Name: Body by Science
ISBN: 9780071597173

John Little

Doug McGuff

Building muscle has never been faster or easier than with this revolutionary once-a-week training 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.

A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week

Body by Science

Timeo Williams

Body By Science


The first axiom of the book begins with the statement that the human body is never static, but rather it is a dynamic organism juggling two tasks in a juggling task: Breaking down (catabolic state) and building up (anabolic state). Examples of this is theblood-clotting system function. As it is continually breaking down and building up clots, keeping a balance between blood viscosity and coagulability to ensure smooth blood flow and still stem bleeding shoulditoccur. Your pH Bal, blood gases, hormone levels, electrolytes, fluid levels, and innumerable other complex processes are constantly shifting and changing as well within these two processes. 


Definition of health - A physiological state in which there is an absence of disease or pathology and that maintains the nec biological bal. Between the catabolic and anabolic states. 


Definition of fitness - The bodily state of being physiologically capable of handling challenges that exist above a resting threshold of activity. 


So, what is exercise? 

Definition of exercise: Specific activity that stimulates a positive physiological adaptation that serves to enhance fitness and health and does not undermine the latter in the process of enhancing the former.  


Author then goes on to state various popular exercises that do and not meet our updated definition of exercise. Jogging and running both do not make the cut, because if the high chances if risk involved. 


Author then goes into relationship between health and exercise. Claims that when analyzing the data, though athletes have high levels of fitness, the means to which it is achieved undermines health. Then brings up the legend of distance runner Pheidippides, who upon reaching Athens, shouted “Nike!” And then fell to the ground and died. Abd that scientific literature strongly makes the case that long distance runners are much more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, cancer, liver and gallbladder disorders, muscle damage, brain damage, spinal degeneration and germ cell cancers than are their less counterparts. 

So the goal of this book, is the findings of exercises that allow for optimal levels of fitness without compromising health. 


Now, we goti the McMaster studies, which were published in 2005by McMaster University, with the findings revealing that very intense exercise resulted in unique changes in skeletal muscle and endurance capacity. The summary: High intensity exercise in short time intervals improved performance and. Has implications. For improving health. 


William Harvey is an English medical doctor who is credited as being the first to correctly describe the properties of blood circulation throughout the body via the heart at the begining of the 17th century. It seemed that heart disease was a relatively new phenomenon, that didnt occur with frequency. So, when physicians such as Dr. Kenneth Cooper began exposing the importance of cardiovascular fitness and it's synomnity with aerobics. The studies conducted at the time validated his theory. But over time, this belief has grown to such anextent that any activity - from walking, to jogging, to swimming -that is low in intensity and steady in state is referred to as “cardio.”

The downside to all this is that their is too much weight to one metabolic pathway , aerobic, and not the totality if the other metabolic segments. However, isolating the aerobic pathway in itself is pretty much impossible, as it is fueled by the substrate pyruvate, which can be produced only through an anaerobic pathway. 


Insert photo of the metabolic processes of a cell.

robert preswick

A great book for those novice to exercise and thoroughly researched points backing every argument. 

I agree with all but the use of machines, I believe more naturalistic movements such as the squat and dead lift at high intensity reaps more reward. 

4/5 no-nonsense all sense

Josh Dzarir

An excellent book backed by scientific research. It's refreshing how it's not just another fitness fad trying to capitilize on misinformation. I did this routine for a month, and while I believe you can maintain your muscle mass and strength with just a 12 minute workout per week. I found that I needed to do more sessions during the week for my mental health. I've incorporated the exercises from the book into a more varied routine and now focus more on my recovery. It's a great book that dispels a lot of disinfirmation in the fitness industry.

Body by Science A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week