The Bowflex Body Plan [Hardcover]

Ellington Darden Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2003

THE BOWFLEX BODY PLAN

Discover the super secrets for getting the most out of the hottest home workout machine ever.

We've all seen those attractive Bowflex bodies on television. Well, you don't have to resemble a model to achieve a Bowflex body. Now, you can apply the complete science behind what it takes to get that lean, muscular look. The course of action you're holding in your hands contains the best-possible routines and practices that, combined, cause greater and faster results.

The Bowflex exercise system is based on the simple bow-and-arrow principle. Its patented Power Rod technology flexes and extends to provide force or resistance, part of your week-by-week workouts, which focus on all major muscle groups. Merge the recommended Bowflex routines with Dr. Ellington Darden's guidelines on eating, hydrating, and resting, and you'll be well on your way to getting the results you've always wanted.

In addition to four fat-loss meal plans, you'll find complete programs for out-of-shape athletes, women who want to reduce their hips and thighs, and individuals who wish to focus on their abdominals. Choose the one that's right for you, depending on your age, experience, body type, and personal goals. Throughout these pages you'll be inspired by reports and photographs of real results from real people using a real Bowflex machine.

With a little discipline and patience, you'll see your extra fat begin to vanish, revealing your muscles' lean lines. In only six weeks, a man could drop 35 pounds of fat and 5 inches from his waist. A woman could lose 19 pounds of fat and 4 inches from her thighs. And both can build 3 pounds of muscle. Best of all, you will experience strength, firmness, and muscular refinement as never before.

Elegant, instructive photographs of Dr. Darden's top 23 Bowflex exercises make this the ideal fitness manual for both men and women-- those who already use the Bowflex system as well as the many new users of this fast-growing home-exercise system. The only authorized book on the subject, The Bowflex Body Plan will help you lose fat, build muscle, and reshape your body-- fast.

Soon you will have the results you've always wanted. Soon you will have a Bowflex body.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Who hasn't seen the infomercial on BowFlex, an ultra muscle-tightening, weight-reducing, cable-bending workout machine that looks like it takes a rocket scientist to assemble? Well, here's that infomercial in book form-with a number of additional features. Darden, who has a doctorate in exercise science and is the former director of research for Nautilus, extols BowFlex's benefits and describes exercise routines designed to improve weak arms, flabby stomachs and sagging rear-ends. He also offers a muscle-promoting diet, a plan for "superhydration," several motivational pep talks, testimonials and a question and answer section. For owners of the machine, the manual is a must-have; for those pondering an investment in the machine, Darden's treatise-which makes the Bowflex sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread-will probably have them reaching for their wallets. 60 black & white photographs
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"If you want to get in shape FAST, get started on The Bowflex Body Plan right NOW!"--Peter Fleck, Two-time X Games Water Ski Jump Champion

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (November 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579546897
• ISBN-13: 978-1579546892
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Weight Training

More About the Author

Ellington Darden has a goal: to help people live leaner and stronger longer. For the lost thirty years he has worked with thousands of men and women who wanted to feel better physically, look more attractive, and improve overall health through a disciplined approach to nutrition and exercise. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education from Baylor University and a doctorate in exercise science from Florida State University. Two years of postdoctoral study in food and nutrition set him on the trail that led to the ASAP program. Dr. Darden was director of research for Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries for seventeen years. There he helped develop and popularize the highly acclaimed Nautilus exercise machines. Today, Dr. Darden is the founder and chairman of Living Longer Stronger, a corporation devoted to science and education. His outstanding research, which is applied in his books, is one reason he was recently honored by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports as one of the top ten health leaders in the United States. A Flat Stomach ASAP is Dr. Darden's forty-fourth book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I really like it, March 23, 2004

