Body for Life by Bill Phillips, Michael D'Orso (1999, Hardcover)

Body for Life is an excellent written book which teaches the basics and fundamentals of nutrition and exercise. This book is for anyone just getting into or considering proper exercise and nutrition themselves. One of the most inspirational books in its class yet one of the most basic books for its kind.

This is not a book for a veteran body builder but simply for someone out of shape, looking for motivation and inspiration while taking control of their unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise.

I like to refer to this book as more of a break-in to exercise and nutrition. The food choices are optimal for packing on muscle and the work outs are great for beginners.

This book teaches the importance of frequent meals throughout the day, Body for Life sticks with six meals, three real and three in supplement form. Because Bill Phillips has been linked with EAS throughout his entire career he likes to recommend only EAS products. EAS products are normally fine selections but are also often on the pricey side. You can add more versatility to your exercise program if you add several different products, versus sticking only to EAS Myoplex shakes.

The weight lifting routines consist of only one exercise per week, for each muscle group in your body. This is not a perfect technique for anyone looking to put on some serious gains, I can guarantee Bill Phillips himself didn't acquire such a great phsysique from this routine. For example, if you're looking to stack on some serious poundage to your pectoral area, only 4 sets of the regular barbell bench press per week aren't going to be adequate. Your body building repertoire will be lacking as this book teaches the most basic and simple exercises, which is another reason why I put this in the beginner category.

I rate this book as excellent assuming the people buying are beginners.

I don't think I will be able to convey in this review just how wonderful I think this book is.

Two years ago, I was the fittest and thinnest I ever had been. And, then, lo and behold, I discovered that we were going to be welcoming baby number three into the world! Completely unexpected, and a little older than before, I was terrified I would gain a lot of weight. I managed to keep the weightgain down, but still, after the birth of my happy little surprise, I had 25 pounds to lose and was anxious to get it off.

The truth was I didn't know the truth about eating and the truth about exercising. I had never lifted weights and was no longer as physically active as I once was. I bought the Firm and the stick thing that went with it, but the information that program came with didn't go into the whys and the ways. So, even though there was some instruction, and a calendar, I didn't understand about the physiology of eating properly and often and how one must let their muscles rest after exercising.

Bill Phillips' book was the perfect introduction for me. In twelve weeks, just as promised, I was back to my smaller size. And, I learned so much about weight loss and proper nutrition and working out with weights and how to improve my aerobic/cardio routine, as well. His book completely whet my appetite for more knowledge regarding proper eating/dieting/nutrition/etc., and because of Body for Life, I have read so much more about nutrition and exercise and this is now a full-fledged interest of mine.

The only criticism I have now, two years after I have read it and several years after publication, is that it really needs to be updated. The current thought is that one must eat immediately after working out. Body for Life states you should wait an hour. Also, the Body for Life website, which he refers to and recommends throughout his book, is now owned and operated by EAS, a food supplement company, not Bill Phillips, as it used to be.

I'd really like to see something new by Bill Phillips. He's an inspiration.

I have followed the advise from Body for Life for over 3 years now. And I am not surprised the book is still so popular.

Bill covers both aspects of the health/weight management game:
a) workouts and
b) nutrition

The one concept of workouts - about changing the intensity from 6-10 and repeating this every 5 minutes - was by far the most powerful. I am surprised a simple thing as that can make so much difference. Very easy to overlook - but it's an INNOVATION!

Thanks Bill for this wonderful book!

I read this book 6 years ago and lost 100lbs and never looked back. If you want to get determined and dedicated this is the book. Pretty much enough to get you jumpstarted to change your body. DO IT!!

I read the book 1 year and a half ago, great book, examples, I lost 40 lb, best thing ever, you have to try it.

The book has amazing insight on dieting and maintaining muscle mass. The diet isn't terribly difficult and only takes 12 weeks.

Second time I have bought this book. Practical advice on how to get in shape. Twelve week program makes it sound easy because you can do anything for 12 weeks and by the end of the 12 weeks you are in the habit of a healthy lifestyle. Makes the diet part of the program very easy to understand. Not complicated like some other plans.

