<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: BodyRx vice Body For Life (BFL)
Review: Body RX
Program is divided into 4 6-week cycles. 1 (get strong), 2 (get cut), 3 (lose fat), and 4 (maintenance).Nutrition Proteins and carbs are divided into GREEN (okay), YELLOW (controlled), and RED (no-no). GREEN carbs are veggies; YELLOW carbs are starchy veggies (beans), bread, pasta, etc. 6 small "meals"/day. 8 glasses water. 1 free day. Shaping strategy to increase protein, decrease YELLOW carbs, and increase fiber. Goals are provided. Weight training. Aerobics is optional. Author doesn't think aerobics do much. 4 days lifting. One area per day. 5 exercises per area. No rules on rest days. Day 1: Chest & biceps
Day 2: Back & triceps
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Shoulders & abs. Shaping strategy increases sets, increases reps, and decreases rest times. Bottomline: Both BodyRx and BFL are very similar with by-the-numbers programs for nutrition and exercise. BFL emphasizes motivation more while BodyRX emphasizes ramping up to protein and fiber goals. Both recommend supplements. Neither offer highly detailed weightlifting 'how to,' sets training goals, women's specific concerns re pregnancy/menses, common medical conditions, common medical tests, shopping/cooking skills, or lots of recipes. I think medical testing is important because even lean marathon runners get heart attacks. Both programs work. Both programs will have similar high failure rates because many folks are unwilling to save their lives at the cost of not having a double bacon cheeseburger. If I had to pick one, I'd pick BFL since it is simpler. I learned from both.
Rating: 
Summary: Quick Body for Life rip-off
Review: Connelly was the owner of the supplement company Met-Rx when this book was released, just after Bill Phillips (the owner of his competition) released Body for Life. BFL is a great plan, well written and easy to follow. Body Rx is a blatant stab at BFL with little or no regard as to whether the programme works or not. Body Rx is so blatent as to even almost exactly mimic the cover of Body for Life - with Connelly posing in black with the book title in red font - exactly as Body for Life's cover is laid out?! Disappointing as I've met Dr. Connelly and he is a very smart man, just happened to have rushed this book to the market as a reaction to his competition...
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible results, if you have faith to see it through
Review: Dr. Scott's program is not for the faint of heart. The program leans towards the bodybuilder's approach, in that it uses cycling of different phases (bulking/cutting/maintenance), so for the first 2 cycles you are mostly building strength and muscle rather than shedding fat. You are expected to eat far more food than you would on a normal diet, and most people actually feel a little "thicker" during C1 and only start seeing real results between the end of Cycle 2 and the middle of C3. Since many dieters are too short-sighted to see the long-term benefit in this, it may scare some people away. It requires a great deal of faith and forsight to believe that all this food consumption will result in fat loss, but believe it or not, it works like a charm! About 3/4 of the way into the program, the results start to show drastically (I guess that's why the author is a renound metabolic expert).
Since most diet books cator to the shortsighted "weekend dieters", this one is a rare find in that it really takes the time to do things right, by building you up first and setting the foundation for long-term results. For those few who are realistic enough to understand that no fitness model became that way in a weekend (or even 3 months for that matter), but are willing to work hard for 5 or 6 months for extreme results, this program is for you. (BTW, the latter phrase describes *the* one and only secret formula of the fitness cover-models that the suppliment companies don't want you to know about )
I really didn't expect to have any visible results during C1, mostly because I participated in a Body RX chat forum and knew what to expect. I'm now half-way through C2, and for the first time I'm really starting to see results. Today after my workout I happened to catch a glimse of myself in the locker room mirror, and had to do a double-take.
Cycle 3 is where the real fat-loss occurs, and I've heard so many positive accounts of people's C3 experiences, I'm really looking forward to that cycle.
