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65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Program -- Comparable to Body for Life, but better, August 2, 2005
I've been in the fitness industry for over a decade and have seen many many "starter programs." Most become short-lived fads and overemphasize one thing or another (no carbs, or no fats, or all strength training, etc.)
The first one in my view to be time-efficient, well-balanced and effective was Body for Life by Bill Phillips. That's a great program, based on well-accepted science, for a 12 week jumpstart to fitness, nutrition, weight loss, looking and feeling good.
The minor problems with Phillip's approach, in my view, were that it was a bit rigid and becoming slightly dated on a couple points.
Lean Body Promise, I feel, is as good as Body for Life, and improves on it in several ways:
- First, it is ALMOST identical to Body for Life. In fact, the author cites Phillips in his acknowledgements.
- While both are highly motivational and nicely written, I felt Phillips is a little over the top in some of the emotional fluff -- Labrada strikes a bit better balance
- The strength programs are both split routines. Phillips uses an upper body / lower body split. Labrada uses a push, pull, legs split. Phillips does an ascending half pyramid with a super set at the end. Labrada uses 3 sets of 10 reps on 2 exercises per muscle group. These are both perfectly valid and widely used approaches to strength training. I prefer Labrada's mainly because I don't have to change the weights every set! But overall, you're doing about 6 sets per muscle group with a minute of rest in each program.
- The CV programs are both interval training. Phillips is 20 minutes with 5 different settings, changing every minute. Labrada does a 26 minute routine with 3 levels changing less frequently. Again, both are extremely effective and time efficient, but I slightly prefer Labrada's because you're not constantly changing the machine level every minute.
- Diet is extremely similar too. 5-6 meals, spread every few hours. A palm of lean protien, a fist of whole grain carbs, some veggies... A shake or a bar when you're rushed. Phillips prescribes 1 cheat day per week. Labrada prescribes 2 cheat meals per week. Very similar. This REALLY works though -- takes a couple weeks to get used to, but you don't feel hungry and you get fast results. And it's not a half-baked fad -- this is good science of a balanced healthy diet you can live with long term.
- Rotation of workouts: Phillips alternates cv and strength each day, with 1 off-day per week. Labrada does 2 strength then 1 cv, with a suggestion that you fill in an extra cv or 2 per week on light strength days. He doesn't build in a day off, but assumes you might miss a day here and there, in which case you pick up where you left off. I like that approach a lot -- there's some built in flexibility to add the cv when you can fit it in. There isn't a fixed expectation that you can schedule your off day perfectly.
Again, I like the notion that Labrada builds in that you're going to miss a day here and there. That you might be faced with only unhealthy meal choices at a party some time. Etc. And he gives specific suggestions on dealing with those. He also gives suggestions on dealing with the desire to overdo it at times. Phillips, while also excellent, prescribes more rigidly and as a result doesn't build in a lot of information on how to recover from speedbumps.
Overall, this is a great program that you're absolutely going to see results on if you follow, and hopefully can make an ongoing lifestyle change using.
You can't go wrong with Phillips either, but I think this one's a little easier to stick with and will give the same results.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to understand, fun to read, July 26, 2005
In The Lean Body Promise, Lee Labrada presents a balanced, easy to understand program for fat loss and fitness.
The former Mr. Universe's program attacks excess body fat from all angles, strength training, cardio and a balanced eating plan.
The workouts are brief, and when I did them they were as short as 25 minutes and as long as 40 minutes, but they're very intense and require a daily commitment. I can see how working out really hard day after day can become a grind after a while, but if you can stay motivated to give your best effort every day, you should see some good results. Labrada also provides a ramp-up program that true beginners can follow to prepare themselves for the rigors of the full program.
The eating plan is easy to understand and requires nothing more than food you can buy in your local grocery store. Yes, Labrada owns a nutritional supplement company and he does recommend his products (mostly the meal replacement products), but they're not absolutely essential unless you plan on entering his company's transformation contest. At no point does he make it sound as if supplements are an essential part of the program. You can do quite well on the plan with real food if you really want to do it. The recipies are easy to make and the ones I've tried are quite good.
Labrada also tries to entertain the reader, making little corny jokes throughout the book. It seems like he's trying too hard when he does this but it keeps the book from getting boring.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My review..., June 17, 2005
I was skeptical when I first thought about getting The Lean Body Promise. I had tried every other book out there that promised to help me lose weight, be healthy, and feel better. None of them worked. I've always been "husky"; it's been like that since I was a kid.
As I sat thinking about the book for a day or two, I wondered: could this be the book that finally works for me?
In the past I had gotten my hopes up about other books, only to end up wasting my money and being disappointed. So, I wasn't expecting much this time. I also decided that I wasn't going to buy another book on getting healthy if The Lean Body Promise didn't work. If it didn't work, I figured that I was probably meant to be the way I've always been - husky.
When the book came in the mail, I wanted to open it, but I didn't. I let it sit on my coffee table for a couple of day, and I'd look at it whenever I walked to my kitchen. I didn't know what to expect when I finally opened it, but I was curious. I got excited right away.
On the first page I read that I could do anything - if I had the truth about how to be healthy. I also learned that it wasn't my fault for failing before on other programs - and that this time was going be different because this book told the truth.
I was still skeptical, but as I flipped through the book, I saw that all of the tools I needed to get healthy were there. And, to my surprise, I actually understood the advice in it. It was refreshing to know what to do, and to know why I was doing it. It was simple. It all made sense. I was relieved.
Unlike other books and programs I've tried, there were no confusing "points" to add up, no scientific terms that only a doctor can understand, and I didn't have to live in the gym for hours (I have a real life!), or end up starving myself.
I love food. I always have. I always will. My mom was a great cook, and at this point in my life, I'm not going to give up my favorite foods. The only problem is that sometimes I eat too much of what I love, and I end up feeling sick. My wife always tells me to stop, but I usually don't listen.
Now that I'm doing the program, I can still eat what I love, but I've learned to eat less - to eat in moderation. I don't have to starve myself, and I don't have to give up what I love. Now, I enjoy my favorite foods without feeling sick, or guilty.
This book has a section of recipes. I'd like to see more because there's only a few of them, but they all taste pretty good. I'm never hungry when I eat now, and I don't get strong cravings anymore. In fact, I'm eating more now than I've ever eaten.
This book also got me off of the couch so now I'm more active. I'm not a gym rat, but it's pretty easy to follow the weight programs in the book; all I do is take the book to the gym with me, look at the pictures, and do the exercises. 30 minutes later, I'm heading home.
I've been doing the Lean Body Promise program for about six weeks now. I've lost six pounds of fat, and my wife says my stomach is smaller. I feel good, and I'm happy again.
This is a good book if you've tried other programs that don't work. It's the only book that's ever worked for me. If you're like me, I know that you know what I mean when I say it's not easy.
It's never been easy for me, but I'm doing it now.
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