Product Description

EAT LIKE A MAN TO LOOK LIKE A MAN

For years now, the so-called experts have told you to avoid the foods you love. That you're supposed to ditch the weight room and jog your way to maximum fitness. And that testosterone -- the hormone that makes you a man -- is actually a problem for you, rather than the solution to your problems. In the meantime, American men have kept getting fatter and more frustrated. Which is why we've looked into all this, and from what we've learned, we can tell you -- the know-it-alls are know-nothings.

The Testosterone Advantage Plan is about realizing your full potential as a man, and will

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #232165 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-02
• Released on: 2002-12-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743237918
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Wide shoulders, narrow waist, thick chest, muscular arms and legs: today's male ideal physique is the same as that of ancient Greece. Aerobics and the Food Pyramid just won't yield that shape, argues Lou Schuler, certified strength-and-conditioning specialist and fitness director of Men's Health magazine. For weight loss and the Greek physique, he proposes the "T" (testosterone) plan: weightlifting and a diet of 33 percent each carbs (mostly low-glycemic-index), fat (the "good" kind), and protein; no alcohol; and minimal sweets and processed food. The book includes a meal planner, grocery list, and recipes. A 100-page, clearly illustrated weightlifting program progresses from circuit training to bodybuilding to power lifting, with both home and gym exercises.

This research-based program was tested on 16 willing, hefty guys. After nine weeks, they lost an average of 18 pounds, dropped waist inches, gained strength and energy, and improved their sex lives. The book includes before-and-after photos and quotes from the happy campers.

Schuler's man-to-man style is clear, direct, and witty ("one gorilla wearing a stringy tank in July is all it takes to leave a bench soaked in ectoplasm"). The Testosterone Advantage Plan is recommended for men willing to commit to a rigorous lifting program to achieve their ideal physique. --Joan Price

From Library Journal

If you can plow your way past the chest thumping here, you'll find that this nine-week plan for men is actually a Mediterranean diet, modified with increased animal protein and low glycemic carbohydrates on a three-meal, two-snack daily eating plan, combined with strength training. Lacking are recently revised guidelines on lower triglyceride levels, saturated fat percentages, and increased daily total fat allowances. The authors also slam programs recommending aerobics for weight loss when most, in fact, have been emphasizing strength training for many years. However, more than 100 pages of well-illustrated exercises at three levels are included, as are sample menus and shopping lists. Definitely a guy's guide, from contributors to Men's Health magazine.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
Susan M. Kleiner, R.D., Ph.D.author of Power EatingThe more we learn about hormonal control of the body, the more we understand that there's almost nothing physiologically the same between men and women. The Testosterone Advantage Plan, written just for men, promotes scientifically based approaches to fat loss and muscle gain. -- Review

Customer Reviews

The Good and the Bad
This book makes more sense than most. The macro-nutrients are not radically unbalanced in their meals. And the meals are one of the easiest to follow since they basically borrowed the Mediterranean diet (one of the best out there, IMO), and made some slight adjustments to it, which I think were improvements. And I think they make a strong case against the low-fat diet. Nor are the authors taken in with all of the supplemental junk that health magazines try to push over on you. These authors are more savvy than most. And they explain and make a very good case at why weight-lifting has a much better metabolic effect than aerobics alone. Over half of the book covers its exercise program, and it is filled with hundreds of pictures, but this wasn't as much of an interest for me, but it might be for others. I found the book to have many interesting facts and case studies, many I haven't read about before. But the debate over what are the optimum protein levels is far from over. There are some respected nutritionists and scientists out there that think athletes need more protein than the USDA recommends; one the author quotes from is Professor Peter Lemon who is well respected. But there are also other well respected scientists still in the same camp that the USDA protein levels are all you need, and this includes for athletes and body-builders too. E.g., take Professor Ellington Darden. The latter used to be on the high protein bandwagon for ten years of his life until he obtained his P.H.D., and when he did one of his tests on himself, he noticed anytime he went over whatever the USDA recommended for his weight, he was urinating the excess down the toilet. But at least the amounts of protein the author is recommending isn't overly excessive.

The book was under-funded, as most health books are. Despite its title, not once was a single testosterone test done for any of the participants. They mentioned that testosterone tests are very difficult to get good readings on, and they would have had to take all the participants in as boarders to be able to do that. Nevertheless, they still make a good case of it by relying heavily on studies which showed that those who ate more fat, had more testosterone. Some of the other studies were of those taking testosterone supplements.