Some people compare this program with Body For Life. To be honest, I've tried BFL and it actually took me longer to get results. BFL falls short by trying to convince you that you can gain muscle and lose fat all at the same time (which may work if you are new to strength training, but won't last long). Also, BFL doesn't fully explain your macronutrient requirements, but instead uses a more arbitrary "palm/fist" method which may lead to macronutrient deficiencies that can ultimately shortcircuit your success. While BFL may be a good place to start (actually, an even better place to start is Tom Venuto's "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" online book at burnthefat.com), Body RX is almost like the next level.
Note that the 5 star rating is for the program, not so much for the book itself -- there are some misprints, and there are also some aspects of the program which are not well explained and can be interpreted in a multiple ways. Just to warn you ahead of time, the insane "yellow carb requirements" are actually only *upper limits*, so you are not required to eat all those carbs (can you imagine?). However for best results, the author recommends eating more yellow carbs during C1, fewer during C2, and still fewer during C3.
Rating:
Summary: Expect Results Fast
Review: I have read this book and have been on the program for three weeks. I haven't weighed myself - the book states not to plus with all of the weights I"m lifting and all of the food I'm eating I'm scared to! I haven't felt any difference in the way my clothes fit but I do have more energy especially once I stopped taking the creatine he recommends. I felt very lethargic and had a lot of bloating on the creatine but it went away after use was discontinued. Plus the creatine made me feel very nauseated - personal experience everyone is different. I am no novice to nutrition or exercise. I just got bored with my usual regimine and wanted to try something new and I really like it so far. I do miss aerobics though and think I will incorporate them into the program. The program is very easy to follow (so far) and all of Dr. Connely's principals make sense! He's got the stats to prove it. It can be costly though with all of the protein supplements you have to buy (trust me you cannot make the protein quota with food - especially when you get further into the program and have to eat 11 servings / day!!) but it's worth it if this works. BTW, I did try Body for Life and it works a little but I didn't see results like he said I would and I busted my butt - I followed that one to a T and lost about 3 pounds and 2 inches. I did the pictures and everything and you couldn't tell week 12 from week 1. Overall I think Dr. Connelly's book is a must read for any fitness enthusiast or novice - it's something anyone with willpower can do!!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Program
Review: I have tried the Body for life program for over a year. Although I did get some results, I was pretty disappointed with the overall results. Those pictures are a bunch of bunk by the way. I followed the eating and drank myoplex til I was blue in the face. Everytime I called EAS, they always recommended some other expensive supplement to buy and take. I was tired of working my butt off and spending tons of money. So I decided to look for another alternative and found Body RX from Dr. Scott Connelly. I'm glad he can tell the difference between a vegetable and carbohydrate unlike Bill Phillips. I have been on the program 3 weeks and have seen incredible results. I can't wait to move into the other three stages (sculpting, burning, and maintenance). I appreciate this book and would recommend it to anyone. Especially those who have given the Body for life a sincere try and have been disappointed with the results. Thanks Dr. Connelly for this book and keep those Connelly reports coming.
Rating:
Summary: This book rocks!!!!
Review: I started at over 100 pounds overweight in March 2004, and I am now almost 40 pounds lighter in May, roughly almost 2 months time, with two weeks off due to unforseen circumstances. Not only am I lighter, but I have gained a good amount of muscle and feel much stronger. I am done with Cycle one of the book, and I'm starting cycle two now. This book is wonderful as it teaches you how to eat, rather than give you a diet that is really hard to stick on. When I started the weight training part of the book, I was fat, weak, and moving a limb would knock me out of breath. Now I have alot more stamina, strength, and ability. If you do this book, You can do it without supplements, unlike Bodyforlife, but I suggest looking into what the book suggests as options, plus with an added supplement of CLA IMHO. Losing 40 pounds in two months with added muscle tone is great, and I'm looking forward to the end of cycle two, cycle three, and finishing the entire program after cycle four.
Rating:
Summary: This book rocks!!!!
