The Bowflex Body Plan: The Power Is Yours: Build More Muscle: Lose More Fat

The book was advertized as "used--good condition"--the pages are all stuck together and cannot be separated so I can read it. It had obviously been in water brfore being sold to me! Disgusting!

The first thing I thought, when I saw all the different exercises you CAN do with the BowFlex, is which ones SHOULD I do? Darden distills it down to 23 "best" exercises, which helped a lot. He also goes into the best number of reps and sets to do, and the why's to back it up. The best number of exercises to do on any given day, sample plans by week, etc. Really helped me figure out how to get started. There's a lot of information about nutrition, calorie intake, etc. too.

This is an excellent book! By following the workout routines I lost 14 lbs and gained 5 1/2 lbs of muscle in 6 weeks. I did NOT strictly follow the diet guidelines, but if I did I would probably have doubled my fat loss. In fact, I pigged out on meals and desserts for about five days during Thanksgiving (within the 6 week period). Achieving muscular failure within 8 to 12 reps is the key, along with proper rest, superhydration and proper diet. The book shows pictures of how to do the workouts and provides accurate descriptions, both to ensure proper form. Dr. Darden's principals as explained in this book have turned me into a lifetime fan. I love working out on the bowflex and have stuck with it for 10 weeks now and have no plans on stopping. I highly recommed this book.

This is not a bowflex manual. This is a manual on how to change your body. All of the pictures and illustrations are with the Bowflex. But, the exercise plan can be performed on any home gym - the only requirement is that you can quickly switch between exercises. The book gives you a progressive exercise plan, a balanced diet based on total calories consumed, tips on superhydration, and the science behind each principle. If you're like me, it's not enough to be told to do A, B, and C. I have to know why I'm doing A, B, and C - and Dr Darden gives you the why. I know someone else said that there are surprisingly few exercises listed in the book and while I don't agree with that statement, I will state that a surprisingly small portion of the book is dedicated to the actual exercises. I would guess 1/3 of the book is dedicated to the exercise. The other 2/3 are diet, bowflex history, the science behind muscle and fat, importance of strength training, importance of water consumption, rest, etc. Like I said, it's a body shaping manual not an exercise manual. Someone else said that you won't find anything in here that you can't find anywhere else such as magazines, etc. To an extent, that is true. You can certainly find the exercises in magazines and you can find diets listed in other magazines, and so on. What you won't find, though, is all of the information in the same place - and you certainly won't find it backed up with the scientific facts explaining why the methods work. I've been using his plan for 2 weeks now (and I don't own a bowflex) and I have lost 7 lbs and have seen strength gains on every exercise.

As a woman who owns a Bowflex Machine, I was pleased to see this book on how to use Bowflex effeciently and productively. And I wasn't disappointed.Chapter 22, "Hips and Thighs:Tackling the Tough Spots", is exactly what I've been looking for to address my problem areas. Chapter 11 on "Muscle", and Chapter 12 on "Fat", are clearly written and helped me understand the science behind my own body's composition. Chapter 26, "Those Last 5 Pounds: 30 Tips on How to Lose Them" effectively summarizes Elllington Darden's philosophy. I appreciate the balanced presentation for women and men,in both text and pictures. I recommend this book for any woman who has a Bowflex Machine, or any woman who ever considered using Bowflex.The numerous before-and-after photographs will help you to realistically "picture the possibilities" of what you can expect from Bowflex training and proper eating.

This is an excellent book. Anyone that owns a Bowflex, or even any quality home gym could benefit from it. Darden follows up on his other works and presents a program that promises results. The book could be viewed by some as a commercial for the Bowflex, but so what? Darden does not put down any other products or methods, he just states simply and directly that if you follow his exercise and nutrition plan, you will lose fat and gain muscle. There was some interesting historical background on the Bowflex as well as Darden's views and how they have developed over the years. It was interesting to see the models, who have appeared for several years in the Bowflex infomercials. Also, Ellington Darden dispels some of the common perceptions of hard core athletes that the Bowflex will not work for them, that it will not develop large muscles, etc. It is becoming quite evident to most of us that are at middle age that strength training is necessary, and yet we don't all have 5-6 hrs per week to train. With Darden's plan, you maximize the time that you do have, so that it delivers the most efficient results. He also candidly covers the problem of many us...after losing fat and getting fit, we backslide. His book includes specific advice for those who have had that problem. It also includes some area specific plans, eg the person who is already fit but needs to address a weak area. Overall, I found the book to be excellent. It is laid out in a logical, concise format, clearly illustrated with ample photographs. I highly recommend it.