Thread: Body For Life

The human body is an amazing piece of work.

12 weeks is actually a long amount of time. You can really turn things around in 12 weeks.

Wow man...I would cry if I could...

So far I am 20 pounds down...but I just started my weight lifting this week.

I feel I have about 80 more to go to be ripped...but I will be grateful for half as good as those people look.

A few weeks into lifting weights and building muscle and that fat will start to cook.

Muscle fiber is very metabolic. A high metabolism will melt the fat.

I dont know alot about the program, but it seems to really work for some. However again its a "for life" program, not eat like a pig afterwards. I also believe they try to sell supplements? Most of which I'm sure are not needed at all, just another way to pump up the profit margin, but the theories supposedly are sound.

But again I dont know the program, just that a couple people I have come across have had good results with it.

Originally posted by Mudge
I dont know alot about the program, but it seems to really work for some. However again its a "for life" program, not eat like a pig afterwards. I also believe they try to sell supplements? Most of which I'm sure are not needed at all, just another way to pump up the profit margin, but the theories supposedly are sound.

But again I dont know the program, just that a couple people I have come across have had good results with it.

Mudge, I was forced to take a week long class on this book for school, 3 hours a day. Basically, Bill Phillips takes whats basic knowledge to all of us, throws in great succes stories and motivation, and some charts to help you keep progress of your workouts and dieting, and makes milions of dollars. I wish i would have thought of that before him.

I can personally attest that it “works” – but like anything in life you get out what you put in for the effort as long as you are focused on objectives and know what you are doing. What is particularly effective with BFL is just getting people to get the discipline to plan and manage their daily routines and nutrition – and to measure progress within a reasonable guideline of expectation (i.e. scale weight metrics are discouraged for body fat and clothes size changes). On any program or personal get fit free-for-all most people that want to lose fat or gain muscle (or both) are already motivated and many even have the knowledge (the 2nd biggest reason people fail in my opinion is lack of knowledge) but lack the planning discipline. Undisciplined motivation can be similar to a car spinning it’s wheels and not doing anything but spending energy and not producing anything effective for forward progress. On the BFL program people learn how important it is to plan your meals and schedule exercises in advance – so that you have a much much higher chance of actually eating what you know is healthy and doing the right progressive intensity levels in the gym. Supplements are considered important from a “convenience” factor mostly or to augment things like EFAs that are hard to get in proper ratios from from low fat foods.

Some people in the 20-30 lb overweight range can look like complete fitness model after one 12 week cycle. Those more overweight or in very bad physical shape (serious muscle atrophy) usually still have remarkable results but may require longer periods of time. I have seen before and after pictures of individuals who were over one hundred pounds overweight working 3 or 4 12 week cycles and looking like impressive fitness models in bathing suits/bikini’s after this program. BFL is also more about complete transformation rather than only physical since many people oftentimes have underlying emotional reasons for eating wrongly and the program is suppose to help inspire self esteem and confidence and thereby rectify these problems too.

I see body for life as a program for someone who is out of shape and just getting into fitness, or getting back into fitness.

There are some dramatic transformations, no doubt. However, many times the before pic is taken in bad lighting, they purposefully push out their guts, no tans, etc. In the after pics they're in optimal lighting, they're tan, oiled up, etc.

Originally posted by Prince
There are some dramatic transformations, no doubt. However, many times the before pic is taken in bad lighting, they purposefully push out their guts, no tans, etc. In the after pics they're in optimal lighting, they're tan, oiled up, etc.

In almost all of those "before" pics, the people indeed have a lot of BF but you can see they already have a lot of muscle under that fat. Seems to me that the BFL program helps them shed fat, but I don't see a lot of skinny people adding lean muscle on that program. The BFL program seems to be geared toward people that just need to lose weight, unless I am misunderstanding it (I read the book).

Yeah, I read it to, and then gave it away cause I do not like Bill Phillips.

I didn't realize how "crappily" out of shape I had become until I took those pictures.

I stuck out my stomach though too. I will post my "Before and after" in 83 more days.

Oh..by the way..I look at them now 2 times a day about 30 minutes before I go to do my double workouts...I get so mad..I'm back in the gym training like a mad man!

Originally posted by trinsdad
I didn't realize how "crappily" out of shape I had become until I took those pictures.

I stuck out my stomach though too. I will post my "Before and after" in 83 more days.

Oh..by the way..I look at them now 2 times a day about 30 minutes before I go to do my double workouts...I get so mad..I'm back in the gym training like a mad man!

Hey, if BFL gets you motivated to work out, go with it! I personally don't like the program, but it did help get my wife into the gym.

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
In almost all of those "before" pics, the people indeed have a lot of BF but you can see they already have a lot of muscle under that fat. Seems to me that the BFL program helps them shed fat, but I don't see a lot of skinny people adding lean muscle on that program. The BFL program seems to be geared toward people that just need to lose weight, unless I am misunderstanding it (I read the book).