Review: I've been working out for over fifteen years and am in decent shape. But I had let myself go, and all of a sudden found myself packing on an additional few pounds. I ran into Body Rx at a bookstore and read it right there on the shelf. Since I couldn't finish it and wanted the nutritional advice, I went ahead and bought a copy. I'm glad I did. Weight training and cardio with the correct level of intensity has never been an issue for me. It's mostly about nutrition, and on that score, this book delivers. Connelly's resume is quite impressive, but the bottom line is that the man doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. He says so in the beginning of the book, and one look at the man in a bathing suit should be all the proof a skeptic requires. There is always going to be nit-picking about diet, about which carb vs. protein mix is the best, how much to supplement, and what sort of exercise to do. It's an evolving field. But for my money, this approach is not only the ORIGINAL combination of the elements necessary to achieve optimum body composition, but remains the most balanced and comprehensive. I lost twenty pounds doing this program, increased my bench press by 35 pounds, and lost two belt loops. My endurance also went up.
Rating: 
Summary: A change worth trying....
Review: Like some of the other reviewers, I was on the Body for Life Program, but I didn't see the results I hoped to see with all the hard work I put in for 15 weeks! I switched to Body Rx, and I am on a refreshing start. The nutrition part is absolutely easy. I am eating so much I am scared. Being a female starting out with 130 lbs and in fairly good shape, I find it hard to eat 260 grams of yellow carbs because I am used to following diets that cut out starchy carbs. I am enjoying bananas, rice, pasta, potatoes, carrots, popcorn, and all the other foods that diet gurus say weren't good for you. This is the beginning of my third week, and with the way I am eating, I thought I would have balooned up. Instead, I feel stronger, went down 2 pounds and my body feels tighter. I have so many questions though, and that is why I give the book four stars. In the book Dr. Connelly give a toll-free number to call,but it is not in service. I posted many of my questions to his website, but no answer. I am not worried about the protein amount, or fiber, but the carbs do bother me as I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and eating approximately 260 grams of additional carbs seems like a lot and I can't get it in sometimes. I can't wait for the sculting period because that's the amount of yellow carbs I am comfortable with. Also, I don't know that the once a week abs routine is enough, and what about the obliques?
But for all those of you who are skeptical,just give it a try. It is very simple, even the exercise routine. Before you know it, You have completed 5 exercises in the gym. Sometimes I have to force myself not to invent an exercise to add to the routine. When I leave, I feel a nice warm sensation all over, and I am sore the next two days, so I know I worked the muscle. I am following it to a "T" for now - no aerobics, and just four days of gym. I am a good size 8, but would like to be a six, or even a four (smile). I Think 6 months is a reasonable and believable time to get this accomplished. I will post my first 6week progess in November. Good Luck. Buy the book. This is doable and enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the bible on nutrition
Review: No doubt that Dr. Connelly has been around the game for a while and knows his stuff. Bringing the first MRP (Meal Replacement Powder) to the market in Met-Rx will likely stand as his claim to fame. The diet advice listed in here is sound, add more protein and fiber, eat more meals and strength train. Really, nothing new to the experienced dieter. He has an interesting way of saying moderate carbs, assigning a color sceme that resembels a stop light. Green means eat all you want, yellow has set limits depending on where you are at and avoid red. Not a bad idea, but the problem I have with his program is the complete absence of cardiovascular exercise. No cardio?!? And this advice from a doctor?!? Yeah, let's exercise every muscle in our body except the most important one, our heart. Anyone with a baseline level of knowledge should know that any program that tells you to completely avoid something you know to be healthy has something wrong with it. If you're looking for an excuse to skip that cardio, this book gives it to you. Problem is, it won't work long term. Avoid this book like you would carbs on an Adtkins diet.
