Customer Reviews

The Body Sculpting Bible for Men

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

The good: The descriptions and pictures of the exercises are pretty good. The "beginner" and "intermediate" workout routines are pretty decent (although, like other reviewers, I am a bit skeptical about the 6 day workout schedule and its potential for burnout).

The bad: As other reviewers have noted there is a definite focus on overweight individuals. This isn't bad per se but I wish it been made clearer. The section on supplements is terrible. It is wrong in places (they recommend using chromium picolinate), confusing (they say studies have shown taking 1000mg of vitamin C before a workout reduces soreness then they say to take 1000mg 3 times a day...why so much?), and unscientific. There are no cites, no summaries of studies, just stories about how such and such a supplement worked for them. When it comes to supplements and diet I want something more scientific than anecdotes.

Finally, there is only ONE routine given. Considering how much fluff there is in the book, and how short it is, it would have been nice if they had included several routines. Not everyone has the same workout goals. Seeing as how they are personal trainers they should know this very well. Providing several routines for people with different goals would have made this book a lot more useful.

This book is an addition to the list of vanity literature on physical training. Although the two authors are college graduates, they seem to have written this book while waiting in a drive-thru of a fast food place. Both authors are engineers yet were too lazy to consult references or visit a library before rushing to publishing. I admit that the two are clean-cut and nice guys and many of their advices are holistic and revealing of good nature. These are the good things in their work.

1- they do not claim that you could eat any thing you want even if you exercise.

2- they convey their good tip of "zone-and-tone" which translates to focusing while working out and isolating the muscle under consideration. This is an invaluable tip to people who do not understand anatomical details of the human body.

3- they do not recommend drugs or exotic supplementation.

4- the most important thing is their belief in free weight training and minimum machine usage. That is because they are engineers and could understand better the value of three-dimensional motion.

The pitfalls of the book are plenty. These are:

1- The authors improvise data and insert fallacies without attempting to verify their accuracy. They made the same mistake others have made, by assuming that alcohol is fattening since it contains seven calories per gram. I do not think they even know the difference between calorie and Calorie, with capital "c". Pure granulized sugar has 4 Calories per gram. If water is added to sugar, then the caloric content must be diluted.

2- They screw up physiological interpretation of exercise.

a- For example, they claim that Growth Hormone is maximal in the morning and that is why morning training is more effective. The truth is that growth hormone is released in bursts during sleep and maximal intensity exercise.

b- They claim that exercising more than an hour causes testosterone to decline and cortisol to increase thus causes muscle waste and fat increase. That is really "wacko". Farmers and laborers work out for longer hours and develop large muscle mass.

c- They contend that the 14-day period is the amount of time required to learn a new habit. This has no basis in science.

d- They explain that exercise enhances muscle growth by changing hormonal environment. They do not approach the real mechanism of building muscle mass or changing cellular elements.

e- They explain that since force is the product of mass by acceleration, therefore fast lifting activates more muscle fibers to get strong. That is very simplistic. Fast lifting requires fast twitching muscles while slow lifting requires slow twitchers. The slower the lifting, the more the isometric strain on the muscle, and the faster the muscle growth.

f- The authors explain that progressive training means either increasing the number of reps or the weight. Their rep recommendation is between 8 and 15 per set. The high number of sets enhances endurance not strength.


3- The book print sounds like typewriter's style and the photographs are lousy in quality and technical presentation. Many pictures show untidy guys wearing sloppy outfit with a hat worn backward while exercising. There is no pride in their discipline of training.

4- The exercises they describe start with leg squat, leg lounges and the deadlift is performed with dumbbells. That is medieval approach to strengthening. It is very clear from their list of exercises that they only changed the person in the photographs from those published in other vanity books. There is no logical structure in their sequence of exercising that indicates their familiarity with the musculoskeletal performance. All exercises in the book are described under two items: alignment and technique. The purpose or goal of exercises is not discussed neither are the muscles involved.

5- the book title "The Body Sculpting Bible for Men" is inaccurate and deceptive. There is nothing in the book particular to men alone. Women do the same or better in all these exercises even with heavier barbells, not only dumbbells. The book is hardly a bible. It is neither extensive nor inclusive.

This book is a small bundle of common knowledge wrapped up in an insulting amount of hyperbole and hucksterism (and very bad English). Just how many times can you claim a technique will improve your workouts "by a factor of ten" or is the most valuable breakthrough "in history" before you lose all credibility?

In the first 30 pages, winnowing out the fluff, I read this:

1) Fad diets, bulimia, and steroids are bad for you.

2) Gaining muscle and losing fat are biologically distinct processes, so they require two classes of exercises.

3) It's good to concentrate your attention on the particular muscles you are using during weight-training routine.

4) Creative visualization and self-hypnosis can help you reach your goals. (OK, I'm a bit skeptical about this one.)

