Rating: 
Summary: Great Concept, Heavy on Advertising, Lacking in Content
Review: I think Bill Phillips has a relatively decent concept for a body-building course. Most of the advice he gives is very common-sense: don't over-eat, eat healthier, exercise more, get into a system, focus on progress (not perfection), etc., etc. It's a great foundation for becoming healthier and I *did* see results. I do, however, believe that roughly one-third to one-half of this 200 page book is pretty much worthless.At the end of the book, for example, Phillips prints enough copies of the suggested progress reports to complete six days of his program (this is about 25 pages of the book). Please note, however, that these copies are all exactly the same. Since he doesn't give you enough for the entire program, you're going to have to make photocopies, anyway. These copies are just filler for the book'a waste of paper and money. Another waste of paper (in my opinion) is the printing of several testemonials thoughout the text. Roughly 30 pages of the book are nothing but stories about the people who have gone through the course and their lives. A few might have been interesting, but I think the large number is a bit excessive and certainly wastes space. Phillips also spends a lot of time advertising his Body-for-LIFE website. (Which, incidentally, I found to be comically unhelpful.) He also takes considerable space in the book to tell you about Myoplex, a nutritional supplement he promotes. (He *does,* however, admit that this is optional.) Finally, I think his own psychological mumbo-jumbo throughout most of the book's fourth section ("The Training-for-LIFE Experience") is pretty ridiculous. I'm not sure that I buy his "high-point techniques" at all and I think it's absolutely hilarious that he recommends chanting "I am building my Body-for-LIFE" while exercising. Nevertheless, as I said at the begining, I think Phillips has a good concept in this book. I followed the program (loosely, admittedly) and I DID see a definite change. Others did, as well. I lost a lot of fat and gained muscle. It's definitely something worth investigating. My recommendation, however, is to save your [money] and check the book out of your local library. Read it quickly, photocopy the relevant pages (probably a few of the exercises, the food chart, and maybe the daily progress reports) and change your life *far* more cheaply.
Rating: 
Summary: This plan is NO FAIL when you follow the program!
Review: I followed this program, and lost 3 dress sizes in the first 3 weeks, but without losing a pound. All that fat and flab became muscle without my even being aware of it. I did the exercises each day, and followed the diet plan he outlines. As he states in the book, you DO NOT have to use the meal replacement products produced by his company, and I did not start using them myself until the 4th week. I loved the products as well. In the end I went from 155 lbs (I am a female, 5'3") to 124 lbs, replacing fat with muscle. It wasn't even all that hard! I am ordering a second copy of the book since the one I received was borrowed. I have recommended this plan to anyone who has mentioned a desire to have more energy, lose some weight, or get into shape. DEFINITELY give this program a chance.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Life Saver!! It WORKS!
Review: I highly recommend this book! I came across "Body for Life" by accident one day while reading some reviews on other fitness books. I'm happy to report that I've been on this program now for 7 weeks, and I have already lost 10 pounds and 12 inches, and an amazing amount of body fat! Neighbors stop me on the street to ask what I am doing, and I am inspiring others to follow this program just because of the results I'm getting! I of course never expected to look like those on the cover of the book in 12 weeks, but I know that if I continue doing this... and this is FOR LIFE, I will eventually come to look like those in the cover of this book! This book has literally SAVED MY LIFE, and I owe it all to Bill Phillips and his wonderful program, as well as all the support I continually get from EAS! I was really desperate to lose more weight after coming to a plateau on another weight loss program, so desperate I would do anything to lose it, and I had considered having gastric surgery. I really didn't want to take drastic measures and undergo surgery to lose weight. BFL has shown me that I can do it, and I have the will and the power within myself, and this book has shown me the way! If you're really struggling to lose weight and get fit, this book is for you, because it really does work. Those who say it doesn't work are not trying hard enough! My advice is that don't set such high expectations for yourself. Set small one along the way. As long as you are doing this program correctly, you will get great results, and everyone is different. Some of may need several 12 week programs to get the results we want, but keep in mind that you will get there! Don't let anything ever deter you from your ultimate goal. Remember, the key is to focus on progress, not perfection. Go for it! P.S.- I also recommend the CD's because they're really motivating and inspiring. It's nice to hear Bill's voice encouraging you!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good But Has Some Flows
