Still Improving!

I started applying the principles of this book over 3 years ago and I'm still making gains in lean muscle mass and fat loss!

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Perspective of a Doctor Who also is a Bodybuilder

Dr. Warren Willey's book is based not only on science but also on his experiences, both as a doctor (DO - an osteopathic doctor) of patients (many of whom are bodybuidlers or powerlifters) and his own experience as an amateur bodybuilder. He puts forward a model of the personal responsibility of each person to control pro-actively his or her own diet, exercise, and life-style choices. Part of this responsibility includes regular check-ups by one's physician but the primary responsibility for health lies with the individual as a responsible adult - not with the doctor who often must deal with the dysfunctions of bad life-style choices. However for the responsible adult to be able to control his or her own health each individual needs to be able to make informed decisions about diet, exercise, and habits - and this book provides precisely that kind of information to help the health-conscious man or woman achieve their goals of body weight, body composition, strength conditioning and/or aerobic fitness.

His section on diet is informed by studies of ketogenic diets (the Atkins diet is one form of ketogenic diet) but prescribes a cyclic approach in which carbohydrates are consumned in the morning and replaced by protein and fat sources as the day advances. Also he recommends a cycling pattern in which several days of high protein consumption are followed by a day with more emphasis on carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen stores needed for energy for sustained workouts.

In this book Dr. Willey includes several diet plans based on different beginning bodyweights in which he lays out a daily plan for the timing of meals, listing different food sources, their individual portions by weight or number of items. He makes a distinction between "active carbs" - those which have high caloric value, such as starches and sugary foods, and "free carbs" those with low caloric value but which are usually high in vitamins, anti-oxidents, and fiber, which can be consumed without much weight gain - as as broccoli, cauliflower, and the like.

The book explains in simple terms the problems of metabolism that cause aging adults to tend to put on more fat than lean mass (even if their body-weight does not appear to increase) and points out strategies of exercise, diet, and life-style choices that will contribute to maintaining lean body mass, preventing obesity, and maintaining both strength and cardio-vascular endurance even as the adult passes into middle-age and older. While Willey discourages smoking and high alcohol intake he points out some strategies to allow moderate alcohol intake with less negative impact on weight gain.

For those considering Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) he includes an informed discussion of the benefits and potential risks of HRT, which is always presented as an adjunct to self-discipline in diet, exercise, and habits - not as a substitute for a disciplined healthy life-style.

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Great Book for all levels of experience...

Whether you are an experienced bodybuilder or a novice simply looking for the building blocks to a better-looking and healthier body, this is the book for you. Well written and an excellent reference. We have all been waiting for a book like this; Warren actually practices what he preaches!

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