Royal Canadian Air Force Exercise Plans for Physical Fitness: Two Books in One / Two Famous Basic Plans (The XBX Plan for Women, the 5BX Plan for Men) Paperback – February 5, 2016

Excellent workout we used it in in the AF Survival school

Seems wimpy at first. This thin little book???Doesn’t kick your butt. Doesn’t require days off to recover. You run through the chart and think…”that’s it?” No gym. No equipment. Definitely not a body-building plan. You can do it in as much space as you cover when you lay on the floor.Exactly! There is not a single reason why a person capable of even the mildest exercise can’t do this every day. The genius here is in creating a program that easily can become a daily HABIT.Results? Gradual, but as I advance through the first chart I’ve noticed an obvious improvement in muscle tone and posture. There are 4 exercises that work your front, back arms & shoulders. The 5th involves heart and leg work. You can run in place or substitute aerobic work of your choosing. It’s taken about 10 days to see improvement, and to feel a boost in my energy level and strength.Best of all, my attitude toward exercise has changed. After 2 weeks it’s become habit. I air bike, shadow box, climb stairs or walk vigorously to add variety to the aerobic work, as running in place is uncomfortable for me . I now look for opportunities to get extra reps in during the day, lifting things , stretching, getting extra walks, etc. It’s so easy to find a time & place to get your 11 minutes in every day.It’s not hard to keep at it and very gradually work up to more challenging levels on the charts. If you do, you’ll feel and look better and will have made exercise a regular part of life.

I discovered that one of my favorite actors, Dame Helen Mirren, has been doing the Royal Canadian Air force 12-minute exercise plan for years. I thought 12 minutes?!!! She is in her mid-seventies and looks great. So, I checked it out and bought the booklet that explains it. It is very clever and is designed for all ages.It has been successfully employed for over 30 years and is used by over half a million people in the US. It was developed using scientific methodology and tested to find the optimum approach. There are a series of charts (6). Each chart has several levels, (12, D- to A+). You spend a specified number of days on each level before moving up to the next level. It has highest levels specified for various age groups and the idea is that you aim to reach that level and then maintain it by doing the exercises at least 3 times a week. However, you can go higher if you feel comfortable.The exercises are very clever, they start with stretching aiming to improve mobility, the next are designed to improve the abdominal region, then the muscles in the back, arms, legs and waist,before finally aiming to condition the heart and lungs developing stamina, all to be completed in the 11-minute time frame (the women’s charts are slightly different and require all of 12 minutes). The time limit for each exercise remains the same in all charts, but the number of times the exercises performed within this time limit is increased at each level. The exercises are made more difficult from each chart to the next higher one. All very clever as you slowly but surely increase the difficulty and therefore your fitness.I started this and now use it every day. I just wish I knew about this before!

This book is a good one for those looking for a well-rounded exercise routine that they can do at home without any special equipment. I bought a copy of it about 30 years ago because a physical therapist recommended it to me. My daughter expressed interest in trying it so I ordered this copy for her. Guess I should have realized it would be an old copy but it wasn't obvious to me that this was what I was ordering. It was a lot more expensive than I expected. And I was disappointed that it was so obviously used and had rusty staples. All that said the content is still very good (though some exercises such as the full sit ups are no longer recommended). I gave my daughter my old copy (which was nicer) and am keeping this one to use.

Pros: included in the book is an easy to follow chart. It is based on age & gender with a basic routine of exercises to build muscle tone & strength. The repetitions for each exercise increases every few days until you achieve maintenance. At that level you continue your specific routine 3 times per week. Exercises are pictured & have clearly stated directions. I used it decades ago & it worked well for me. I lost inches!Now, I’ll need to (& you might too) modify a few exercises due to wear n tear 😉of arthritisCons: idk yet. I’ll try it out & update if there’s any ‘hiccups’.

You don't need a big program for decent physical fitness for the average person.cThis plan will take you there.