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Trigger Teen Triumph
Body by Jake's Secrets to Building Teenage Minds and Muscle By Kendeyl Johansen
Jake Steinfeld didn't always look like a body-builder. "I was a fat kid with a bad stutter and little self-confidence," he confides. And when Steinfeld's father bought a weight bench for his unhappy 14-year-old, teenage Jake ignored it. "I just kept eating Twinkies and said, 'nah' when it came to exercise." But eventually, Steinfeld was intrigued by the bench and tried weightlifting.
Surprisingly, he felt better about himself after the very first weight session, which got his blood pumping and lifted his mood. Regular workouts soon built his muscles, self-esteem and confidence, and he started relishing exercise. Eventually he transformed his love of exercise into a career, becoming a leading fitness authority, a personal trainer to the stars and developing Body by Jake Enterprises, a worldwide leader in health and fitness products.
Steinfeld authored his book Get Strong! Body by Jake's Guide to Building Confidence, Muscles, and a Great Future for Teenage Guys to teach teenage boys how to gain self-confidence and improve their lives. "A year and a half ago I realized that teenage boys were in trouble," he says. "What teen girls have known about body image and self-esteem and confidence teen boys are just starting to understand."
Steinfeld noticed many parents treating their sons differently than their daughters they'd leave a chubby son to outgrow weight problems, but they would find resources to help an overweight daughter. "It's a huge problem in this country with teen sons and teenage guys in general 75 percent of obese teens stay obese into adulthood," he says. "And 80 percent of schools don't offer physical education daily in classes."
These figures worried Steinfeld, especially when he realized that obesity is linked to depression, and there was little assistance targeted toward teen boys. He wanted to help, and decided that an easy to read, step-by-step book could assist male teenagers to "get strong."
