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Customer Reviews (10)

Outstanding read.
This was an outstanding read, a great book and a great experience with the seller.

Motivating with a great approach to nutrition
I checked out this book from the library just for kicks, but now I have to buy it because it's actually filled with a lot of good information that I find myself referencing to just about every other day. LL's food plan makes a lot of sense in terms of charging up the body's metabolism. I've done similar carb-cycling plans and they do tend to work, but I found LL's approach much more feasible and not so intimidating. His suggested meal plans and recipes are awesome too! That was an unexpected surprise; the foods he wants to eat are wholesome and delicious so you always feel satisfied and energized. Since weight-loss and weight-maintenance success rely heavily on diet, I found his nutrition plan incredibly helpful. His way of eating is definitely something I feel I can do for the rest of my life. As long as you're eating the right foods at the right time of day, you feel better and better each day. As a woman who has tried just about every fad diet (juice "cleanses," pills, grapefruit diet, the hospital diet, etc.) and even more "lifestyle" diets (weight watchers, atkins, south beach, etc.), LL's plan just works for me. Now that I'm familiar with what to eat, I haven't tracked a single calorie. I'm just eating, exercising and living.

I also enjoyed the first part of the book, in which he walks you through how to have a better outlook on life and yourself. Some parts get a little preachy or sound kind of silly, but overall, it's quite motivating.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because the exercise section just got a little out of hand. There's a lot of great moves depicted, but there were just waaaay too many overall and they all pretty much require special equipment that can only be found at a gym. I have a gym membership, but not everyone else does, so that really poses a harsh limitation on a lot of readers.

I've read my share of diet books, fitness magazines and health websites, and Platinum 360 was surprisingly informative with a practical, effective approach to improving your overall health.

Lifechanging
Not only does this book have great workouts and helpful tips but what I love most is the meals part. I'm not much of a cook and the meals in this book are simple and really good. I bought this book over 6 months ago and I'm always picking it up and looking inside. This isn't a book that you will put on the shelf and forget about.

The book really connects with the reader and LL Cool J does NOT come off as "Hey I'm a celebrity". Since buying this book I can honestly say that I feel better and have more energy in my everyday life.

Content and layout
I think the book contains very valuable information.
Especially the first chapter about the state of mind that you are in and how you can make the changes in your life to get better.
The trainingchapter; I disagree a bit because I find the schedule difficult for a beginner because I' m a fitnesstrainer myself. I think it ' s to much split- program for a beginner but further than that the exercises are explained well and contain pictures of the exercise in question so that' s ok.
The food is explained very thourougly and very well. The meals are good, that' s perfect.

Even I can do this
I've read the book from cover to back.I haven't started the program yet, but I'm sure I can do it.I'll post more after I've started the program. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

You can look like LL Cool J too!
I bought this book for my husband because he wanted to have a role model image to use as inspiration. And who better than LL Cool J. This book was perfect for giving instructions on how to do the exercise routines, it had photos of the correct way to work out, there are receipes, and even some pages with words of wisdom and advice. My husband uses this book religiously. It's like his workout bible. And to be honest I don't even mind tripping over it all the time because let's admit LL Cool J is easy to look at. And for all the men out there who look up to him for inspiration andaspire to look as fit as him, well there'snothing wrong with that. So yes, it's worth buying and if nothing else at least just looking at the photos will make you want to get off the couch and geta six pack (and no I don't mean as in beer).Good luck to all the aspiring LL's out there.

Excellent book.
This is an excellent book with excellent workouts.A must for anyone really interested in improving their body in shape and nutrition.It is also excellent for your mind and soul.Good attitudes and uplifting all over!

pumped me up
I've only followed the diet and exercise routine for about 4 weeks, but have seen a substantial increase in energy.I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to jumpstart their routine ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (89)

Pretty good!
Overall it's a good book. I recommend it for someone new to training, because it's motivational and everything is clear cut - training splits (including instructions on how to do each exercise) and nutritional info.

