Rating: 
Summary: Nothing but direct marketing here
Review: You will find nothing but direct marketing slyly served up as a "fitness book". And nevermind the great reviews you see on here, I'm sure any review giving this steaming pile 5 stars is a plant. Don't bother with BFL, either, that's also just direct marketing set up to send you on a EAS-buying spree. This new book is designed to send you on a Lean System 7 buying spree, and to send you to Shawn's Nutros.com with overpriced products (many of them also EAS) you can get nearly anywhere else for 20-50% less, and to get you signed up for life-time spam that it is next to impossible to opt out of. Or to send you to the bestabs.com site. If it was possible to give this book minus stars, I would. If you enjoy being a mark, this book is for you. For anyone who can think for themselves and know when they are being suckered, skip this one, and find a better fitness book that focuses on something more than just selling product and feeding the ego of Shawn Phillips.Oh, yeah, and getting fit in the post-9/11 world is soooo patriotic. How utterly banal. I'm into fitness, but give me a break. This whole book reflects what I like to call the Michael Jackson (or L Ron Hubbard) syndrome: you get large sums of money, and you surround yourself with sycophants and yes-men who constantly inflate your ego, and you become totally severed from reality.
Rating: 
Summary: PURCHASE NOW!!! HESITANT? PUCHASE NOW!!!
Review: I have read numerous bodybuilding books, magazines, newsletters, etc., but I have yet to find a resource like ABSolution. Shawn Phillips gives a clear and precise, step-by-step formula for not only developing better abdominal muscles, but creating a better overall physique. What elements warrant your purchase of this gem of knowledge?
1. Easy To Read. Look, when it comes to reading resource books on building a better body, I don't want to get lost in the scientific mumbo-jumbo, nor do I want to try and discover the hidden meaning of the human condition. In ABSolution, Shawn actually talks to you through his written word. His words are not only informative, but motivational as well.
2. Quality of Information. Why buy a book that is just filled with pictures of professional bodybuilders with a few examples of training routines? Shawn has sure-fire tips on every aspect of training, to include nutrition, supplementation, and cardio as well! Looking at his various photos throughout the book, the results speak for themselves!
3. Feedback. After reading through the training plan, I did have a few questions. Well, half of them were answered in the ABSolute Answers to Frequent Questions chapter! So, I decided to email him with my other questions....and I received an answer back to each of my questions inside of 3 DAYS!!! Where else can you find a medium to talk to the experts?!
4. Products. I also tried Lean System 7, a supplement that was recommended by Shawn. WOW! The stuff really works and it has no ephedra in it! That just reinforced what I had just read in Shawn's book! Look, if you read the other reviews, keep in mind they each may have their own agenda. But the bottomline is this....if you want to create a new you, a new transformation in your body and your life, buy this book! You cannot go wrong!
Rating:
Summary: What a waste and now I get spammed constantly...
Review: I bought this book in hopes of getting something new that wasn't already out there. Boy did I miss the mark. This is a tribute to the narcissism of the author. Tons of pictures of Shawn...standing on a ball, holding different women, and basically huge type with nothing new. Even worse he is schilling some new products and a website, that if you dare sign up for, will spam you with tons of email per week. Email for overpriced products, stupid e-cards with this buffoon on them, "personal letters" with how much he appreciates you, and on and on. Ugh!! I've tried to get off the email lists and it won't end. BEWARE of this book!! The information is already out there in numerous venues and in much briefer context. I give it one star because that is as low as Amazon.com allows and for the fact that at least he made the type so big that I didn't waste much more than two hours on this stuff. I have already sold it. How is this guy Bill Phillips' brother? Makes you wonder if they are truly related. I will sum up the book for you: I don't eat bread, peanut butter, anything with flavor. I drink/eat tons of chemicals, some proven...some not, and I work very hard building software that is a never ending stream of SPAM!! (Of course all of this comes in a coffee table size book too big to put on your bookshelf.) Shopper's BEWARE!!! Spend your dollars elsewhere!!
Rating:
Summary: Positive and informative
Review: The workouts are good and the information is very helpful, you'll be surprised that the simplest workout can leave you in such pain the next day, but what I like best is the positive message Shawn communicates. It's a You Can Do It book.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T BE A FOOL
Review: Ok, I admit I love to read fitness books specially from guys in a great shape like Shawn Phillips even knowing I have nothing to learn because he will hide his "secrets". This book is no different at all. If you are starting your fitness life you will consider Shawn, Bill or Joe Nobody as your menthor or the Lord of Fitness Knowlodgment. That's gonna happen simply because you never had any experience before. If you are a skinny guy trying to pack on muscle mass or an experienced lifter who has achieved plateau expecting this book will help you are gonna be very very disappointed. If you are in this case this book worths less than half star. If you are an out of shape person trying to loose fat this book might worth for you no more than 2 stars. If you buy it be sure to enjoy the pics (I can't deny, Shawn has a great looking shape). His pics can inspire you to get a new look even though in the end his amazing pics can let you down once you discover what he preaches isn't 100 % of what he does. Why am I being so hard with him ? I tell you right now.