Review: This is a very beneficial book, especially the Exercise Guide which I've been using extensively now for two weeks. However, there are some points that I personally didn't like: First, the author seems intent in several places of the book to plug/promote the Myoplex "Performance-Nutrition Shake" which is made by his company (EAS) and sold on its Website. He writes in a sample of the Nutrition-for-Life Method Daily Progress Report that he drinks this shake 3 times a day (out of the 6 meals recommended), and then he comes back on page 121 and writes "Another thing that could help you gain muscle size and strength faster is to use an EAS supplement called Phosphagen HP . . . This supplement contains creatine, a nutrient which has been shown, in dozens of university studies, to enhance size and muscle strength, as well as energy . . . The other supplement I recommend to enhance the muscle-building effects of the Training-for-Life Experience is HMB . . . The only supplements I'm using right now are Myoplex and an EAS supplement called BetaGen (which contains both creatine and HMB) . . . When I consume these supplements, I get the vitamins, minerals, protein, extra antioxidants, creatine, HMB, glutamine, energy-rich carbohydrates, and other micronutrients I need. I don't make it any more complicated than that."!! Also, in response to my fellow reviewers who say that Bill Phillips NEVER says that Myoplex is necessary or required for the success of the program, I cite the following quote directly from page 90/91 in the book: "I use Myoplex every day and have for the past four years. Without the advantage it offers, I don't believe I would have been able to stick with this nutrition method which has helped me stay in top shape year after year. Plus, I'm not the type that likes to take handfuls of vitamin pills and whatnot. I'm too busy for that, and my guess is that you are, too. . . . Now, I'm not saying you can't get good results with just regular food. That is possible, especially if you have time to shop for and prepare six quality whole-food meals day in and day out. However, many of the people I coach just don't have time to eat six whole-food meals a day. So for them, Myoplex is a solution." [Do you see the subliminal message he's trying to convey to the reader here?!!] So, although he mentions in the book that all proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Make A Wish Foundation (his favorite charity), he is using the book to promote the sale of his shakes and other supplements on the Website!! This point alone shakes my trust in him and what he says. Second, he specifies that the weight training exercises should not take more than 46 minutes a day (whether it's upper body or lower body workout). My criticism here is that he should have warned beginners that (at least in the beginning) these exercises could take much longer for them until they get the hang of them. Failing to do that, in my view, leads those beginners to feel that they have failed or that they are not good enough. Third and last, The free Food Day he recommends can be, in my own opinion, a way for many (or some) people to over-indulge to the point of sabotaging their diet. He unfortunately does not provide much needed guidelines to follow on that day.
Rating:
Summary: Great Program...Good Reference Book...BFL Works
Review: I thought this book was an easy book to read with good information. The core of the program is getting out there and working hard to achieve the results you are looking for. Nutrition is everything to getting a better body and the exercise program is well advised. Picking up this book was great for motivating me to get back to do what I knew I could do. I had mastered the "no sweat" work out and had poor eating habits. Weight training and high intensity cardio workouts is a great regime to getting fit. I thought some of the before and after shots seemed unreal but after I did the program (with great discipline) I too had some amazing before and after shots. Well, you can't see my 6-pack yet (I'd need to lose 5-7% more body fat) but you can definately tell I have not only lost weight but have great muscle defination! The program works, the book is easy to read and can serve as great motivation and/or inspiration to get to a better you. Also read Laura Freeman's Feel Great Naked and highly recommend that book as well.
