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Hate to burst anyone's bubble but Tim Ferriss is selling snake oil. The 4 Hour Body is roundly and deservedly mocked on bodybuilding forums. Its claims are co

Hate to burst anyone's bubble but Tim Ferriss is selling snake oil. The 4 Hour Body is roundly and deservedly mocked on bodybuilding forums. Its claims are completely delusional. Among them: # How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time # How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested # How to triple testosterone and double sperm count # How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks # How to reverse "permanent" injuries This kind of stuff only fools people who don't have prior information to compare it to. For example, the "incredibly high" level of testosterone he is talking about is in the 600 ng/dL range, which is a normal level. It is an expected number, and the variation he observes is completely within the range of natural fluctuations. Testosterone peaks and falls. It is also impossible to gain 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days with that level of testosterone. In fact, it would be impossible for anyone other than a professional bodybuilder coming back from a layoff (it's quicker to regain if you've already achieved it before) WITH high doses of anabolic agents including testosterone, pushing massive weights. (Injectable testosterone esters have long carbon tails which means the molecules take much longer to be broken down. This jacks up testosterone levels 24 hours a day, without the peak/fall of the normal cycle. This vastly increases the window for protein synthesis.) Just look at the claim: 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, which is over a pound a day, in less than 4 hours in the gym. This is almost 9 POUNDS OF MUSCLE per one hour of exercise. Completely ludicrous. Sleeping 2 hours a day? Sure. Forget 8-minute abs, we've got... 7 minute abs! Being able to run 30 miles after 3 months of training? Are we onto this BS yet? Those injuries you've got, they aren't "permanent"! Note the scare quotes. It's just in your head, and if you don't get these fantabulous results, it's your own fault. Lazy bum. There are similar problems with the 4-hour Workweek. Just look at all the publicity for it -- it was a CONSTANT media blitz where Ferriss was working around-the-clock to promote himself. And he's been doing that for a long time; his self-promotion is a full-time job in itself. It's the same old story with all the so-called financial gurus. They ALL get rich by selling you a book about how you can get rich quickly and with barely any work. Anyone who's ever done any programming or writing knows how little 4 hours is. As a weekly investment, that is NOT the path to mastery or startup success. You can't even be a successful snake-oil salesman with 4 hours per week, as evidenced by Ferriss himself. It takes lots of work and dedication.

MaxGabriel 15y ago
I don't think any of your arguments are very responsive to Ferris's reasoning. For example, that it's "ludicrous" for him to gain muscle with so little gym time is not responsive to the argument that not allowing muscles time to recover retards growth. Moreover, I think it's a misinterpretation to say that Tim is promising people, say, 2 hours of sleep per day by reading his book. His book is a documentation of experimentation by himself and others, and especially for sleep is partly theoretical. But his analysis on how to cut sleep time is still helpful, especially given the scheduling constraints Ferris recognizes for a 2 hour sleep schedule.
- lsc 15y ago
  Ferris sounds like someone claiming they can sell you a part you can bolt-on to your engine to double your gas mileage. I mean, I don't think anything he said violates the laws of physics; It's possible, but it's so unlikely that without extraordinarily good evidence, I'm simply going to ignore the claim.
- seven_stones 15y ago
  > is not responsive to the argument that not allowing muscles time to recover retards growth. That point isn't in dispute. What is in dispute is the degree of alleged growth. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. > and especially for sleep is partly theoretical Especially since he himself is nowhere close to the 2 hours claim. I heard someone else did this... > Moreover, I think it's a misinterpretation to say that Tim is promising people, say, 2 hours of sleep per day by reading his book. "YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each) # How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested" "From the gym to the bedroom, it's all here, and it all works." "You don't need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue. That's exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers." http://www.fourhourbody.com/ http://www.fourhourbody.com/ Praise quotes for the book, FROM the book: “Timothy has packed more lives into his 29 years than Steve Jobs has in his 51.” —Tom Foremski, journalist and publisher of SiliconValleyWatcher.com ...More lives? Remove the "v" and I'd agree. “Reading this book is like putting a few zeros on your income. Tim brings lifestyle to a new level—listen to him!” —Michael D. Kerlin, McKinsey & Company consultant to Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and a J. William Fulbright Scholar “Tim has done what most people only dream of doing. I can’t believe he is going to let his secrets out of the bag. This book is a must read!” —Stephen Key, top inventor and team designer of Teddy Ruxpin and Lazer Tag and a consultant to the television show American Inventor And the subtitle: "AN UNCOMMON GUIDE TO RAPID FAT-LOSS, INCREDIBLE SEX, AND BECOMING SUPERHUMAN" How much Kool-Aid does someone have to drink before they aren't embarrassed to buy into these breathless sensationalist claims?

MaxGabriel 15y ago

I don't think any of your arguments are very responsive to Ferris's reasoning. For example, that it's "ludicrous" for him to gain muscle with so little gym time is not responsive to the argument that not allowing muscles time to recover retards growth. Moreover, I think it's a misinterpretation to say that Tim is promising people, say, 2 hours of sleep per day by reading his book. His book is a documentation of experimentation by himself and others, and especially for sleep is partly theoretical. But his analysis on how to cut sleep time is still helpful, especially given the scheduling constraints Ferris recognizes for a 2 hour sleep schedule.

lsc 15y ago
Ferris sounds like someone claiming they can sell you a part you can bolt-on to your engine to double your gas mileage. I mean, I don't think anything he said violates the laws of physics; It's possible, but it's so unlikely that without extraordinarily good evidence, I'm simply going to ignore the claim.
seven_stones 15y ago
> is not responsive to the argument that not allowing muscles time to recover retards growth. That point isn't in dispute. What is in dispute is the degree of alleged growth. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. > and especially for sleep is partly theoretical Especially since he himself is nowhere close to the 2 hours claim. I heard someone else did this... > Moreover, I think it's a misinterpretation to say that Tim is promising people, say, 2 hours of sleep per day by reading his book. "YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each) # How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested" "From the gym to the bedroom, it's all here, and it all works." "You don't need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue. That's exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers." http://www.fourhourbody.com/ http://www.fourhourbody.com/ Praise quotes for the book, FROM the book: “Timothy has packed more lives into his 29 years than Steve Jobs has in his 51.” —Tom Foremski, journalist and publisher of SiliconValleyWatcher.com ...More lives? Remove the "v" and I'd agree. “Reading this book is like putting a few zeros on your income. Tim brings lifestyle to a new level—listen to him!” —Michael D. Kerlin, McKinsey & Company consultant to Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and a J. William Fulbright Scholar “Tim has done what most people only dream of doing. I can’t believe he is going to let his secrets out of the bag. This book is a must read!” —Stephen Key, top inventor and team designer of Teddy Ruxpin and Lazer Tag and a consultant to the television show American Inventor And the subtitle: "AN UNCOMMON GUIDE TO RAPID FAT-LOSS, INCREDIBLE SEX, AND BECOMING SUPERHUMAN" How much Kool-Aid does someone have to drink before they aren't embarrassed to buy into these breathless sensationalist claims?