The Ultimate Fit or Fat

by Covert Bailey

With more than three million copies of previous editions in print, this classic exercise manual has shown Americans from all walks of life the route from fatness to fitness. Now Covert Bailey has totally rewritten and revised FIT OR FAT for the first time since the book's original publication in the mid-1970s. His dramatically new approach to fitness incorporates the most recent scientific findings. Weightlifting, whose fat-burning potential is only now becoming fully understood, plays a large role in Bailey's new program, which stresses what he calls "the four food groups" of exercise: aerobics, cross-training, wind sprints, and weightlifting. He also stresses the importance of intense exercise, showing readers how to build intensity into their daily programs safely and effectively. Covert Bailey's ULTIMATE FIT OR FAT will not only be of interest to a new health-conscious generation but will be eagerly sought out by the millions of readers who have come to rely on the Bailey approach to keep their bodies in peak condition.

Genres: Health, Fitness, Nonfiction, Self Help

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Covert Bailey was born in 1931, and briefly attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, before dropping out to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1952. After graduating from the Army Language School in Monterey, California, he served in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Cold War. After his service, he re-entered college and earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from Boston University in geology. In 1967 he enrolled in the master's program in nutritional biochemistry. He began his career as a nutritionist working for the California Dairy Council, giving lectures on diet, and gradually built up his skills as a lecturer. From 1978 to 1999, he authored or co-authored 8 different books on health, diet, and nutrition.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could be the most motivational pro-exercise book I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of them.) Give it a try and I think you'll find yourself up off the couch and having faith that you can! Plenty of scientific evidence and advice make this interesting, realistic, and motivational. My YMCA recommended it to me, and I'm glad they did, I keep going back to it for reference.

[Alisa Banda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight talk about health and fitness. Discusses fat not as a number on a scale but the actual physical component of our body. "The real reason to exercise is to change your body's chemistry, not to burn a lot of calories." I think this nails why we often quit our exercise programs, we are looking to change the number on the scale rather than the health of our body.

[Britannia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a college level reading assignment for a fitness class. As far as logical content goes this book is a 5 star, the author's approach to getting fit and losing fat is logical and more importantly: feasible. For literally anyone.

That being said the construction of this book is abysmal. No one expects a fitness instructor to be a presise and eloquent author but this book is PAINFULLY repetitive. The actual content, not repeated over and over, could probably fill a lengthy article or a very short manual. 50-75 pages max. It took TEN CHAPTERS to get to the actual meat of this book. The author also talks about himself in the third person, a lot. It is basically like an infomercial combined with motivational work out video in text format.

So, in short, really annoying but fairly informative.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that I reread the essentially similar book years later, I realize I've reread this book before. And from what I've learn about health and body fat and fitness I realize this book has exactly 1/3rd of the answer to overall health. It's as Covert says about the Diet book he's asked about... that Can't work because it doesn't mention Exercise. Well now let me tell Covert a Lot of body reshaping and fat loss can occur sans Exercise. Just use a Keto (low or no-carb) diet and IF (Intermittent or OMAD one meal a day) fasting both which reduce Insulin which is necessary to Store Fat... No fat storage means you can't get Fatter. Also, no matter how much exercise, if you eat carbs and have high serum insulin You Will Never Burn Fat... The enzymes to release and burn fat are shut down with high insulin (insulin is an anabolic hormone). So, this author doesn't know everything and even admits to getting a jelly belly. hmmm, not the advisor I'd choose. And also... far too many Rules!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book does have a logical perspective to burn fat I found the writing dated and a bit closed minded especially when I read "a man has no excuse to be fat"
This was recommended to me by an acquaintance who insisted it was life changing but I was underwhelmed.

[Alexie Cross · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read The Ultimate Fit or Fat by Covert Bailey for an assignment for my Physical Fitness for Life class. I thought this was a quick read. And overall, I thought it was informative. I feel like Bailey very is repetitive with his thoughts and points he is trying to make. He has intentions of not making the reader feel bad about their weight or lack of fitness, but I don’t think he hits the mark.

I think Bailey has some good pointers for losing weight and getting fit. I agree with the information that he has supplied. But I also think this book shows its age with words like fatso and old people along with claiming men have no excuse for being fat, they are just lazy. I was annoyed with how drawn out the book felt. I just kept thinking get on with it and tell me how to get fit already. I felt like I was watching a late-night infomercial and every new chapter I was being told “But wait! There’s more!”. I think if we were to take out all of the “fluff” and repetitiveness in this book it could have been an informative article instead of a whole book.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for a college course. As soon as I took my test I wanted to set it on fire. Motivational if you like sexism, racism, and fat-shaming.

[Rebecca Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have given this a higher rating when it first came out but much of his information is really dated. And not PC at all LOL. That said, he does have some good info here and it’s very readable.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was an assignment for my college level nutrition class. I didn't even make it past the first chapter before I wanted to set in on fire, but again, required reading so I had no choice but to press on. Eventually I got to the part of the book that was full of helpful, nonjudgmental, scientifically-sound advice on exercise explained in easy layman's terms. If you really feel the need to read this book, I would recommend skipping directly to chapter 10 and starting from there.

My main problem with this book is that there is A LOT of fat-shaming in it. If you have body image/self-esteem issues, regardless of how good the sections on exercise are, I would advise... even implore you to skip this book, because it will do more harm than good to your mental state.

I say these things as an obese woman who has lost 90 pounds by learning to eat healthily, exercise, and take care of my mental well-being. As anyone who has been significantly overweight can tell you, there's usually a lot more going on than just eating too much and not exercising.

Covert Bailey's whole philosophy is that people are fat because they don't exercise. He even says at several points in this book that people don't get fat from eating too much. Make of that what you will.

It's interesting to note that this book was published in 1999, and a quick internet search shows that he's pretty much dropped off the face of the earth, with his official website saying he has retired. Again, make of that what you will.

I can't in good conscience recommend this book to anyone, when there are other sources of information out there that won't leave you hating yourself and feeling ashamed.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to tear Whoregan a new asshole if this book sucks!!!

[Darlene Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, no nonsense, un-hyped book based on fact, not fad. Great book for people just getting started on the road to good fitness and health

[Boatner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing...

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good info on how to exercise for muscle building and fat reduction, but corny.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read it for school. It wasn't terrible.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covert Bailey urges you to make a choice between being fit or being fat. He suggests ways to increase your health through exercise and eating a low-fat diet.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

good views on body image and lifelong fitness

[Krista Failey · Rating 1 out of 5]

there are better motivation books out there. this author resorts to shaming and bully tactics to make you feel bad about being fat. the terms "fat people" and "fatsos" is so abundantly used that its a joke. the chapters are repetitive and pointless until ch 10. this was a required college read, and at the end of this quarter i shall promptly recycle this trash.