In other words, this book has taught me nothing of value that I didn't already know. Looking ahead in the index, I can see much more of the same. I'm afraid I've been had.

I bought this book on the strength of Amazon reader recommendations. Please don't make the same mistake. Look, to gain muscle, lift weights every other day and eat lots of protein; to lose fat, do cardio on off days and watch your total calories. If you're already doing those things, don't bother with this book. I was looking for more specific tips, but I didn't find them here, and neither will you.

I don't normally praise things out right...but I am so convinced that this program works I just have to speak out.

After being 215 pounds and 24% body fat I am now 185 and 10.5% body fat. Those results don't lie!

The Body Sculpting BIble for Men works for several reasons:

1. The exercises are clearly photographed.

2. The exercises are explained in great detail.

3. The workout plans are easy to follow.

4. The workout plans provide variety.

5. The nutrition plan makes sense.

6. The authors aren't trying to sell supplements.

7. The book is honest, direct, and very positive.

I wholly recommend this book to any and all who want to get on the track to looking and feeling their best. I did. So can you!

I am a certified trainer with over 40 years experience in body building`and exercise. I had hoped to gain knowledge and new ideas from this "Bible". However, I had to quit reading this book on page 90. Much of the information prior to that page was poorly written/edited and not accurate. I stopped reading, in disgust, on page 90 when HDL Cholesterol was described as "bad". In fact, HDL is good cholesteral. LDL is bad. They also defined HDL as "high density liberal protein" when, in fact, it actually is the abreviation for "high density lipoprotein". They also had several other equally bazaar metabolic explanations (serum carbohydrates?) . This is Biology 101 stuff. I also question some of their training methods. None of the exercises depicted are anything but basic. A poorly researched and written work. A wast of time and money.

The first major flaw in this book is that it assumes we all have identical training goals--losing weight and developing huge muscles. Not all of us are overweight and some of us value strength more than size. This routine is not optimal for stength development. The authors should make this clear.

Second, the training information itself is flawed. The advanced phase of the plan calls for six weight workouts every week on top of six cardio workouts! It is absolutely impossible for anyone to maintain this routine without using steroids to speed recovery or sacrificing intensity (more important than volume). The most efficient, productive exercises (deadlifts, bench presses, power cleans, and power squats) are either discouraged, underemphasized, or never mentioned.

Third, the chapter on nutrition is filled with bad suggestions. For example, it suggests a 2000-2500 calorie diet consisting of 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat. This is not nearly enough carbs for someone working out 12 times every week! Someone following this plan would lack the energy to perform the workouts well and do anything else other than sleep. It's a great recipe for burnout.

Fourth, the suggestions on supplements are not grounded in empirical evidence, but in the authors' personal experiences. Only one of the supplements suggested, creatine, has been shown to be effective for enhancing performance in independent studies. Even then, the effects of creatine are small, temporary, and the long-term effects are unknown. Most people don't need it, but it's suggested for everybody.

An additional (subjective) reason I did not like this book is that the tone is definitely not masculine despite the title. In my mind, physical perfection in a man means perfect health, strengh, and confidence. Attractive appearance usually follows if these other things are achieved, but should not be the end in itself. Making appearance the primary goal leads to anorexia and depression(which the authors suffered from earlier in their lives) and unhealthy training and nutrition (which the authors advocate).

A much better book if you're serious about training is ESSENTIALS OF STRENGTH TRAINING AND CONDITIONING by Baechle and Earle, which offers a detailed treatment of weight training on both a theoretical and practical level. A good supplement is STRENGTH TRAINING ANATOMY by Delavier, which explains a huge number of exercises. Finally, THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION'S COMPLETE FOOD AND NUTRITION GUIDE offers complete nutritional information.

I bought this book based on the glowing reviews it received from previous purchasers. After reading the first three chapters, I'm wondering if these other reviewers weren't paid off by the authors.

This book is poorly written with numerous grammatical errors. Its language is juvenile. It makes bold claims ("you can have the physique you've always dreamed of!") while criticizing the same of other weight-loss/exercise methods. Its 14-day plan, while admittedly sound, offers nothing new in the realm of weight training. The so-called "zone-tone" method (mentally focusing on the muscles you are working) the authors purport to invent has been around for some time, though I will acknowledge their ridiculously over-the-top attempt at self-hypnosis as little more than page filler and fluff.

What I found most disturbing was the lack of scientific data or articles to back up their suggestions. Unlike other sport training books, "The Body Scultping Bible" has no references, other than links to the authors' own websites. They repeatedly bash other fitness solutions for lack of analysis and studies, but seem to have no problem unabashedly proclaiming their virtues without a shred of referenced research.

All in all, I was extrememly disappointed with "The Body Sculpting Bible." There are many other well-researched and better written training books out there. Don't waste your time or money on this one.