Customer Reviews

Body For Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength

5 star:		(487)
4 star:		(134)
3 star:		(67)
2 star:		(48)
1 star:		(91)

 

 

Rating System:
1 star - some books don't deserve to be published
2 stars - a waste of time except for a nugget or two
3 stars - good, worth reading
4 stars - what writing should be, well worth the time invested
5 stars - a classic; must own and share with others

MY FEEDBACK
1) Book is overflowing with positive attitude through the uplifing writing style. I appreciated this.

2) Nicely organized plan. Takes all the guess work out

3) Very doable plan, regardless of your current health/exercise level. He does make it clear that for certain risk groups to check with your doctor first

4) Doesn't explain clear enough how to measure & track body fat loss and muscle gain. Submitted this question online two days ago...still waiting for an answer back. Anyone monitoring the email over there?

5) Would have appreciated more details on how to prepare at home for the program vs. if I have a gym membership. For example I'm finding I really needed to take stock of my home weights. But after doing it a time or two I was able to figure out what size weights I needed to buy and add to my collection in order to get through the entire 12 weeks. This is a little tip I would have liked up front because if it was in the book I didn't see it.

6) Get the journal! It helps! I studied the core book then took it back to the library, but I definitely believe in owning the journal. I'm glad I got it since it is making my preperation for the program so much easier. I'm giving the journal a 4 star and leaving this at a 3.

7) The before and after pictures are awesome!

8) I had some friends attempt this plan about two years ago. Several gained a lot of "fat"/bulk but it really seemed because they were eating 6 times a day but not watching their portion sizes. Beware.

9) Two years ago I dared myself to do a triatholon and I didn't even know how to swim. What I learned from that experience is:
a) you can overcome your fears & shortcomings if you want
b) you can do more than you ever thought possible if you stick with something long enough to enjoy the results. In other words, there is no "trying" this program. Just plan to do the entire 12 weeks and do it.
c) that if you set your schedule and do something regularly, like Bill suggests in this program, you'll find before you know it that it all becomes an easy to manage habit to work out and eat right

OVERALL: Book is well presented. Well organized. Easy to follow and is common sense stuff most of us have heard before from different sources but never put it together into a concise plan. I look forward to starting this weekend and completing it and reach my goals.

Firstly, some background; Before this book I was a 39 year old woman who had never been on any kind of diet or exercise regime- had pretty much spent my entire life effortlessly thin. Then I quit smoking and gained 50 pounds in 9 months. Oh, the horror.

While searching for a solution to my weight woes, I decided I wanted something that would promote a complete lifestyle change- not just some quick fix scheme. This program really seemed like something I could do for the rest of my life. Eat 6 times a day? Hey, I love to eat! Exercise 6 times a week? Not such a bad idea. The real clincher was having that blessed one day off each week to eat, drink, and be merry.

It has now been 12 weeks and I am here to tell all you couch potatoes that it IS doable! Nope, I don't look like any of those dramatic before and after photos. Sadly, I was in worse shape than the lot of them. And, to be completely honest, I probably only gave it 80% of my efforts. But, believe me, I see a big difference. My body is taking on some definition, I can see those muscles straining to the surface!

I like the fact that he offers a toll free number for help and encouragement (I called for tips on how to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet). I like the earnest tone of his book, I found it quite endearing. I LOVE the stories- I have read them several times over, whenever I needed some encouragement to keep going. And, finally, Mr. Phillips' organization is very involved with the Make-A-Wish foundation, so you can also feel charitable using the Body-for-Life method- knowing you're helping, in some small way, to make a deserving tyke's dream come true.

Look, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it. Seriously. Quitting smoking was a lot harder than this program is- all ya gotta do is flip the switch in your mind that says "Enough is enough!" This book gives you all the tools you'll need to take it from there.

This book and program are both great. I used it back a few years ago and went from a 42-inch waist to 34 in 13 weeks; from 29% body fat to 13%. It is not easy and requires much discipline. But this book gives you the tools you need to make it happen. It also requires a lifestyle change for you. If you drift off from the program, it is easy to slide backwards from the progress you have made.

