Great Expectations: Health Fitness Leanness Without Suffering (Paperback)

~ Clarence Bass (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Clarence Bass' photos reveal one of the most remarkable 70-year-old bodies in the world! --Waneen W. Spirduso, Ed.D, co-author of Physical Dimensions of Aging

The dedication and reverence that Clarence Bass has brought to the study of his body and, by extension bodies in general is not only inspirational; it is to my knowledge unique in the world of physical culture. The combination of Clarence's unwavering focus and his high-octane mind has already produced many fine books, but his latest provides a depth of detail about his own fascinating life as well as a wealth of accessible and accurate information about training, eating, and living well. Read it and you'll be amazed, inspired, and much better informed about how to remain strong, lean, and fit for a much longer time than you ever thought possible. --Terry Todd, PhD, Director, The Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports, University of Texas, Austin

Product Description

The author encourages readers to be more optimistic about their bodies; he says you don't have to get weaker and fatter as you age. Clarence Bass discovered that he could look as good at 70 as he did much earlier and encourages readers to have the same great expectations for themselves - at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and beyond. In Great Expectations, he provides both the example and the science to show that the body will keep responding to the demands of sensible training far longer than most people think possible. Vibrant health, fitness, and leanness are there for those who choose to train, eat, and live well. What's more, suffering is not required or even helpful. To be truly successful over the long term you must enjoy your diet and training. The details are in Great Expectations.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 163 pages
• Publisher: Clarence Bass's Ripped (December 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974768243
• ISBN-13: 978-0974768243
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #370,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book from amazing man, December 23, 2007

By	Daniel Keating (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Clarence Bass is 70 years old, but has the body of a 25-year-old. In this book, he explains in easy-to-understand terms both the broad principles and the specific practices that he follows in his diet and exercise plans to achieve these impressive results. One might imagine that to achieve these results, the author must devote hours a day to his exercise and must follow an extreme and unpleasant diet. Wrong! To the contrary, Clarence Bass has discovered through the years how to get the most benefit from the least amount of exercise by focusing on efficiency and intensity in his routines. As for his diet, he emphasizes unprocessed foods but, by his own admission, he only eats foods that he likes. Like most of us, he enjoys his eating; unlike most of us, he has figured out how to eat a lot of food every day without consuming excessive calories. Among the many features that distinguish this book from the hundreds of diet and exercise books on the market is that Clarence Bass closely follows the increasingly voluminous literature in the field of exercise science. His recommendations are based on current research in the field, not on gimmicks, fads or his own biases. He does a wonderful job of summarizing the most pertinent scientific research and presenting it in a way that is both useful and understandable for the lay person. Finally, he does not ignore the psychological side of training. He has a number of chapters that focus on psychology and the role of motivation in training. His words are truly inspirational, but just as important, his advice is accessible and practical. Whether you are an experienced athlete or a couch potato, I guarantee that there is something significant (indeed, many things!) that you will learn from this book.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as Good as Challenge Yourself But Worth Reading, January 6, 2008

By	John E. Davidson (El Paso, Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First off, I am a huge Clarence Bass fan. I have been reading his work since I started working out in 1980 at age 14.I agree wholeheartedly with him that the way to lifetime leanness is eating only unprocessed food in it's natural state. I disagree with Mr. Bass primarily on what constitutes an unprocessed food.He considers grains,tofu and yogurt unprocessed foods whereas I consider anything other than meats, fruits, nuts and vegetables to be processed foods. However Mr. Bass has personalized a nutritional program based on his unique palate that definitely works for him. I am somewhat disappointed at his latest offering titled Great Expectations for a number of reasons.For one I am a Health and PE teacher for middle school kids. I occasionally pull from his work to use in my classes. I could have done without the nude cover. I don't feel like explaining to parents why I am having them read material with a nude 70 year old man on the cover. I know why he did it I just with he hadn't. Because now I can't use it. Secondly, his previous work titled Challenge Yourself set such a high standard in terms of technical weight training and general fitness information that others would be difficult to match. With Challenge Yourself it seemed as though he had so much new material that it barely fit in the book. With Great Expectations it seemed as though he wrote a book to showcase his physique at 70.On a positive note with all of Clarence's books we see an evolution of his training(weights and cardio) based on recently acquired knowledge, injuries, or personal discoveries. Great Expectations is no different and it that regard it is excellent. It seems that throughout all of his writings he was searching for the precise number of weight training and cardio days per week to allow for both optimal growth and recovery. In Great Expectations he reveals what most of us seasoned trainers have discovered but most novices have yet to figure out:legs take longer to recover than upper body. He incorporates this beautifully into a program that calls for one full body workout a week and one upper body only workout 3 days later. Perhaps I am being too harsh. Challenge Yourself was his finest work ever and perhaps I am comparing all of his works to that book. Much in the same way all of Quinton Tarentino's movies will forever be compared to Pulp Fiction, all of Clarence Bass' books will forever be compared to Challenge Yourself.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expectations Fulfilled!, December 30, 2007

By	Greg Sushinsky - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is not just a book for bodybuilders, weight-trainers, or serious fitness buffs, though it is that and more. Clarence Bass' Great Expectations is a fitness and nutrition book that people at any level of participation can benefit from. This book has some great programs and eating plans that will help you. More than that, Clarence Bass will show you how to structure an eating plan (not a diet!) that will help you achieve your goals without straining and suffering.
Bass, a longtime bodybuilder, fitness athlete and writer, is one of the most articulate, knowledgeable, not to mention passionate, writers and practitioners in the field. Known for his "ripped" look, the extremely low-bodyfat lean look that he made his trademark look as a competitive bodybuilder, Bass is much more than a bodybuilder.
The author of several books, Bass, now 70 years old, shows how you can keep progressing in fitness--whatever your activity--as you go along in years. The results he has achieved for himself are astounding. And despite the reality that most people are not going to accomplish what Bass has, nor are they going to look like him, if you search into the heart of this book, you will find the secret that will let you be your best: it is encouragement. Encouragement, if not inspiration, to find your path in the many ways of successful fitness and nutrition practice that will work for you because it will become yours, you will make it your own.
Bass details extensive sections on his lowfat nutritional approach and his condensed exercise program of weight-training and aerobics that can be fitted to almost anyone of any age for personal improvement. An excellent book.