Customer Reviews

Sly Moves : My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live your Dream

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A touching memento reproduced on the pages of SLY MOVES is a photo of Steve Reeves in full gladiator costume driving a chariot, autographed to Stallone: "To Sylvester, a man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get there and didn't compromise." In a way this is the closest thing we're probably going to get from the notoriously inarticulate Sly Stallone, and he does have some amazing stories to tell along with the tips on how to lose weight and maintain perfect muscle definition. Did you know he used to clean the lion cages at New York's Bronx Zoo? Frank Capra told Sly that ROCKY was a movie he wished he (Capra) had made! Now, that's a compliment. Elvis invited him to Graceland. Charlie Chaplin asked him to visit Switzerland! His dreams had all come true. SLY MOVES reprints the poem Muhammad Ali wrote in praise of Sly:

"You fought and you worked
You're a determined guy.
Rocky is great
And we all love you, Sly."

His tips include frequent napping. "I'm not suggesting you sleep the afternoons away. That will make you even groggier. Ten minutes max is usually all you need to feel energized and to restore a sense of peace." Lie on the floor with your feet above your heart, he says--resting your ankles on a chair. "Just do it when the boss isn't looking," he advises tongue in cheek. As for eating, Sly opens the refrigerator door and lists all the food he sees there. "2 dozen large organic eggs, a bowl of grapes, 1 small bottle of cinnamon flax seed oil, 1 jar of olives, 1 jar gourmet mustard, 1 six-pack of Diet Pepsi," etc. It's a private peek into the innermost life of a great fitness buff and superstar. I expect that this book will be a big best seller, because everyone wants to look good and few look as good as Stallone even on his worst day!

This is a great book for someone wanting to lose weight, a Rocky enthusiast or just someone who wants to change up his or her workouts. Rumors about his book appeared about 18 months before it's release, when Stallone launched his supplement company Instone Nutrition. I know that I for one was waiting with anticipation.

It has a nice easy reading style and is full of personal stories and photos. It is part a chronicle of Stallone's career, and part fitness book. The four sections are:

· Part 1 Sly on Sly
· Part 2 Shaping Up With Sly Moves
· Part 3 The Sly Moves Eating Plan
· Part 4 Sly Moves in Action

One of the greatest strengths of this book is that it recognizes that fitness for men and for women is different. It has recommended exercises for men and other for women. It also realized that to make change will take real work and effort Stallone states: "Locked inside each of us is the person we want to be. Others might not recognize it yet, but I'm telling you, it's in there. The passion shouldn't die before we do. Even against ridiculous odds, what propels you forward and separates you from the rest? P.R.I.D.E., which stands for perseverance, Responsibility, integrity, determination, and excitement. If you have these five elements in your life, you can accomplish almost anything." p. 201 with the effort and time results will be visible.

Like Bill Phillips in his book Body For Life says: "It's Very Important to understand the difference between dreams and goals. Dreams are things we wish for--things you enjoy thinking about but don't really know when they'll happen. Goals, on the other hand, are specific things you have decided you need to accomplish within a clearly defined period of time." Stallone techniques will help you to make your Dreams become goals and the goals to become reality.

Stallone Has tips for life. First Written for his daughter he shares them with us in the 4th section of the book. They are:
"Sly's Top Ten Tips for Life
10. Believe it! Truly, it can be done and it will.
9. Every day - every few hours - see your vision materializing.
8. Don't discuss your dreams. Pursue Them!
7. If other people can steal your ideal, most likely they will.
(not so fond of this one reviewers Note)
6. Don't be afraid of embarrassment while pursuing your goal.
It's all part of being committed.
5. Being naive is business and in understanding human
nature is a recipe for disaster.
4. Study people's success stories hard. Study their failures even harder.
3. Enthusiasm is like a wonderful disease -keep spreading it
until everyone's infected.
2. Only choose a goal that - if you had to - you'd gladly pursue for free.
In order to achieve success, you've got to follow your passion.
1. Most Important: If it's not broken, break it.
That's how new discoveries are made.
That's why everything that changes life is called a breakthrough." p.186. This book will help you have breakthrough's in your life. Those breakthroughs will be through a process of progressive changes in your life and lifestyle.

