Review of Body by Science: A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week (Paperback)

I have owned 2 copies of Dr. McGuff's self published books "Ultimate Exercise" since 2002. Basically I have been using this routine or a derivative since then. I have also had a few phone consultations with McGuff during those years.These are basically the "Consolidated" type routines from Mike Mentzer's last two published books performed in a Super Slow type cadence.

I agree with all of the routines on the "Global Conditioning" aspect. I myself find that fixing your mind into a once a week frequency becomes fact for you and you may be delighted if you decide to maybe split up the A/B workouts but perform both in one week.You must be very in tune with overtraining but at the same time, not be paranoid and turn it into a Boogieman. Overtraining is not a disease nor is it irreversible. When you find yourself overtraining, cut back. I realize for the High Volume Trainers this is not even an option.

My absolute best results from these routines were in 2007 when I added the Trap Bar Deadlift (done at 2/2 Cadence). This really triggered growth in my body and transferred to all of the other exercises. I was working with 555 pounds on this for low reps (Started at about 365) and did not experience any injuries.This added exercise had to really be monitored because it definitely would lead to overtraining if done along with the other movements.

Lately, I decided to add more exercises and was doing 8 movements once a week and then split it into the A/B (still done during same week) and then used 7 days in between. I have tried 14 day layoffs and I don't care what any studies show, I got weaker, lost size, muscularity and gained fat. Perhaps it was my diet.

As far as John Little, I have used both Max Contraction Training and Static Contraction Training. Besides being almost impossible to perform in a gym, I did not experience any meaningful gains on these routines and got noticeably weaker and smaller until I ended them. They (Sisco and Little) both adamantly claim that these are NOT isometrics yet the verbatim results of Dr. EA Mueller and Dr. Theodore Hettinger's Classic Isometric studies of the mid 1900s are the basis for both of these books. the machines that Sisco peddles are basically big immovable platforms on machines with a tension meter attached. There is no outside resistance of any kind. For isometrics, I will use my body and doorway. Since John Little is co-author of Body by Science I find it valid to question his theories.

A serious question I have about John Little's writings and research is the thoroughly documented and hyped up "Research Programs" like "Nautlus North"always have the subjects making like 200% strength gains after 1.2 workouts yet the experiments never last more than a few weeks (or workouts). He does say in everyone of the books (even the ones he did for Mentzer) "If these people gained that much muscle in just 2 weeks, just think what you can achieve in 1 or 2 years", The experiments (Nautilus North, etc) will never tell us, they only lasted a few weeks. He did have a special follow up web page for Max Contraction Training but that lasted as long as the experiments. No follow through.

I suspect that John Little is on this book because of name recognition. John puts down the Super Slow protocol in both Static Contraction Training and Max Contraction Training. Also, Quoting from another reviewer "It also strikes me as odd that John Little is giving a strongly implied endorsement to full-range exercise, after all the promotion he's done for limited range work & static weight holding. Where do you stand, John Little?"

If anyone has made sustained gains from either MCT or SCT I never heard of them.I know McGuff says to use them for just for short periods of time. I would discard the MCT training totally. I believe John Little will just squeeze hisSCT and the "even more revolutionary" MCT anywhere he can. If you gave SCT and MCT a try, you will have discovered that MCT was a method discovered for Little to distance himself from Sisco rather than a revolutionary form of SCT.

With that being said, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book especially for the insight in Global Conditioning and the Faux Cardio Culture. I would have enjoyed it more without John Little's 2 cents (Revelation that he can apply his son's 3-way Mentzer Routine to his Max Contraction Training and other Anecdotes) but then again, he may have Tony Robbin's endorse it and make an entire science, philosophy and religion out of it complete with 30 minute infomercials a 20 DVD set and the ability to walk over hot coals at completion.

Seriously though, this book is a big notch for H.I.T. and I totally respect the education, research, personal training experience and passion that Dr. McGuff put into it. As I first stated, I have had phone consultations with him and have nothing but praise and respect for him. His insight on the medical aspects of strength training put him in a different class than most writers.

I also recommend Ellington Darden's "The New Bodybuilding for Old School Results" as a companion volume. Darden's book provides inspiration which really makes you want to hit the vintage Nautilus machines. Ellington Darden also recommends more movements per workout (about 8) and higher frequency. I say the reader experiment what works best for them and then adjust volume and frequency accordingly over time.

Both of these books together provide history, nostalgia and research. They do not contradict each other but compliment. A Yang to the other's Yin. Finally, if you can find a copy of Dr. McGuff's self published "Ultimate Exercise", I would snatch this up.

Product Description

Building muscle has never been faster oreasier than with this revolutionary once-a-weektraining program


In Body By Science, bodybuilding powerhouse John Little teams up with fitness medicine expert Dr. Doug McGuff to present a scientifically proven formula for maximizing muscle development in just 12 minutes a week. Backed by rigorous research, the authors prescribe a weekly high-intensity program for increasing strength, revving metabolism, and building muscle for a total fitness experience.



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