Rating:
Summary: THE Health and Fitness Book
Review: One of my all-time favorites. Bill Phillips lays out a no-nonsense guide to help anyone improve their life and health. A good mix of science and motivation. Plenty of information to help you understand why diets don't work, and why you must combine sensible eating with exercise in order to achieve optimum health. If this book doesn't make you want to change your lifestyle for the better, nothing will, short of a heart attack. You really can achieve lasting results in as little as six weeks by sticking to this plan, and it really isn't that difficult. Also included are a number of case studies and examples of ordinary people who dramatically improved their health in only a few short weeks. Unlike many "new age" diet books and high-protein diet gurus, Phillips stresses that you must exercise regularly. Bodybuilding and strength training are favored, and this best-selling book has finally helped to bring those fitness concepts into the mainstream. If you want to change your life for the better, this is a good book to start with.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on weight loss ever...but only 3 stars
Review: Bill Phillips knows how to write about looking fit and he knows how to market it too. As owner of EAS supplements and Muscle Media magazine, he is in a position to know a lot, and Bill gives about as much as he thinks Americans are willing to hear in Body For Life (BFL). He doesn't criticize anyone going through middle age and feeling insecure because they don't look like Britney Spears and Brad Pitt. He doesn't rail against the pseudo-fitness fanatics, who are just vanity freaks with distorted values. Nope, Bill never broaches how emotionally unhealthy it is to try to look physically healthy, young and sexy in a culture that has a narrow minded view of beauty. No, BFL is selling the magic beans of well being that come from objectifying one's self and basing our personal worth on the external perception. Open up BFL and you will see countless pictures of people who transformed their physiques. Bill will tell you every reason you should be eating right (not less!) and working out regularly. He's more Stephen Covey than personal trainer. He really understands the psychology of why people don't get up and change their lives...for good. If you are looking for someone to convince you to get to work on transforming your body, this book is an informative and invaluable resource. But with all that said...this is still a book about fitness written in America. The reason the masses are buying this book has more to do with American psychology than the quality of life that BFL adherents are achieving. The masses are obsessed with "looking" fit, young & sexy, and the reason this book is selling is that the book does outline one of the most efficient ways to go about getting there fast...well that is if you think all you have to do is drop some to become the you that you were born to be. There is much more money in selling 'trim, young, and fit' than in selling bodybuilding even though Bill comes from a bodybuilding background. The twelve week BFL cycle is nothing more than an extended bodybuilding pre-contest cycle (in which bodybuilders stop focusing on building mass, and drop fat while maintaining as much musculature as possible.) The twelve week cycle gets results. To BFL's credit, it is superb if you need step by step instructions and don't trust your own intuition or have been led astray by the TONS of misinformation about healthy weight loss. I have seen Bill's persuasive powers over those who believed the puritanical notions of sacrificing one's appetite and starving as the way to lose weight. Bill is putting the reader through a metabolic crash course to burn fat without leaving him emaciated, but is this 12 week challenge healthy in the long term? I would say you are far better off health-wise for following Bill's system rather than nothing, but there are more flexible (if not better) ways to go about being healthy. The BFL system leaves out the whole mental aspect of being healthy. Sure Bill talks about changing your life by building your confidence, but isn't there something mentally absent with grown-ups who still feel like they have to compete with the pretty people and be accepted on those terms. And even if you subscribe to the theory that you have to try to fit in, does the path have to be so rigid and Spartan? For instance, Bill wants the reader to sacrifice performance for fat burning. Run or bike on an empty stomach and you will burn more fat (as your glucose levels are already low). You aren't going to go very fast though so if you are into competition, the 12 week challenge is not for you. Weight train first thing in the morning, ramping up your intensity with short rests between sets while you push through 20 or more sets at a blistering pace. If you haven't touched weights in years, you will to any resistance training, but the more knowledgeable will recognize that Bill is more concerned with maintaining a constant high heart rate and keeping muscle mass.. The somewhat experienced weight trainer will probably not respond much to the weights in strength gains or will have to modify the program to continue meeting strength goals.. An hour after you workout you can have your first meal. You are going to have to maintain a one meal every 2.5 hour pace to get all six meals in before its time to think about retiring for your full night's rest. Don't worry, the meals are small enough that you will remain