The Ultimate Body Plan: 75 Easy Recipes Plus Workouts for a Leaner, Fitter You

Great recipes

I first discovered Gemma in my late teens and have watched the ups and downs of her career over the last decade or more. In her own words, her introduction gives an open and honest (a recurring theme in her book) review of her life to date and the motivation behind creating this little golden nugget of information. Unlike a lot of other celebrity dross out there, Gemma actually speaks from experience. She spent the best part of her 20's malnourished and fatigued as a direct result of her work and the constant barrage of mixed critiques from being in the public eye. When she finally decided enough was enough she took on professional help and turned her life around. Happier, healthier and a whole lotta' sexier (in my opinion anyway)! Her own adage, "Feel good first, Look good second" is possibly some of the best advice (when it comes to fitness and wellbeing) that anyone could give. The difference between her book and other generic celebrity dross out there is that she actually lives it. The recipes are actually pretty good with plenty of selection for carnivores, veggies and vegans. She splits them out by: Breakfasts; Snacks (including desserts); Light meals & lunches; and Main meals, with plenty of pictures for you to salivate over. Not all recipes have a picture, but that's fine because the recipes are mostly short, simple and quick to make. The workouts are a well-illustrated goldmine of science (actual science), planning and performance with good form, breaking the entire 12 weeks down into manageable chunks with Warmups/Cool Downs; Phase 1; Phase 2 and Phase 3. It's a relatively simple book, but why overcomplicate things? Unless you're a peak-performance athlete or seasoned bodybuilder, this book gives you all you need to know to become a fitter, happier and healthier version of yourself, without drowning in the minutiae. Good bits: - Great to see how far Gemma has come along on her fitness journey. - Gemma actually follows her own program. - Excellent recipes which are quick to make and easy on the bank. - No-nonsense workouts in the gym or at home. - You can adapt the whole thing to suit your needs/environment. No excuses. - There's actual, verifiable science behind all of her claims and Gemma actually does a good job at communicating it to the reader. - Explains the basics of Calories, Macros, HIIT and LISS to get you started. - Nice, colourful book full of relevant pictures where appropriate. Not-so-good bits: - Some of the science is a bit thin, as in it just scrapes the surface of what is going on. But it is enough for most people to get on with. If you still need more detailed science behind things like Macros and Overload you are more than capable of digging through the internet and find out more for yourself. - She pulls on your heart strings when recounting parts of her life in the intro. I had no idea things were so bad when she appeared in one of the games she mentions. On the plus side, it definitely makes her far more "real" and relatable to than most other celebs out there. - The book is targeted primarily at women, though the content is suitable for all sexes, ages and degrees of fitness. Overall, for a little 180-page book, Gemma has crammed in her life-story (so far), a heap of tasty recipes and an actual, workable training plan to get people started on the path to feeling better about their bodies and then looking good in them too. At 12-weeks, what have you got to lose?

This book is full of very good advice and makes a lot of sense. There are some lovely recipes and quite a few use store cupboard items so you can start using them straight away, although I did substitute soy milk for almond and chopped almonds for pecans in the peanut porridge recipe and completely omitted the peanut butter the next time (but I'm sure Gemma wouldn't mind) and it tastes fab and is very satiating. Good photos and descriptions of the exercises and plenty of information regarding how to follow the plan. Gemma also talks very openly and honestly which gives you the confidence to give it a go. I would definitely tell you to buy it, the price is very good for all the advice you are given which is clear to follow. As I have only been following this for a week I will come back and give an update later.

I follow Gemma on Instagram and am always inspired by her approach to food and fitness. She's honest, down to earth and totally relatable, despite looking like a fitness model! This book is better than I had hoped. The recipes are delicious and filling as well as easy to make. The exercise plan is perfect, it only takes 30 mins or less to complete each workout, and the exercises are do-able but challenging enough - plus you really feel it the next day so you know it's working! You get 3 rest days a week, so you really can fit this plan into even the busiest schedule. I've been on the plan for a week now. I've dropped 7lb already, feel great and don't feel deprived at all or like I'm on a diet... I can totally see Gemma's plan becoming a way of life for me, and I'm so excited about that! Highly recommend 👍

the workouts, which need full on gym equipment, are clear and easy to follow. There are motivation tools and clear rules to follow. Alcohol isn't banned but you are advised to cut right back or stop if that works for you. The book looks great , there are some good recipes, plenty of veggie and fish ones, and all calorie counted. My main gripe is a book that encourages strength training really should have included the protein counts as well, to me that's quite a bad omission.