Built for Show: Four Body-Changing Workouts for Building Muscle, Losing Fat, andLooking Good Enough to Hook Up
No-nonsense workouts to build a lean, strong, eye-catching physique.
Every guy is looking for an edge, some way to get single women his age to notice him more than they do now.
Unfortunately, most guys have absolutely no idea what kind of body automatically flips a girl’s attraction switch. Nate Green does.
Built for Show is the first fitness book to address young men on the prowl. It’s not just written for them; it’s written by one of them. Green, who’s just twenty-three years old, is already a veteran fitness professional who’s been quoted in Men’s Health and Maximum Fitness magazines. Green offers four twelve-week workout programs, each with a seasonal theme. The fall and winter workouts add muscle size and strength that’ll show even under layers of clothing. The spring and summer workouts burn fat and chisel the showpiece muscles—creating a lean, cut, beach-ready physique.
But Built for Show is more than just a workout book. It also provides:
· Realistic nutrition advice to feed the muscles and starve the fat without breaking the bank or spending hours in the kitchen
· Tips on dressing right, looking the part, improving your social status, and settling into your new lifestyle
· Quick ways to assess posture, with useful exercises to fix flaws and improve self-presentation, no matter the situation.
The detailed programs include over fifty exercises, illustrated with over one hundred original photos.
Neither a weight-loss guide nor a body-building manual, Built for Show instead reveals to guys exactly what they need to build the body they – and women – want.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Solid Basics Bargin
This book is actually funny at times and the style tips are legit.The workouts tips are on and the workouts are basic and do able for most first timers out there.
If you want to get in shape and weed through most of the b*ll**it that is in the mags then start here.
I was actually suprised by the book and it is a solid pick up.
2 Stars Best workout book ever *IF* you are an out-of-shape complete loser moron.
I have to admit that using the possibility that you might actually get laid to motivate out-of-shape losers to exercise and eat right is not a bad idea, and Nate is definitely cashing in on this. Unfortunately however the basis for his global workout strategy is overly vague and non-scientific, while at the same time his actual exercise plan is overly detailed, sort of a bad combination. I think that most guys who are reasonably smart and healthy and active will gain little from this book except confirmation that yes, they work out just to look better to women (hopefully not a news flash for most of the population). Probably better books out there. [and I'm not just jealous; I'm definitely built for show thanks to my own workout strategy.]
5 Stars Great for people who want to look good
I’ve been training for years, and got very serious about it last year. I never miss a workout and eat the best diet I can. I needed something to send my muscle growth, strength, and fat loss through the roof. Nate’s book is the answer. I’ve been on a ton of strength, I’m getting compliments from girls (and more ;)…) and most importantly, I feel great. And this is from someone who’s been training hard for a long time already. The book is easy to follow, but the workouts are very challenging. After each one, you’ll feel good. But remember, don’t go criticizing the book if you don’t see gains. As with any workout plan, it requires dedication to achieve your goals.
The only criticism I have is that Nate often tries to be funny, and the jokes fall flat. But I will say this: I commend him for attempting it, and making a usually flat, humorless topic enjoyable. It takes nothing away from the workouts, it’s just sort of annoying sometimes. I like it much better when he writes from the heart. Nate explains his early days working out, and how weak and tiny he was. It’s very inspiring.
Get this book. It will change your workouts.
4 Stars Very good book but specifics are missing
I bought this book two weeks ago, read through it, and have started on the first workout program Nate’s recommended. I have to say it’s well-written and organized in a very easy-to-read manner. It should not take you more than 2-3 days to finish it. The hard part is understanding the breakdown of the workouts themselves. It gets complicated trying to figure out which set-rep combination you need to use on a particular day. I e-mailed him about this but he has not gotten back to yet. Once you start on his program you will understand what I am talking about, because he employs a method called “undulating periodization”.
Nate’s information is general enough for us to understand why we wants us doing something a certain way. His explanation on exercise form is good and tells us what NOT to do, which is key. I was somewhat disappointed for a couple of reasons though: first, he doesn’t really get into one of the key tenets of muscle-building - which is the principle of progressive overload. Other literature will say that there always needs to be that one set in an exercise which you go all out and push the muscle past its previous threshold. Some people will even venture to say that any sets past this “all-out” set is useless and a waste of energy. I would have liked some more explanation on this theory. Secondly, I would have wanted some information on stretching and preventing injury. Nate does show use mobility exercises, but I would have liked some info on post-workout stretching and such.
Overall, this is a very good book. Nate may be young, about the same age as me, but he seems to know his stuff. I suggest getting this and reading other stuff out there as well, such as Vince Delmonte’s “No Nonsense Muscle Building”.
EDIT — 06/20/09
It’s been a full two weeks since I have gone on Nate’s program and there are some caveats you should be aware of:
1. If you are in the least bit top heavy, the T push-ups he recommends you doing for joint mobility may do more harm than good. I’ve done them for every workout as a warmup and both my shoulders feel like they are about to fall off - elbows and shoulders are cracking/popping now. Shoulders especially feel very weak. Read below for more..
2. The neutral grip shoulder press may also do more harm than good. I find it puts a lot of strain on your anterior shoulder area. Everyone’s body is different so if this feels like it’s hurting you, then go back to your regular overhand grip.
3. The front squats he recommends you doing will put a lot of strain on your wrist area. Again, if you find your body is not tolerant of that type of exercises’s range of motion or flexibility, stop it.
There is a common pattern here: Nate recommends a lot of lesser-known exercises (e.g., Bulgarian split squat, goblet squat, dumbbell hang snatch, etc.) - maybe he wanted his program to stick out from the rest of the books out there, or maybe he truly believes they will work. All I can say is that you need to listen to your body anytime you go through someone’s program. If your body is telling you to stop, then stop doing that exercise, evaluate why, revise the form, and if it still hurts then don’t do it anymore. The last thing you want is an injury. I will definitely take some of Nate’s principles and apply them to my workout, but I think I will go back to my original routine and make some modifications. I’ve found it has worked for me in the past, the only reason why I never got real results was due to my nutrition.
My weekly routine goes something like this:
Monday - Chest (three exercises), triceps (1-2 exercises), abs (2-3 exercises)
Tuesday - 30-60 minutes of high intensity interval training
Wednesday - Back, biceps, abs
Thursday - 30-60 minutes of high intensity interval training
Friday - Shoulders, legs, abs
Saturday - 30-60 minutes of high intensity interval training
Sunday - off
p.s. - I am no fitness expert but no slouch either - 6′3″, 200 lbs, played football in high school and college.
4 Stars Excellent!
I’m only through the first of four phases right now, so I’ll give four stars out of five, because I can’t say yet how effective the year long program is overall.
I’m giving this book four stars though for the excellent workouts provided. My own workout routine had long since become stale and not very challenging. I was extremely happy to find myself challenged by the workouts in this book. More importantly, I find myself really looking forward to going to the gym and looking ahead to the workouts in the next phases. That was huuuuuge. Thanks!
Some of this book is fluff and just not very interesting to me. Not really interested in the whole pickup or womanizing aspect. I really liked Nate’s tips on eating better though. I’m not going to eat a plain chicken breast and a protein shake every day. Nate’s chapter on nutrition provides some really good advice on how to eat like a normal human being in a healthier manner and not overdo it. I really appreciated those tips.
Filed under: Bodybuilding Book Reviews
