The Testosterone Advantage Plan

"The Testosterone Advantage" is a well-written and informative book with a misleading title. A better title would have been "Dieting & Exercise for Men." The book has two main parts: one part is all about diet, the other about exercise (especially weight-bearing exercise). Unlike many books, "The Testosterone Advantage" has a concrete formula for figuring out what you should eat. Depending upon your age, and goal (weight loss or muscular gain) you can use this book to determine how many calories you should consume, and in what proportions (i.e. carbs, protein, and fats). The exercise portion of the book explains why some aerobic exercise is good, but too much actually causes the body to catabolize (break down) the very muscle that you work so hard to build (not to mention the effect that extreme aerobic exercise has on joint tissue). Instead, the authors tell us, concentrate on anaerobic exercise, which will not only create muscle, but also bone mass and better joints. Much better than the nebulous advice given by other books (for example, like "Body for Life").

That's what one girl, a very hot girl i might add, told me the summer that i used this book. I was a fairly skinny guy, 5'9" and 140lbs. By the time i finished this book, a 9 week program, i weighed the same but lost about 10lbs fat and reaplced it with 10lbs muscle. This book is not just about exercise, but also about diet. I followed the diet program as was written, except in my last 3 weeks, i cut the recommeneded amount of carbs in half. I think that is what allowed me to get the 6-pack of abs. The only problem with the diet portion of the book is that they indicate only what a 230 pounder should eat, a 180 pounder should eat, and a 150 pounder should eat. But I weighed 140lbs, so i had to do some calculations to figure out how much i was supposed to eat. This took a long time (3 meals plus 2 snacks/day, 7 days/week) and it got annoying. Also, when i 1st tried this book and achieved the best body i've ever had, i was 28 yrs old. When i used this book last summer at age 31, it didn't work so well. Too many calories recommended and i couldn't lose that pouch. Even when i cut carbs, they recommended too much fat(this is based on my personal experience of course). Overall, this is the best book for men under 30 to get in great shape. This book focuses a lot on diet and that is equally important, if not more important, than lifting weights. I am a physical therapist and i couldn't disagree with anything written in the exercise portion of the book. Just make sure you enjoy doing deadlifts.

I have found this book to be a revelation. I am 40 years old, and a heavy runner. I had been experiencing all sorts fo nagging injuries, and, after reading this book, it occurred to me that perhaps I had been eroding my muscle mass by too much running. Since then, I have cut down the running, begun lifting (with the great and clearly presented workout plan), and I have been stunned by the results. I have lost some "softness" around my middle, my muscle tone has improved considerably, I feel incredibly good, and I am eating better than I have ever have. And, yes, my "testosterone" feels great. Perhaps much of this information is not new. But I had never heard it before. The key for me is that the diet is so good. I am never hungry, as you eat five times a day, with mid-day snacks consisting of peanuts, cottage cheese, glassed of juice or chocolate milk, etc. This is no "Atkins" type of extreme. Rather, you cut out the crap, and you eat lots of protein and whole grains. It is very practical and very healthy. What is most remarkable to me is how good I feel. This program has revitalized me, and I feel better than I did when I was running 40 miles a week (now I am running about 6-10 miles a week). I feel stronger, fitter, thinner, and even mentally I feel more alert and less sluggish. This is a great book that completely delivers. And it is well written and a joy to read as well. A great book for Men's Health.

The book begins with a simple premise: "Picture two Olympic athletes. Both are extremely lean, with body fat percentages in the low single digits." One has a body like a Grecian god; the other looks like he's on the verge of death. As you might have guessed, the first one is a sprinter, the second is a marathon runner. So, who do you want to look like? If most of us answered "the first one," then why is it that our diets focus mainly on carbs and our exercise routines focus mainly on cardio? In other words, while we want to look like a classical male specimen, our diets and exercise are ensuring exactly the opposite.This book combines fitness wisdom accumulated through the ages: stop eating white bread, it's useless (Charles Atlas) - don't skip breakfast (all your teachers the day before the test) - with an abundance of recent research on all areas of physical fitness. It also turns a lot of the conventional wisdom upside down, namely the USDA Food Pyramid and the low-fat craze. The final product is a complete diet and exercise regimen that says basically, get off the treadmill and get into the weight room, stop eating pasta and start eating meat. Even if the authors were not able to back this idea up with research and an in-depth analysis of how our bodies respond to nutrients and exercise, doesn't this idea appeal to you on a very instinctive level? But in fact, the book provides a solid background in general nutritional and fitness knowledge, as well as broad support for the diet that they propose. It is a complete 9-week diet (including variations based on current weight and goals) and exercise program, and the information it provides will go a long way after that. The tone of the book is also very accessible - the authors make fun of the "mooks" in the gym, the ones who do all the exercises wrong, have huge pecs and tiny legs. They will convince you that you truly belong in that group of men with a physique worthy of a second glance. It's not chest-pounding macho either, just matter-of-fact: you know what you want to look like, it's also what your girlfriend/wife wants you to look like, it's also what most of the world believes is a "good body" - here's how to get it.I am on Week 6, have already lost 15 pounds and almost 2 inches off my waist. Second row of abs has just appeared. I am lifting more weight than I ever have (which was 10 years ago in college) and for the first time in my life I am starting to look CUT. What am I eating, fruit smoothies? No. Snackwells? Forget it. But tonight I just ate a steak, and yes that's part of the plan.Who is this book for? I think the only guys who would not benefit immensely from this book are those who are already past it physically - whatever they have been doing has paid off and they made it to where they want to be. Still, it contains a good review of the science of nutrition and some of the latest studies and findings, as well as a good review of musculature and correct exer

No, Lou Schuler did not "sell out," and no, the meat/dairy industry is not in cahoots. Visit the Men's Health fitness forum any time and there's Lou, along with the other authors of this book, examining this research more and more every day. Going further than the mainstream approach of the magazine, this Men's Health publication takes a more hardcore look at diet, supplementation, and lifting techniques for men who want to be edgier, and achieve more, than the average guy at the gym. It takes courage for a newcomer to really believe the astonishing science--you mean fat is GOOD?--but with faith I tried it and found it successful.The workout routines are tough. On paper they seem simple enough, but in practice they're guaranteed to press you past your mental limits. No, this isn't "Body For Life;" THIS book is for the man who's ready for the next tough step. Mike Mejia has raised the bar. Now squat the damned thing!For us weightlifting guys who have been heralding the high-protein, high-fat, moderate-carb approach for a long time, this is THE book to give to your buddies who "just don't get it, man," and want to know why we do all this weird eating and strenuous lifting. When people remark, "How you be so lean?? You eat high fat foods!" this book will explain why it works.