Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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131 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The One that Works, July 6, 2002
I have been working out and eating according to this book's plan for about six weeks now and I am very pleased with the results. I have been weight training for several months and I have tried many plans that I considered unsuccessful, but this one is motivating and effective. I saw positive changes in my body after only a couple of weeks. I work out strictly at home; I have a very basic weight bench with a barbell and several dumbbells. I have no problem using the workouts with this basic equipment. I find the two-week "cycling" of workouts and diet both refreshing and effective. I will be able to continually progress using these workouts as I get stronger.
The descriptions of the exercise techniques are the most detailed that I have ever found in a workout book. And I e-mailed the authors with a couple of questions and received a prompt, detailed and helpful reply.
I cannot praise this book enough!
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134 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
There's more to muscles than moves, November 4, 2004
In terms of offering a structured and effective workout, this book is great. The are three types of workout options proposed, one for each of the following types of women, those who are: 1. Novices 2. Intermediate exercisers and 3. Advanced exercisers.
The book tells you exactly what muscles to work, how to work them and how many reps you should do. The book is so decriptive that I could actually function as a "Bodysculpting for Dummies Book" with all due respect. The images provided also the familiarize you with proper form. (But let me interject that nothing compares to having a competent trainer show you one-on-one how to do properly lift a weight.)
I used the program designed for the Advanced user for six weeks and acheived the results I desired.
As a figure competitor, let me assure you that there is more to sculpting your body than just doing workouts. Yes, working out properly and consistently is crucial to muscle development. But this is only 10% of the game. The other 90% is ensuring that you eat well enough so that you 1.have the energy to lift the weights and get through the workout and 2. have enough protein to ensure that your muslces recover and grow. Moreover, you must sustain the mental control that motivates you to consistently eat well and rest.
I don't feel this "difficult, self-discipline" part of training is properly covered in exercise books. It's probably because discipline is a hard sale. I have read muscle mags and exercise books for years and was mislead about how critical nutrition was to altering the appearance of the body.
There are lots of books at there that go through the motions of a "good" workout for muscle development. The "Bodysculpting Bible for Women" expertly takes you through the motions. For this I give it a rating of 4.9 stars. But please heed my advise that if you want to change your body, you have to change you other habits as well, starting with your mindset and nutritional habits.
I wish you the best.
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66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read BUT An Impractical Program, January 28, 2005
I highly recommend this book as an educational tool for women who believe that pure aerobics and lifting 5 pound dumbbells will get them the body they desire. However, I do not recommend strictly following the program endorsed in this book, for several reasons which I will explain later.
This book is a total fitness and diet program, it tells you what exercises to do, and what to eat. There is nothing revolutionary about this program. Essentially, it is what bodybuilder's do and eat to prepare for competitions, but it is water downed for the bodysculpting market. The differences between bodybuilding and bodysculpting are subtle, both focus on building muscle and lowering body fat percentages, however, in body sculpting there is less emphasis on building mass. The author's themselves are both personal trainers, one is a competitive bodybuilder and the other is the owner of a gym, both are men whose full time job is to develop their muscles, and because of this the program lacks practicality and sensitivity to women.
The book has many merits, which are:
This book explains why weight training is superior to pure aerobics;
The weight lifting exercises are explained superbly in detailed words and pictures;
This book explains why what you eat and when you eat it can make or break your gains;
The book explains the concept of exercise and caloric plateaus and how to avoid them;
And the book has several flaws, which many of the other reviewer's have pointed out. Many reviewers' feel that this program is too hard on the body, the caloric intake is too low and those six days in the gym puts you at risk for overtraining. These are debatable topics in the fitness world. If you are excellent shape to begin with, have the determination and the free time to perform this program, it is doable. But if you are new to weight training, than you risk injury on this program and you will find yourself starved for food.
Here are some of the other flaws in the book:
There are too many sets and exercises for one muscle group, this is great if you are a bodybuilder, but not necessary for the average woman;
There is too much emphasis on the lower body, women should be encouraged to work out the upper and lower body equally;
The diet plan is unimaginative, bland and confusing unless you are extremely knowledgeable about nutrition (it was written by men);
The plan is very detailed, and the novice can feel overwhelmed and confused by all of the information;
The book is written in a way that if you don't follow the concepts laid out in the book in the exact way they are written, you will fail to make any gains;
The program demands six days in the gym, and to be successful they encourage early morning workouts for part of it. This is just not practical for any woman who has 1) a full time job, 2) a job with a long commute, 3) a husband, and 4) children. The author's full time job is to build their bodies, and so they can spend hours in the gym, most women don't have that luxury;
They don't really address the issues of nursing, pregnancy or the effects that menstruation have on a women's body;
Finally, the book tells you that you can visit the getfitnow.com forum to ask the author's questions. The author's are rarely there. But, if you want to see how confusing most people find this program to be, by all means check the forum out.
In summary, I do encourage women to read this book, and to learn the tips and tricks that bodybuilder's use to fine tune their bodies. And I take my hat off to the author's for empowering women to lift weights and not waste their time on the unchallenging exercise programs that are often given to women.
But following it strictly is a risky for those out of shape, and not practical for the busy women. If you have the free time to follow the program, have a basic understanding of anatomy and nutrition, than this program can be tweaked for personal use. If you find the information confusing and overwhelming I suggest buying the Idiot's Guide to Weight Training to read in conjunction with this book. If you are the type of women who has been lifting for years, than you might gain a few tips to help you.
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by James Villepigue
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