It's no secret that I've been relying on DVDs to keep me exercising consistently, and Physique 57 is one of my favorites. I have been doing Volume 1 since last year and been drafting a review for Volume 2, but in the meantime, I "splurged" on this e-book, The Physique 57 Solution: The Groundbreaking 2-Week Plan for a Lean, Beautiful Body. I generally don't buy a lot of Kindle books because I can "lend" them from the library, but I made an exception for this one because I really have found the workouts to be effective and wanted to learn more about how it works. (Note: I believe the hard copy of the book may come with an additional disc, so maybe it's best to get that version instead of an e-book. However, I am more likely to carry around my Kindle and therefore chose convenience.)
The book goes over the history of the Physique 57 method and then extensively over how it works. In a nutshell, the program aims to build lean muscle mass to increase your resting metabolic rate. Now, I have known that building muscle is good for metabolism, yet I would lift and lift and not see much change, except maybe a couple of muscles that just seemed to pop out against, um, softer parts of my body. Doing Physique 57 for a while has actually resulted in muscle definition that is more shaped like my natural body, only better(? it's hard to describe). All without a gym membership or a bunch of heavy weights. It just takes small movements that train your neurons to hold your muscles a certain way and target specific muscles.
Each of the exercises in the Physique 57 (P57) method is described and illustrated in detail -- arms (though the book explains why not much time is spent on these), thighs, seat, core, and back) -- and then two workout routines that are about an hour each are given. There is even a suggested playlist. The book's workouts are a nice mix-up from doing the DVDs all the time and is great for when you aren't around a DVD player (however, some moves require the playground ball and such). Personally, I don't know how well I would do with the book's workouts without having done the DVDs first. I think I needed to learn the moves with the proper cueing. I'm sure I probably need to go to a class at some point to really get it down, but that's another story.
The last part of the book contains an eating plan -- it's pretty strict and reminds me of The Virgin Diet. The recipes look promising though, and based on my previous experience following that kind of eating plan, this will probably yield results quickly since they recommend more P57 workouts than I typically get in their two-week plan. If I ever need a super-charge (you know, big event coming up or something), I'd feel comfortable attempting the plan as closely as I can and expect results.
I'll probably go through this spheal again when I post my Volume 2 review, but I was always skeptical that effective exercise could be done without spending too much time and jarring your muscles to a slow death running or on a cardio machine. To cover my bases, I do still run and do other things, but I feel like barre-type exercises are a great supplement to my fitness routine. Otherwise, I wouldn't keep going at it. This book will be a portable version for me to do while away from home (the moves that don't involve equipment).
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FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this book and am providing my honest opinion.
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