I benefited from the explanations of certain things (like how to tell if you are over training, etc.) and I enjoyed the tips.

Design wise (layout & text) - I think it's awesome.

Mediocre
I was bit dissapointed.Makes a lot of assumptions and is weak on details.
I am glad I didn't pay full price even though I am a LL Cool J fan.

Satisfied
This book is amazing. It takes you through the beginning stages of proper fitness and nutrition, to the end which the result should be a pretty toned up if not muscular body. The workout routines start off simple and easy. If your not used to working out the first 2 weeks of the workout is circuit training to get your muscles used to the wear and tear of whats to come and that works perfectly because by the time you start with the free weights , your body is already acustomed to being stressed and you'll be ready to increase the time you spend on working out as well as the weights you use. Its not just LL making comments in the book but he has a few trainers and specialists in the book giving excellent tips. It starts you off the very first week telling you exactly what to get rid off in your kitchen as far as junk and garbage that you shouldnt be eating and he gives you suggestions of what to replace it with. He also gives you a weeks worth of sample meals with like 6 different meals a day. The one problem that some people might have and I see is the main complaint of some reviews is that this book is mainly for someone with a gym membership. He has some alternate routines but he goes into depth with the gym stuff, not so much with the alternates. When I first started reading it and I got to the part where he started explaining the workout routines, it was nothing but words and some of the names of the actual workouts I had no idea of how to do them. Like "deadlift" and "jackknife". I was like damn... how am I suppoed to know how to do this. This book would be perfect if it had some pictures to illustrate exactly how to do these specific exercises. So I figured I would have to go online to find some pics of how to do them but before I did that I read foward and low and behold... the pictures of all the exercises that he mentioned earlier. Why he seperated them I dont know but it doesnt matter as long as they're in there.There is also a chapter strictly for womwn. The motivation in this book is off the charts.

Im no fan of LL cool J, but the book works!
Having followed the book for 8 weeks, I can honestly say that its working.Ive lost weight, I feel healthier, and its a sensible plan that doesnt over tax you.

On the training side, and diet side - its quite time consuming, so you need to be serious about taking it on - but once you are used to the diet and taking the time out to spend to serious time at the gym, it becomes more like a habit.

Regarding the book, like I say, Im not fan of LL Cool J, and I skipped some of the anectdotes from his tours, and other non training related pages, but on the whole - its well presented, gives good explainations, and has some good instructions for the excercises.

I would reccomend it to any guy that wants to get in shape quickly.

A Female's Perspective after 13 Weeks
I really love the LLCJ program, but I have to warn any female who is interested in it that I'm only now (week 13 of 22, 3rd week of Hypertrophy workouts) starting to lose scale weight using it.

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**Program Overview (through Week 14)**
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Week 1 has you cleaning up your kitchen and diet first. There are no workouts.

Weeks 2 and 3 of the program are done on strength and cable machines at maintenance calories and have very little cardio. They are designed to build up a baseline of fitness and neuromuscular adaptation before the Strength, Hypertrophy, and Fat Loss segments kick in.

Weeks 4 and 5 increase weight and volume slightly for muscle endurance and transition you to free weights more and more.

Then you go into a 4 week strength phase (Weeks 6-9) with very low reps and heavy weights. Again, no scale weight loss there for me, although I could see and feel my muscles getting firmer.

Week 10 is an Active Rest week where you can pick your own activities.

Weeks 11-14 focus on hypertrophy/muscle gain building on the base of strength and endurance you've acquired. More cardio and slightly lower calories happen here, and the lifting volume is greatly increased. Workouts take longer, too. This is where I'm at in the program now, and it's where I'm finally feeling and seeing the fat loss accelerate.