The only reason you would not by this book is lack of motivation and believeability. You will look at the pics and ask, "Is this stuff really real?"
"Can you change in twelve weeks?" "Do I have the motivation to follow this for twelve weeks" The answer to all is yes! I lost 30 pounds and 10% bidy fat in 12 weeks.

My best advice to you is this!! Check out the VHS video made by the same company that Bill Phillips runs. It is called "Body of Work" It got it free from the company EAS. I have also seen it at second hand stores. It follows ten people who followed this new lifestyle and it is INSPIRATIONAL. When I watched the video I was motivated and and the same questions as above.

IT WORKS!!!

Thanks
littlesons_shop

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS YOU WILL RECOMMEND TO OTHERS! I LOVE IT!

IT GIVES TIPS ON PRACTICAL WAYS TO GET OUT OF YOUR SLUMP, OR PLATEAU!

Bill covers both aspects of the health/weight management game workouts and
nutrition so you really cant go wrong. There are enough good practical tips that you will go away with a treasure box! I have given away so many copies of this to friends trying to lose weight.

I have 5 listed in my store now! Buy it... you will be thrilled! and he aint bad looking to stare at between pages!

In this book Bill Phillips helps everyday people create a healthy lifestyle that they can maintain for the rest of their lives. He stays away from fad diets and exercise programs. His emphasis is on practical foods that will be convenient and tasty. His exercise routines are quick and effective. You will see and feel results quickly, but more importantly you will stick with the program you begin. Bill inspires readers from the inside out, which is the only way to have a happy body for your entire life.

This has realy helped me stay on track with my desire to get back in shape. I recommend also getting the "Body For Life Journal" to go with this. This book tells the story the other keeps you going by helping you plan the next day. If I didn't plan the next day, I'd be right back to my old (bad) habits.
GOOD LUCK !!!

I had checked the book out at the public library and found that the program does work and decided I needed to purchase the book in case I needed to refer back to it.

This is the best program you could ever do! Easy and fast. He gives you the reasons why you need to exercise and eat right, he even gives you a food list to follow. Everything is laid out for you, all you have to do is follow it. The program works great, and you will lose weight and feel great!!

This is book is quite excellent. It gives you a weight loss plan that is both easy on the body when it comes to the physical conditioning and it boosts your inner psyche, so it encourages you, not demeens you into a weight loss program. The whole plan makes sense and does not cause you any harm because of malnutrition or overexerting the body to the point where you have to stop exercising because of injury.
My only quam that was hard for me was setting all of the monitoring for the program. Carrying a log book is not the easiest thing to do when you are sticking to a strict workout schedule and only have so much time. Also, keeping records of what you eat in the course of a day is not as easy too if you do not have your log book with you and you are on the go.
All in all, this program is probably the best program I have been on, because it is safe, it works, and there is noticeable change right off the bat.

I enjoyed receiving the book in good condition for a very affordable price!!!
This book is my bible for healthy eating, good and fast recipies and good excercises. Excellent copies of logs and examples. I find it very helpful.

I purchased this book on a whim.... always trying new things, not ready to give up yet. I really enjoyed the way it was written, he has a way of giving you and "I can do this" attitude. I haven't been doing it long enouh to see any results yet. But I can really feel a diffrence.
However, it does take some organization, so for me it's kind of difficult. Not hard enough to give up tho. =)

I loved this book. I had went to the library and checked out the audio cassette version prior to purchasing Body For Life and I was still very impressed. Great exercises in the back that you can definitely do at home with dumbbells. Bill Phillips explains things in easily understood terminology. It just makes sense!! I would definitely recommend it.

