33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very comprehensive; a good value for your money, April 24, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: The Body Sculpting Bible for Men (Paperback)
The book is divided into 4 parts followed by appendices. Part 1 is background/foundational knowledge: myths, common mistakes, focus/concentration during exercise, etc. About 30 pages altogether. Part 2 explains the components of a successful fitness program; Training, nutrition, rest and recovery. About 52 pages or so. Part 3 explains the exercises. There are individual chapters for legs, back, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and abs. About 140 pages. Part 4 explains the routines. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced routines. About 20 pages. There is an appendix for each of the following: glossary, table of food values, sample diets, exercise chart, nutrition log, tracking your progress, grocery shopping list, body hair free, body-sculpting under special circumstances, anatomy charts, and exercise descriptions.
The book is very thorough. The authors spent the time to make it as complete as possible. The exercises are very well described, and there are photos as well. My only beef was w/ the description of the nutrition program that they recommend. At one point it sounds like they're recommending a diet based on individual protein needs. But the ready-made diets they provide seemed to be based on calories. I felt that it was a little vague; so I e-mailed them and they answered my questions to my satisfaction (they're very busy and it did take nearly 2 weeks though, so don't be in a hurry!). Here is an excerpt from their reply e-mail: "The reason for the discrepancy is the following:
While the best way to determine needs is by
calculating your individual protein requirements (a la
zone style) and then going from there, fact is that
most people get overwhelmed by such calculations..." And later in the e-mail,"SO what we did for those people that are intimidated by numbers is that we broke the diet down by calories
instead of protein requirements. While the protein in
the calorie broken down diets may be a bit higher than
what some individuals need, since the amount is not
extremely excessive and total calories are not that
high, the body will not be storing that extra protein
as body fat. Worst case scenario it gets burned as
energy.
So for you we would recommend that you follow a diet
based on your individual protein requirements. Use 1
gram/lb for low calorie weeks and 1.5 grams per pound
for high calorie weeks. Also, adjust the carbs
accordingly.
As far as the Zone Diet, like you said it does make
sense. The only thing that we do not agree with Dr.
Sears is the strictness that he prescribes in adhering
to very precise gram amounts and the fact that he does
not like starchy carbs. Other than that, he is pretty
much right on the money. Balance, not the banning of
one macronutrient in favor of others is the key for
long term success."
The book is well-written, comprehensive, and the authors seem conscientious, and willing to answer additional questions. I recommend this book without reservation.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Bad, but Not Good Either, June 2, 2002
This review is from: The Body Sculpting Bible for Men (Paperback)
If you want an easy way to lose weight and gain muscle- and you are just beginning... This is not a bad book. It will teach you the basics and you will make progress via "newbie gains". I think the advice and programs are well rounded and sound, but in the end, it's up to you. You need to make the effort- no book will do it for you.
The book is a little misleading in one area. The 14 day body-sculpting workout is just that- 14 days, then you change the program and continue with another 14 day program. Don't think (and I didn't when I bought the book)that you will be "ripped" in 14 days because it is not going to happen.
For the price, it is a good basic book with exercises that can be done with minimal equipment at home or at a gym. There are several other books out there too that are very similar- The Edge, Body for Life, etc.
One thing that I found rather annoying though was the grammatical errors throughout the book. I tend to lose faith in something when I see a bunch of errors. I'm not the best writer, but I'm also not writing books and if I was, I'd hire a better editor.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Buy This Book! (but fire the editor), July 19, 2005
This review is from: The Body Sculpting Bible for Men (Paperback)
I am 56 years old and began lifting weights for the first time in my life at age 54. That was 19 months ago. I bought this book about 18 months ago and it has truly been the "Bible" for me ever since.
The substance of the book is excellent. It has detailed exercise instructions and photos (primarily dumbbells oriented, some barbells) and the recommended workout routines are great. The nuitrition advice and diet suggestions are also very helpful. I've lost 50 pounds of fat and increased my strength over 200%.
I've bought 2 other workout books since getting the "Bible" and I always find myself returning to the Body Sculpting Bible for guidance in my workouts.
Why not 5 stars? Because the editing stinks. The typos and layout mistakes are obvious, distracting and give an amateurish, self-published appearance to the book. Luckily the reader can usually figure out what was intended from the context, although in one workout an exercise is just plain wrong.
I know so because the author maintains a web site and is very good about responding to reader questions and correcting the editorial oversights. The publiser should really consider posting .pdf errata sheet.
Despite the poor editing, I recommend this book and its advice.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
