Rating: 
Summary: Gets right to the point!
Review: This book is very easy to understand. It is full of detailed explanations on technique. Very thoughtfully layed out. Mr. Melfa tells it like it is. Excellent book loaded with information and personal insights as well. I would recommend this book for both men and women.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Foundation
Review: I think this book is a good foundation for beginners. The author makes a lot of good points and is very realistic in his approach. Although, I had hoped to get more out of this book it was still worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Common sense approach to bodybuilding, answers all questions
Review: Frank Melfa's book has helped me tremendously. It answers so many questions about bodybuilding and fitness. I use it like a textbook in college. It shows photo's of the right way to perform the exercises with easy to understand descriptions and guidelines for planning your workouts. I go into the free weight area of the gym now confident that I am doing things right and am no longer intimidated. It teaches faster, more efficient workouts and excellent advice on nutrition. It is a down to earth approach that covers every aspect of bodybuilding. I am eating better, getting good results and growing more confident every day. It's like having your own personal trainer. It has canged the way I work out for the better.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a ¿realistic¿ approach ¿ no gimmicks!
Review: This was the first bodybuilding book I have ever read that incorporated all aspects of training in a very concise and easy to understand format. By following the directions and excellent photos in the book I was ensured that I was accurately using the proper form for my exercises and getting the appropriate nutrients. I actually used the methods discussed in the book regarding my diet and exercise plan to literally transform my body within weeks. This is the first time I experienced results from 'reading' - I was extremely pleased. Magazines and journals are also a great source for getting an education in bodybuilding, however I feel that Bodybuilding - A Realistic Approach is a "one-size-fit-all " book for both the beginner and experienced bodybuilder alike.
Rating:
Summary: A sensible and inspiring approach to bodybuilding
Review: When I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Frank Melfa's writing inspired me, as the previous writer put it, I felt like he was speaking directly to me. Having applied Frank's advice in the gym and to my diet, I have lost eight pounds and busted through a three-month long plateau! Frank shows you how to do the exercises, the kinds of routines that can be done, different lifting techniques, and how to attain your goals. What is really the most inspiring is the pictures are mostly of him, showing that using his methods you too can attain a great physique. I would recommend this book to anyone at any level wishing to build muscle, tone muscle, or just plain lose weight. Frank will teach you the right way and with dedication you will reach your goals.
Rating:
Summary: Melfa's book is like a fitness trainer, only in ink.
Review: I really felt as though the F. Melfa was speaking to me personally. All his proposed techniques are realistic and attainable by "regular folks." I've already lost about 18-pounds in 5 weeks and I feel great!Mr. Melfa should be commended on his literary efforts. I hope to see more from him in the future
Rating: 
Summary: Do You Want To Look Great? Then Be Realistic!
Review:
Hi, I'm Frank Melfa, author and self-publisher of Bodybuilding A Realistic Approach: How You Can Have A Great Body.
My book is the only bodybuilding book I have ever seen or read that portrays amateur bodybuilders, unlike other bodybuilding books that feature professional bodybuilders with unrealistic physiques. Most of you become confused with all the different philosophies regarding shaping, toning, and building your bodies. Your friend tells you one thing, a book you read suggests another, the trainer at the gym has his own philosophy. My book focuses and how you can realistically look the best you can. It clears up all the confusion by individualizing workouts and diets especially for your fitness goals. It answers the most commonly asked questions such as:
How much weight should I use?
How many sets and reps should I perform?
How long of a rest between sets?
How many days per week should I workout?
Will lifting weights make me too big?
Bodybuilding A Realistic Approach has the answers to all these questions based on your fitness goals. Do you want to just tone up, build, or shape your muscles? This book is very comprehensive. It starts out for beginners who never lifted weights and want to get started to those who want to eventually compete in a bodybuilding contest. It's is easy to read. One of the best compliments I ever received about this book is that people feel that I'm talking to them personally. People say I write the way I talk. Also included:
Women In Bodybuilding
Steroids (what they are and how they work and the risks involved)
Dormroom Training
How to Prepare for a Bodybuilding Contest
Posing and Judging
Sex and Bodybuilding, and much much more.
250 photographs and illustrations on proper weightlifting techniques, posing strategies, women who lift weights and look great.........
I competed in and won several bodybuilding contests. I started competing at Rutgers University, which once sponsered the largest collegiate bodybuilding contest in the country. I won the Mr. Rutgers Bodybuilding Contest in 1989 and went on to compete in other state contests such as the AAU and NPC Mr. New Jersey. I won the middle weight class at the AAU Mr. New Jersey and placed second at the NPC Mr. New Jersey in 1989 and 1990 respectively. During college, I supported myself as a personal trainer. After college I went on to manage the Personal Training Program for Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters. I must have trained about 500 different people with various fitness goals. I also trained champion bodybuilders. I never trained a loser! I later started writing fitness and health articles for the J&J company health newsletter. From there I got the idea to write a book. Two years later, I was published! Currently, I'm a pharmaceutical sales representative for Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. My pharmacology background helped me write the chapter on Steroids. Steroids always seem to grab a reader's attention. It is fascinating how they work in your body and why they are so dangerous. Read about it. I make it simple for you to understand. Anyway, I also write for Fitness Plus Magazine. This magazine's focus is on realistic training. It ties in well with my book and I enjoy writing for them. You can pick up a copy at most Barnes & Noble stores and B Dalton Bookstores. Order my book now through Amazon. My online address is fmelfa@aol.com and I would love to hear from you. Sincerely, Frank A. Melfa
Rating:
Summary: This Book Will Help You Look Good Naked!!
Review: The best book on bodybuilding if you're a beginner! I bought the book and it's got more info jammed in fewer pages than anything you'll ever read. The different methods of training, technique, and the importance of rest and recovery. The specifics on nutrition alone is worth the price. The author shows examples of diet planning and how to manipulate your metabolism for maximum muscle. The author does not focus on worthless supplements, he simply pushes good nutrition and pumping iron. I am constantly referring to this book after three months of reading and re-reading. There are plenty of pictures and advice regarding how to avoid injury.
The only negative about this book is several errors in grammar.
But the stuff is so practical and easy to read who cares! A great compact easy to carry book that I still keep on my nightstand.
This author is showing what one bodybuilder did to build real muscle and compete to win the big prize. Whether you're just looking to tone or build muscle, this book will help you look good naked!
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