Body For Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength
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Body For Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength
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Overview
Imagine, just 12 weeks from now, having the lean, healthy body you've always wanted and not having to turn your life upside down to get it. Imagine having the energy to be at your peak from dawn to dusk, having the confidence to do all the things you've been putting off, having the certainty to make the right decision at the right time, and knowing that you really do have the power to change—not just your body but anything in this world you set your mind to.
If this sounds unlikely, or maybe even impossible, it's time you were introduced to Bill Phillips and his Body-for-LIFE Program—it's time you join those who have experienced breakthroughs with the help of his expert advice. These people include:
- Hundreds of thousands of men and women who read his magazine for guidance and straightforward information about exercise, nutrition, and living with strength.
- Elite professional athletes—among them John Elway, Karl Malone, Mike Piazza, and Terrell Davis—who have turned to Phillips for clear-cut information to enhance their energy and performance.
- People once plagued by obesity, alcoholism, and life-threatening ailments who accepted a personal challenge from Phillips and, with his help, have now regained control of their bodies and lives.
The principles of the Body-for-LIFE Program are surprisingly simple but remarkably powerful. Allow yourself to experience the force of the information on this audio—allow yourself to take your mind, your body, your life to a higher point than you may have ever dreamed you could. All in as little as 12 weeks.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780061467691 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 12/26/2007 |
| Edition description: | Abridged, Low Price CD |
| Pages: | 2 |
| Product dimensions: | 0.00(w) x 0.00(h) x (d) |
About the Author
Michael D’Orso is the author of the New York Times bestseller Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood and has collaborated on many notable titles, including Walking with the Wind, with Senator John Lewis. He lives in Norfolk, Virginia.
Bill Phillips is the founder and editor in chief of Muscle Media® magazine and the creator of EAS (Experimental and Applied Sciences). Michael D'Orso is the coauthor of Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement and Winning With Integrity: How to Get What You Want Without Selling Your Soul.
Read an Excerpt
The Breakthrough
When you gain control of your body
you will gain control of your LIFE.
A couple of years ago, I attended a fitness convention in Atlanta. It's one of only a few industry trade shows I attend, and therefore, it's one of the only times I come face-to-face with a large number of my readers at once. During the course of that weekend, hundreds of men and women who introduced themselves as avid followers of my magazine came up to shake my hand and chat. What struck me most about the entire experience--what absolutely floored me--was how strikingly out of shape many of these people were.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed meeting all these folks, many of whom had been reading my work for years. I even recognized a lot of their names. That weekend I think I met about 600 of my students. Maybe 80 of them looked fit and strong, but the others, who had been receiving the same information on exercise and nutrition, looked like . . . well, like they never had the opportunity to learn about how to get in top shape before.
On the flight home, I agonized over what I experienced that weekend. I knew then and there that in order to become a better teacher, I had to create a solution that would help these people not just get the facts but apply them. I knew I could help these people. I knew it was my responsibility.
Anyone who knows me at all or is familiar with me through my writing understands I firmly believe that a strong, healthy mind resides in a strong, healthy body. That, my friends, is a fact. When I see men and women who are out of shape, I see lives not fully lived. I see lost potential. I see people who need someone to help them realize they can look and feel better. That's what I see.
You simply cannot escape this reality: Your body is the epicenter of your universe. You go nowhere without it. It is truly the temple of your mind and your soul. If it is sagging, softening, and aging rapidly, other aspects of your life will soon follow suit.
I just don't believe that anyone in this world sets out on a journey to become fat and unhealthy, just as no one decides to become lonely or poor. What happens is, somewhere along the line, slowly and gradually, without even being aware of it, we give up. We give up our values and our dreams one at a time. When people let go of their bodies, it is, quite simply, the beginning of the end.
The night I got home from that trip, I couldn't stop thinking about it. What could I do to help these people apply their knowledge? I asked myself that question over and over again. I couldn't sleep. Then, finally, at about 1:15 in the morning, it hit me: They need a challenge. A competition. An incentive and the ultimate trophy--my blood-red Lamborghini Diablo.
