Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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!

Clarence Bass continues to prove that his methods are higly effective, sound, and simple to follow for life.

He began with 'Ripped' in the late 70s, a book targeted to
bodybuilders but still one of the best books on getting lean, still applicable 30 years later. His more recent efforts Lean For Life, and Challenge Yourself are in the tradition of the work of the great George Sheehan, MD, both very motivational and very scientifically sound.

I too am a physician, and like Dr. Sheehan, am constanly on the lookout for books I can recommend to patients searching for a way to reverse the damage done by years of poor eating and lack of excercise. In the work of Mr. Bass I need look no further.

Mr. Bass combines both diet and exercise advice into a program that unlike so many others, one can truly follow for life. He emphasizes whole foods, regular aerobic and resistance exercise and motivates like no other author I have encountered. And though his methods are 'common sense' in the best meaning of that phrase, it would take one decades of trial and error to come to the program he has developed.

His books are not only bodybuilding books, following their advice will certainly lead to a muscular lean physique, but more importantly, they are books in the tradition of wholistic health. Following his program will produce an outer appearance that is a reflection of the health within as he has proven in his descriptions of the testing he has undertaken at Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque.

His intelligence and wit come through on every page and best of all his books are higly readable.

If I could recommend the works of just one author in my practice, Mr Bass would be that author. Do yourself a favor and buy and read all his books. Then as the great Bill Pearl, champion body builder says of Mr. Bass work, read again!

Mr Bass gives a lot of good sound advice concerning diet and exercise that has helped me. Using his advice i've been able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, which i didn't think was possible. I think that his plan is something i can follow for my life, not just a quick way to starve off twenty pounds. I have done that before, but have been unable to maintain it because my weight loss was largely muscle. In the past i've had a very hard time building muscle but his prescription has helped. I think this book would improve the health of many people who instead yo-yo on fad diets of all kinds. Unlike many fiet and fitness book writers, Mr bass does not come across as if he is trying to sell you something.

dave

I've read many of Clarence's other books and feel that this is truly the best one out of the bunch. It's not just for a hardcore bodybuilder but instead written for your average joe. Can a bodybuilder or high-level athlete take something away from this book? Absolutely! But the great thing about this book is that it is written in a way that covers the basic principles of Clarence's lifestyle. It's not just about nutrition; it covers motivation, excercise (anaerobic and aerobic), long-term strategies, and of course: nutrition.

I discovered Clarence Bass' work over 15 years ago and had successfully used his principles when I was in college. Since then I had stayed very physically active but had fallen into the eating trap. I felt that because I was in the gym four times a week that I was in stellar shape. To make a long story short, I had several situations happen that proved to me just how out-of-shape I was. I felt it was time to make a change and I dug out some of Clarence's book from storage and re-read them and also decided to get Lean For Life. Even though Clarence's other books are fantastic, I feel that Lean For Life is Clarence's magnum opus, if you will.

Mr. Bass stresses that diets fail because they're not reasonable. They're not diets that you can follow consistenly because of their restrictions. Most importantly, he recommends eating natural foods because they're high in bulk, fiber, and nutrients and low sugars and fat. These foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.) are high in bulk and provide much more satiety than foods that are dense in calories. Clarence has stuck to his guns for a long time and it shows. He's still in phenomenal shape even while he's in his seventies and his principles have stayed the same: high carbohydrated diet with minimal added sugars and moderate amounts of protein with low amounts of fats. Clarence hasn't swayed or changed his opinion regarding carbs or proteins because science has proven him right. You may say, "Well, we all know that low-carb diets work the best," or, "low-carb diets will make you lose fat quickest," but ask yourself how many of those same people manage to keep the weight off? How long can you stay on a low-carb diet? Also, how well can you perform on a low-carb diet? Any athlete can tell you that you're not going to be settings records when you're restricting your carbs. These diets may work well in the short term (massive depletion of glycogen in muscle cells also causes a massive loss of water) but Lean For Life is a book about a long-term approach to eating and a lifestlye. It's not a fad or a trend or just something that you do to get in shape for summer. It's a strategy to use for the rest of your life.

I was very pleased to see how much time was spent on motivation and psychology. Clarence does a great job at tackling these issues and give the reader great tips on how to combat common things that happen every day that can derail a dieter's progress.

As I'm getting older it's really hit me that I need to focus more on overall health and not just building muscle and getting stronger. Clarence has give me the blueprint and following his principles, I've really great progress. In the past seven months I've made tremendous progress but Clarence's books will teach you to be patient. Clarence's books have taught me that this is a slow process and not to rush things. It's hard to put on muscle and the last thing you want to do is diet-off the hard-earned muscle that you worked so hard to put on. For me, losing one pound a week (or less) is all I shoot for. The book gives examples of what dieting too quick will do to your metabolism and how it sets you up for failure in the future.

If fitness and a healthy lifestyle is what interests you then I highly recommend this book. It's a great read and really does cover every topic that you can think of. Clarence is succint and detailed and leaves no stone unturned. Instead of giving you a maddening amount of details and telling you to follow his advice blindly, he merely recommends that you understand his diet/lifestly philosophy and then apply it to yourself.

Five out of five stars!

Do you want to lose weight? Are you ready to face the truth about weight loss and exercise?

Bass gives it to you straight up. How to control your diet and how to exercise to consistantly lose weight and get control of your life.

Following the advice of this book will save you years of trial and error. listen to him and do as he says and you will get ripped. Yes, ripped. Bass takes a very real-world approach to this subject and puts it in a life perspective. And he should know, he is, was and will always be ripped.

Bass writes in a great, down to earth style. it is like he is talking to a friend....the reader. Bass doesn't hold back, his advice is solid and proven, just look at his pics on his site and see how he has maintained a ripped physique for DECADES.

If you are ready to experience true change in your life read this and follow even half of it to change your life for the better. Do it for a month and see how your habits change...for the better.

Bass is the king of rip....all hail the king....

The author integrates dieting and exercise. He advises that starvation
diets ultimately backfire. In addition, exercise must become a permanent
part of the lifestyle. The author calls for tough workouts including
treadmill sessions up to 40 minutes building up to the highest speed levels. He cites the equation: Training + Enjoyment = Success

The body burns 14-16 calories per day per pound. A 165# person requires
approximately 2500 calories per day. Weight training keeps fat burning
because bigger muscles burn more calories. A 155# person burns approximately 90 calories in a simple 1/2 or so walk. This book could
help in losing weight and keeping it off permanently.

I found the insights into CBs diet fascinating and insightful and credible -- he has certainly influence my perspective on food. I found the exercise section interesting but really rather too detailed and involved for light reading -- great if you want to try to mimic CBs workout but that would be difficult for most I suspect, however a great and complete reference I dare say. Well illustrated with black and white photos (not extraordinary though). Clarence's own physique testifies to his credibility.

I found the advice in this book to be practical and enlightening. The only problem is I don't know if I have the will power to follow it. Clarence Bass is a very impressive individual and has spent a lifetime perfecting his philosophies on nutrition and exercise.

He has set himself up as a human experiment on the effects of nutrition and aging. So far it looks like his philosophies and life style are paying off for him. He was way ahead of his time with his thoughts on processed foods.

As a person who follows a moderate exercise plan I found the book interesting and enlightening. I did tweak some exercise and eating habits after reading this.