I love to work out. My favorites are weight training, walking, and playing sports with my kids. I'm open to trying just about any form, as long as it doesn't involve my biggest fear- heights. But can you believe some people don't enjoy to exercise? Incredible, huh? Actually, it's not that hard to believe since more people don't exercise compared to the amount that do. Here's 10 reasons why some people have not been able to make regular exercise an enjoyable part of their lives.
1.They're doing the wrong type of exercise.
2.Their exercise level is too high for their fitness level.
I remember from my childhood being in the room when my parents where watching the news and hearing an announcement "the views and opinions in the following editorial do not necessarily reflect those of this station blah blah blah..." I don't remember exactly how the rest went.
Well a few days ago when I was giving my site a once over I clicked on one of the videos on my video wall widget. If you haven't checked it out yet there's a link to it at the end of this post but stay here first, please. I chose the video because the trainer appeared in more than one of the frames. His video made complete sense and I was in total agreement with him. He was discussing a strategy that some people claim cannot be done, but it can and he did a good job of explaining how. So I decided to check out another video of his. Within 11 seconds of this video I realized my opinion is the complete opposite of his in regards to core training. He stated core training was one of the biggest wastes of time in the gym. He feels it's the most ineffective and dangerous thing you could do in the gym. He recommends that you work each muscle group independently and then do some crunches or leg lifts for the abs and forget about doing core training. I disagree. First let me say this: All exercise is good. Some is better than others for specific goals, but the health benefits of exercise always makes it worthwhile. Second, all physical activity, proper exercise included, has some possible risk of injury. The risks increases with lack of supervision, poor instruction, and improper progression.
Beyond the fact that I believe that core training can be very effective and when done properly is safe, I take issue with the fact that the trainer did not specifically address any particular group of exercisers before making his bold statement. There are people who can get away without doing any direct core training- advanced strength athletes, bodybuilders and physique models who have been working out enough to know how to effectively stabilize the trunk and receive plenty enough core work through training the rest of their body. Most of these people usually do some form of exercise directed at the muscles of the core anyways. But this does not apply to everyone. Athletes and beginners that lack adequate core strength and stability definitely benefit from regular direct core training. Not to mention that some of us enjoy exercising with a stability ball, or find it fun doing things on dyna-discs, balance boards and airex cushions. Does that mean we should quit since we're wasting our time doing such 'ineffective, dangerous' stuff? I don't think so. Also, the core consists of more than just the abs.
I always take issue when fitness 'professionals' make any sort of statement that will possibly direct someone away from exercising. Had he at the beginning stated “This advice is for those of you who exercise or train for ____" then I may not have written this post. But since he basically sounded as if he knows what every exerciser's goal is I feel I had to inform the visitors of Aaron Harris fitness of my stance on core training. So I'd like to leave you with two things:
1.Before you take the advice of someone make sure the person giving the advice knows why you are exercising and what your goals are.
2.The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed in the videos appearing on the video wall are those of the person/persons presenting in the video, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Aaron Harris fitness.
If you watch any of the videos and have a question about the topic or want my opinion about it be sure to leave a comment and include the link to the video's window or tab.
It's easy to label yourself or someone else just by looking at their body. Big, small, short, tall, fat, skinny, built. Did you know that understanding your body type is the first step into developing the proper exercise and nutrition program to allow you to reach your goals?
You are probably aware of the role of genetics in determining your health and what type of body you have. I'm sure you've also heard the terms apple, pear, hourglass, stick, or thick when referring to body types. But do you know the specific term for your body type in regards to your natural bone structure and tendency towards body composition? The three 'somatypes' are Ectomorphs, Endomorphs, and Mesomorphs.
Ectomorph: An ectomorphic body is thin and lean (commonly referred to among weight-training and bodybuilding circles as Hard-gainers), and have a difficult time increasing body weight through both muscle and fat gain. Ectomorphs usually have high metabolisms and thin skeletal systems. Most men in the gym are working toward changing their ectomorphic frames and many female exercisers wish they were born with ectomorphic bodies.
Endomorph: The endomorphic body is categorized as heavier, thick skinned, and thick boned, carrying higher levels of body fat. Endomorphs usually have a harder time burning fat than they do storing or gaining fat. Remember this is the natural tendency of someone's physique regardless of activity level and diet. Don't confuse it with the changes that could occur to the other two somatypes through inactivity and overeating.