I recalled how dreaming about someday owning that car helped me back when I was struggling to build my business--it helped me stay focused on my future and lifted my desire when I needed it most. I thought maybe it could do the same for the people I wanted to help--that it could be their driving force too. So, the next day, I put that Lamborghini up as the "Grand Prize" in the most unique self-improvement contest ever.
No one had ever tried issuing a challenge like this before, but something told me I had to do it, even though some people (including my dad, who's also my business advisor) let me know they thought the idea was crazy.
But I experienced something like the voice that whispered to Ray Kinsella in the baseball movie Field of Dreams: My instincts told me if I built it, they would come.
And did they ever...
More than 54,000 people from all walks of life signed up. Cops, cooks, and corporate CEO. Parents and grandparents (more than a few great--grandparents). Men and women who had never lifted a weight in their lives and a few seasoned gym rats who had been trying to build better bodies for years. The entries cascaded in, each individual accepting my challenge.
There were 10 categories, so young and old, men and women alike could till compete and have a chance to win. They were required to take 'before and after' photos and write an essay describing their experience and the impact it had on their lives overall. A team of judges, including myself, worked day and night scoring each competitor based on how much they improved their physiques, combined with how well they expressed the experience through their essays.
There - in those essays - was where my expectations and imagination essays were blown away. I hoped that giving people an incentive and challenging them to apply the knowledge I offered them would help them improve their bodies. And it did.
But that's not all. These people were getting physically fit, and they were getting their lives back in shape. It was, and still is, one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. Accepting this challenge rekindled the flame of desire for tens of thousands, and it broke down walls that were keeping people from moving forward in all areas of their lives.
Many of the men and women who accepted my challenge reported that this Program literally saved their lives. Their risk of heart disease (the number-one killer in America today) was drastically lowered, as well as the risk of being afflicted with other illnesses. such as diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis.
Beyond even that, the psychological and emotional changes reported by these men and women were (and are) stunning. They described off-the-chart leaps in self-confidence, self-respect, and empowerment. They discovered that taking control of their bodies broke down barriers all around them. People were more attracted to them. They got better jobs.
What People are Saying About This
After completing the 12-week program, I not only achieved my physical goals, I rediscovered passion in my life. This became the primary driving force behind my success. I've become the person I've always wanted to be.
— (Russell Simpson, M.D., age 47 Physician; Huntsville, Alabama)
I admire Bill Phillips because he believes so much in what he's doing, and he's helped so many people, including me. The time I've spent with Bill over the last couple years has been tremendous for me. I feel better mentally and physically. I believe the more his message gets out, the better off everybody's going to be.
— (John Elway, Two-Time NFL World Champion)
When we discovered Bill Phillips, we realized we had been confronted with a simple decision, 'Change our lives or dig our own grave with a fork and knife.' After a few weeks on the program, our bodies were changing, but more than that, our relationship, our lives were changing.
— (Fred and Renee Scurti, ages 38 and 35, Sales Manager and Homemaker; Parker, Colorado)
When I first read about Bill's program, I felt a sense of hope I hadn't felt before. I was inspired to take the first crucial step--I decided to change. Within weeks, I felt better, I looked better, and people started to notice. After 12 weeks, I lost 30 pounds, 3 inches off my waist, 4 inches off my hips, and dropped 3 sizes. My life couldn't be better. I'm not settling for mediocrity ever again.
— (Christy Hammons, Age 24 Accountant; Lexington, Kentucky)
While going through Bill Phillips' program, the physical changes I experienced were just the 'tip of the iceberg' for the changes in my mind-set. It empowered me and opened my eyes to the possibilities of change in all areas of my life.
— (Hank Johnson, Age 39 NASA Space Shuttle Engineer; Cape Canaveral, Florida)
Interviews
A Q&A with the Author:
1) What gave you the impetus to write the book?
