Customer Reviews

Sculpt Your Body with Balls and Bands: Shed Pounds and Get Firm in 12 Minutes a Day (With Your 3-Week Plan for Fast, Easy Weight Loss)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this book for a little over a week now. I have read it from cover to cover and am one week into the three-week plan. Here's what I think are the best things about this book.

As usual, Denise's can-do attitude permeates the text. She is upbeat and encouraging in her writing.

This is a book written for busy people. Denise recognizes that many people have a legitimate struggle to fit an hour of exercise into most days and she offers here a pragmatic alternative to that.

Toning exercises with the stability ball & resistance band take up twelve minutes a day, six days a week.

Denise offers five cardio options, from twelve minutes three to four times a week to sixty minutes three to four times a week. Which one you pick is dependent on your goals. (Sixty minutes is for serious athletes who can invest that amount of time; twelve minutes is for people who want to see results from a minimum investment of time.)

I've found what's working for me is to do the twelve minutes of toning in the morning before anyone else gets up and then we take a walk in the evening after supper as a family.

As far as the toning exercises, they're great! I've worked with a stability ball before, but I've never worked with the ball & resistance band together. You can really feel your entire body working. Of course, it's too early for me to SEE results, but I do already feel like I'm walking and sitting "taller" and it's only been a week.

One tip: The exercises in the three-week program are different every day, so you're not going to be learning a routine and then repeating it. Therefore, in order for my actual toning session to last twelve minutes, I read the exercise instructions for the next morning at night before I go to bed. That keeps to a minimum my having to flip back and forth between the day's exercise program and the detailed instructions.

There is a chapter explaining how to put together a program using the exercises in the book, so once you finish the three-week program Denise gives, you're by no means limited to that.

One other terrific thing: For thirty dollars I bought a stability ball and a resistance band, so it wasn't a financial burden to buy the equipment. My wallet thanks you, Denise!

Very much worth the price of the book.

This is a lot of book for the money. You get all the usual introductory information about equipment, exercises, and anatomy. Then there are separate sections for core exercises, upper body, lower body, stretching, pilates, and yoga - I felt like I was getting about 3 books in one right there. Then she goes into a do-it-yourself program that included menus for each day, words of encouragement and before-and-after photos of many women and even one man. Some exercise books that I have bought advertise that they only use certain equipment then after you buy the book you find out you need many other things. Not so with this book. Ball and band is all you need. And the exercises are really great. I highly recommend this book.

I'll have to hand it to Denise Austin - this is one ambitious gal. She has written workout books with every possible slant - weights, yoga, pilates, and now a book clearly demonstrating how you can get in shape with balls and bands. This is a good cheap alternative for those of us who can't afford to go to a gym (or for those of us who don't have time!). All the equipment can be purchased cheaply - making this the most reasonable workout imaginable!

Did I mention that it is an intense workout? Who ever thought that you could do so many things and work so many body parts with this simple equipment?

The pictures in the book are remarkably clear. The directions are succint and to the point. And even better are the routines! There are three weeks of programs laid out for you along with eating suggestions and motivational stories from Denise and her fans. This is a book that can inspire and it does work! Good job again!

I just bought the book, and I was really surprised by the many different ways one could utilize the ball and band.I have clients who only have an hour to get into the gym, change, workout and change back into their work clothes.I find these workouts convenient, because we get to focus on the training instead of looking for different weights and equipment-especially around lunchtime!
I found the pictures and other illustrations to be beneficial, because form is really important.This is my first Austin book, and i'm impressed.

I really like this book. It took me a while to get into it but now I find it really helpful. I leave my ball and band in a convenient spot and usually manage to complete an upper body or lower body or abs workout each day. The workouts are a bit harder than with hand weights which is good. Would recommend it to anyone who is a bit time poor and wants to do something a bit different to tone up. This book is truly a gift to share with others. [...]