Mesomorph: Mesomorphs have a naturally muscular build with medium bone structures- not as thin as ectomorphs but not as thick as endomorphs. They usually have broad shoulders and narrower waists. Most successful physique and strength athletes are naturally mesomorphic. This is the body type most male gym rats wish they were born with.
For most people it is simply obvious whether they are an endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph. If you are unsure a good way to tell is by thinking back to your youth. Were you naturally skinny(ectomorph), or did you keep your 'baby fat' up through the age that you were mature enough to have and care for your own babies? The other way to tell, for those of you that are dedicated to exercise, is to look at what would happen if you took an extended break from exercising. Would the rate of fat gain be greater than the rate of muscle and strength loss? That's a good indicator you're an endomorph. If after taking time off all your clothes get loose, including your wrist watch, you're probably an ectomorph. But you probably knew that already. A mesomorph will, depending on their workout intensity, lose some muscle mass and possibly gain some fat. One other thing to note, there are individuals that do not easily fall into either of the three categories. They may possess some characteristics of more that one somatype. These people would be part of a mixed category, such as Ecto-Mesomorph, Meso-Ectomorph, Endo-Mesomorph, or Meso-Endomorph.
Now that you know your body type you can use this information to design the correct exercise and nutrition program for your exercise and fitness goals.
A while back I came across a photo of Greg Valentino. It was like a gruesome car accident, you know you shouldn't look but for some reason your eyes are drawn to the... macabre? Well, in case you are unfamiliar with Mr. Valentino, he has the dubious title of the "Man with the Biggest Biceps" and had a documentary filmed about him titled 'The man whose arms exploded.' He admits he used anabolic steroids, and according to many sources online he is highly suspected of using 'site-enhancement oil' to create his freakishly over-sized arms, which he denies. Basically, site-enhancement oil is a substance containing medium chain triglycerides, a preservative, and local anesthetic that is injected directly into the muscle which basically stays in place, pumping up the volume of the muscle due to this oily fluid build up. It can't even be called a performance-enhancement because it is not increasing true muscle fiber mass or strength, just overall girth.
After hearing about this individual and reading more about Synthol(a common name for site-enhancement oil) it appears that are many others suffering from some sort of mental disorder that causes them to think this, whatever it is they are doing, is cool, impressive, attractive, or I don't know what. I've said before that even though I certainly don't condone the use of steroids, performance enhancing drugs, or even most weight loss supplements, I can at least understand why some individuals would consider using them. But site-enhancement oil? I guess if someone thinks that Robin Williams looked impressive in the role of Pop-eye maybe they should get their head checked out before worrying another minute about their body. What do you think?
I would expect arms this big to be lifting at least 500 pounds!
I'd like to start off by saying that I was disappointed with Jillian (are you surprised?) on Tuesday's show. I was going to tally how many F*Bombs she would drop, and unfortunately it was zero. Except for the fuzzed and bleeped out S**T! brought on by Darrell's weigh-in results, she was not in her normal form. Her true colors did show during the workout the Olympians put the contestants through at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. She told them basically to feel free to go off on the contestants if they made a mistake. Way to bring on the motivation!
During their visit to the training center one of the Olympic team nutritionists made the remark of the 'huge lifestyle changes' the contestants were making. This can be good or bad and it depends on the individual. If it is too drastic of a change and all at once, for too many it can lead to failure. If you haven't been participating in a regular exercise routine deciding to start off with a 13.1 mile bike ride, or a one mile foot race for your first workout is too drastic. You have to start off gradually. Four to six hours of exercise a day is too drastic. For most people it is so unreasonable that just the mention of it would give them the green light to remain unhealthy and unfit. The same principles apply to nutrition. The all or nothing approach just doesn't work for some people. It's a matter of being able to enjoy what you're doing and enjoy life. Because remember, these changes should be for life. If your new eating plan means completely eliminating everything you love forever chances are good you'll revert to your former habits. It's okay to allow yourself to enjoy a desert once in a while provided that the portion size is appropriate and you are accounting for the calories, sodium and fat and sugar grams. Sometimes a stick of Extra gum just won't cut it. Of course some people have the discipline and dedication to eat a clean, healthy diet for life, and plan their exercise programs regularly and not skip a workout. But those folks probably are not in need of nutrition and exercise advice, and they could allow themselves an occasional guilty pleasure with minimum consequences. As usual they picked a challenge that was inappropriate for the contestants' level of fitness and conditioning. The slide board is a fun way to get a great lateral motion conditioning workout, but it takes time to learn the exercise. It's not the best exercise for an obese beginner to step on and perform 500 slides. I'm sure the contestants' knees were paying the price. I'd like to know how much actual instruction the contestants were given prior to starting the challenge. Once again the show's editing gives the impression that it is as simple as stepping onto the board and away you go. I figure if they all just hopped right on and attempted to do 500 slides there would have been some sprains and many, many bruises.