It seems to me we're living in a time of "extreme capitalism," where the marketplace rules as never before. We're living in a time when almost everything (news, politics, advertising, the computer revolution) is a form of entertainment. And we're obviously living in a time when the culture generally, thanks to technology and the aging of the baby boomers and the end of the Cold War and feminism and a hundred other reasons, is in a state of thrilling, terrifying flux and newness. All those seemed rich, ripe terrains on which to stake out a big, realistic, funny, social novel. I hadn't seen contemporary business or a certain kind of modern marriage drawn very knowingly or interestingly in fiction, and I thought I might be able to do an entertaining job of it.
2) Set in the not so distant future, Turn of the Century has many futuristic inventions and events — such as computer games that incorporate biofeedback, minty-flavored Prozac for kids, civil war in Mexico. What new developments from the book do you think we'll actually see?
Of the three "inventions" you mention, one—the mint-flavored Prozac for children—-actually exists. I am thrilled that reviewers and reporters (you're not the first) assume some of the actual things in the book are fictional, and vice-versa. I think practically everything in the book could come to pass, and may. In fact, some of my inventions in earlier drafts did come to pass before I was finished, and I edited them out.
3) As a writer for The New Yorker and Time magazine, editor in chief of New York magazine, and co-creatorof Spy magazine, you've been writing and editing for years, but this is your first novel. How does writing fiction compare to nonfiction?
After 20 years of adhering scrupulously to facts, fiction-writing was discombobulating at first—I felt giddy, like gravity had changed, or as if I were committing adultery. In the end, I find writing fiction (and a 659-page book, as opposed to a 1000 or 10,000 word magazine piece) both vastly more difficult and more fun than writing non-fiction. But without those years of writing and editing week after week, I wouldn't have had the confidence in my craft to attempt a novel—nor, I don't think, the experiences worth transmuting into fiction.
4) What research did you do to be able to so realistically depict the business lives of your characters who work in television, the computer industry (both software executives and hackers), Wall Street ...?
I have some professional experience in television and online, but only some, so as I was beginning the book I spent weeks doing research in Seattle and Los Angeles and on Wall Street, hanging around with friends in the software and TV and financial businesses as they did they jobs, and asking lots and lots of stupid questions.
5) Where did you grow up? Your young children could live to see the turn of the next century — How do you think their experience and their adult lives will differ from yours?
I grew up in Omaha. And the distinct possibility that my daughters will live in the 22nd century is a fact I regularly astonish myself with. I can't pretend to have any idea what that world will be like. Well, I can pretend—in fact, at one point, this novel had an epilogue set on New Year's Eve 2099, with two of the three children in the book reminiscing about their lives and the 21st century. I do have a hunch that a hundred and two hundred years from now, the current epoch—1960-2010, say—will look pivotal.
6) Real people mingle with fictional characters in your novel. Does anyone in the book have a real-life counterpart (if you can tell us) and are you concerned about whether people will see themselves, rightly or wrongly, as the models for your characters?
In general, I am not one for doctrines, but I did begin this book with a doctrine about reality and invention—that is, I endeavored either to concoct wholly fictional people (and places and companies and TV shows and movies and inventions), or to use real people (and places and companies and TV shows and movies and inventions) as themselves. This is not a roman a clef, thinly veiled or otherwise. That said, I will confess that my good friend Jim Cramer, the financial writer and stock trader, bears a certain strong genetic resemblance to the character Ben Gould.
7) Turn of the Century highlights the cultural differences between New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Do you think these and other American places will come to resemble each other more in the faster-paced, more technologically-driven future, or will they maintain their distinct characters?
I think they will maintain their distinct characters, even as they become, in places, more alike. I think it's places like Omaha and Minneapolis and Houston and Atlanta that are more quickly becoming more alike—as well as more like NewYork, Seattle, and Los Angeles. And I think Washington (D.C., not State) is as close to irrelevant to the national life as it has been in this century.
copyright Kurt Andersen 1999
Introduction