Rating: 
Summary: You should know this
Review: I'll admit right now that I haven't read this book. I've looked through it and I've read all the website's info which many assure me is the same.How can I have the tenacity to write a review from such a shakey position? Because I find some of the things this book is saying worrying. The level of information provided clearly marks this book out as an introduction to fitness. I am all for anything that will get people started on the path to health but just as the transition from couch potato to gym-rat is the most rewarding, it is also the most dangerous. If you get your head filled with the wrong ideas then, you'll struggle ever to extricate them. Bill Phillips puts the success of his program down to the time limit of 12 weeks. Now that is just under 3 months. Looking at the pictures of the people who have supposedly changed in that length of time raises severe concerns in me. You just cannot cause some of those transformations in that length of time. At least not by doing it a healthy way. People start off looking like whales and come out looking like pro bodybuilders - they've gained pounds of muscle and lost reams of fat. "Surely," you say "that is possible, I see people in magazines that have massive musculature but no bodyfat". Ah, but here's the rub. Those people have achieved that over a period of years, each year split into two seasons: the off- and the competition season. In the former they eat like pigs to bulk up and the latter they diet like crazy to get the "ripped" look they so desire. It is the precious few (John Ramone, a well regarded bodybuilder, admitted to only ever having met one) who can stay lean and get bigger all year round. Remember, we are talking years here. You can change your body in months but there is a limit that only drugs are going to breach. I believe that many of the before and after photos are either the products of image doctoring or steroids. As a weightlifter I am always one to extoll the virtues of weights, especially for women who are often worried they will look like an Eastern bloc athlete. However, I don't like the way aerobics seems to be sidelined in this program. If you have to pick between weights and aerobics, choose the latter. Lifting will make you have a great exterior but studies have shown that your interior thanks you much more for aerobics. I think programs like this tend to use aerobics merely as a fat burning process rather than heart enhancement. Their reason: the public only pays for results it can see and so these programs tend to pass off a very image-concious rather than health-concious view of fitness. All in all, I gave this book two stars because if it provides people with the impetus to work-out then that can only be a positive thing. However, using false idols as "examples" of the programme and pretending that it truly provides a holistic type of health prevents this book from my true support.
Rating: 
Summary: great book with an easy to follow plan that works
Review: I was not looking for literary excellance when I bought this book I was looking for some inspiration to get back into the gym and the get focused on eating healthier. I had the facts and knowledge about fitness and nutrition but had lost my inspiration to get me to apply it. The book inspired me. Bill Phillips takes what can be a complicated subject and lays out an easy to follow, life altering program that incorporates the mental aspects of fitness as well as the specifics on exercise & nutrition. (I have just read the review of the guy before me and I am wondering what his problem is. Some of what I write is in response to him.) The program is simple, but not easy. The key to weight loss and physical fitness is staying focused and finding a program you can live with---not a short term fix but a long-term program that can become a part of your life. So if you are interested in getting into fitness or reigniting your inspiration, read this book. Bill Phillips seems to be a lovely man who has outlined a program that has helped many others. I do hope he is wealthy because of it because he has added great value and inspiration to my life. Body for LIFE----go for it!
Rating:
Summary: A true proactive personal success system
Review: If you are going to have a healthy mind, you are going to have to have a healthy body. The two are connected - how can anyone think otherwise? Philips covers all of the bases: intelligent thinking, system thinking, futuristic thinking, and positive thinking. If you are truly seeking the kind of success and abundance that makes your life 100% livable - you must read this book. Many of his ideas are found in SUCCESS BOUND, another book built on learning how to set goals and live proactively. Let me assure you that if you apply Phillip's methods proactively, success and abundance will be your destiny.
Rating:
Summary: One who wants to sincerely help you improve your life
Review: For 78 weeks this book has been on the New York Times best seller list, a remarkable record when you understand that the authors are asking you to change your life and plunge into a life of exercise and diet. Americans like to read about these subjects, but are spectacularly disinterested in doing anything about it despite overwhelming scientific evidence that exercise and diet are basic to health, well-being, and longevity. You begin to buy off on the idea in the book though, that not only can you do this, but also, you can have a new body in 12 weeks. Why? Well just inside the front and back covers are 100 "before and after" un-retouched snap shots of men and women of all ages who did it. Then too, Author Phillips comes across as one who sincerely wants to help you improve your life. His motivational approach is summed up in this: "...one of the reasons so many people fail to break bad habits is because they focus on what they shouldn't be doing - what they shouldn't eat, that they shouldn't smoke or drink - all those things they shouldn't do. I recommend you focus just as much on things you should start doing because new patterns help 'crowd out' the unauthorized ones." Phillips suggests that one way to convince yourself to follow his plan, is to stand naked before a mirror and see if you are happy with what you see (who among us can stand this test?). The book also explodes many exercise myths, among them: Myth: Aerobics is better than weight training Fact: To transform your body, you must train with weights Myth: The longer you exercise, the better Fact: Too much exercise prevents results Myth: Count calories Fact: Count portions, not calories An interesting point is that you don't need fancy equipment. You can do most of the exercise with barbells and dumbbells in a home gym or at any fitness center. The book concludes on the high note that people are discovering they do have the power to change, that they do have the ability to create not only a better body but also a better life for themselves. If you try the program, Author Phillips makes it clear he personally would like you to contact him and tell your story, not to mention that you are free to contact him anywhere along the way. Anybody ready for a change?
