact percentage, but i'll take a nice guesstimate that I completed close to 90% of the workouts. I am human so some stuff was missed due to illness.my only goal throughout the whole Ironman experience was to finish, and if possible finish strongly. I didn't have a specific time I was going for other than to beat the 17 hour limit.Books can only do so much. Don Fink recognizes that some times you need an actual coach to look over your form and technique. Especially with swimming, so he encourages you to seek proper guidance when needed. So, in keeping with that spirit I did the following. I swam with a masters swim group as recommended by Don Fink, and followed the swim workouts in the book on days I was on my own. I always maintained the swim volume prescribed by Don. So if my swim group only swam 2000 and Don said 3500, I made up the difference by swimming an extra 1500 to get the total up to 3500. End result: Masters swimming corrected my swim stroke tremendously and with that came confidence in the water. Zero shoulder injury thanks to the swim instruction. Many of the rides I did were with my local bike club since the rides fit the prescribed workout. For example Wednesday rides fit perfectly with the scheduled 60minute ride at zone 2. End result: I kept in touch with my club and received tremendous support.As for running, I took a few clinics for technique guidance and followed the running workouts in the book. End result: Zero injuries from running.A close friend gave me the following advice, "listen to your body." So regardless of what the training plan says, listen to your body. Those words have probably helped me the most in staying injury free.In the end, Believe in yourself. You'll soon discover exactly what you are capable of. After 30 weeks of hard work (this is ironman not easyman) it is sweet to hear Mike Riley call out your name with those famous words... You Are An.......

It was several years ago when I was in Cold Stone (of all places), and I saw a man wearing an Ironman technical T-shirt. I had always wanted to do one, but I didn't have the time, resources or talent. That didn't stop me from asking him how he trained for it. He said simply, "Buy the book 'Be Iron Fit', the rest will fall into place." I never saw him again.A couple of years later friends of mine and I did a couple of Olympic triathlons, and one friend signed up for Coeur d'Alene. I remembered my ice cream shop conversation, and I bought this book, gave it to him, and told him I wanted it back when he was done.He blew it out of the water and thanked me profusely for the recommendation. Then the winds of time, talent and drive collided and I signed up for Ironman Tahoe. I told my friend I did it and he said, 'Read that book cover to cover.' I grabbed the book and opened up page 1.As other reviews have noted, the writing style is very readable. From the beginning he motivates you in believing that you can not only complete an Ironman, but you can do well too. He does not sugar coat the effort required, it is a commitment, but he makes it sound achievable. He gives dozens of examples of people that are busier than you, and they complete them.A discussion of each of the disciplines is provided, with recommendations for drills and training for each. He gives good advice on technique drills, especially for cycling and running,Then he he presents a 30 week schedule, and divides the programs into Just Finish, Competitive, and Intermediate. The workouts increase incrementally, and he explains how it's necessary to start small with short workouts six days a week and then build to larger training volumes. Races are built into the program so you aren't competing in your first triathlon before you do the Ironman.The best advice he gives is to seek advice from mentors. He tells you the importance of Masters swimming classes, training coaches and mentors. Advice on how to work the program into your daily schedule. How to recover after missing workouts, how to handle being sick. It's all there.I have a couple of nits:1. The swim programs are rather cryptic, written in a shorthand that is legible to swim coaches, but it would be hard to follow on your own. That being said, his suggestions to take master's classes, and the long swims are spot on.2. I basically followed the Intermediate program because I knew Tahoe would be one of the slower courses (it was the first time they had it there, and the bike course has 7,500 feet of elevation). The Intermediate program did not include runs after the long rides, where they were in the Competitive program. My mentor basically said if I didn't train my body to run after a six hour ride, I'd be toast on race day, and I have to agree. They should be there in all cases.So it was September 22, 2013, freezing cold, and I was standing on the beach in a cheap pair of flip-flops ready to enter the water. Part of me wondered if I was ready, but then I remembered, I read this book cover to cover and did what it told me. Did I finish? Search the Slowtwitch.com triathlon forum for Hussman IM Tahoe RR and find out (spoiler: hell yes I did).

I bought this book through a friend who finished Iron Man Coeur D'Alene using this book. I have used the book for a few months now and completed a 1/2 IM last weekend and expect to do an IM next year following this book.The single biggest reason to buy this book is for the training plans in it. There are 3 different plans in it depending on how much time you think you can devote to training. The background of the book tries to show how you CAN find time to train and uses others experiences to illustrate.I love the plans. They're definitely generic - Don recognizes that and is upfront about it early on - but what else are you going to get in a book!?! Personally, I'm the type of person who just wants to know what to do and I'll go and do it. It's a bonus that there's actually some instruction/explanation in the book - for example you need to follow the disciplines in order, you can't "swap" days due to the impact on the muscles.However this isn't Joe Friel. You're not going to get 10 pages explaining why you should do X instead of Y. I am absolutely fine with that - I can't get into Joe's book despite trying twice - but if you're the type of person who wants to know WHY, then this might not be for you.I also have to say some of the people stories/examples started to get a bit samey and/or cheesy. Again, that's probably me being cynical!For me, it's all about the plans. I felt really happy with my 1/2 IM performance last week and credit much of that to the preparation based on this book.

I am naturally sceptical about training guides, as what works for one does not necessarily work for another. However this guide is 100% ego-free and builds things up steadily. It is wholly realistic to the demands on 'normal' peoples time (work, wife, hisband, kids, social life, etc) and offers a range of practical solutions, tips and advice. It includes tips from other non-professional athletes whonhave lived through itEach section is also in bite size chunks, so you can decide which bits best apply to you and your lifestyle. Most importantly it teaches you how to add structure and efficiency to the training you are already doing, so you get the most out of it and the Ironman leap feels realistic and achievable. This includes three different 30 week planners to choose from depending on your goals, time constraints, current fitness, and so on.

I've completed two Ironman to date, and am hoping to make improvements for my next outing. Mr. Fink's approach came to my attention as two of my clubmates were following it for our last outing in Regensburg. They both passed me on the marathon. So I bought the book!The tone of the book is uber-positive (a bit too much for an Irish bloke, if I'm honest), but the program itself is detailed and easy to follow at whichever level you choose. The program isn't the most exciting or varied, but there's no doubt that it gets the job done. Having each day's workout mapped out in advance makes it a lot easier to plan and prepare for your training, and having it written down in front of you motivates you to go ahead and get off that couch.A good buy for anyone aiming at Iron distance.

This book was recommended to me for good reason. I found it easy to follow - it tells you what to do and you just do it!I've looked at some of the other iron distance training books and found them too complex - especially for a first timer.The fact is - I followed the intermediate program and got what I believe to be a fantastic result!CheersPete

A great book with great tips from a man who knows what it takes. If you think that you don't have the time to train for Iron races, think again. Read this book and you will see that anyone can 'Be Iron Fit'! Even top competitors juggle with top jobs, family life, training and rest. IT CAN BE DONE!

This book has answered all of the questions I might have had about how I could find the time to train for an Ironman event. Well written it clearly shows you how to plan your first event from beginning to end. I had plenty of experience at shorter triathlons and like every triathlete an Ironman distance event was the one I always wanted to do, with the help of this book I am now sure that dream can become reality.