This book will help you change your mindset. You will examine patterns, give yourself rewards, and see the changes take place. Phillips states: "It's Very Important to understand the difference between dreams and goals. Dreams are things we wish for--things you enjoy thinking about but don't really know when they'll happen. Goals, on the other hand, are specific things you have decided you need to accomplish within a clearly defined period of time." p.27 This book will help you make that leap from dreams to goals and from goals to results.

One of the greatest strengths of the book is the section that outlines the exercises for each body part. Not only do they include pictures of the different exercises and movements, they also have a tip box of the most common errors, and how to avoid them. The book is also peppered with testimonies of people who have done the program with their before and after pictures.

Phillips states: "Your body is the epicenter of your universe. You go nowhere without it. It is truly the temple of your mind and your soul" p.2 This program will help you find a level of health that you may have given up on. One of the former champions of the challenge says: "Beyond information, I was being taught a frame of mind, which inspired me more than all the preachers, teachers, doctors, and counselors who had tried to get through to me before." p.9 (in reflection on this program and his recovery from a bullet wound from his youth.)

This book will help you change the patterns in your life. "Remember that everything you do in the real world is merely an external manifestation of what has already happened in your mind. " p. 29 This book has a balanced approach- you balance exercise with nutrition, you balance carbs with protein in each meal, and you balance cardio with strength training. Page 83 has an Eating-for-Life Authorized food guide. It lists the Proteins, Carbohydrates and Vegetables that are recommended and lists them in the order if quality for this program.

There is a world of difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. This book will definitely give you the knowledge, and challenge you to put it into practice. "Remember that everything you do in the real world is merely an external manifestation of what has already happened in your mind." p.29

Okay, Bill Phillips isn't a god, but just a guy trying to make a buck by providing mostly sound nutritional advice and solid weight training info. Does it work? It does for a tremendous number of people who try it and follow it to the T. Those who write that it didn't work for them, well, who knows how closely they really stuck to the program?

Phillips is an outstanding motivator. He could sell iceboxes to people living at the North Pole. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if his motivation gets people trim and fit. And that's what this book and its program is all about.

Does he sell supplements that he just happens to manufacturer? Yes. Will the program work without them? Yes. Will it work better with them? That's up to each individual body.

Bottom line, and this is coming from a guy who has researched and written much on the topic of nutrition, motivation and training, Phillip's information will work for the majority of followers when they follow it accurately and honestly. And along the way, Phillips will keep you motivated during this most difficult of endeavors.

If you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who are overweight...wait, let's stop soft pedaling it and call it what it is - FAT, what do got to lose?

As the coauthor of The Fighter's Body: An Owner's Manual: Your Guide to Diet, Nutrition, Exercise and Excellence in the Martial Arts, I highly recommend this book to weight trainers and martial artists.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Body for Life in 1999 - and having been a fan of Bill's magazine for years I decided to follow the programme exactly as written.

Let me say that before I started this I was NOT in bad shape - I'm in the fitness industry so was sceptical about exactly how much a programme written for 'Joe Average' could do for me. I couldn't have been more wrong:

In 11 weeks I lost over 24 pounds of fat and added over 13 pounds of muscle! BFL is a 12 week programme but I stopped at week 11 as I was under 7% bodyfat and had the body of my dreams already!

4 years later I still follow the programme - though I now no longer do the cardio and have remained in great shape with little effort.

Simply outstanding... no question.

The approach presented by Bill Phillips in "Body for Life" worked fine for me. However, the problem is that you have to have a real commitment and a really strong will power to follow the regime presented by the author. Also, in my opinion, there is too much focus on the looks and too little on the health. I think the latter is more important than the former. I have recently found a book that shifts the attention more towards health and overall wellbeing and it gives you no trouble whatsoever to follow simple rules for food combinations, body cleansing etc. Although I have a lot of respect for Bill Phillips as my first coach I think that "Can We Live 150 Years" is a superior book to "Body for Life". Sorry Bill.