Another Fad Diet Program? I think not! This program has been around for over a decade and is still expanding quickly and standing strong in the face of new research in the health community. Bill Phillips is not just a fitness expert, he's a writer who can actually speak to the mind of the reader as if he's talking to you in person. I've tried several programs and bought dozens of useless supplements when in reality, Bill showed me that changing the structure of my meal intake was the key to success. The 6-meal a day plan is tough to impliment at first (especially as a college student on a 3 meal schedule) but is well worth the effort. His exercising plan is right on the money with a step by step-picture illustrated guide with commentary on exactly what to do--and what common mistakes to avoid. I give this book two thumbs up and as an athlete and assistant coach I strongly recommend this program to everyone, whether your goal is simply to sculpt your body, train for athletics, or just live a healthier lifestyle.

I love the exersize concepts. I am seeing results from it. However i am concern with the amount of protien intake recommended and have personally decided just to cut that back. The 6 meals a day plan though is definately a good way to go and i feel alot healthier.
It's motivating and it helps alot if you actually do the program so if you've got 12 weeks to trying it out go for it.

This book is great if you are serious about making some serious changes in your life. this book walks you through the principles that you need to understand for not only becoming fit and healthy physically, but for finding balance and well-being in all aspects of your life. The premise is that you need make changes that affect the core of who you are in order to find lasting success in becoming the person that you want to be physically.

I am a nurse by background. While I don't consider myself an expert in nutrition I do have some professional training in that area. Nursing training is also focused on the well-being of the whole person, not just one aspect of the body at a time. Mr. Phillip's "whole-person" approach to fitness is very appealing to me, and, I believe, is a much more correct approach than those strategies that focus only on watching what you eat and what exercises you do.

The authors will walk you through some basic exercises that will assist you in changing the way you look at life and yourself and will help you set goals that are amazing and achievable at the same time. They will then teach you correct principles of nutrition and exercise, and will outline some sample menu plans and exercise plans with recipes and pictorial examples. These are all good, basic principles that can be used by fitness newbies or pros that have studied health and fitness for years. I have read some critics who say that the Body for Life plan is not is not personalizable enough to individual needs. I don't necessarily agree. For the beginner, it is easy to follow what may seem a cookie-cutter plan that is put forth in the book, and that is just what beginners need. For those, like myself, who are ready to take it to the next level, the principles in the book give you plenty of latitude to vary up your routine and fine tune it to your specific needs. The plan is designed to force your body to adapt and change, but the plan is also designed to be changeable to meet your body's changing needs. I also recommend that you visit the Body for Life website where you can find additional resources to help you in making the plan work for you.

The book is also full of amazing real-life examples of people who decided that they need to make some serious changes in their life. Their stories are amazing. Maybe you are someone who knows they need to make a huge change and don't know how. Maybe you've tried a lot of different things with little success. Maybe your just looking for something a little different. Regardless of your situation, I highly recommend that you add this book to your library. But, before you gloss through it and set it on you shelf to catch dust, take a serious look at what the authors are saying and actually try it out. It will make a difference. While I can't claim to have followed the book religiously, I have applied many of the principles and have seen success. I have increased my strength, energy and metabolism and I have decreased my body-fat percentage from an average level to and excellent level. It is a rewarding process. And, should you choose to take on Mr. Phillip's 12 week challenge, you may qualify to win an amazing award which can only be eclipsed by the feeling of achievement and success that you can gain by finding that body that you've been looking for your whole life.

I liked the diet and the workouts, but there is a lack of cardio in the workouts. I could never reach a feeling of satisfaction with the 20 minute sessions, even though they use levels of perceived endurance. I would rather do the workouts and then add another session of cardio that would help me sustain the body fat processes at their peak.

This is a great read and is chock-full of great advice and inspirational stories. However, I think that people would lose more weight and learn to keep it off longer if the cardio sessions were explained in more depth.

I bought this book upon recommendation of a friend who followed Bill Michael's step-by-step method. I didn't have much weight to lose but he had. He said he used to be teased a lot because of being overweight. Not anymore! He's got a beautiful, muscular body that fit his over 6" height. He probably does not read this book anymore, it's been several years since he bought it. But he lives it day-by-day to maintain his body beautiful. It's worth a try if you are on the biggy side. What would you lose? Lots of body fats.

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