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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Hacking Exercise For Health. The surprising new science of fitness. by McMaster University

4.7
stars
775 ratings

About the Course

Renowned exercise physiologists Martin Gibala and Stuart Phillips of McMaster University teach the surprising new science of cardio fitness and strength-building—and then provide you with hacks to get fit and strong (and healthy!) in less time than you ever thought possible. What’s the right mix of exercise between cardio and strength? How do you know if you’re working out hard enough? What’s better, heavy or light weights? These questions and more are addressed through a course designed to provide even the most inexperienced of exercisers the tools you need to design time-efficient workouts that can be done virtually anywhere, from your own home to a city park or even at your workplace. Marty and Stu are good friends and colleagues who just happen to be two of the world’s most passionate scholars in the science of fitness. They aim to entertain you while they’re describing the relationship between exercise and health. Marty is a pioneer in the field of interval training, the technique of varying your workout intensity to get fit faster than anyone ever thought possible. Stu’s studies proved that lifting lighter weights can be a highly effective strength-building technique—plus he’s a leading expert in dietary protein and muscle. In Hacking Exercise for Health, you’ll follow Marty and Stu as they teach you the basics about the way your body boosts its fitness and strength. Next, they’ll apply that theory, providing you with a series of do-anywhere workouts and, most importantly, teaching you what you need to know to design your own sessions. Filled with inspirational practical tips, fun quizzes, interactive community participation and assignments designed to help you remember your lessons, Hacking Exercise for Health will give you the tools and techniques to incorporate exercise into your life, no matter how busy you are....

Top reviews

SA

Nov 29, 2020

Great Course, I really enjoyed this journey of four weeks, but still, I would like to have a suggestion regarding the food structure that I need to follow to achieve a maximum of my desired output.

JB

Nov 26, 2019

I found the information very useful and enlightening. Even if I have been exercising continually for a very long time, you can always learn new things to improve or be more productive.

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26 - 50 of 254 Reviews for Hacking Exercise For Health. The surprising new science of fitness.

By David C

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Nov 14, 2019

Great Course. it gave you the basics to help you take your health and fitness into your own hands. It was very clear and provided good practical information. I would suggest it for any one that would like to learn more about physical fitness and health.

By Alan L

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Nov 11, 2019

It is a very interesting course and set in a 'relaxed mode'. It has given the traditional routines a new twist and the time taken in the hacked exercise gives rise to more time for other things. Dr Martin Gibala and Dr Stuart Phillips, thank you very much.

By Adrienne K

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Apr 28, 2020

Great course content! I know this is a small thing not related to the information, but I would consider getting rid of the loud music at the beginning of every video. Maybe just have it for the first one in a given week? I dreaded it after awhile.

By Tom

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Jun 29, 2023

It was a quick and insighful course, with usefull tools and information to start working out and do it in an effective way. The focusgroup was mainly beginning fitness participants but nevertheless made impact for me als an experienced athlete.

By Abby L

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May 28, 2020

This was a super fun class and I learned so much! I feel more comfortable now when I create my own workouts! The professors were super knowledgeable and the lessons were conveyed in an easy way. I absolutely loved the class!

By Tércio A

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Jan 5, 2020

A very actual course with a summary on what exercise research has answered about the effects of aerobic and strength training on health. It also teaches some important tips on how to conduct an active lifestyle.

By Mayra I G

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Mar 31, 2020

Un curso obligado para todo aquel que busque reafirmar conocimientos en el area de las ciencias de la salud de manera amena y basada en evidencias.

By Andrew A

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Jun 26, 2023

Great coursecourse!Just remember that something is better than nothingnothing,and more of that something is even betterbetter.

By Jilliane G

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Nov 4, 2019

Fantastic course!!! It verified a lot of what I intuitively knew after 6 years as a professional athlete.

By Vaani M

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Aug 16, 2020

good but difficult

By Lenin V

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Mar 26, 2023

I recently completed the "Hacking Exercise For Health" course certification offered by McMaster University on Coursera, and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the latest scientific research on fitness and exercise and presents practical strategies for incorporating physical activity into your daily routine. The instructors are clearly experts in their field, and their passion for the subject matter is evident throughout the course. They present the material in an engaging and accessible way, making even the most complex concepts easy to understand. One thing that sets this course apart from others I've taken is the emphasis on personalized fitness plans. The instructors encourage you to assess your own fitness level and create a plan that works best for your individual needs and goals. This approach really resonated with me, as I've always struggled to find an exercise routine that feels sustainable and enjoyable.Overall, I would highly recommend the "Hacking Exercise For Health" course to anyone looking to improve their physical fitness and overall health. It's well-organized, engaging, and backed by the latest scientific research. While the material can be challenging at times, the instructors provide plenty of support and guidance to help you succeed.

By Vedant B

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Apr 3, 2020

This was a really interesting course, fun and easy to do. I found it quite well presented, refreshing and informative. The frequent humor and skits within the video presentations always made for a more lighthearted learning experience, allowing the learner to remain engaged and not become bored with studying. Being an advanced exerciser myself, I was not highly surprised with the information provided, but I did manage to learn and pick up a few things. I had a bit of a gripe with the question-answers in-video, the polls in-video, and the final quiz, but nothing major as such, and it was, overall, a very fun learning experience. For those new to fitness and exercise, or those who always feel daunted by exercise, or maybe even just those who want to find some variety or to make things interesting again, I highly recommend this course to everyone out there. What they say is true, at the end of the day, "Just do something."

