Body RX: Dr. Scott Connelly's 6-Pack Prescription

by A. Scott Connelly

Book Overview

Dr. Scott Connelly, founder of Met-Rx, the sports supplement used by millions, has woven his lifetime's experience in physical fitness, body composition, and nutrition science into a precise yet... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399147829
• ISBN13: 9780399147821
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.8" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Incredible results, if you have faith to see it through

Dr. Scott's program is not for the faint of heart. The program leans towards the bodybuilder's approach, in that it uses cycling of different phases (bulking/cutting/maintenance), so for the first 2 cycles you are mostly building strength and muscle rather than shedding fat. You are expected to eat far more food than you would on a normal diet, and most people actually feel a little "thicker" during C1 and only start seeing real results between the end of Cycle 2 and the middle of C3. Since many dieters are too short-sighted to see the long-term benefit in this, it may scare some people away. It requires a great deal of faith and forsight to believe that all this food consumption will result in fat loss, but believe it or not, it works like a charm! About 3/4 of the way into the program, the results start to show drastically (I guess that's why the author is a renound metabolic expert). Since most diet books cator to the shortsighted "weekend dieters", this one is a rare find in that it really takes the time to do things right, by building you up first and setting the foundation for long-term results. For those few who are realistic enough to understand that no fitness model became that way in a weekend (or even 3 months for that matter), but are willing to work hard for 5 or 6 months for extreme results, this program is for you. (BTW, the latter phrase describes *the* one and only secret formula of the fitness cover-models that the suppliment companies don't want you to know about ) I really didn't expect to have any visible results during C1, mostly because I participated in a Body RX chat forum and knew what to expect. I'm now half-way through C2, and for the first time I'm really starting to see results. Today after my workout I happened to catch a glimse of myself in the locker room mirror, and had to do a double-take. Cycle 3 is where the real fat-loss occurs, and I've heard so many positive accounts of people's C3 experiences, I'm really looking forward to that cycle. Some people compare this program with Body For Life. To be honest, I've tried BFL and it actually took me longer to get results. BFL falls short by trying to convince you that you can gain muscle and lose fat all at the same time (which may work if you are new to strength training, but won't last long). Also, BFL doesn't fully explain your macronutrient requirements, but instead uses a more arbitrary "palm/fist" method which may lead to macronutrient deficiencies that can ultimately shortcircuit your success. While BFL may be a good place to start (actually, an even better place to start is Tom Venuto's "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle" online book at burnthefat.com), Body RX is almost like the next level. Note that the 5 star rating is for the program, not so much for the book itself -- there are some misprints, and there are also some aspects of the program which are not well explained and can be interpreted in a multiple ways. Just to warn you ahead of time,

No Gimmicks, Solid Results

NO GIMMICKS, just a change in lifestyle. LADIES, you can do it, too!! Put simply, Dr. Connelly's book stresses proper and adequate nutrition to jump-start your metabolism so you can burn fat and store more lean mass. I take his word for it; after all, he has extensive experience in ICUs with patients in catabolic (breaking down) states and he is the driving force behind Met-Rx, the popular revolutionary nutritional supplement. His view on nutrition is that you should (greatly) increase your protein and fiber intake so as to not create a deficiency and to fuel your metabolism. A deficiency will actually reverse your progress because since the workout routine is so good, your muscles will crave protein. If there aren't enough free amino acids floating in your blood, your muscles won't have anything to build on and will therefore breakdown. Also, the frequent (healthy) snacks throughout the day is like adding wood to a fire - it will keep your metabolism going throughout the day. You'll notice yourself feel more energetic because your body is constantly processing good calories versus the empty calories found in ...fast food. The fiber he recommends may put you in the bathroom more, but it helps fuel your metabolism. Eating fiber-rich cereal and munching on fruits all day is VERY filling and satisfying and is helping me burn more calories than ever.Second, he stresses lifting as a way to increase lean mass because lean mass burns calories even when one leads somewhat of a sedentary lifestyle. His lifting program is simple to follow, and when followed properly, the intensity level not only allows you to effectively fatigue your muscles, but it motivates you to push yourself toward your goal of a trimmer body and a healthier lifestyle. Each phase - increasing base strength and size, sculpting your new mass, cutting your fat, and maintaining - is separated by repetitions, weight, working sets, and rest periods. I'm in the second week of the sculpting phase and I can tell you it's much different from the power-oriented phase I started with. Now I am hitting 4-5 working sets in which I almost hit failure on each one and I rest only 1:30 minutes in between. I feel the "pump," the bloated muscular feeling in which your area of concentration becomes engorged with blood (a good sign since it means your muscles are extremely active), more often. The prescribed rest periods effectively puts you in a good sweat and you burn a lot of calories as you lift.Being a college athlete, I highly recommend his book. I already have a good base of mass because of football lifting, but I can see and feel myself getting even bigger. I have always been a big kid with mass, but I could never get rid of the annoying body fat around my waist. Every trainer in the world will point it to my eating habits, and Dr. Connelly has pointed me in the right direction. He has helped me find good nutrition even in my college dining hall, but one negative mark against his program is the supp

THIS PROGRAM WORKS!

