PETER BURWASH'S AEROBIC WORKOUT BOOK FOR MEN

Well-worn exercise advice--rearranged around an exclusively masculine theme. Burwash, a tennis resort operator, faults previous aerobic-workout guides for--he thinks--concentrating on women, and dance steps. Men's fitness needs differ from women's, he argues: as men gain weight, they tend to deposit it in front of their bodies, rather than in the back; also, they have 20 percent more muscle and 30 percent less essential fat. (Since aerobic exercise is based on overall fitness, not ""spot-reducing"" techniques, this objection is moot.) ""But perhaps the most important difference is psychological. . . exercises in most aerobic workouts rely predominantly on dance steps. . . and one of the major reasons aerobics caught on with women is that most of them are not embarrassed to dance."" So, after general talk of the benefits of exercise and how to reform to a healthier life style, Burwash presents his reasonable aerobic programs of calisthenic-based exercises; progressively graded in difficulty (a few no-no's creep in, like the discredited injury-causing hurdler's stretch). Readers looking for a distinctly masculine approach--dance-phobic or not--can do equally well with any of the numerous aerobic guides that have nothing to do with dance, and include detailed considerations for both sexes--Kenneth Cooper foremost among them.