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**My Personal Experience/Results**
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This is where the scale-watchers need to take heed:

I gained 2-3 lbs in the first few weeks of the program (started at a fluffy, deconditioned 5'6" and 146 lbs or so after 4 months of sitting on my booty listening to Star Trek: The Next Generation re-runs while crocheting like a madwoman instead of working out regularly), then stabilized between 147.4-148.5 lbs for most of the strength phase while measurements slowly came down. Two weeks into the Gold Body hypertrophy phase, I am consistently weighing in the 146.x zone, and my fluff zone measurements have started to move down faster. Based on my weight and caliper skinfold body fat readings, I have put on between 1-2 lbs of muscle, at least half of it on my upper body since I haven't been going as heavy as I have in the past on lower body work, and lost around 3 lbs of fat. My body fat has dropped by 2%, I have lost almost 2" each in my waist and lower abdomen, 1" in my thigh, and a few inches combined in my arms, hips, and calves while increasing slightly in my chest/back and shoulders. All this while eating a very decent 1800-2000 calories per day for the first 10 weeks of the program. I'm now at 1600-1800 calories per day in the Gold Phase as directed.

I think I've been able to stick with this program better than most others in the past 2 years because the strength workouts change every 1-2 weeks, as does the mix of cardio workouts. Body for Life, Turbulence Training, and Red Carpet Ready all follow the 3 lifting workouts + 3 interval cardio sessions per week pattern, and I was just bored, bored, bored. The exercises might change every 4 weeks on those programs, but the rep ranges, diet advice, cardio, and weight training reps and sets really didn't.

One of my favorite personal finance quotes is: "If you keep on doing what you've been doing, you'll keep on getting what you've been getting." I was doing the same things over and over, and my body had adapted so well to it that I wasn't adding any muscle to the areas that needed it or losing fat gradually at maintenance calories, which SHOULD happen if your workouts are still causing your body to create more muscle; your scale weight would stay the same in that scenario, but your body composition should change for the better. I was frustrated at the lack of progress despite doing all the right things.

That's how I felt this past year or more, and is in part why I took such a long break from working out earlier this year. With the LLCJ plan, I feel like I'm finally doing a program that is properly designed to give me the results I want in one integrated, complete progression from start to finish-build a fitness base, build strength, build muscle, and THEN burn off fat-all without resorting to gimmicky lifts while balancing on one leg on a Bosu trainer or crazy amounts of cardio. And the cardio times and types are properly scaled and tailored to the phase you are doing, not just the same 20-30 minutes of intervals 3 times a week that everyone else is touting. It's not easy, especially going into the Gold/Hypertrophy phase (I am dreading tonight's jump rope/push-up circuit), but it's effective for me and certainly not boring.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the remaining 9.5 weeks bring. This is probably not the program to pick if you just want to salve your ego by losing 10 lbs in one month just so you can brag that you weigh the same as you did as a high school senior at your 10 year reunion, but if you are in a rut with your training or progress, admire an overtly "OMG, she has WORKED for that body!" look, have about 5 months to achieve your results, and need a program that won't leave anything to chance, this is a great one to try.

(That said, the book does include a 4 week emergency fat loss plan geared towards women called the "Diamond Body" workout if you do need to blast off the fat expeditiously for an event.)

So don't be afraid to use this program ladies. You won't turn into hulking body builder overnight, I promise you. You WILL feel stronger, look leaner and more toned, and lose the jiggle in a safe, sustainable way without killing yourself with super low calories and two hours of cardio a day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inspired book and results
Tomorrow I'll officially start the 8th week of this program.I'm 6'3 and seven weeks ago I was 306 lbs.Today I'm at 270, and feeling physically and mentally better than I have in a long time.I've heard everyone has excuses not to exercise and get in shape, and I had mine as well.One of the things that helped me in the book was the entire concept mind, body, soul placed together.I knew I mentally and physically I had to make a life style change, I wanted to escape the obese category, start projecting the way I knew I felt inside on the out.LL book breaks down eating and exercises that have dropped 36 lbs off me so far and the mirror is showing the results.I still have a ways to go but if anyone is thinking about making a difference in their life (mind, body, and soul) please consider this book.My goal is around 240- 230 but the healthy eating, weights/cardio, and mind set have me determined to get there.Excellent book! ... Read more

Product Description
And the Winner Is... is about a young basketball player who learns the importance of winning and losing gracefully.By exploring themes of good sportsmanship, humility, and belief in onself, LL Cool J's story reveals the invaluable lessons that apply both on and off the court. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It Doesn�t Matter If You Win or Lose
In this book, rapper/actor LL Cool J stresses the importance of good sportsmanship.The book shows a series of handsome, yet funny cartoon caricatures of LL Cool J being egotistical when winning and being down and depressed when he loses.He then tells the moral; regardless of whether you win or lose, having the right attitude makes you a winner every time.The books comes with a compact disc that has LL Cool J rapping the words of the story and encouraging kids to never give up.