By 

S. Goeller "Weather Man" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bowflex Body Plan (Hardcover)

I like Ellington Darden alot. He DOES know his stuff. So Anyway I own the Ultimate Bowflex. I used to own the regular Bowflex with no attachments and I really never used it. It just sat for a very long time. Alot of it was I just wasn't sure how to do the exercises. So I went on a low carb diet, started walking and lost weight. Then I hit a HUGE stall. I always new I needed to strength train but never did. I hated going to the gym and wasted my money on a year membership. So this past winter I got an offer to send back the regular bowflex, trade it in, get 1000 toward an ultimate with EVERYTHING. So I did it. Get a brand new machine with all the bells and whistles. Again I still wasnt sure what to do. THe video that comes with the ultimate is great, gives a good description of what to do. So I was looking around one day and saw this book and brought it. Well I love it. It is great. Gives GREAT detail instructions and tips for the best exercises on the bowflex. It also has several plans, for gaining muscle, losing fat, for your hips, for your arms, for your chest and for your abs. I still need to lose fat before I can try other routines. But I went on his meal plan which is real simple and good for you. I am eating stuff that was restricted on a low carb diet. And I lost weight. I used to not be able to go down past 168 no matter what I did. Now I am 5'11" and 162 lbs (which is actually just right I just need to lose fat and gain muscle). Also if I cheat I don't balloon up. I highly recommend this book if you have the bowflex. His workout routines and eating plans are also worth it. There is also background information on the bowflex and he also explains healthy information (such as increasing water intake and the like). Ellington Darden knows his stuff and I want to read his other books. Take care.

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book, a bad book, September 18, 2007

By 

John Rosevear (Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bowflex Body Plan (Hardcover)

First the good: If you're an exercise novice who recently acquired a Bowflex and got brain-lock while looking at the huge list of potential exercises that came with it, this book -- which is officially sanctioned by Bowflex's manufacturer -- is a Godsend. Darden picks only the most relevant exercises, describes them in great detail with good photos showing correct form, and organizes them into a series of plans (for novices, for intermediates, for advanced bodybuilder types, for people looking to build or slim specific areas of the body) that couldn't be easier to follow -- and that work.

For that alone, the book is worthwhile. Armed with these plans, the new Bowflex owner is much more likely to actually use his or her machine on an ongoing basis, and that's very good. The plans make it very easy to get going, and tangible gains start to come within the first few sessions. Good stuff.

But there's some not-so-good, too. Throughout the book (and indeed, throughout the officially-sanctioned Bowflex literature) there is case study after case study showing folks who made incredible gains -- losing 30 lb in a month, that sort of thing -- following "The Bowflex Plan". What becomes clear after reading is that those gains have less to do with the Bowflex than they do with the rather extreme (1500 cal/day) diet that's part of the "Plan". And, of course, the official Bowflex literature doesn't address the mounds of research showing that weight lost via extreme calorie restriction doesn't tend to stay off long-term. Take these case studies with the appropriate grains of salt.

There's another not-so-good factor in this book, at least from my perspective. Darden is a bodybuilder. His assumptions and recommendations -- ranging from exercise frequency to diet to supplements to appropriate levels of bodyfat -- come from the world of competitive bodybuilding. They aren't geared toward, and aren't always appropriate for, more mainstream athletes interested in improving sports performance or endurance. The Bowflex itself (and to a large extent, Darden's Bowflex workout plans) is certainly very useful for such people, but Darden's beyond-the-Bowflex recommendations may not be. Caveat.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bowflex Body Plan is Different and It Works, March 30, 2005

By 

E. Clevesy (MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bowflex Body Plan (Hardcover)

I ordered this book because the manual that came with my Bowflex didn't have instructions for a few exercises and attachments (like the belt and instructions for the leg extensions)and I was hoping the book would have them. It did.
The book came and my first reaction was... this guy is nuts. I read most of the book thinking it would just get placed on the book shelf with all the other diet books I've collected over the years.
My second reaction was... this is different than all those other books (including the manual) and all those other books aren't working so what do I have to lose but some flab? I'm on my second week following the plan in this book and I've lost around 8 pounds and I can see my arms are toning up. The ice water is good, the diet is do-able and I like doing my light cardio workout after dinner.
I learned a lot of little secrets and I'm really convinced that I can last the initial six week plan and continue on after that with my Bowflex.
If you are doing multiple sets of 12 or more reps with light weights with little results... you'd benefit by getting this book and changing the way you're doing things.