Ripped 3: The Recipes, The Routines and The Reasons

"This book has been around for about 20 years but this is the first time that I've read it. Don't pass up the read because of its age. There's nothing complex about any of the material but it is still relevant today and the program is effective. "
~ Written on 2007-05-28

"This book, first published in 1986, apparently has not been revised since. A lot has happened in the fields of exercise and nutrition since then, and more current information can be found on Bass's excellent website and in his more recent books.

The diet advocated herein is extremely low in fat. There's no mention of the important role of "good fats," and no mention of the possible dangers of a very low fat diet--we simply didn't understand those topics 20 years ago. Bass's basic premise, of eating whole natural foods with an emphasis on plant products, hasn't changed much since Ripped 3 was written, and it remains sound advice today, but you'd definitely want to update the overall eating plan. The recipes in Ripped 3 look pretty tasty and are nutritious, but you can easily find similar recipes for free elsewhere.

The weight training programs in this book are mostly of the high volume, varying intensity variety. In my opinion most of these programs would cause overtraining in drug-free, not genetically gifted individuals. Bass is not such a person. He is much skinnier and more muscular than most of us could ever hope for no matter how we trained, and what worked for him could be disastrous for the average trainee. It is notable that even Bass has taken up infrequent, high-intensity, lower volume training these days. Like his dietary advice, the weightlifting advice in Ripped 3 is old hat.

Still, Clarence Bass has accomplished much, and he has much to tell us. Just look to his more recent works and don't bother with the old stuff."
~ Written on 2006-07-01

"I have read numerous diet and exercise books. This is one of the best. It is well thought out and thorough."
~ Written on 2000-06-28