I've always called shows like Survivor, Fear Factor, The Amazing Race, and The Biggest Loser game shows. I've never understood why they are called 'reality shows.' I don't see many aspects of the average person's everyday life. Well this week The Biggest Loser finally had a dose of reality thanks to Melissa. Those of you that have been watching this season will remember both Bob and Jillian calling her a liar for gaining a pound at a previous weigh-in, and losing only one pound at another. They knew for certain she was only "playing the game" since she wasn't burning the 7,000 plus calories per day like everyone else. Well she did it again, gained a pound. I'm sure most of the viewers that are struggling to lose weight could relate better to Melissa's scenario than they could to the others with their unrealistically high levels of weight loss. Thanks to Melissa, the viewing audience also got the reminder of the high volume of exercise the contestants are going through at the ranch- 6 hours a day. Now let me ask you, would you call that 'Reality'?
Last night I finally got completely caught up with the current season of The Biggest Loser. I'll admit this time it snuck up on me and caught me completely off guard. To be completely honest, it lost out to Better Off Ted which up until this week was on at the same time. Not to mention my wife and daughter are American Idol fans so while they watched that live I recorded comedy and had to catch The Biggest Loser one week late on their website. It's no surprise that the producers were able to find contestants even heavier than season 8's, the largest being a 30 year old deejay weighing over 520 pounds at the season's premiere. Myself , my wife, daughter and youngest son together weigh just one pound more than him! Can you imagine that, one man weighing as much as a family of four! I guess by next season they'll have a contestant that weighs as much as all five of us. Well not only did the contestants get larger but the stunts have gotten more extreme. The opening challenge of riding 26.2 miles(shared between both teammates) didn't kill any of the contestants so I hate to think of what will be in store for season 10's contestants. There's a saying that goes "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I think the show's producers have adopted the motto "What doesn't kill them makes us try harder to see how close we can get." Some things don't change, too much puking during the first workout(that's a great way to motivate people to want to exercise!) Jillian cursing and screaming, and Bob continually reminding the contestant's that it's the "last chance workout." Like maybe they forgot and thought they were what, at a picnic? Of course there are plenty of ads placed throughout the show, wouldn't want anyone to make the mistake of getting Zacky Farms turkey or Trident gum now would we. And let's not forget the drama about the dreaded Week 2. One new thing though- plenty of blood courtesy of Maria. I happened to notice on NBC's site there was a comment regarding the show humiliating people into losing weight. After seeing the season premier I can understand why they made that comment. For those who don't watch or missed the first episode, the contestants had to weigh-in live in front of their communities(friends, family, co-workers, total strangers) shirts off, just like they do at the ranch. Would you be willing to do that? What's your opinion? Do you think the show humiliates the contestants, or obese people in general?
There's a lot of fuss about the right way to do cardio to lose fat. Some so called experts will have you believing that the forty five minutes you spent jogging on the treadmill is as useful to weight loss as eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Then to try and be helpful they'll start spouting off about EPOC, HIIT, Tabatas, and VO2R compared to VO2max. Too confusing if you're not already working in the field of health and fitness. For the average person looking for some helpful information about the correct way to exercise to permanently lose fat it can be very frustrating to figure out what to do.
The human body is very complex, very fascinating, and when properly cared for can be very efficient. So efficient that the exercise you do can stop doing what you want it to. One example is over-training. If you're familiar with the saying "Too much of a good thing" then you should know it applies to exercise too. If you train at too high of a volume for too long of a duration at too high of a frequency you wind up putting too much stress on the body. That's a lot of too's. What the body does then is start to naturally shift into reverse and make your performance, health and fitness decline.
