Burn

May 20, 2024
“Moving your body is the first step to changing your life,” according to this uninspired debut. Spouses Devan and Morgan Kline, who founded the Burn Boot Camp gym franchise, outline a five-part plan that involves developing a workout routine, adopting a positive mindset, eating nutritious foods, following through toward one’s goals, and drawing motivation from loved ones. Unfortunately, their breakdown of how to follow each step will leave readers scratching their heads. For instance, the authors encourage changing one’s mindset by developing emotional intelligence, but their explanation of how to do so consists only of vague directives to “know yourself and your feelings.” Throughout, stories of individuals who turned their life around after joining a Burn Boot Camp gym feel self-serving, as when the Klines share the story of a Florida woman who credits working out at their gym with helping her quit smoking and taking Adderall. There are useful sample workout plans and dietary suggestions (e.g., London broil steak and potatoes is a healthier alternative to rib-eye steak and fries), but the guidance is otherwise hazy and unhelpful. Readers looking to change their exercise and eating habits would be better off with Kelly and Juliet Starrett’s Built to Move. Agent: Tom Miller, Liza Dawson Assoc.

July 1, 2024

This title begins with the same promise offered by many wellness influencers and brands (from Beachbody to Peloton and now Burn Bootcamp): "You aren't failing to become fit. Fitness is failing you." The coauthors then offer action steps for taking power back through their five-step strategy for achieving inner and outer strength, which they connect to the words "burn," "believe," "nourish," "achieve," and "connect." The personal stories the authors share in the introduction demonstrate that they found fitness in their respective efforts to heal from difficult pasts and trauma, meaning that they understand the complex motives people have for making the choices they do about movement and nutrition. At base, though, they're talking about transforming physical bodies, even when they refer to "inner fitness." It's the same slight shift in diet culture narratives that gyms have been using over the past few years; there's a nod to the mindset shift of body positivity, but the book is still primarily about exercise and nutrition. There's also a disconnect when the authors state that nourishment isn't about counting macros--right before they explain how to "eat clean." VERDICT With its collection of client testimonials and repeated use of the branded language (the Burn Strategy), at times the book reads like an advertisement, but the exercises, strategies, and meals in it are effectively described and laid out in a way that will make it easy for readers to create training and nutrition plans aligned with their goals.--Emily Bowles

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.