Look Great Naked: Slim Down, Shape Up and Tone Your Trouble Zones in Just 15 Minutes a Day (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Women learn to choose clothes that mask their flaws--few are comfortable with the way their bodies look nude. Look Great Naked is an exercise and diet program emphasizing muscle toning for getting rid of those flaws. Fitness trainer Brad Schoenfeld, author of Sculpting Her Body Perfect, focuses on the "trouble zones"--abdominals, buttocks, and thighs. He recommends high reps (15-20) for definition without increasing muscle size. Although he admits there is no such thing as spot reducing--you can't trim fat from one area of the body--his targeted exercises define and tone those problem areas.

Schoenfeld recommends working each trouble spot for 15 minutes a day. The exercises are clearly explained and illustrated. Many exercises use health-club equipment, but you can work out at home with dumbbells, ankle weights, elastic strength bands, and an adjustable bench. Schoenfeld's nutritional program is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than most medical and dietary associations recommend. He includes 45 recipes, some from fitness models. This book lacks upper-body exercises, so it isn't a complete body sculpting program. But if you're looking for a variety of exercises for abs, buns, and thighs, you'll find them here. --Joan Price

Product Description

Certified Personal Trainer, Brad Schoenfeld is the leading expert on women's fitness and an author of over 100 articles in publications such as Fitness, Self and Shape. Each morning, a woman has to face herself in the mirror. If she isn't happy with what she sees, her self-esteem is compromised, no matter what anyone else thinks of her appearance. Brad Schoenfeld, a renowned expert on women's fitness and sports nutrition knows this better than anyone. He has written extensively on women's fitness and was the on-air consultant to "Fox on Health." Cited in such publications as The New York Times, Fit, Glamour and Self, Mr. Schoenfeld has appeared on CBS Evening News, CNN, UPN News, NBC Live at Five, Weekend Today, Good Day New York and on radio programs across the country.

In this illustrated guide, Schoenfeld helps women target body trouble spots and stay fit for life. Look Great Naked explains and illustrates the author's acclaimed High Energy Fitness system of training that gives every woman the ability to improve her appearance-and overall fitness. Both informational and inspirational, Look Great Naked provides cutting-edge advice to help a woman reach her physical potential. Also included are healthful recipes of top fitness models.

Best of all, Look Great Naked results can be achieved with only fifteen minutes of exercise a day.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press; illustrated edition edition (January 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735202303
• ISBN-13: 978-0735202306
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #618,187 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

163 of 165 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars get his other book instead!, April 21, 2001

By A Customer

I was very disappointed with this book. I first read his other book, "Sculpting Her Body Perfect", which is a excellent and realistic approach to women's weight training. Because of that book, and because of the additional information on his website, I was really looking forward to reading "Look Great Naked." Weight training for "problem areas" plus diet - sounds perfect, right? Unfortunately, I really felt the book was well below the standard set by "Sculpting." It almost seemed like it was written very quickly with a marketable title and fitness magazine-type promises ("only 15 minutes a day!") to get it out in stores as soon as possible and make a quick profit.

Here is what I did not like (besides the almost embarrassing title):

(1) it does not lay out an exact program to follow. I think it is fair to say that when one buys a book titled "Look Great Naked," she is looking for something quick, easy to follow and effective. The book is just not set up in that way. Should you train 3 times per week or less? All muscle groups on the same day or spread them out? 15 reps or 10 reps? While the book provides some general principles (e.g. "a minimum of 48 to 72 hours is necessary for adequate recovery"), one has to look hard for them, and make a lot of choices. If you want everything laid out nice and neat for you, like in Joyce Vedral's books, you are out of luck.

(2) the diet section was pretty basic - really broad principles, but as with the weight section, he does not put it together into a program. A much better book is "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition."

(3) one-third of the book is taken up with recipes. Now, some people enjoy this in a book, but I personally never follow such recipes, so it is a waste of space for me. If you like recipes for things like "fat-free tuna melt" or protein shake meals, you will like it.

(4) there is a lot of information that Schoenfeld has on his website that is not in the book - e.g. sample menus, frequent questions. So the book provided nothing new.

Overall, I expected the book to focus the information from "Sculpting" and the website to the lower body, provide workout and diet programs, and be written in a very user-friendly way. It did not accomplish it. On its own (without reading the website or "Sculpting"), I think it still would rate as a mediocre book. But knowing his other work, this book is a real disappointment. I suggest buying his other book instead.

88 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!, January 3, 2001

By	Tina (Myrtle Beach, SC) - See all my reviews

I'll admit, I bought the book because I was intrigued by the title. But boy was I glad I did! Make no mistake, this is a serious fitness book with a lot of substance. It's NOT for those who just want to take it easy in their workout.

The first few chapters are very inspirational. It begins with some interesting info on why women store fat more easily than men, why quick fix programs don't work, and what it really takes to get your body into shape. The author doesn't pull any punches and says flat out that you have to put in the effort, but he does it in a way that really makes you want to start working out. It then describes in detail the specific exercise program for working each of the three women's trouble zones (abs, butt and thighs). The organization here is excellent. It's very thorough and covers everything from sets to reps and everything in between (and yes, the workout does only take about 15 minutes!). It even describes the exact equipment needed to do the workout at home (you can do the routine either in the gym or at home). But what's really cool is that the routine is designed in a way that makes it simple to create perfect workouts every time you train--even if you don't have any background in exercise. I've never seen anything like this before (and I've read a lot of fitness books) and it's a real help.

The last part of the book deals with nutrition. I was extremely impressed with the straightforward approach taken. There is an indepth discussion of carbs, protein and fat, with specific recommendations for apportioning each in the right amount as well as a formula for figuring out how many calories to take in. But it doesn't get overly technical with diet and it's again laid out in a very easy to understand way. The section on tips for losing those last few pounds was especially helpful. The book ends with about fifty or so healthy recipes, many of them contributed by top fitness models.

All in all, I'd say this is a must-read for any woman who is looking to get into shape. It's motivating, well written, easy to read and, best of all, has lots of great information that you can really apply to your workout. I would have given it six stars if I could have!

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Arms? No Back?, July 3, 2001

By A Customer

I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it would have given equal time to the upper body. There was no mention of arms or back in this entire book. I borrowed his first book, and he did mention those body parts in it. I would have been more pleased with his first book -- which I plan to buy. By not mentioning arms and back in his second book "Look Great Naked", the author contradicted himself by his comments in his first book of making sure all muscle groups are worked equally to prevent a misshaped and unballanced look. I'm looking forward to owning his first book so I can incorporate my upper body into my workouts. All in all, the content and information in "Look Great Naked" is very valuable. His books are definitaly geared for people who have access to a Gym -- so if you don't, skim the book first before buying to make sure you're happy with it. I learned some new exercises with some of the machines that can target my muscles in a different way. I'm looking forward to trying some of his suggested moves.