This is an interesting observation IAB that I can empathize with. Bill Phillips himself was carrying moderately high body fat while being highly muscled in his own “before” pictures. In his case all he had to do was preserve the lean tissue he had, reduce and “cut up”. This is also true of some of the top champs who admit in their own biographies that they had been lifting for years but for lack of understanding all the principals were carrying 20% BF or more. So they had an “edge” over those of us who were not as muscularly developed at the start of the program and also trying to lose large % of body fat. This was in fact my own original “complaint” or skepticism before I started the program. No doubt some champs have won from this advantage. But that does not take away the fact that there are legions of others who had to come from ground level up by putting on muscle and losing enormous fat (obviously not all the 10s of thousands of competitors got their pictures in the magazine). Also, be advised that there are a number of very lean ectomorphic champions that have put on incredible mass on the program (example http://www.musclegaintips.com/) – but some later admit that they used some of their own diet concepts. I also agree the predominant focus of BFL is to the bigger market and the problem of obesity in the USA. So fat loss is the principal objective – but clearly that also requires preservation/moderate-growth of lean mass to permit one to reach this objective.

Originally posted by Prince
I see body for life as a program for someone who is out of shape and just getting into fitness, or getting back into fitness.

There are some dramatic transformations, no doubt. However, many times the before pic is taken in bad lighting, they purposefully push out their guts, no tans, etc. In the after pics they're in optimal lighting, they're tan, oiled up, etc.

No doubt there is a motivation to look as “bad as possible” in the “before” pictures just like there is a motivation to look as “good” as possible in the “after” pictures. In fact this later motivation is shared directly with all competitive body builders. Obviously people want to win as well as look good. The real story in BFL are the thousands of people who did not win the competition but have published their pictures on various community websites. For the most part these are just average every day kind of people who usually take just a cheep photo of themselves and then later get very proud at their transformation and hire a professional to take the finals. I would judge that very few people actually go out of their way to purposely take low photographical quality “before” pictures taken. But after words I am absolutely certain that the pride factor is “pumped” and people learn how to pose, how to tan, how to dress and how to get the best lighting they can to show the new definition. Afterall, what bodybuilder would not want to look their best in front of the camera or brag about how much new muscle they put on from the prior seasons match?

Frankly, I suspect that most individuals, myself included, increase the intensity and modify BFL as they get themselves transformed and able to actually do a more sophisticated and “advance” program. But remember, BFL was specifically designed for the masses and the common average people. In this regard it works remarkably well. But its probably not optimal for pro-level competitors.

Originally posted by Prince
Yeah, I read it to, and then gave it away cause I do not like Bill Phillips.

I hear this a fair amount at some of the other pro BB boards and magazine webs sites. There is no doubt a super high jealousy factor and resentment floating around when someone (i.e. Bill Phillips) who never would have been able to compete at the Olympia level ended up pumping his brain up (rather than his bicep and ego) and making more money than all the champs combined ($200 million). What some of Bill's distracters seem to not get though is that he has almost single handedly brought bodybuilding concepts and interest to the average everyday masses and made the whole market much larger for all. Hopefully it will contribute to helping America re-tool and get the entire country back in shape so we all have a higher life style. I for one will be thrilled to se less tax dollars being spent on enforcing more handicap parking and propelling fat people down grocery isles in electric carts so they can buy more crap with their food stamps and government pension programs ( my hot button ).

OceanDude, number one I am not jealous of Bill Philips, number two I do not like him cause he is a prick, the EAS corporate headquarters is right acrossed the street from where I work, although he no longer owns it, thirdly you must not know Bill's entire history.

Originally posted by Prince
OceanDude, number one I am not jealous of Bill Philips...

Prince, I did not mean to imply this about you personally at all - sorry if I hit a nerve. My comment was non-sepcific to anyone in particular - just sharing an observation. No, I do not personally know his entire history nor do I want to invite slander on him or anyone else around here. But would be interested in a hearing any juicy details you might have with a private message
...

Just posting this for Prince.

Originally posted by OceanDude
...nor do I want to invite slander on him or anyone else around here.

me niether, that's why all I said in my original post was that I gave the book away cause I do not like him.

juicy details, naaahh, won't get into that, but I will say that he puts on quite the facade though, you can draw you own conclusions.

thanks IAB.

I am well aware of what he looks like.

Originally posted by Prince
juicy details, naaahh, won't get into that...

OK - that's the honorable thing. T-Mag has some folks that have some less that affectionate things to say. I think there is some resentment from some of the staff since ol “BP” (as they call him) busted up the original magazine.

Actually Bill is looking very good in his latest photos:

What....you mean I WON'T be able to look like him following his workout and cardio?

btw, one of the reasons (there are many) that I dislike him is when he was still the owner of EAS he refused to support any of the local bodybuilding shows/organizations, despite the fact that his company had millions to spare. Hell, he could of at least just offered some supplement packages to the winners.

I saw this as a complete contradiction for a supplement company who's primary customer base were/are bodybuilders.

My reason to not like Bill Phillips, the money was more important to him than the love of the sport. He was invloved in a great hardcore magazine that was informative and useful for real BBs, but instead he chose to go mainstream.

Originally posted by gr81
My reason to not like Bill Phillips, the money was more important to him than the love of the sport. He was invloved in a great hardcore magazine that was informative and useful for real BBs, but instead he chose to go mainstream.

Yes, that is another reason. Muscle Media WAS a great mag, hardcore and real. Then he changed it into the male version of Muscle & Fitness hers! Now that magazine sucks so bad I do not even pick it up if it's the only mag on the rack at Wal-mart.

That is the point I was making about his facade, he only cares about the money, hence the reason he sold EAS.