By Barry Z

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Dec 13, 2020

This was a very informative and valuable course. It was well-taught and easy to follow.

I was surprised and a little put off my being expected to interact across 3 different platforms: Twitter, Flipgrid, and The Coursera board. I am not sure why this was necessary and since I do not have and do not want a Twitter account it was a little limiting. If this is important it should be stated before enrollment.

By Keith B B

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Apr 13, 2020

Questions #2 & #4 have errors. Please check the question wording and confirm the answers with the course professors!

By Samer B

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Nov 7, 2019

Good nice effort ... but i have some notes for this course :

1_ the teachers speaking fast for persons that dose not speak English as mother language so please try to speak slower .

2_ try to make the course language more easy and sample .

3_ the last exam has very complicated questions for me as a person dose not speak English as mother language so please also try to make the way of the questions more simple and try to offer translates to another languages .

thanks

By Nika

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May 11, 2021

It's a very elementary course, unfortunately. I wish I knew it before taking it since as a personal trainer and a group exercise instructor I am well aware of all the 'tricks' presented in the course.

I truly recommend to clarify it in the introduction to the course, e.g., for beginners.

Well-presented though. Thanks.

By Olga K

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Jun 23, 2020

Music in the begging so loud, makes it impossible to complete this course

By Amanda S

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Nov 25, 2020

In video pop up quizzes are inactive. Posting to flipgrid is cumbersome and invasive. No one is commenting on anyone's posts anyway, which invalidates the point of posting things publically in the first place. Instructional videos are poorly produced and too loud in the app for the intro. Also, I don't need an intro segment for every video uploaded as its redundant. Instruction is campy vs scientific. Might work for others, but I am turned off and unengaged. From what I have watched so far, I have already heard this material from elsewhere. Will no longer participate in the course, but I cannot figure out how to unenroll. On my phone app there is an option to unenroll, but it says you have to do this from the Coursera webpage. On Coursera web page, I cannot find the option to unenroll.

By Mario C G

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Sep 17, 2020

Dear Martin and Stuart: I would thank you very much for your course, for all the personal effort that you put into it, as well as the good science that you so dutifully explained. I have twenty years of experience, before as weightlifter and bodybuilder, then as gym owner. Now I’m close to 60 years old, and I still have the passion to push weights, and your teachings really opened up an entire new way to see my way to fitness and health. I was especially pleased when you talk about the various benefits of exercise, not just for the body but also the mind. The material provided is updated and awesome. My suggestion to you could be to add a total body workout to the videos you have, maybe performed by a middle age couple. Or maybe you can add a workout guideline at the end of the course. All the best!

By Geoff H

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Nov 6, 2022

Course itself is great. It's not too long, and the info is very practical. The one thing I don't like is the final week's final quiz is paywall-locked. It's also done deceptively: You start the quiz—and its 20 questions—and only at the end does it say "upgrade to submit." Monetization could be done in so many more honest ways. It speaks ill of Coursera as an educational platform.

So now I have a course I can't technically complete, which is fine. But I can't even "archive" it or whatever, so I'll just enroll.

So: 5 stars for the course (great). 1 star for Coursera.

By Andy B

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Mar 8, 2021

I really enjoyed the way the course was structured for the benefit of the student. The video's (with a great attitude and humor) were light - though they shared good quality materials. They were in turn supported by the text, glossary and journal readings that were provided. I also appreciated the format of the test to allow the student to better understand the materials by giving them a number of opportunities to deepen their understanding. Some questions were odd though - but eventually I did figure them out! Thank you for putting this together.

By Metzuyan N

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Dec 7, 2020

The course was very enlightening. I have struggled to be consistent with my exercise routines. The course has helped me learn hacks that will motivate me to keep on with my exercises schedules.

The style of delivering the course by Prof. Martin Gibala and Prof. Stuart Phillips was engaging, exciting and full of fun. Thank you to you Professor Gibala and Phillips for creating this MOOC. I would never have gained the knowledge I have if it were not an online course. Asentini sana.

By Marnel A R

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Oct 19, 2020

The videos are catchy and sustains interest. The two experts delivered it energetically. The contents are easy to follow which includes progress, developments and new findings in the field of exercise sciences. However, the final quiz questions need some fine tuning as some have grammatical errors. Some items are too vague which makes the multiple choice / selection very plausible. Overall, the module/course was a great learning experience.

By summya k

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Jun 14, 2020

What a beautiful course, it was. I've learned so much and it has everything that I always wanted to know, It seems like Stuart Phillips and Martin Gibala knew that. Brilliantly designed, I must say.

I love McMaster University and applied in one of it's health sciences program. I really wish to study at McMaster University one day.

Thank you so much, Stuart Phillips and Martin Gibala.

By Ksenia T

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Mar 3, 2023

This course gives clear instructions on how to introduce sport into your life, adapt it to your abilities, and gradually build fitness. The manner of the course is fun and easy, but at the same time it is scientifically accurate. I think it is good for both beginners and those who are advanced in exercising if they want to incorporate useful tips to improve their routine.