ready to eat again later on. Here the goal is to maintain a flat steady metabolic rate and insulin levels in the blood stream. But is this kind of eating practical? People on the BFL system that are successful with their diet are like born-agains: hard to be around as they consciously focus on their diet all day, with dreams of the salvation that lies in just 12 weeks. Bill argues that it becomes automatic and requires less planning and thought after a while. This may be true but it is still a huge time commitment for the purpose of maintaining a lean physique and perhaps being no more healthy than a person eating on a more intuitive schedule. This still is one of the best weight loss books around. The twelve week challenge is a safe and sane way to lose weight. But the title is misleading. Body for Life suggests you will have a life and the BFL converts all agree this is the result. But look a little closer and you will see that BFL is all about getting results in the external world and keeping busy enough that you never have to look within at your life...If you already like your life you should probably pass on the challenge but read it for the info anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Body for LIFE, not Body for 12 Weeks
Review: I read Body for Life and began the program in March 2001. This program may not get you to look like the people on the cover of the book, but it will help you get in the best shape of your life. Body for Life will motivate you to clean up your nutrition and exercise smart using a 12 week program to set your goals. I like to call this book Body Building for Dummies. It is a very simple program to follow. Before BFL, I've never stuck with any exercise or nutrition program for this long in my life, but BFL is so simple and the results are so visible that I don't want to ever stop. I didn't have much fat to lose, but was able to lose 22 lbs of fat (not muscle) doing 2, 12 week challenges, and I have continued with the program completing more challenges. I can almost see abs! I've never looked and felt better in my life. This program changes your eating and exercise habits forever! This program isn't body for 12 weeks, but the 12 weeks serves as a time frame to see positive changes. Most people see such positive changes in 12 weeks that they want to continue with the program and complete more challenges. This isn't a quick weight-loss program either. You can expect to lose between 1/2 lb to 2 lbs per week depending on how much you have to lose initially if you follow the program. You may need to complete several 12 week challenges to reach your ultimate goal. You don't need to purchase any of the supplements that are mentioned in the book. This program can be done using whole foods only. Don't worry that you will miss out on the foods that you love but can't eat during the program since you get 1 free day per week when you can eat whatever you want. However, many people find that after following the program for awhile, they don't need to take full advantage of free day. Or they don't eat junk food since it makes them sick (free day hangover). Also, you can follow this program even if you don't need to lose fat. It is good for gaining muscle if you follow a few modifications. Remember, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. The basics of the program are this: *3 days HIIT (high intensity interval training per week) for 20 minutes *3 days weight training for approximately 1 hr *Eat 6 meals per day having a portion of carb and a portion of protein; you get all the veggies that you want; you try to keep carb and protein grams equal for losing fat *As you experience physical changes on inside and the outside, you will also experience psychological changes and become a more positive caring person. This will make you a better person and those around you will benefit as well. Bill Phillips has done a great job marketing this program. He has donated all proceeds of the book to charity. I highly suggest reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: A healthy way to get fit
Review: After my second baby I was tired of the leftover weight from both kids. My father lost 20 pounds on the program and kept if off. So, I decided to give it a go. The program helped me lose the weight and look more fit that I have in years. It was very easy to follow and gave me good results almost immediately.
Rating:
Summary: You can be a success
Review: The first thing you notice when you pick up the book is a wall of before and after pictures that "cannot be real." when I showed people the pictures, they did not believe that they were real, but since I bought the book, I had to prove these people wrong. I tried the formula out and it worked for me! The only problem is that I had some major life changes a few months ago and I reverted back to my old habits and lost everything I gained.
A better combination would be to read, or listen to, Anthony Robbins "Unlimted Power II" first, ignore his wacky nutrion regimen, and then read this book after that. It is a powerful combination that, if followed properly, will have the results you want and more. Since I have done that, it has motivated me to a new level and I I'm already seeing new changes. For those who do do not believe this program works because it did not work for them, understand that they are probably not motivated and will never reach the potential of the examples given unless they move past this challenge in themselves. Good luck everyone!
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