Shawn is the owner of Nutros and was the founder (with Bill) of EAS supplement company. Their bodies are fantasies created to sell products. His body is great but no greater than photographers. Yes, photographers shoot at the most flattering angles, they use light and shadow to accent the beautiful and hide the flaws. Using photoshop they can airbrush away any remaining imperfections to create their carefully manipulated sculpture. Don't be a fool, none of humans can achieve their look only working out, eating clean, taking some supplements, ... you know what I mean ... models go through extreme and unhealthy measures to achieve their look. They often starve and dehydrate before a shoot. If it's not enough when the camera clicks the models are flexing and sucking their abs (they are pros, and try to smile and look casual, but, believe me, down below they are flexing and sucking it in). A model can learn to cover up many flaws by mastering posing techniques, that's why they get paid to ilude you that taking tons of protein and magic pills will make you look like them. The truth is Mr. Olympia or Mr. Men's Health cover both don't look in picture peak condition 365 days a year. For free I'll give you the good tips you would learn buying this crap. Be consistent, eat clean, supplement if you need it, exercise regularly and don't expect to have his ultrachiseled abs (this last tip is mine). As I read in the other review, don't think Shawn just perform 2 exercises for each body part a week. Rest is vital to muscle repair and grow but you'll be able to train again after 3-4 days doing more exercises and sets than he recommends. If you need to contact him for any reason regarding to the program he won't answer you back. Be careful, he doesn't focus on details like forearms, calf, etc. Everyone knows, for example, in order to avoid plateaus you should follow a program that naturally change your workouts each 3-4 weeks. Shawn's incomplete program will tell you to do it by yourself using your "imagination". If I do it by myself, why the hell am I getting it ? I bought his program and he gives me an empty sample of his routine (I wish I had his true "step by step" program). If do you still wanna get this, buy mine at used books, please.
Rating:
Summary: Simply put: You don't need this book.
Review: Let me start off by saying that from quality-of-production, and quality-of-information standpoints, there is nothing wrong with this book. The two-star review is reflective of its value, not necessarily its quality. Let me state that another way. If you know the first thing about fitness, this book will offer you nothing. Zero. Zilch. Most of you already know how to get that six-pack: resistance training to create lean body mass, cardio work, proper diet, and ab work. Congratulations, you've just saved your hard earned money. There is nothing these or any Ab-gurus can teach you. In defense of this book, the authors are honest. They don't offer shortcuts, they tell you what to do, honestly. It's precisely what you already knew you'd have to do. Nothing new under the sun; hard work and discipline. If, and only if, a nicely packaged manual with some motivational photos and words will help you to finally say, "Ok, if that's really the only way, then I'll do it," then for you, this is a 5-star volume. If you already know your exercise basics, as most people who are far enough along the path to fitness for a tight midsection to be a realistic goal are, you're in for a 2-star disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: The best written fitness book ever
Review: This is the best written fitness book ever. I love the format and easy language of the book. There are lots of pictures to demonstrate points.It is very personal, practical and realistic. This is not a fitness motivation book, but after reading it you have all the tools you need for the job. It presents the best practices and lessons learnt from 20 years of work by Shawn. I loved the way Shawn describes his own routines and habits, so you can use it as a frame of reference when forming your own fitness program.He shields the reader from going into confusing fitness research stuff.
The only thing that disappointed me with this book was the fact that it does not propose a multi-step progressive program.He expects individuals to come up thier own program.I think there is enough directions in there to come up with your own program.It would have been great,if he had a case study
individual, progressively loosing inches of the waist.It would have made the whole message complete.
I compared this book with a lot of the others in the market and none come close. This is the best one available for you especially if most of you body fat happens to be in you belly.Anybody struggling with belly fat and determined to take it off, should buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Honest Answers
Review: So many of the adds you see on tv are filled with misinformation. This book tells the truth about ab training: eat right, exercise, use proper form etc. This is great book and it will make a huge difference in the way people view ab training.
Rating:
Summary: Great and inspiring!
Review: This book was great. I inititally thought it would provide some great ab exercises for getting a 'six pack' - it did, but it also provided a full program showing exercises for all body parts and also information on nutrition and supplementation. Just reading ABSolution was very inspiring and was written in an honest and down to earth way. Shawn Phillips' is very encouraging in the book and it makes you want to change your lifestyle and get in shape right away! Great read and a definate referral point for all my exercise program.
Rating:
Summary: CAN YOU SAY...STEROIDS???
Review: What I dislike so much about the muscle media crew now that they have gone mainstream is their lack of honesty. Why don't they mention their steroid use anymore? Bottom line, this book provides discipline but this you can find within yourself IF you really want to look like Shawn Phillips and a few cycles of steriods wouldn't hurt either...
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