Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body

Okay so I just got the book yesterday and I'm already halfway through. no this is probably going to be a long review first of all the book is a lot thicker and goes through a lot more than I expected it to. but that's a very good thing a list of why this book is great for beginners and then I'll list off reasons why it's good for experts or people who are not new to the fitness realm.Why it's good for beginners.I have so many people ask me advice on how to get fit how to lose weight how to do this what to eat what to not eat and although I knew a lot of all the information already I just didn't know how to word it or had to help them some person that asked didn't even know what a calorie was which you know there was a point where I didn't know what a calorie was either. Well this book makes it very simple and makes it scientific reasoning and proof and understanding of what protein is of what a calorie is of what it does for your body of what carbs are. There is no lies or things made up to get you to buy more protein bars or protein shakes and he even gets down to the secrets of what's really behind all of the programs out there. The fitness industry does not want you to know these secrets because they're not secrets at all but the fitness industry has wanted to do nothing but make a money off of us so they make so many promises and half truths and use big fancy words and we get so many different advice and stories and sometimes they even contradict each other. This book digs deep into all of that so that you can understand the scientific truth to everything and to understand all that is a huge step. It will also help me know how to teach other people when they reach out to me for help because he wears it so simply and he sets it out step by step so that you can learn more easily and he validates everything through science so it's not just more information contradicting each other you know what's true and what's not true. so if you're a beginner and you're trying to lose weight get toned gain muscle whatever your goals are this is the ultimate book and I wish I would have gone at years ago because even though I knew a lot of the information already from doing my own research just as he did it was great to have it validated and to understand it so clearly. sometimes I yo-yo diet because I don't know what the truth is and where to go and I always learn something new and then this new program comes out and then they say it's the opposite of what I should be doing it's just all very confusing and I think we can all agree on that this book is not that. Please take a chance on this book and don't just judge it by its cover or read the first few pages read it from the start to the end. It will definitely be worth your time.Why is it good for experts?Okay so I've been a fitness junkie Fred I don't know how many years I'm also a recovered anorexic. Fitness is always been very important to me but it's never been more important to me than it is now for personal reasons so basically I knew a lot of this information already. But the reason why this book helped me so much is because sometimes even experts fall into the trap of a lot of the lies that the fitness industry tells us and we even pass it on to other people with good intentions. This book will simplify validate all the different things that you've been learning to know the exact science and to know exactly how it all works so you know exactly what you're doing and I do believe that they're even personal trainers out there who should read this book because you can also learn a lot on how to talk to people on how to motivate them it even has a section in the book on things that would help with having self-control and even explains the science behind the dopamine and your brain that you produce and release when you're craving chocolate and when you want that cupcake that's in front of you or that huge slice of pizza. And he's very real about everything.Another few things that I'd like to add that's great about this book is that it makes me laugh quite a bit of times he's definitely got a sense of humor writing this book and that makes it a whole lot less boring and yes there are times where it does get boring but you know what it's worth it. If you read this book and you put it into practice into your life you will never have to make another program you won't need supplements and yes you'll still get to have your foods that you enjoy but you'll also know what you're putting into your body how your body is going to respond to it. and he has a good portion of the book that's all about how to work on the inside of you and not just the outside of you because if the inside is not working too then it's going to be hard to keep working on the outside because it does take a lot of self-control especially when that dopamine in your brain wants you to eat everything in sight or want you to skip that workout.Almost everything you've been taught and all these programs and in the fitness industry and even on Instagrams are all a lie and a sham. And before reading this book like I said I already knew a lot of the information but I'd get so confused like what's true what's not true and so reading this really validated a lot of it sometimes I would see the title of a chapter and it'd be like oh I know about all this but then I decided to read it anyway because he really does get into the science of it he doesn't just share his opinions he shares facts.I'm actually a little jealous that I did not come up with this book LOL another reason why I wanted to read this book is because my goal is to become a personal trainer but I have a hard time simplifying things for people and I make it far too complicated and people just get overwhelmed so that's something that I really have to work on in this book is really taught me on how to do that too so if you're a new it personal training or that's your goal this is another good book to read as well but again even if you're a beginner at this book is awesome as well. Getting fit doesn't have to be so complicated. when you're first learning about everything it seems a little complicated and it seems like a lot when you see how thick the book is but then once you get the hang of it it's really not. But again I'm only halfway through the book so I haven't even gotten through the workout part of it all I've only gotten through a lot of the nutrition lies in the fitness industry the facts of fitness. And there are a few things that I didn't know that I did learn since I'm recovering anorexic I had no clue that it was a lie that my metabolism was broken after reading this book I learned that that's false your metabolism just can't break. It only slightly slows down even when starving and is very easy to repair.Just one more thing I want to add he does not sugarcoat things he says that the way they are even if you don't want to hear it. I bet there are so many programs in Instagram and stuff like that that can't stand this man for writing this book because he speaks the truth and they can't make money off the truth. the fitness industry wants you to keep coming back wants you to keep buying supplements want you to keep buying their secret special sauce and as he put it it's all hogwash! There is no secret there is only science and once you learn the science behind it all that's when you can really make progress. I can't wait to put this into practice and stop getting confused between all the different information that I've been getting because now that I know the science behind it all there's nothing that can stop me you can't argue with facts!

Excellent book with a focus on the female body that explains the science of proper nutrition and the importance of weight bearing exercise. I love how Michael Matthews incorporates a variety of food and exercise plans that can be incorporated into different lifestyles. I highly recommend this book for any woman that needs to get started with improving their nutrition and beginning an exercise program or for those like me who need a review and some new ideas and motivation!

