Don't Be A Loser

  By that I mean don't let NBC's "The Biggest Loser" scare you off from exercise.

 What?! You mean Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper,etc. aren't helping? If you read my blog on a regular basis you probably know my opinion of these " get in shape " reality shows. These shows give a wrong example of working out, often with unrealistic ideas and goals ( "I want to lose 100 lbs in 3 months"). And the worst offender is "The Biggest Loser".


  In the show, Michaels and co. scream, threaten, spit, and bully obese people with often dangerous, poorly planned and poorly executed exercises. Such actions are praised by some "experts" as motivating people to exercise. Well guess what? This Canadian study proved otherwise. Read it.


  Basically students at the University of Alberta were shown a 7:00 clip from "The Biggest Loser". Those who saw that were turned off to working out. And get this, they were also shown a clip from "American Idol". They had a better impression of that!


 I remember the first Loser I saw. Michaels went to Cambridge, Ma. to "help" an obese family. Their father had in fact died from heart disease, etc. The mother and 2 or 3 kids were also obese. Michaels really went after the family, especially the mother. At one point she had the mother on a treadmill , going too fast. The mother couldn't keep up. Michaels ripped into her, calling her pathetic, disgraceful, etc. almost spitting in her face. The lady started to cry. Michaels calmed down a little, and claimed she was just trying to "help". "Help"?! Help like a hazing!


  In another episode the contestants were taken to the Marine boot camp in Camp Pendelton, Calif. The contestants were put through a boot camp style routine , including using heavy ruck sacks, going up steep hills,etc. Remember, these are deconditioned, obese people. These aren't Marine recruits or competitive athletes. Yet this is viewed as helpful ?!

  This is disgraceful. No ethical trainer would do this. I look at each individual as an individual. I look at their current health, previous athletic experience, as well as their goals. Obviously there's a difference between a totally obese person who needs to get in shape for general health versus a future Olympic athlete or a future SEAL. Their training will be radically different. But even these warriors don't need to be beaten up. They should be encouraged and motivated to work harder than others, even pushed to a point once in a while. But not torn apart. When you think about it, one of a fitness trainer's main jobs isn't so much to show how to exercise, although that's an important component, but rather to motivate a client to strive  to reach new heights.


  So don't be a loser and instead think and train like a winner.

2013...A New Year, A New You

  2012 is over, and if you're like most people you've got resolutions you've made for 2013. You know, "I want to give up smoking", "I want to be more organized", and probably the most popular "I want to get in shape".


  Since this is a fitness/performance driven blog we'll concentrate on the last one. At this time of year gym memberships spike, exercise equipment sales increase, and even vitamins and supplement sales shoot up.  Unfortunately they also all drop within a couple of weeks. I'll make some suggestions so you don't end up being among the many who didn't accomplish their goals.

  Notice I said goals, not resolutions. Because resolutions are known for failing it's better to think of goals which is something to look forward to, and which people are known for achieving.Also goals, most people understand, can take some time. And time is something you'll probably have to accept, depending on your goal.

  The nature of your goal will affect how long it takes. You have to have a realistic time frame. If you just want to lose 5 lbs of fat it probably won't take more than 1 1/2 months. Did you notice how much time I gave? You want to do it properly and safely. 5 lbs of fat shouldn't take that long but just in case.

  You should try to set a time for achieving your goal but if you didn't don't lose hope. Reevaluate what you did and where you might have gone wrong. That's why we gave extra time in the above example. Also take into account your smaller accomplishments. Maybe you're shooting for a 6:00 mile after 4 months of training but you didn't make it. You achieved a 6:15 mile. However look at the fact that originally you were at a 7:15 mile. You took 1:00 off. Also some of your smaller training sessions I'm sure produced some good results. Maybe you were able to run a 1/4 mile in 1:28, or a 1/2 mile in 2:59 at the track in your training. See, those are good times, and if you could hold that pace you'd accomplish your 6:00 mile. So, just keep up the work, trying to improve your v02 max ( your ability to maintain your anaerobic threshold ). I know about that because it happened to me, until I finally accomplished  it.

  There are some factors to consider. How much time do you have for training? If you have very limited time it's critical you focus and prioritize on what's most important. Similarly , do you have the necessary equipment and facilities. The best example I know is swimming. You can't swim in your bath tub and pools are only open limited hours. Even those of us who work at pools have to adjust our swim times to accommodate others. I can't swim during a meet or even when there are too many people in the pool ( high school season practice for example when we have 5 or 6 teams in the pool ). So if you get the time to swim use it and skip other things. You may have very limited time but you can still make progress.


  Another limiting factor might be any physical limitations, specifically injuries. If you're recovering from shoulder problems ( like me currently ) pressing motions like high rep push ups and heavy military presses are going to take quite a while.


  I'm not trying to discourage you. In fact quite the opposite. You can achieve your goals this year, but you should expect a long road ahead, not a quick thing.


  2 other factors are probably as important or maybe even more so. You must have a positive "  I can " attitude. Related to that is what you're willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals. Certainly,you'll have to sacrifice a lot of so called "comfort foods" ( candy, onion rings,etc. ) for proper nutrition. And life style changes will almost definitely have to happen. No more partying and beer until 5 a.m. every night. At least limit them, although eliminating them is even better. You'll find time is something you'll have to sacrifice. How much depends. If it's just to lose a few pounds or even lift a heavier weight you probably won't have to sacrifice hours upon hours. On the other hand training for the fire academy, military boot camp, or trying to win a 5k is going to take a lot of your time. This is where the attitude, will power comes in. Ask yourself " Is it worth it?"  Just think about standing in the winners circle. That'll tell you how much it's worth.

  I hope you 2012 was good for you. I certainly made some good accomplishments. Now let's make 2013 even more productive.

A Multi-Planar, Multi-Faceted Circuit

  Hey folks, I did this kettle bell circuit yesterday morning. I had to be at the pool by 8 a.m. and I didn't really have time  to work out at home, especially run. Fortunately this circuit took care of most things. It involved a little grip strength, strength endurance, explosiveness, speed, as well as aerobic and anaerobic work.


  I did lateral walking lunges, about 4-5 steps in 1 direction, then reversed it, then did 10 twisting swings, followed by 100 meter sprint. This workout also worked often neglected areas. The lateral lunges targeted the adductor muscles in the frontal plane, the inner thighs in this case, used for bringing our muscles back towards the body. The swings targeted the internal and external obliques ( "love handles" ) and transverse abdominals, working in the transverse plane. Finally, in the sagital plane, I got my run in by sprinting 100 meters. It wasn't a light jog, it was a good sprint. I took no rest between sets. The only rest was just getting set into position. I did this for a total of  32 sets. Yes, you read right, 32 sets. This circuit took 1:02:51. I tried to beat my previous time, which I did, granted by just :05 but so what. That's also a goal of this type of training.

 My only problem was I couldn't keep my elbows locked during the swings. Nevertheless, I think I maintained reasonable form. So, the next time you want to work out but you only have limited time, try this circuit. Adjust as needed for space and time. But go for it. No excuses.

Here's the video