I've been following the Body Rx program for 6 weeks now, and I've already lost over 2 inches from my waistline and added almost 1/2 inch of solid muscle to my upper arm measurement. I consider these results to be absolutely outstanding for a 43 year old male! When I first glanced through Boby Rx at the bookstore, it looked like a copycat of Body for Life by Bill Phillips. Although Body Rx is similar in styling and concept to Body for Life, I believe that Dr. Connelly's program is superior. I previously followed the Body for Life program (to the letter) and while I managed to lose 14 pounds in 12 weeks, 3 of those lost pounds were valuable muscle mass! With the Body Rx program I am now GAINING muscle mass while losing bodyfat. And I'm not spending a fortune on supplements either - a good protein powder is all you need. I highly recommed Dr. Connelly's program for anyone who's been disappointed with the results they've been getting on other programs. Just be sure to read it thoroughly and follow the program as outlined.

Simple intelligent programme

This book is exactly what the author emphasizes in the programme--simplicity rules!.Its very well organized and explains the science behind it thoroughly,simply and elegantly.He doesn't push his product as pointed out by another reviewer,and he has no suspicious before and after pictures(he does have a few examples and they look genuine).He points out very early on that the diet is 80% of the fitness equation and says that exercise is optional, but the ideal way to get into shape is the combination.You may actually find yourself exhausted from eating because there's a lot of food allowed.The meal plan is SO simple and it takes you one day at the beginning of each 6 week cycle(there are 4)to organize the rest of the 6 weeks.There's large protein allotment, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and a tapering supply of certain carbs(most of which you knew were not good for you anyway).The maintenance programme is more liberal with carbs and has a weekly cheat day, which he encourages you to have.The exercise plan requires 4 days a week with access to the gym for just 5 exercises(in one hour)each time,is very well organized and will not kill you.In the time that I have used it,I have not emerged dying from the gym and I'm pleasantly sore.It has modifications for the gym routine to fit your schedule e.g. 3 day routines. I would recommnd creating a list of your favourite higher protein recipes or modifying them with his simple guidelines, using Corinne Netzer's Food Count books to figure out the details.There are no strange foods required(he doesn't cook,he confesses) and its simple to put one of his meal plans together.Examples of his mealplans are salads,burgers,meatloaf and so on.You can easily do this even though he does not provide actual recipes.Nothing is forbidden in terms of carbs,but you do have to count some carb grams in some foods.There is no calorie counting.After the zone and its tedious planning,this so doable. Do I have any unkind things to say? Well, the protein intake is very high and there is some concern as to producing accelerated osteoporosis in women(based on some medical studies)but the weight lifting protocol will probably strengthen bone to overcome this.The maintenance diet is also more reasonable in this regard.He doesn't do aerobics himself,attributing leanness to his diet and weight routine, but says that you can do three short(20-30min) sessions weekly if you want to,and this is contrary to most fitness books out there.The weight routine will get your heart rate up but I choose to do the three sessions of aerobics.The only thing I really liked about"Body For Life" was the quick,brainless and effective 20 minute aerobic interval.Of all the weight lifting books I have read, the best in terms of technique explanation plus wonderful visualization and focus tips remains "A Woman's Book of Strength" by Karen Andes.Don't let the title fool you,guys-she's the co-owner of Gold's Gym.This book is reasonable with

The scientific approach to rid your body of its fat.

Dr. A. Scott Connelly is a tremendously respected medical doctor, metabolic specialist, personal trainer, and nutritional engineer. He was the first person to develop the now famous Meal Replacement Powder; it was, of course, Met-Rx. Met-Rx revolutionized human nutrition, especially for those involved in athletic endeavors. Its a potent high protein, moderate carb, and low fat super food. Its design was based on research Dr. Connelly did with 'wasting' patients. It was designed to give a person a flow of protiens and amino acids for a sustained period of time to prevent catabolism. It has done its job well, and I've used the product with tremendous success. I was surprised that he did not push the product at all and only mentioned it by name a couple of times in the book, as opposed to another famous supplement "guru" who suggests three servings of his product everyday. Dr.Connelly knows what he's talking about. He's helped star athletes and average Joes get the body they've always wanted. Body Rx offers new insights into human nutrition and how the body handles nutrients. Dr. Connelly shows why the so called 'fat gene' is not the reason America is getting fatter; it's the processing of foods and the removal of vital fiber. He shows the relation between fructose intake and increasing belt sizes. He puts nutrition back where it should be; that is, as the main determinant as to how your body will look--significantly more important than exercise. This has been known for a long time but other diet experts have pushed aerobics and high-carb diets as the way to lose fat. Dr. Connelly explains lucidly why they are full of hot air, and why most of these so called experts would never want to be seen by others in a bathing suit. The exercise aspect of the program is reasonable but still rigorous. You work out 4 times a week --the right way!--for about an hour each time. The workouts are intense, but not to the point where you'll burn out. It is the type of program I used to lose over 50 lbs(my program was actually from the Owner's Manual out of a package of Met-Rx). The essence of the program is based on Dr. Connelly's extensive knowledge of the human body and nutrition. It's based on one simple premise: build muscle and give the bill to fat. If you follow this program to its end, you will succeed!!! By the way, you will never, ever, ever, be hungry on this program. He gives a list of certain foods that you can eat until you are full and satisfied, and he never wants you to eat dull, tasteless meals. His suggestions are fantastic. I can't recommend this book highly enough.