Lean for Life: Stay Motivated and Lean Forever- The Lifestyle Approach to Leanness: Balanced Diet, Aerobic Exercise, Weight Training [Paperback]

Clarence Bass (Author), David Prokop (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

Lean For Life Paperback Stay Motivated and Lean for Life

Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Clarence Bass's Ripped (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0960971459
• ISBN-13: 978-0960971459
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and realistic training advice, May 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lean for Life: Stay Motivated and Lean Forever- The Lifestyle Approach to Leanness: Balanced Diet, Aerobic Exercise, Weight Training (Paperback)

Clarence Bass has written a book that really works for those of us who aren't superman. It is designed for the average person who wants to be lean, not huge.

I found his workout advice, especially those about overtraing and changing intensity level right on the mark. It's the first program where I feel like I have made real progress.

I highly recommend his book. Enjoy!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A useful and inspiring resource, February 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Lean for Life: Stay Motivated and Lean Forever- The Lifestyle Approach to Leanness: Balanced Diet, Aerobic Exercise, Weight Training (Paperback)

The author is certainly a great advertisement for his system. When this book was published in 1992 the author was in his mid-50s, and as the many photos show, he is extraordinarily musular with a very low body fat percentage i.e. "ripped".

The author recommends a three pronged approach to being "Lean For Life", a low-fat, high complex carb diet, weight training, and aerobic exercise. His exercise regime is the fruit of years of experience and serious inquiry into the literature of exercise physiology. Though now, some researchers recommend more emphasis on strength training over aerobics to jump start a reduction in body fat. While his exercise routines are equipment specific, the author clearly indicates how the principles can be adapted to other exercise routines--best of all--they are very doable without becoming a gym rat.

The author's dietary recommendations are of the near vegetarian low-fat, high commplex carb persuasion and he cites Dean Ornish. There are lots of people who seem to have their good and bad choleserol ratios made worse by this diet. Many others simply cannot sustain such a diet for long. So, be cautious if strictly adopting this diet.

In fact, lots of people seem to do well using other diets. It is amazing how little hard data is available on the optimal diet, perhaps there is no one "best" diet. Individual differences may be critical. Nevertheless, the author has many tips and common sense suggestions that are excellent, even if you don't follow his specific dietary choices. I like the author's strong emphasis that "dieting" doesn't work in the long term, you must change your approach to eating and food. No quick fixes.

The author gives lots of attention to techniques for self-motivation to achieve life-long life-style changes--good stuff!

Even if you don't buy into the low-fat, high-carb diet, this book is an excellent resource for information and inspiration. Also, considering the amount and quality of the information therein, this book is also a real bargain--if you act on it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensible advice for us common people!!, December 24, 2004

By 

A. Ralston (Oxford, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lean for Life: Stay Motivated and Lean Forever- The Lifestyle Approach to Leanness: Balanced Diet, Aerobic Exercise, Weight Training (Paperback)

If you are looking for a book that outlines a system of motivation, exercise and nutrition that anyone can follow, not just for a month but for decades, then this is pretty much the best book on the market. This book is especially useful for those of us who are over 30, work fulltime, have a family, and don't feel like getting a second job to afford the supplement regimes many other authors recommend!

I especially like the way Mr. Bass examines the HIT vs. High Volume exercise quandary, admitting that both work, providing expert opinion and research studies, and then explains why he opted for the system he prefers. This is especially refreshing after reading anything by Mike Mentzer, John Little, or many of the other HIT proponents who usually come off sounding more dogmatic than most TV evangelists!