Robert Wolff former editor of Muscle & Fitness stated in his book: "The one thing you can be absolutely sure of in your life is change. It's the only thing that never changes. The law of nature is that you either grow or you die; there's no in-between. So, what have you chosen so far? Are you growing in every area of your life? Hey, it's not enough to be growing and looking great just because you work out. That's only a small part of your life. What about your emotions, spiritual life, family, friends, career, hobbies? Are they growing as your body does? Become a complete person and not an in-shape and great-looking version of an incomplete person. There's way more to life than just working out. Go with the flow and embrace changes in all areas of your life. The change will do you good." In his book Bodybuilding 101. To many extents this book is a manual on how to make change. First in the area of physical fitness and then to apply the discipline learned there to other Area's of your life. It is definitely worth the time and effort!

This is a down to earth book. Stallone writes in a simple straight forward style that is very clear and easy to follow and read. He's one of Hollywood's best writers and should go down in history as one of our great national treasures. I'm sure philadelphia would agree. His workout format is truly inspiring as well as all the difficulties he's had to overcome to master his own challenges and bring his body into discipline. I really like the book and when I bought it for me, my husband picked it up and couldn't put it down. There are tons of pictures and advice as well as behind the scenes every day life stuff he talks about here and there. I've worked hard at discovering for myself what works and what doesn't work and this book only reaffirmed lots of the good habits and conclusions I've already been doing. I've implemented some of his training into my own program and noticed an immediate difference, especially with working the abs. The diet section, his recommendations on how to approach the food stuffs, is down to earth and very practical. I already had been eating healthfully this way for some time. When I read it his approach, I reached a conclusion that his method has been tried and tested because I went through the same ropes to learn the same things. It doesn't take a genius and he's figured out the common sense way to make it simple and with results. However, Stallone's indulgences for sweets is evident and he allows himself one day a week for a splurge. I never do this and so perhaps my own diet is stricter than his! The book is written as both an instructional book for beginners, intermediate strength building athletes and has some advanced exercises for advanced training. He has great exercises for building up the core and working the interior back muscles along the spine and not just the cosmetic aspects of the back. These are great exercises, especially for someone like me who needs to strengthen the back and spine. This book is also an inspirational fitness book. I think what strikes me most about the book is the personality that bubbles out from the pages - like the essence of the man and his strength,energy, and great sense of humor - it all comes off the pages and seems to reach people on this basic level - like his Rocky character - no frills and straight from the heart. He even goes into the pitfalls of self competition and what he learned along the way. Love it. The book is an easy to read book and even includes a section for women's fitness and features Stallone's beautiful wife, Jennifer. It's a good book to add to your fitness library. I read it and turn to it almost daily for tidbits of information to add to my workouts and health regime.

Regarding the latest stint about steroids - well that has nothing to do with the book. The book was written several years ago and there is nothing about it that is not true in terms of fitness. I give the book a five star rating because of its content alone. I don't compare it to something outside of it's subject matter like steriods, which is outside of the book's content. I rated the book by its own merit and not because I agree with or don't agree with the current news lines about steriods. That is a topic and circumstance outside the topic of the book.

We have all seen the myriad of books written by popular actors/actresses who profess certain fad diets or tout the best personal trainer. So although I thought Stallone to be a great actor, I was hesitant to order Sly Moves. But two things made me decide to order it: I remembered that Stallone had turned down a lot of money for the rights of Rocky when he was really broke so that he could play the starring role. I reasoned that this was a man who had great belief in himself and great discipline. Likewise, I read the Amazon reviews, which were rather favorable.

