The World’s Fittest Book started at Loughborough University. More specifically it began at midnight July 25^th 2006 in a quiet corner of the Pilkington library (on the West Park of the campus) when I should have been researching a topic for my final year dissertation, but instead got distracted by studies of sports science and books on sociology.

Fast forward 12 years and I’m grateful for those distractions since those midnight musings have since been written down and printed in a book which is set to become “every fitness enthusiast’s bible”. Dubbed the body’s complete user guide, it’s a best-seller (on pre-orders alone) and upon launch on May 10^th will be available in over 50 countries. But what’s set become a global phenomenon is really just the sum and substance of 4 things found among the green fields of Loughborough University…

• The course I studied
• The friends I made
• The sports I played
• The food I ate

But before I talk about how these each impacted the book, let me start this blog series by detailing what happened at midnight July 25^th 2006….

Flicking through pages of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Plato whilst surviving on a diet of protein bars and pre-workouts I realized something. Those older books found in the corners of the library collecting cobwebs emphasized principles of enduring success.

This is why they’d been there so long. In contrast the shiny, ‘photoshopped’ books from current authors were fixated on immediate results. They tended to become replaced as quickly as they’d arrived and were far less enduring. So, what was my caffeine-fuelled epiphany? In short, “Don’t judge a book by its cover; judge it by its shelf life.”

I quickly wrote down the above quote in big bold letters.

Then ― with my senses now alive and wired on caffeine ― I began looking through pages and pages of books and magazines. Until eventually — somewhere between Socrates and Sports Illustrated — I noticed something. Most commercial fitness magazines share a common, “literary formula.”

Firstly, there’s a, “False Declarative” or “Interrogative of False Intention.” This is a term I coined to describe bold statements or questions that almost promise results. This is then usually coupled with a superlative adjective or adverb. Typically promising you’ll be “bigger”, “leaner” and/or “stronger.” What’s left is a collection of headlines like: “Build Muscle in Five Easy Steps!” “Want To Lose Fat Fast?” and “Want Rock Solid Abs Fast?”

Sound familiar? I called them “Fitness Fairy Tales” and the industry is riddled with them. I’m not the only one to think so either. The sports science genius Dr. Mel Siff said it best when he said, “The public usually feels far more comfortable with cerebrally undemanding mantras and “fast food” solutions than with far more accurate, complex methods. This is a major reason why many fitness figures write as they do and market their catchphrases simplistically as they do – society has been processed by mass media to behave like that and they usually do not want to be forced to think too deeply or to have their convenient current beliefs questioned, because that entails a serious threat to their psychological safety.”

In summary, Fitness Fairytales sound great, but most over promise and under deliver. Bullet pointing short, snappy instructions for us to unquestionably obey, each one fails to teach us even the most basic rules of food and fitness. Basically, thorough and in-depth education like in ‘days of old’ are all but forgotten.

Which is why in that moment I put pen to paper and The World’s Fittest Book was written. Based on the work of Brazilian educational theorist Paulo Freire and his concept of, “Conscientization”, it promotes a critical way of thinking that teaches us to achieve an in-depth understanding of a subject so we can take action against the limiting elements. By embracing this philosophy ― and refusing to dictate anyone’s dietary or training habits ― what’s left is a “tool” that creates an army of experts, not followers. All because in reality, no one knows your body better than you do if you’re in tune with it.  You are your very best personal trainer. You are your very nutritionist.

Packed with workouts the author tried and tested in the pursuit of multiple world records, critics are claiming The World’s Fittest Book is more than a book, it’s the greatest training tool ever written! Designed for anyone who wants to make permanent and lasting changes to their food and fitness, it’s the first book to combine the teachings, tips and tricks of Olympic and World Champions into one, easy to follow resource. Pre-Order your copy now: http://amzn.to/2E3bYCP to ensure you receive it on May 10^th 2018.

About the author:

Ross is a decorated expert in the fitness industry. For over 10 years he’s been involved in every area of sport, fitness, and nutrition imaginable. He started as an international athlete playing water polo for Great Britain but later moved into the academics of sport and graduated from the world-renowned Loughborough University School of Sport and Exercise Science.