Rating: 
Summary: Has inspired more people to get in shape than any........
Review: .....other book I have seen in years. Yes, the book is poorly written, heavily promotes supplements by EAS (Mr. Phillip's former company), has questionable theories and inaccuracies on biochemistry and physiology, and could be half the size.It also presents a workable and effective fitness program, and alot of support and motivation. I can't believe how many people I know who have never touched a weight before are doing this program. Mr. Phillip's bases his program on 4 time tested principles of fitness and conditioning. The first is aerobic interval training. The second is high intensity weight training (ie. maximum effort in a few sets performed no more than twice a week per body part). Next, a diet of high nutrient dense foods (low in fats, sugars, and starches). Finally, periodization, training in a cycle of 12 weeks. The book also includes easy to use charts to gauge your progress. The program works! Look at the before and after pictures and read the stories. You can't help but be inspired!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent program
Review: The "Body for Life" concept is excellent: in 12 weeks time you can transform your body and your life from flabby to fabulous. Will everyone succeed? No! Not even everyone who has won Bill Phillips' Challenge has succeeded in 12 weeks (though many, maybe most, have). Some have had to go 24 or 36 weeks to get the results they wanted. But it was not a failure of the program. Moreover, Phillips also advocates changing your life as well as your body. By developing a healthier body you develop a healthier mind too. You don't have to buy any special products. You don't need supplements at all. Healthy eating and healthy living are all that's required to "succeed." I found the message of the book as almost as enjoyable as the program. It is a concept that I now see being copied in more fitness magazines, but Phillips did it first and I think he has done it best.
Rating:
Summary: Do you want it?
Review: It's really simple. This program works. No hype, no fluff, no excuses. Based on solid, proven principles & research. Do what these people did and you will get similiar results. I spent most of my life ashamed & embarassed over my body. Now, I can't believe my reflection in the mirror. But, more importantly, I realize that this guided me towards the "inside-out" which is truly life-altering. Detailed, thorough instructions and a slew of on-line support - you can't beat it.
Rating:
Summary: The book teaches a wonderful WAY OF LIFE
Review: Knowing what I know now, I see how horribly out of shape Americans really are, even those that are 'thin.' This book is the key to change that and unlock the door to a healthy America! This is an excellent program for people of any age, at any level. Look at the internet sites www.bodyforlife.com (the official site) as well as www.bodychangers.com; www.leanandstrong.com. There are hundreds of pictures of people who have tried the program and absolutely transformed their bodies... and not just the contest winners, but real everyday people. I am currently in my second 12 week challenge and will continue on for many more.
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible Writing, basic advice, big sales pitch
Review: Where were the editors?! If you don't mind reading words that are not in the dictionary like "gunna" ("going to" for those of us that finished 4th grade) then you won't mind reading this book. Phillips is like a caricature of a coach, full of cheesy clichés. He correctly says that if you look like the "before" pictures lifting weights and changing your diet will cause improvements. (Of course changing your diet and doing ANY exercise faithfully for an HOUR 6 days/week would.) He doesn't mention that some people are more genetically disposed to shaping up quickly and you might not get the results shown even if you do follow the program. His exercises cover the basics of weight training. His diet advice follows the current (and ever changing) wisdom of high protein, low carbs, low fat eaten frequently in small portions. Fine. But then he mentions his line of meal replacement shakes and you realize that the book is here to sell his supplements. Having worked with a personal trainer for 2+ years I wanted to get another perspective but this book was so poorly written and only covered some of the fundamentals. If you are considering getting into weight training take the money you would have spent on this book and buy yourself a few sessions with a personal trainer instead. This book is not going to give you sustained motivation...especially if you find it as tedious to read as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Better than advertised
Review: I thought this book was so life altering, I've given a copy to each member of my family and to my close friends! This book unlocks your mind as well as your physical self. It teaches you to be true to yourself and to avoid nay-sayers like bradley1100@hotmail.com (see his review. God help us that he is teaching our kids as it is obvious he didn't really read the book before spewing forth his own uninformed and fact-twisting babble). I bought this book as a tool to lose weight and get in shape. What I received was a life changing experience. While I do not claim to have achieved the body of an Adonis, this book certainly dispells the fitness and weight loss myths we, as a society, have been fed for decades. I am stronger and look better, but what is most exciting is the improvement in the mental and emotional outlook I've developed. READ this book with an open mind. Bill Phillips attacks "information" we've grown to trust but if you use your own head and do some research, you'll see that the man has found the key despite the mounds of misinformation and negativity.
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