Hi Jenn,
I tried the Ultimate New York Body Plan by David Kirsch. If this is what you refer to, here is the dope:
The objective is quick weight loss (in 14 days) followed by a slower weight-loss and maintenance phase.
The program has two aspects:
a. diet (hi protein, low carb approach)
b. exercise (a specific routine that you have to do as prescribed each week)
The program has 3 phases:
a. The Prep phase where you build up the endurance and stamina to do the workout in the plan. This phase is meant for beginners or those who do not workout at a challenging level currently. You can skip if you can complete a readiness assessment prescribed in the book.
b. The 14 day Plan: This is a very tough 14 day phase when you are on a strict diet and a rigourous daily exercise regimen. There are tough to follow restrictions on diet (No Dairy, Coffee, Fruit, Starchy Carbs and more)
c. Maintenance Phase: Here is where you ease back to a less restrictive diet by phasing in the banned foods. You do this over a period so that you do not gain back the weight. The workout schedule too becomes less rigorous after Day 14.
The style of the workout is cardio-sculpt circuit style (weight training that is not focussed on using hi-weight and maintains an elevated heart rate through out). There are three such workouts - one long and two short that you rotate on the plan. You combine pure cardio additionally into the rotation (running, elliptical, etc).
Here is a link to the book and a DVD that has the workout.
URL
I used the book and not the DVD to do the UNYBP for about 10 days before giving up.
I did not miss the DVD because I am a long time video-exerciser who could follow instructions with just the book. I workout at a gym now and enjoyed doing the workout using my own music, at the gym. Also the workout took way longer to finish when I followed the book. I found out from another forum that the DVD version is a little abbreviated on reps/sets.
I hated the diet. I am vegetarian and felt weak and hungry and sick of hi-protein. I lost (do not remember exactly how much) an impressive amount of weight. I gained it back because I did not follow the maintenance plan on the diet.
I am an advocate of slow and steady weight loss. The workout program on this plan is great. I have too many choices of programs currently, and am finding it difficult to accomodate them all into my routine, but I found UNYBP kick-butt tough while still being attainable. I made significant gains on agility (plyo power) and endurance while doing this workout.
Apparently David helped Heidi Klum regain her figure after her pregnancy with this program. David and this plan have supposedly several celebrity followers.