Not one single participant was thin to test their weight muscle gain program out on. So if you're one of these guys, you'll need to be the first guinea pig. All of the pictures I seen were of heavyweights. They started with 30 volunteers, and ended up with 16. And of that 16 remaining, I only counted 6 before and after pictures of the participants. Even when you look at the final 6 that are left that they choose to be their prime examples of what their plan could do for you; you'll notice the typical before pictures of the person just standing their looking sullen without his shirt on, and making no effort to suck in his gut. With the after pictures, they put on their happy face and half of them have their shirts on for the picture! And only one set of pictures even comes close to having the same before and after pose. Several have their arms up, and it's really amazing what sucking in your gut can do. Despite all of my criticism, you can still see a change, and I think the authors give us accurate measurements. But even when they are giving you personal statistics about the final 6 participants that are left, you'll notice the information is scant. Some left in their before and after bench press numbers; some choose to leave in their before and after chin-ups; nothing is consistent. They choose to pick what they want you to see, and disregard the rest. Now let's see ALL of the pictures and statistics from everyone including the final 10 participants!

Excellent Resource for Beginner and Advanced
I just finished the book. I've been working with a trainer for over a year, and have seen great changes in physique, and some weight reduction (10 lbs). Just some background for the review. I thought the book was very good but not great, and the areas of concern have to do with the some of science of their claims (they rail against small sample sizes in the studies and their cases studies are small samples). Regardless:

The book is in three sections; first the "T" plan and why it is better than other programs or fads out their for their target audience; secondly, is the sample diet plan; finally, it is the work out plan in 3 stages.

The target audience appears very similar to the Men's Health audience. The authors are explict in that they are adressing the 35 year old male who is 20-30 lbs overweight and wants to change. The goal is a blatantly male physique, akin to the cover models of Men's Health and not that of Mr. Universe.

The authors take you through a review of the current science on nutrition and exercise. You find out pretty quickly that though there is a great deal of information, there are just as many holes and unknowns in the current body of knowledge. The authors do a pretty good job of identifing what is based on sound science, what is cutting edge and not yet supported by large clinical trials, and what is supposition and educated guess work based on anecdotal evidence and experience.

Most of the most interesting stuff is based on small sample studies or interpreted data based on studies of interest but not exclusively focused on the authors topic. The bottomline to all this is the author's position that diet fads (Atkins, low-no fat, etc) and the Agriculture Departments Food Pyramid are junk. To get in decent shape and maintain it takes a different diet ("T" Plan), coupled with overall body exercise that builds muscle (aerobics doesn't).

The authors describe their ideal diet which is similar to the mediterranean diet, 1/3 fat, 1/3 protein, 1/3 carbs. This is adjusted to accomodate the different goals of specific individuals, fat loss (authors emphasize "fat loss"), body composition change (weight maintenance with fat loss), weight/muscle mass gain.

The authors give you the tools to determine the ideal daily caloric intake based on their best guess of the ideal protein intake. The focus is on determining protein needs (takes protein to build muscle) and then splitting the rest between carbs and fat. The authors go through a fairly indepth review of the right kinds of fat to eat, monounsaturated. This information is then converted to grams for you to develop a diet to fit the need.

The authors give 3 sample 1 week plans as an example and recommend that you vary it by checking the labels on foods to keep the ratio of fat, protien, and carbs in the correct proportion.

The workout plan makes sense and was in line with what my trainer put me through. The assumption is a guy who hasn't worked out in a while and the plan is based on crawl before you walk before you run progression. Stage 1 is to tone up and prepare your body for the work to come. The second stage is to build strength and keep the muscles in balance. The last stage is to build strength and muscle.

Overall, the plan appears reasonable, sustainable (you won't starve, get to eat meat, and 2000-3000 calories per day over 3 meals and 2 snacks), and safe. The authors go out of their way to make sure you do the workouts safely, why go through all this and get hurt.

They do discuss supplements, generally against, aerobics vs resistance training, pro resistance, and offer what to do after 9 weeks. I'm planning on keeping my trainers workout but adjust my diet to more along the lines of authors recommendations.

P.S. - no alcohol - they don't call is a beer gut for nothing.

This is the One
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 exercise form. But I have to admit I was the perfect candidate for this book: no disciplined exercise routine (generally stayed out of the weight room entirely, brought a book to read while on the recumbent bike), office job, usually skip breakfast, hit the co-workers' candy dishes around 10 am. The results are simply staggering - I could be one of the "Before and After" guys they profiled in this book. It may be a major diet change for some: lots of dairy products as well as red meat, minimal fruits and vegetables, and must give up the booze. But the bottom line is, you will eat like a man, exercise like a man, and in the end you will look and feel like a man.