I love the format of this book. I just got it & noticed right away how well it's set up & organized in such a time-saving manner which will prove to be more useful & effective. I love all of Denise's products.

Overall, I like this book for many of the same reasons others did, but only for the duration of the 3-week program. I chose it because usually bands and balls are considered ideal for anyone who's just getting started exercising or who hasn't exercised in a long time, and for the most part it is - except for someone with a considerable amount of weight to lose.

Some of the positions in the exercises are difficult for someone with a lot of excess weight to achieve proper form (such as and planks and push-ups). I found one exercise - a standing quadricep stretch with your hand on the ball - impossible to do as pictured because at 5'6", apparently I'm taller then Denise and couldn't reach the ball without bending. There's no modifications for any of these except for advanced exercisers.

The recipes are good and surprisingly quick but again, no modifications if there's a food you don't like or might be allergic to (such as peanut butter), or if you live in an area where your grocery options are limited. I live in a major midwest metro area and have NO idea what "Old Bay seasoning" is, nor could I find it. (Must be a Texas thing.) As for cost, the food isn't as expensive as the South Beach Diet or Abs Diet.

Most of your eating is during the day, with two between-meal snacks(and snacking at work is a habit I'm trying to break). Many recent studies indicate that most people eat more later in the day, so it seems a light after-dinner snack would prevent late-night munchies but there's none here, despite an overall daily calorie count of about 1500.

(And...no dessert? Not even 10-calorie, sugar-free Jell-o? That's just wrong.)

I am 48 years old and don't like aerobic exercise, but I really wanted to tone up. I already had an exercise ball at home which I occasionally used to stretch on, but not to exercise. I heard that resistance bands were the way to go for toning (esp. in someone my age). I purchased a set for $10 at Wal-Mart. I read Denise's book cover to cover and then started the plan. I followed the meal plan strictly the first week, then substituted a little the following weeks. If I missed a day of exercise I just "shifted" it to the next day so I wasn't always on the same day of the week that the book was, but I never got out of sequence on the exercises. I walk 2-3 days a week for my cardio. I have now finished 4 weeks and have had amazing results. I've lost around 5 lbs. and seen my stomach, waist, hips, legs, arms, chin, virtually everything shrink in size! The stomach results are the most impressive as nothing I've done in the past has ever toned my abs (which after abdominal surgery, 2 kids and a tubal ligation were pretty pitiful), particularly my lower abs which this has done. I'm hooked for life!!! Thanks Denise!

My sister bought me this book for Christmas and it was the best present ever! While weight was not really a big issue for me, I wanted to tone my body and to target those resistant fat-areas, such as the tummy (mine is the "apple" type and is really hard to get rid of). I faithfully completed the 3-weeks routine and tried to follow the diet. Most of the recipes are delicious and simple to prepare. However, the cumulative amount of food per day is more than my usual intake: I discovered that I am actually gaining weight with the suggested diet! I still occasionally use the recipes but do not follow the menu day-by-day. Once I completed the program, I designed my own routine, following Denise's guidelines on pp. 180-190 with an emphasis on my midsection. I liked working with the ball and bands so much that I use them for an hour nearly every day. I also supplemented the equipment with 8 lbs weights which I use instead of the bands for some exercises. Several months later I am happy to report that I have a great posture, a leaner body and I feel amazing! The program is a lot of fun and very convenient. It is a great time- and money-saver and I fully recommend it to anyone!

I was looking for something I could do with my kids and this is the perfect workout because you can do it anywhere literally. Its fun and easy. There are tons of exercises and the stretches feel wonderful.

Anyway I just finished up week 1 and so far I've lost 1 inch off my waist, 1/2 inch off my hips and am 1.5 pounds lighter. I did not follow her diet plan but just did weight watchers instead. And I did 30 minutes of cardio as well 3 times per week.

I was so excited that I just had to come and post a positive review on this book. I'm motivated more than ever to keep going now. Great book and much better than those pricey machines that take up space in your house.