I’ve been reading (and watching) Mark Sinderson’s blog “Bike Beer BBQ” for a couple of years. I’m not sure how I came across it, but I suspect that it had something to do with the tagline “Drinking Good Beer, Eating Tasty Food, Keeping Fit & Healthy.” (One could argue that with that tagline the name of his blog should be “Beer BBQ Bike”, but I digress.) I’m not sure you would call him the Gary Vaynerchuk of beer, but that wouldn’t be far off.
So when Mark contacted me last year to offer a “pre-read” of a book he was working on, I jumped at the chance. I didn’t offer anything in the way of editing but I liked where he was at, and even offered up a quote for him to use should he wish:
Mark Sinderson shows how having good taste in beer and being fit and healthy are not mutually exclusive. That’s good news for this lover of craft beer.
A few weeks ago I received a signed copy of Mark’s new book, Beyond the Twelve-Ounce Curl: The Beer-Lover’s Guide to Having Your Brew and Being Fit, Too! Or How to Eat Healthy, Lose Weight, Build Fitness and Strength While Still Enjoying Good Beer and Food and what do you know but my quote made the first page. Sweet!
So what about the book other than having the longest title ever? Should you buy it? Well, here’s what I think about that:
Like a lot of things in life Mark came across the topic of this book by accident. He had started his beer review blog and was posting videos sharing his appreciation for beers like rich, creamy ales and heavy porters and stouts. He noticed a trend in the comments to his blog – people liked the idea of drinking these delicious craft beers but they were concerned about the calorie content, which can be quite high.
And so a book topic was born.
What I liked about the book is Mark’s refreshing candor and overall approach to the problem at hand. This is not a book that is going to contain a magic formula that will allow you to drink all the beer you want without gaining a pound. No, this is a book based on common sense and a very basic formula =Calories in must equal calories out.Because of Mark’s healthy lifestyle, including biking thousands of miles per year, he was able to strike a balance with his love of beer (and BBQ!) without it negatively impacting hishealth. Beyond the Twelve-Ounce Curl is his guide for how everyone can enjoy a love of beer without growing the beer gut to match.
The primary sections of the book are “The Beer Lover’s Diet” and “The Beer Lover’s Fitness Plan”.
For the diet, Mark focuses on education around the calorie content of beer and other foods, and does so from the standpoint of an educator rather than a preacher. Education is key to finding the balance you need to be successful, and he delivers it in an easy to read and fun style. There are no day by day menu plans here, just sound advice and practical tips.
Mark goes more in-depth in the fitness plan section, describing various exercises and even exercise equipment. I particularly liked his section on Fitness Myths.
At less then 200 pages, Beyond the Twelve-Ounce Curl is a light and interesting read that could help you with the motivation you need to take control of your own fitness, whether you drink beer or not.