Forget that this book is written by Stallone because the motivation and diet/exercise advice that it offers is the best. What has often disappointed me in other exercise books is that they will feature maybe 10 or so exercises and then expect you to construct a program from these paltry few. Sly Moves features Stallone and his wife, Jennifer, demonstrating roughly about 55 different exercises! I have copied almost all of these exercises and my personal trainer has incorporated them into my workout. But you don't necessarily need a PT for these workouts as Stallone gives you a great schedule for performing the various exercises. You will need about 1 -1 1/2 hrs. 3 x week however!

Another great part of Sly Moves was the section which deals with diet. Stallone maps out a list of the foods that he generally eats and from a dietary standpoint, it made a lot of sense. It did not include anything "exotic" or foods that you normally might associate with the "rich and famous." It was a great list that I am using right now.

Also, Stallone mentions the concept of 1 day a week eating what you want. I'm not sure that everyone has the self-restraint to just eat anything they want for 1 day, but eating a few "forbidden" foods once a week is something that I intend to try as long as it doesn't put me off-track too much. I think this could also apply to going out to dinner and eating what you want once a week or along those lines. And certainly if you are a male who is burning a ton of calories every day, then it would work as well. I just know that many women in their 40's + find it difficult to even lose 1 -2 lbs. a week and that one day of eating would probably kill that weight loss if it wasn't controlled to SOME degree.

In many ways, Sly Moves reminded me of Stallone's most famous film - "Rocky." By some fluke, I saw the film on the first night that it hit the theatres. I think that the movie that we had wanted to see was no longer playing and if I hadn't been on a double date, I'm sure I would not have watched it because a boxing movie was the LAST kind of movie that I wanted to see. I will never forget that when the movie ended, the WHOLE theatre erupted into clapping - something that I've never seen since. Well, for me turning the last page of Sly Moves was something akin to that moment. It is such a great book on diet/exercise that is so unexpected coming from an actor.
Stallone should feel quite proud.

I purchased this book because Mr. Stallone obviously knows how to maintain a great physique on a busy schedule. His tips on exercise and diet are concise, practical, and obviously honed by experience. Aside from a few odd dietary recommendations (apple cider vinegar, algae pills), his book is also free of any agenda to promote a particular commercial product or program. In fact, he takes the time to critique several of the most popular commercial diet regimes, sometimes not quite accurately or fairly. I would have preferred to hear his thoughts on training and particular exercises in more depth.
Depth is where this book suffers. It seems to try to be both autobiography and fitness guide, to the detriment of both. For a fitness book barely 200 pages long to include 47 pages recounting the author's career seems excessive. If it was meant to inspire, surely the crucial period when he made the transition from "unknown" to starring in a studio production of his own screenplay would be of most interest, but this is glossed over. The details of how he developed his physique for each film are repetitive and not helpful to the average reader, and dwell too much on what he now admits were excessively long workouts. Even his present regimen of 1-1.5 hour workouts, three times a week is probably too much for most people his age; he does not address adjusting the workout or recovery period based on age or conditioning. He does mention supplements later in the book in an enthusiastic but vague fashion, and one suspects that there is an untold story here, too. The section on "Sly moves for women", a chance to feature his wife repeating many of the same exercises, seems like more filler.
Still, the author's sincerity and enthusiasm shine through, and no one can dispute his credentials for offering advice in his state and stage of life. His example is definitely inspiring, but this is a highly personalized guide/memoir rather than an explicit fitness program for just anyone.

My wife and I tried Body for Life six years ago. Although we had tremendous results, the rigidity of the program was too much to keep up with over a prolonged period of time. Sly Moves explains how to more practically maintain a superb physique without having to overwork, journal, starve, and become all-consumed. For me, Stallone's book is truly inspirational. Sly describes how he trained for each of his Rocky and Rambo movies, the nutritional and exercise mistakes he made along the way, and what he learned REALLY worked to maintain a well-defined and healthy body after 30 years of experimenting. In ten weeks I'm down 40 lbs., back to my old BFL shape, but this time larger and leaner. People have asked "How?" at work, as the book makes its round through the office. I'm 50, and genuinely believe will possess the fitness level Sly has today at 60 when I reach that milestone. Stallone has proven that it CAN be done, and I can't thank him enough.

