In his book, Fifteen Minutes to Fitness: Dr. Ben’s SMaRT Plan for Diet and Total Health, Dr. Vincent “Ben” Bocchicchio has developed a sensible and rational approach to diet and exercise.  It works in concert with our physiology to produce dramatic results and is something that every personal trainer and fitness professional should read.

It sounds like a new fad and just another new exercise plan in the long stream of the thousands, if not millions available to us. The foundation of this program, however, is based on years of study, observation and practice. It has delivered real and measurable results in the overwhelming majority of those who have tried it.

Dr. Ben has worked professionally in the fields of fitness and health for nearly 40 years.  An acknowledged leader in the field, he has built his success by combining science with effective body conditioning and technology to product optimum health, fitness, rehabilitation and weight loss.  In the 1970s, Dr. Ben developed slow resistance training, a fitness technique that changed the way people exercise.  Although, not a “body builder”, he maintained his physique by doing his 15-Minute SMaRT Workouts.

The SMaRT™ Program is a five-week metabolic makeover which covers exercises for everyone, whether you are a gym goer or a home exerciser.  It includes step-by-step photographs and instructions for each routine.  The Commercial Gym SMart Workout, the At-Home Resistance Band SMaRT Workout and the Total Gym SMaRT Workout takes you through the difference between exercise and activity. It talks about why cardio alone doesn’t work and the science behind why a high intensity resistance training program paired with a controlled carbohydrate diet, results in the most optimal fat burning program.

You will learn how to properly exercise all of the major muscle groups to failure, so that you engage all of the muscle fiber types, including the Type II b-fibers, the holy grail of fat and sugar burning.  Most folks are surprised to discover how quickly they can sense a feeling of increased strength and energy and how they can see body changes after even two or three workouts.

You will learn how to properly exercise all of the major muscle groups to failure, so that you engage all of the muscle fiber types, including the Type II b-fibers, the holy grail of fat and sugar burning.  Most folks are surprised to discover how quickly they can sense a feeling of increased strength and energy and how they can see body changes after even two or three workouts.

In 1974 when Dr. Ben created his slow resistance training program, now called  SMaRT-Ex, it was originally designed for elite athletes whose time and energy were at a premium, especially during their competitive seasons.  It has now been used by half a million people.  So what exactly is SMaRT-Ex?  It’s an acronym for Slow MAximum, Response Training Exercise, and it’s a system Dr. Ben invented and developed that is now a mainstream fitness technique used by trainers worldwide.  One of the most effective, efficient forms of exercise ever invented, SMaRT-Ex includes the following features:

Slow – Usually 15 degrees per second or slower (a much slower speed of movement than normal).  This controlled speed allows for isolation and focused muscle loading (significantly slower than the common speed of resistance training).

MAximum – Unless a subjectively high level of demand is met, optimal exercise stimulation is impossible.

Response – Constantly loading a muscle through its range of motion, using appropriate resistance to induce fatigue (“muscle failure”) for a physiologically determined length of time consistently produces the desired metabolic responses.

Training – Consistency and organization are mandatory in order to separate random physical activity from formal exercise.

Dr. Ben incorporates exercise with a SMarRT eating plan that does not force one to give up multiple foods, but concentrates on carbohydrate decrease.  He goes into gender specific weight loss problems, hormones, insulin sensitivity, liver taxation, systemic inflammation and many other important factors that contribute to the modern American diet.  The key, cut sugar and fuel with protein/fat.  With 5 weeks of meal plans and countless additional food options and suggestions, the SMarRT plan is a program to be strongly considered in this age of obesity and health issues.

This blog was posted with full permission from Dr. Ben Bocchicchio.  Click here to purchase your copy on Amazon.