Rating:
Summary: No Gimmicks, Solid Results
Review: NO GIMMICKS, just a change in lifestyle. LADIES, you can do it, too!! Put simply, Dr. Connelly's book stresses proper and adequate nutrition to jump-start your metabolism so you can burn fat and store more lean mass. I take his word for it; after all, he has extensive experience in ICUs with patients in catabolic (breaking down) states and he is the driving force behind Met-Rx, the popular revolutionary nutritional supplement. His view on nutrition is that you should (greatly) increase your protein and fiber intake so as to not create a deficiency and to fuel your metabolism. A deficiency will actually reverse your progress because since the workout routine is so good, your muscles will crave protein. If there aren't enough free amino acids floating in your blood, your muscles won't have anything to build on and will therefore breakdown. Also, the frequent (healthy) snacks throughout the day is like adding wood to a fire - it will keep your metabolism going throughout the day. You'll notice yourself feel more energetic because your body is constantly processing good calories versus the empty calories found in ...fast food. The fiber he recommends may put you in the bathroom more, but it helps fuel your metabolism. Eating fiber-rich cereal and munching on fruits all day is VERY filling and satisfying and is helping me burn more calories than ever. Second, he stresses lifting as a way to increase lean mass because lean mass burns calories even when one leads somewhat of a sedentary lifestyle. His lifting program is simple to follow, and when followed properly, the intensity level not only allows you to effectively fatigue your muscles, but it motivates you to push yourself toward your goal of a trimmer body and a healthier lifestyle. Each phase - increasing base strength and size, sculpting your new mass, cutting your fat, and maintaining - is separated by repetitions, weight, working sets, and rest periods. I'm in the second week of the sculpting phase and I can tell you it's much different from the power-oriented phase I started with. Now I am hitting 4-5 working sets in which I almost hit failure on each one and I rest only 1:30 minutes in between. I feel the "pump," the bloated muscular feeling in which your area of concentration becomes engorged with blood (a good sign since it means your muscles are extremely active), more often. The prescribed rest periods effectively puts you in a good sweat and you burn a lot of calories as you lift. Being a college athlete, I highly recommend his book. I already have a good base of mass because of football lifting, but I can see and feel myself getting even bigger. I have always been a big kid with mass, but I could never get rid of the annoying body fat around my waist. Every trainer in the world will point it to my eating habits, and Dr. Connelly has pointed me in the right direction. He has helped me find good nutrition even in my college dining hall, but one negative mark against his program is the supplementation. I believe whole-heartedly in his supplementation, but for some, it may take a while to get used to chowing down Met-rx, fiber, and pills... it's expensive but worth it. Think about it - you spend money on all kinds of junk... why not spend it on healthy food and supplements? Also, you may think eating all day is bad, but look at it this way. If you eat say, three meals and one snack of [bad] calories, it is a lot worse than eating 3 meals and 3 healthy snacks. Your junk food has much more fat and empty calories whereas your healthy snacks are full of nutrients and may even have a lower caloric total (although you SHOULD NOT count calories -- read the book and you'll see why... it will make sense). I love his lifting schedule because I feel myself burning calories throughout the day. I sweat more (meaning the heat from cellular processes is making me warmer) and am more energetic and happy. Now I find myself shunning soda, high fructose corn syrup snacks, and shuddering at the sight of a large greasy pizza (a food that used to sustain me for years). I've tried the gimmicks like Atkins, but for those of you willing to make a permanent (and easy) change in your lifestyle, get this book immediately and follow it to the T. If you don't want a great body, if you don't want to feel good, if you scoff at this book because you think proper nutrition is hard to attain, then skip over this and go to McDonalds. One last thing: Ladies, do not look over this book because of the weightlifting. You will NOT become a bulky he-woman with his program beccause women simply lack the hormones to attain bulk. Look at the Ms. Olympias; they workout for a living and are no where NEAR bulky as men. Yes, they are bulky, but they have great, lean mass. Don't expect yourself to get as large as they are - they are professionals who lift weights for a living. Weightlifting for ladies will improve your body tone ..., and I highly recommend this book for women, as will many other women who have successfully followed Dr. Connelly's BODY RX.
<< 1 >>
|