If you are looking for a book aimed at getting you off the couch and start a healthy lifestyle this book is for you.

Aimed at men and women, this book gives you a pretty good heads up on how to change your unhealthy lifestyle around. I especially liked (PART 3)the nutritional section and his advice about refined carbohydrates which have become a large part of our diets.

If you are a bodybuilder, or similar athlete, this book may not really be for you, but it is still an interesting read with alot of relevant information.

Stallone's categorising of fad diets is very informative and required reading if you are a sucker for 'fad diets' or 'quick fixes'.

Overall, a very informative and easy read with some insight into what 'action film' actors subject their bodies to for certain roles.

If you want to get fit, want to eat healthy, change from a sedentry lifestyle, interested in fitness books, possibly a young or part-time sportsman or martial artist this book maybe for you. Also if you just want an insight into Sylvester's life, career and how he built and maintained his body also buy this book.

However, if you are primarily into 'bodybuilding' and getting big see Arnold Swarzenegger's 'The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding'.

I am 37 year old, with 10 years training experience in weight-lifting, and I can say Sylvester Stallone book is a wonderful book. He is sharing his knowledge with us, and he has got a lot of it! Besides, I started training because he is one of my prefered actors, he is a sincere and kind man, and he has had a good influence on my life, thanks to him i took bodybuilding instead of alcohol, excess of food, etc when depressed. He knows a lot about body-building and nutrition, thanks to his book i will change a lot of my routines and bad eating habits. Thank you Sly you are a great man, G'd bless you!

Most likely, you are not going to buy and read this book unless you are a fan of Sylvester Stallone. With that said, being a fan, you won't be disappointed.

I have enjoyed Stallone's movies for years, and I was especially happy to see a 60 year old Rocky back in the ring, and I'm eagerly awaiting the new Rambo movie where we get to see another hero kicking butt in his sixth decade.

Like the heroes he plays on the silver screen, Stallone has kept himself in shape throughout the years. My favorite parts of this book are the stories about Sly. It is motivating to read about Rocky, Rambo, and the other heroes Stallone brought to life, as well as the training Sly did to prepare for those roles.

The portion of the book that describes exercises is nothing you can't find in many exercise books, since the exercises are pretty common. What is motivating is seeing pictures of Stallone doing the exercises and still looking in shape. Maybe not the ripped Stallone we saw in Rocky 3 and 4, but in great shape nonetheless. The little notes with each exercise add a different twist since they are personal to Sly, such as him telling us that Carl Weathers, aka Apollo Creed, taught him the hammer curl.

Stallone's gives brief comments on some of the popular diets of date, and then provides a reasonable eating program. He throws in a couple recipes to boot. The book then ends with some motivating advice.

If you are a fan of Stallone, are looking for a good motivational book to get you exercising and eating right, this book will do the trick.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks.

Let me start by telling you what is good about this book. Stallone shares how he trained for different film roles which is very interesting. He also shares how he learned over time that it is not necessary to train so much in order to achieve good results. The nutritional advice is very good and he provides a flexible plan that permits you to get into top shape and yet still enjoy some treats once a week. The exercises he recommends are good and generally well explained. Stallone also does a great job at explaining why fad diets don't work. All of the above mentioned comments are why I give it 4 stars. The book does lack some logic. For example, Stallone advises against low-carb diets but tells us he followed a diet of 80% protein and 20% fat to lose weight after he finished the movie where he played an obese police officer. The next thing is the workouts he recommends. The general plan is excellent and realistic but the specific workout samples he gives are very unbalanced. His recommended programs involve training certain bodyparts once a week and others twice with no explanation as to why. Some bodyparts get many exercises and others next to none. I never found any reasoning for this in the book. The last thing is that he recommends supplements but fails to explain which ones or give any other details. Having included the previous negative comments the book as a whole is good and Stallone does come across as very sincere and certainly has a physique that many men aspire to.