Well I've done 7 weeks (missed 2 workouts) and its done wonders.
Advice:
1. Plan well. Get the sheets from the book or
http://www.bodyforlife.com , get a file, take some efore pics and measure everything etc. Choose which exercises and work out the weights you are to start with - I did this for my first few w/o's using advice from
BFL Bob (under finding your perfect "10" weight). I have an Excel worksheet for calculating your weights that I can e-mail you - can't remember where I got it from. Record what you do and when sorting out your next session always increase something.
2. Try
lean and strong , they're a BFL board and have a pretty good library of stuff. The main board has a few "problem" personalities and a bit of a troll and flamer problem but the team boards are good - I'm in QuadSquad and they're a great bunch. If you just e-mail the contact (Patti I think) they'll send you the URL. A word of warning - there's a bit of BFL fanaticism about and I have yet to admit I'm on Atkin's/PP as I'm afraid I'll get burned at the stake. It's all "LC diets burn muscle/ make you weak/ etc etc" I'll tell them when 12 week results are in. Stating on there what your goals are and when your starting is good motivation
3. Diet - I've stuck to mainly Atkin's induction with increased protein - about 1g/pound lean body mass plus about .25 cup of ground flaxseed perday for oil and fibre.
4. Supplements - vits/mins/CaMgZn plus lots of vit C, some chrome and I've been trying EAS betalean (an ECA stack) but I think that's a rip-off. Also taking creatine and glutamine and having a high protein whey drink post workout. Not sure what's doing what but I'm rarely too sore which people say is glutamine.
5. Tweaks - most people move abs to after cardio and do them 3/week. There's a vicious regime (ab-boot camp) which was at
muscle media (the bodyforlife/EAS mag) (If it's gone - I think it is - I can e-mail it to you). I couldn't manage this and have been doing some easier things. I train forearms instead of abs with lower body as my grip strength was a bit limiting. There's a great selection of exercises with videos at the BFL site and also at the better
http://www.exrx.net/ .
And so - good luck. I've never worked so hard as in the last 7 weeks but I'm beginning to grow some muscles!! In the 1st 4 weeks I lost 8lbs but dropped 4.8% body fat so that's 13lb fat gone and over 4 lb muscle gained. Amazing.
All the Best
Jon