Challenge Yourself - Leanness, Fitness & Health - At Any Age [Paperback]

Clarence Bass (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0960971475 | ISBN-13: 978-0960971473 | Publication Date: May 20, 1999 0

A guide to intelligent training by bodybuilding's foremost proponent of the all-round fitness lifestyle: motivation, no-hunger dieting, new routines, athletic-type strength training, high-intensity aerobics, longevity and health, and exciting personal profiles. After winning the Past-40 Mr. America, this book explains the approach that allowed the author to look even better at 60.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Consistent with the title, Challenge Yourself, Clarence Bass has done just that by writing a book that exceeded the exceptional quality of his prior books. Since I believe Clarence's prior books were the best training books ever written, he's done the equivalent of 35 minutes on the treadmill test at the Cooper Clinic." -- Richard A. Winett, Ph.D., Editor and Publisher, The Master Trainer

From the Publisher

This is Clarence Bass' eighth book and many say it's his best. He shares the knowledge gained from a lifetime quest for improvement.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarence Bass's Ripped (May 20, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0960971475
• ISBN-13: 978-0960971473
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the current fitness books. Must reading., April 21, 2000

By 

Michael D. Burke (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Challenge Yourself - Leanness, Fitness & Health - At Any Age (Paperback)

Clarence Bass has again taken current scientific research and mixed it with common sense to create an innovative and inspiring fitness book. His pieces on interval training for aerobics, high intensity vs. volume training for weight work and diet put him in a class of his own.

However, unlike many, including yours truly, Bass feels no need to condemn other ideas as false or their authors as charlatans. This is a gentleman, in every sense of the word.

Basically, what Bass tells us is that we can retire from jobs, but we cannot retire from life. If we want to remain vital, we have to find goals and work toward them. The goals have to be sensible and based upon what we do, not on how we do versus others.

To this end, he has voraciously consumed articles and books on the sciences of diet and exercise. While other authors will tell you to do something because it has worked for their subjects, Bass will present research study and draw his conclusions while allowing you to draw your own for your particular needs and aspirations.

I cannot recommend this book too highly.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A core book in your fitness library, May 18, 2000

By 

Svein Olav Nyberg "Apeiron" (Grimstad, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Challenge Yourself - Leanness, Fitness & Health - At Any Age (Paperback)

Bass takes a non-dogmatic and sensible approach, and you can learn a lot about diet, weight training and general exercise from his books. If you are of the kind that will buy only one book on training, make this book it.

The two things I miss are technique descriptions and an Index. Since I return to Bass' books again and again, an index is the one thing I'd really like to see added. As for technique, get Stuart McRoberts "Insider's Tell-All Handbook on Weight-Training Technique"; it's the perfect companion to "Challenge Yourself".

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever written on bodybuilding nutrition!, October 26, 2001

By 

john shipman (Beverly, WV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Challenge Yourself - Leanness, Fitness & Health - At Any Age (Paperback)

Following the meal plan from this book has allowed me to lose 35 pounds since May of this year, from 200 lbs to my current 165 lbs. At age 39 I look and feel at least ten years younger and my self-esteem has greatly benefited. I should note that my intial weightloss success came after starting one of those internet diet groups; however, because it was based on calorie restriction over food type, I found myself starving and deprived. The secret to Clarence's eating style is the eating satisfaction that comes only from eating high fiber/volume foods that also happen to be low in calories. Contrast that to trying to eat a calorie restricted, high fat/sugar/salt diet that leaves your tummy and taste buds hungry for more, more, more. Lastly, I would like to point out that I have weight trained for a number of years, starting out as most do with a desire for adding mass to a skinny frame, hitting an all-time peak, gaining a great deal of bodyfat during a four year lay-off, and returning to the weights to try and recover my body; but, no matter how much I seemed to progress in my weight training, the bodyfat would not budge. If you are in denial of your bodyfat level, as I was, beleive me when I say you will not see muscle until you lose the fat, and this is the book that can help you lose it.