Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
Shawn Phillips is an internationally respected strength and fitness expert who has helped athletes, celebrities, and tens of thousands of others over the past twenty years. Now he’s sharing his fresh approach to fitness with everyone. Strength for Life is an easy-to-implement program to help you get in fantastic shape, enjoy abundant energy, and maintain a lean, strong physique–not just for 12 weeks but for the rest of your life.

Let’s face it, with the demands of family, work, and life, many of us simply don’t have the time to stick to a rigorous workout schedule. Through his own life experience, Shawn Phillips has recognized this challenge and risen to it, literally reinventing fitness with a results-oriented program that you can embrace even with your hectic schedule and do either at home or at the gym. Homing in on the idea of building mental and physical strength rather than just sculpting your body, Shawn has pioneered a technique called Focus Intensity Training ™ (FIT), which uses the mind-body connection to yield incredible results. The program features

• a workout plan that can take as little as 35 minutes a day, 3 times a week
• illustrated exercises with clear step-by-step instructions
• 3 workout phases–a 12-day Base Camp pre-training period, a 12-week Transformation Camp, and a year-round continuation plan geared to keep you going strong and vibrant for the rest of your life
• a simple eating plan to fuel your body for optimum energy and performance–one that will free you from dieting forever
• goal-setting exercises to help you achieve lasting motivation and reach your loftiest visions

It’s never too late to get in shape. If you’re in your twenties or thirties, Strength for Life will show you how to achieve peak levels of fitness year after year. For those forty and beyond, you can look forward to recapturing the energy and vitality you thought you had lost. By following Strength for Life, you will make yourself stronger, leaner, sharper, and more confident. As Shawn writes: “Strength is about being more, doing more, giving more. It’s not just surviving; it’s thriving. And most important, strength is about having a reserve, a deeper, fuller capacity of body, mind, heart, and soul.”

Rating : - Body Maintenance
Overall, I gave the book a good rating. The vitamin nutrition
description of Omega 3 and Vitamin D is a bit skimpy.
In addition, Vitamin D may be taken with calcium carbonate.
The antioxidant regimen of Vitamins ACES is another aspect
of daily health maintenance. ( Vitamins A, C, E and Selenium)

A high quality refrigerated acidophilus may be helpful for the
gastro-intestinal tract. I find that juicing is extremely
helpful to satisfy the requisite 5-7 fruits/vegetables
required daily.

Sugar control is another condition precedent for lessening
the effects of pre-diabetic and diabetic states. For most
Americans, sugar control is a significant issue due to the
high content in sodas, cakes etc. Childhood diabetes and
pre-diabetic states are a new phenomenon for the current
generation of young people. There are good substitutes
for sugar; such as stevia and herbs like anise or cinnamon.
Good sugar control is another important aspect to maximize
the benefit of exercise and life style adjustments.

Unfortunately, many schools have cut out the required
physical gymnastics due to budgetary considerations.
I went to primary and secondary schools which had a formal
gymnastics program of basic calisthenics, basketball,
track and contact sports.

A complete exercise regimen would be optimal for non-smokers.
My experience with athletes shows that smoking interferes
with an athlete achieving maximum potential. Smokers tend
to get more tired as opposed to non-smokers.

Nonetheless, the author did a good job of presenting the
mind/body connection which few health books cover.
The exercises are carefully described with many pertinent
pictures depicting comparative exercise forms. A series of
nutritional meals are presented in order to integrate the
exercises into the eating regimen. The author points out that
people should eat to live and not the converse.

The exercise routine should have alternating periods of
workouts and rest days. This is an important aspect in order
to maximize the benefit for the athlete. The author shows
readers how to journalize their progress. This is a critical
feature of the book. The weight training regimen
is tailored for maximum effectiveness without unduly
stressing the muscles or musculoskeletal framework.

In summary, the book would be a good purchase for readers
who plan to integrate exercise into the daily regimen.
I believe that the author's regimen would be helpful in
school gym classes , corporate sponsored gym programs,
home-based programs and exercise franchises.

Dr. Joseph S. Maresca