About a year and a half ago I suffered an injury that made it difficult for me to follow my usual exercise routine. Because of this I got soft and gained much unwanted weight. My mom recommended this book mostly because of the exercise program.

I have only been on the program for a couple of weeks but have already noticed a great improvement in my energy level and stamina (not to mention a lifetime of insomnia seems to be getting better). While I still can't follow the entire program due to my doctor's prescribed limitations, I follow what I can and still find that I'm getting great results.

If you can't start on this program whole-heartedly, the results will be slower than the examples given in the book. Even so, you'll still see some positive results.

I'm looking forward to being able to ramp up and get on this program in its entirety. In the meantime, I'm just thankful that I have a guidebook to get the rest of me in shape.

This book is purely hype! Any book, video or exercise program with before and aFTER photos and around 20 or so pages of testomoniALS IS HYPE!
THIS BOOK PROVIDES VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ON FITNESS AND PROPER DIET. (hell, this guy does't even recomend stretching or even warming up prior to intense exercise.)This book is basically a motivatinal primer based solely on false hope i.e lose 25 pounds of fat in 12 weeks (anyone who knows anything about fitness knows that this is far from practical. the real number would be closer to around 3.7 pounds of fat a month.)
bill is also very pushy about the supplements, and states that if you want to achieve an incredible transformation, like some of the ones shown in the book, then you need to take supplements. Now what really angers me about this is that he doesn't say anything remotely similar to, "there are a lot of good brands out there. i dont want to single one out. find one that you like,one that works for you and stick with it." but instead singles out myoplex, a supplement that is made by his own company EAS.After reading through the section on nutrition one gets the feeling that advertising this supplement is what this book is all about.

I bought this book about 18 months ago after trying every possible fad diet on the market...Atkins Diet, the Zone...you name, I tried it, and failed! Seeing the before and after pictures in this book really inspired me, along with reading Bill Phillip's motivational style of writing. For my first 12 week challenge, I went to GNC and bought the Myoplex shakes and bars, and used a few EAS supplements (Betalean and Phen Free). The cost of these products is sky high, so I quickly learned to find cheaper protein shake mixes that contained similar ingredients. Personally, I think that is the biggest drawback of the book...at times, it slips into infomercial mode for the EAS Company. If you are entering the challenge for the prize money, then you are required to use EAS products throughout the 12 weeks. If you are like me, however, then you will find that generic brands work just as well (and keep in mind, eating REAL food is always better than using the protein shakes, but busy schedules sometimes prevent that).

This program is best for people who are truly committed to making a difference in their life. Before this book, I did not lift weights. One year later, I couldn't imagine going a week without hitting the gym. Sticking with the program for 2 12-week challenges left me 40 pounds lighter with an entirely new physique and a whole different attitude about my health. It is not for people who want a quick fix for their waistline...but if you are truly ready to change your life, then read this book from cover to cover and take notes!

If you're an out of shape fat slob who's never done a hour of exercise in your life, this book may help since anything's better than nothing. If however, you think you're going to end up looking like one of the fraudulent after pictures after only 12 weeks, you're going to be sorely disappointed. How come no one else in the history of body-building has ever gotten results like this in only 12 weeks? How come for everyone else, including the professionals, it literally takes years of hard work to get a defined muscular physique? Getting in shape and being healthy is a life-long process, not a crash 12 week program. The weight-lifting routines are okay but use too much weight for a beginner and do not include any of the modern advances in weight-training techniques such as super-slow. The diet is okay as a crash weight loss program but not as a life eating program, which is probably why the book recommends so many nutritional products which the author will be glad to sell you. This book is an okay place to start for people who've never done any exercise in their life, but anyone who's serious about getting in shape and staying in shape needs a lot more information than is provided in this book. The most difficult thing about body-building is that it is lengthy process and takes years of steady work to get and maintain results, so this book that claims that you can accomplish in only 12 weeks what it takes everyone else years to accomplish will only be discouraging to everyone who does not end up looking like a championship body-builder after only 12 weeks.