This is an excellent book that I would highly recommend for children.It uses a popular entertainer to present a very valuable lesson.Kids will enjoy the compact disc that allows younger readers to follow the story while older readers will enjoy the opportunity to read/rap along.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

It Doesn't Matter If You Win or Lose
In this book, rapper/actor LL Cool J stresses the importance of good sportsmanship. The book shows a series of handsome, yet funny cartoon caricatures of LL Cool J being egotistical when winning and being down and depressed when he loses. He then tells the moral; regardless of whether you win or lose, having the right attitude makes you a winner every time. The books comes with a compact disc that has LL Cool J rapping the words of the story and encouraging kids to never give up.

This is an excellent book that I would highly recommend for children. It uses a popular entertainer to present a very valuable lesson. Kids will enjoy the compact disc that allows younger readers to follow the story while older readers will enjoy the opportunity to read/rap along.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

who are you kidding???
I cannot believe this book is being marketed to 9-12 year olds! There are like 5 words on each page! I showed it to my 11 year old son when I bought it and he laughed...my six year old wanted the book AND the CD. If you want it for a little kid, fine, but don't think it's for a 9-12 year old.

Excellent!
Buy This One and "Think Again" by Doug E. Fresh!

Sportsmanship
Good to see a rapper promoting sportsmanship as a winner or as a loser. I'm a teacher and I opened the school year with this book because the message is such a positive one.I also like it because the boys in my class (3rd grade) pick it up and read it and play the CD. It goes well with "Think Again" book. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Hip Hop Feuds, G-Unit Vs. the Game Feud, Jay-Z Vs. Nas Feud, Beef Iii, Russell Poole, Ll Cool J Vs. Kool Moe Dee Feud, Roxanne Wars, Beef, Diss Track, Beef Iv, Hip-Hop Feud, East Coast-west Coast Hip Hop Rivalry, the Bridge Wars. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 74. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Beef Beef is a film that documents the history of hip-hop feuds . The film's producers were Casey Suchan and Denis Henry Hennelly and the executive producer was Quincy Jones III (QD3). It was written by Peter Alton and Peter Spirer (who also directed ), and was narrated by actor Ving Rhames .This film takes a chronological look at battles (some friendly, but many personal) dating back to rap music's infancy in the early 1980s. The notable rivalries discussed include KRS-One vs. MC Shan , Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee , 50 Cent vs. Murder Inc. , Twista vs. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony , Common vs. Ice Cube ... Read more

Product Description
James Todd Smith, better known as LL Cool J, is an American rapper and actor. LL Cool J stands for "Ladies Love Cool James". He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has also appeared in several films. LL Cool J is one of a few hip-hop stars of his era to sustain a successful recording career for more than two decades, with more recent singles like "4, 3, 2, 1", "Headsprung" and "Rocking With The G.O.A.T" and "No Crew Is Superior". He has released twelve studio albums and a greatest hits compilation so far, with his latest album being 2008's Exit 13, the last for LL's record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He now resides in Manhasset, New York with his wife and four children. ... Read more

Product Description
JANUARY 2004 ISSUE OF STUFF MAGAZINE WITH A WETTER AND WILDER BROOKE BURKE ON THE COVER. OTHER ARTICLES/PICTORIALS FEATURE RACHEL HUNTER, SONIC SEX, CHASING THE RUN-DMC KILLER, LL COOL J, WHALE FARTS AND MORE. ... Read more