Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body

This book has taught me the workout and nutrition essentials/basics that I wish I had known years ago, when I was in my 20s, rather than now in my 40s. It has been transformational. Quite simply, the advice and program in the book works - and the book teaches you to be self-sufficient: it gives you a life-skill to manage your own body.Here's my experience: Over the last year my waist size has dropped from 36" to 31" (less than my college waist size! - and I was always pretty slim when I was younger), I have lost around 25 pounds of body fat, can see abs for the first time, and have gained around 12 pounds of muscle.I bought this book 11 months ago, in November 2013, and initially just followed the author Mike Matthew's gym weight-lifting suggestions (lifting heavy compound weights, for 4-6 reps). I saw immediate results within about two weeks: my muscles visibly were gaining in size. This was the first time ever that I had followed a workout regime and could genuinely see the results were real, which was an enormous encouragement to keep going. (Prior to following Mike's program I had done the usual gym thing of boring cardio plus experimenting with weights without really focusing - and I had quickly got bored and discouraged by lack of results in the gym).I kept it up in the gym (the workouts are focused, short and fun) but didn't really do more with nutrition than eat sensibly (just watch calories).It was when I decided to follow Mike's advice (Mike responds to reader emails!) and get my body fat down first, before trying to bulk up my muscle size, that I started to rigorously follow the diet/nutrition component of Mike's plan as well. Wow - that was astonishing: my body fat declined from 15% to 9% over about 2 months in summer 2014.In the last couple of months I've switched to the muscle bulking stage in Mike's plan, and have been adding about a pound of muscle per week with very little (if any) additional fat. So far so good!The last year has not been smooth sailing, of course. Along the way I've had to learn about more disciplined eating, get educated about body fat targeting (rather than body weight) and take some time off from the gym to let the odd minor injury heal after over-doing it a little (my fault, not the program which is very safe). But the commitment has always been there because the workouts are 45-60 minutes long (which is a realistic length of time in a busy schedule), I feel absolutely great (better than I have in years) and the results are plainly visible in the mirror -which is just incredible for motivation.In essence, since reading this book I now properly understand the combined value of lifting weights on a careful and simple program in the gym, and eating using the right guidelines. That's the power of this book: it will educate you to be able to manage your own life in workout and nutrition, and teach you how to control and manage your body composition - something that I never imagined would be possible.Highly, highly recommended.

I never write reviews for stuff I buy on Amazon, but I've been moved to do so with this product. First and foremost, let me tell you a bit about myself before I get into why I'm such a fan of Michael Matthews and his methodology.Before I bought this book, I had been lifting for about 8 months. I gathered most of my information from more advanced lifters and places like Bodybuilding.com. I was able to do the whole bulk/cut thing by myself and get some results. but, for the most part, I wasn't educated as far as workout programs go. I would think "That guy looks better than me, I'm going to do what he's doing." I followed various routines to a T. And then I found this book.The routines in this book are kind of similar to Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength," but there is more variety and not as long of rest times so personally, I think these workouts are more fun. You won't really work in the 8-12 rep range that many "experts" call for; this is mostly about lifting heavy. I myself was slightly skeptical, but Mike Matthews backs up everything he says with references that are right in the back of the book. It's evident that he's done his research; I even skimmed through some of the studies he cites myself so I could see if I got the same essential meaning. I did. Yes, the workouts are kind of unconventional, but they work. More on that later.The real strength of this book is how thorough it is. I feel that it's simple enough that anyone could pick it up off a shelf, read it, and be ready to go, regardless of how much lifting experience he or she has had. Nutrition is spelled out so easily that a five-year-old could follow the thought process, and the supplement section opened my eyes to a few things I didn't know as well.There are a couple of drawbacks, though--- the book does seem to contain quite a bit of motivational junk-- which, some people may need-- but to me it seemed overdone and almost hyperbolic. Then again, I love working out so I didn't need the extra kicker. Maybe you do. It's in there. The other thing is this: Sometimes, you just get bored reading the book, man. I LOVE learning new things about fitness, but you can only take so much at a time. I read the book in three large chunks, but sometimes it was a struggle to push through. It's pretty well-written and easy to follow, but you can get bogged down nonetheless.Here's the big part. I wasn't going to post this review until I had actually tried the program for a few weeks. I am now finishing my first month, and I have seen strength gains pretty much across the board. (I should add that I transitioned from cutting to bulking, so more food almost certainly had something to do with it, but regardless, I am thrilled with the results.) I've been able to gain weight without gaining much body fat (something Mike teaches you how to do) and, for the most part, I still look pretty good. I haven't got the "puffy" look that most people do on a bulk. But, I digress.If I were just reviewing the book, I'd probably give it four stars. But that, coupled with the results it brings, pushes it to a 5. I wish I had a sixth star to give for what I'm about to say next.When you purchase the book, in the back there is a miscellaneous section where Mike links you to his website and other e-books. Yes, he obviously wants to advertise and ultimately get more money, but if you go to his website, there is TONS of free advice and he'll even throw in three free e-books when you get on his email list. You can find pretty much everything you need to know-- and yes, it's all backed up by science as well.I've also been able to personally interact with Mike on Twitter a couple times. Initially, I thought this book was a cash-grab and that would be it, but I was wrong. Mike actually cares to follow up with the people on his program. He's answered all of my additional questions and been very helpful throughout the process. He also constantly posts new, free articles on his social media, so he's worth a follow if you're serious about BLS.Obviously this is how he makes his living, but he seems to be a genuine person with a real passion for helping others achieve their goals. Well done, Mike, and I'll be sure to get in touch with you after finishing BLS.