Heavyhands – The Ultimate Exercise by Leonard Schwartz – Book Review

Many years ago I discovered Heavyhands, the invention of Dr. Leonard Schwartz. These little hand weights combined with a vigorous leg workout gave a cardio / aerobic workout comparable to a good hard run without any negative impact on my knees or feet. The good doctor prescribed three hours a week as more than enough to maintain good physical condition. A search for used books online finds that there is still a good supply of his books available at reasonable prices. If you are looking for a simple exercise that has the added bonus of feeling good and is fun, I recommend that you take a look at his books.

“Heavyhands: The Ultimate Exercise” was Dr. Schwartz’s first book published in 1982. He writes in an easy-to-read style, but offers a full explanation of his extensive self-test that led to the development of the heavy hand. There are many varieties of exercises including walking, exercise in place, dancing, group exercises, etc. Somewhere in all of this, you are sure to find an exercise with special appeal to any individual.

One of my favorites is an exercise that he calls double skiing. This involves striding while moving the arms in wide changes similar to movement in cross-country skiing. This exercise was inspired by studies that the best cross-country skiers often have greater cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity than runners due to the fact that there are more muscles involved at any given time.

The author conducted extensive laboratory testing to determine the energy requirements of various exercises and the effect of adding extra pounds to hand weights. Energy expenditure in exercise is often measured in mets, where one accomplished is the energy expended by the body at rest. A running pace of ten minutes per mile requires about ten mets. This can be matched by double skis at a rate of forty cycles per minute with one pound weights. This increases to 13 mets with five pounds of weight. Adjustable weights allow for progression and also make exercise challenging even for super athletes. If you could ever handle this with ten pound weights, the energy cost would skyrocket to twenty mets.

The book contains drawings and photographs that illustrate the many possible exercises. Easy-to-read charts and tables show energy requirements and calories burned for the seemingly endless selection of different exercises. Increasing the duration of exercise beyond the minimum required for fitness results in a very effective and enjoyable weight loss program.

I recommend that you purchase a copy of this book and discover a great exercise system that you can use regardless of your fitness level or age. Buying a heavy handed game is a small investment that will pay you huge profits for life.