A lot of other reviewers comment that this book is not for experienced weightlifters and gave it negative reviews for that. This book ("Thinner, Leaner, Stronger," or TLS) wasn't written for them - it was written for people like me.I've been a regular (4-6 times/week) gym rat for at least 12 years. I started doing conditioning for varsity sports in college, but after I quit sports, I continued working out quite regularly in an attempt to lose/maintain weight and stay healthy. I'm sad to say I've mostly been doing it wrong. The good thing about TLS is that it convinces you that the best way to achieve fitness and lose fat is to lift heavy weights, high intensity cardio, and diet. I was missing the heavy weights part. I'd lifted weights for conditioning in sports but soon stopped after I quit sports. Since then, I had done basically every kind of exercise out there, including group fitness classes and a boutique boxing gym, in order to stay motivated. Many of these mix cardio and strength training (sometimes with weights, sometimes with body weight) into the same 30-60 minute exercise. I always felt like I was getting a good workout but had trouble looking leaner even though I'd sit on the elliptical or treadmill for almost an hour a day.I've now been following TLS for a little more than 2 weeks. It's not enough time to prove the theory, but it's enough to let me know that this is a great way to work out. It isn't as difficult as some cardio-heavy routines I've done in the past, and I feel like I'm already looking leaner and losing weight. I like that the author goes to great lengths to prove that the workout he suggests, the diet, and the supplements are the best proven ways to achieve lean fitness. If you're wondering whether or not this book is for you, I would suggest reading Mike Matthews' website, "Muscle for Life." Most of the advice, except for the specific workout, are included on that website. The best thing about this workout is that Mike Matthews will answer your questions, either by email or on the website forum.I love this book so much that I want to tell everyone I know about it. I don't because that would just be annoying - but I can't help it. This book has converted me. I believe I've found the best way to be leaner, thinner, and stronger after 12 years of essentially wasting my time. And you'll notice no bigger theme in this review than that I hate wasting time.However, I want to point out that this book is not necessarily for everyone. That's why I suggested reading the articles on the website first. Here are some of the downsides of this fitness approach:- It's best for people who are already in decent shape and used to working out. People just starting to exercise regularly for the first time in their lives might want to adapt some of the exercises, such as less intense cardio to start and lifting in the 8-12 rep range for the first few weeks.- You'll need access to heavy weights and gym equipment, including a bench, olympic weights, bar, and power rack at a minimum. I priced this out and think it would cost around $1000 to outfit a home gym, less if you can find equipment on craigslist. Your only other option is a gym membership. I've been working out at home lately and prefer home workouts to going to a gym because of the amount of extra time it takes (driving there, changing, showering afterwards, driving back home). But because of the startup cost, as well as the lack of space in my home, I got a gym membership. The downside to all this is that most people don't keep up with fitness routines despite their best intentions to lose weight and then they stop using their gym memberships or their home gym. So this is money down the drain if you can't keep up with it. Gyms are actually relying on people purchasing memberships and then just not going. It's their business model. I personally resent the extra time it takes to go to the gym, even though I've done it for years. Working out at home is my preference. Someday I will save the money to do so.- This workout is best for people who can devote 45-60 minutes 5-6 days a week to working out. That's just elapsed time doing the workouts, not the extra time I mentioned for getting to/from the gym. It's a little bit longer than fits comfortably in most working folks' schedules. More specifically, the workout requires lifting heavy weights for 3-5 days a week (the routines take about 45 minutes) and then doing 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-5 days a week. The author recommends separating the lifting and cardio by several hours. That isn't possible for me because of my job, and it isn't possible for most people. The alternative is to do the cardio workout right after the lifting workout, squeezing it into the 60 or so minutes if you're really disicplined about rest times and very organized with all the equipment you'll need. Otherwise it takes 15+ minutes longer. Or you could do the minimum 3 lifting days a week and separate 3 cardio days per week. I suspect the fitness improvement will be slower and/or less impressive this way, but it's technically possible. The reason this bothers me is that I've found that I can keep to a workout routine best if it's less than 60 minutes per day, which is a bit tight for this program if I lift 5 days/week with cardio right after.- I am struggling with the diet, which emphasizes a particular proportion of macro nutrients in addition to calorie deficit, specifically, 45% protein, 20% carbs, and 35% fat. Calorie deficit I can do, but somehow I have to eat 160 or so grams of protein per day and less than 70 grams of carbs, which I haven't managed to do so far. It seems that protein supplements more than once a day would be required. My natural diet of whole foods seem to be 33% protein, 33% carbs, and 33% fat. At the same time, this is a low carb diet, and I've found with willpower issues that it's easier just to reduce calorie intake than it is to worry about exactly what you're eating. I don't mind dieting so much if I can have a frozen lean cuisine pizza for dinner to calm my food cravings. This is not possible on the diet in TLS.- The supplements section is fairly informative, but I'll point out again the startup cost involved in purchasing supplements. Luckily, supplements are technically optional since they just don't help as much as diet and workouts.The reduced star to my review, despite the fact that I love this book, is due to the downsides to the program listed above as well as the fact that there is no quick reference guide to the major topics (workout, diet, supplements). Instead, you have to read through all the text to find the piece of information you're looking for. In other words, the information should be summarized more simply, since there are more than a few details to keep straight. I wrote the author about this and he mentioned it will be improved in a future edition of the book.

I have always been big on exercise and never lifting weights. I would lift to lift with no goal in mind. Now, I know how! I know what to do and how to accomplish it! I can’t wait to get started. Thank you so much for this gift of knowledge on so many levels of fitness.

This book is very eye-opening and it teaches you all about food addiction and how to overcome those addictions it is a step-by-step process that teaches you how to have a fitter mindset if you stick with it I guarantee you will lose weight