The way in which the body's efficiency slows down your fat loss efforts is what I want to explain right now. Instead of confusing you with a bunch of acronyms and Latin-based exercise physiology terminology I am going to present it in a simple manner using an example most are familiar with- the automobile. So let's look at it like this, the fuel tank is your stored fat cells. The gasoline you put in the tank is the food you put into your mouth. The engine and it's revolutions per minute(RPM's) will play the role of the human body's metabolism. What I am going to show is how the car's fuel efficiency compares to the human body's fat burning efficiency. Unlike the sensible driver you're trying to do the opposite and deplete the stored energy(fat on your body, or gas in the tank) in as quick a manner and as safely as possible. In other words, place some fuel inefficiency into your training.
What most of you are aware of, possibly by experience, is that just like it takes a lot less time to fill your gas tank than to empty it, it is quicker and easier to add excess pounds of fat than it is to remove them. Any of you that had the misery of purchasing gasoline here in the states in the last five years learned driving tips that helped you conserve fuel: consolidating trips (one long extended cardio workout session), going easy on the gas and brakes (keeping your workout intensity consistent), and staying at or below the speed limit (following that "Fat Burning Zone" nonsense.)
So let's look at this a little closer. Instead of using the well known fitness examples of comparing the scrawny, sickly looking marathon runner than so many trainers take delight in using, to the world class Olympic sprinter, let's use the example of a Lamborghini Murcielago with a Toyota Prius. The Lamborghini has 631 Horse Power and a top speed of 210 MPH. This is a very powerful machine, just like the human body is capable of being. On the downside it's fuel efficiency is only 8 - 14 MPG. In other words it has a high metabolism, which is a great thing for the human body to have if you are concerned with permanent fat loss. Now the Toyota Prius has 134 HP, a top speed of about 112 MPH, but averages an efficient 48 - 51 MPG. Liking it to the human body it is not the strongest, and is very good at conserving energy(storing fat.)
Now let's take a look at how activity (driving the car or exercising the body) affects fuel consumption, or human fat burning. Using the Lamborghini as our first exercise subject, it is common knowledge that in order to get the listed MPG we would need to drive at or below the posted speed limit, easing into stops and gradually taking off from standing still. But if we enjoy this machine for what it's made for and drive like a bat out of hell with a get-out-of-jail-free-pass, well you better have a spare gas tank riding shotgun! You'll quickly watch the fuel gauge work it's way to empty. This is why the car stickers show both Highway and City estimated MPG's. The same difference affects the human body.
Now if we train the Toyota the same way, the same thing will happen, just not as fast. So we can basically say that the Lamborghini got it's physique by incorporating resistance training, while the Prius focused only on heart conditioning steady state cardio. The Murcielago has a higher metabolism than the Prius. Comparing the two cars would be similar to comparing a muscular person with low body fat that trains with high intensity to someone with decent cardiovascular health from walking or slow paced jogging but not so great muscle tone and excess body fat.
The human body is more efficient than either of these two machines. For one, neither car has the ability to repair itself. The human body does. The car needs much more external influence(parts and modifications) to change either it's performance capability or fuel efficiency. The body will do it on it's own through the correct care and usage (exercise, rest, and nutrition.) But the body is so efficient that it has the ability to adapt. So when it becomes accustomed to doing a long walk or jog it learns to conserve energy. It's in this way that the exercise stops becoming effective. You must progressively increase the intensity to stimulate further adaptation. This can be done by training harder or longer. But if you try both, the efficient human body will protect itself by eventually presenting the symptoms of over-training.
So what can we learn from this- Move slowly or not at all and you won't burn much fuel(stored fat); train with high intensity and you'll burn more stored fat during and after training. If you want to drop the fat pounds and inches in the quickest way that you safely, and naturally can do incorporate resistance training as the primary component of your training and when you have conditioned your heart to handle it, do perform high intensity, heart pounding exercise instead of steady pace long duration cardiovascular exercise. Run sprint intervals with walking, intersperse rope skipping with quick bouts of fast jumping, when on the cycle jack up the level and pedal all out for thirty seconds then recover with a lower pace and intensity. It's all about the intensity.
One thing I certainly want to make clear is that there is definitely a place for the moderate intensity, extended cardio workouts. They are a great way to relieve stress, and improve and/or maintain the health and function of the heart and blood vessels, just to name a few. They do burn excess calories, maybe not at the rate of higher intensity exercise but higher than if you are just sitting or lying around. Also, for those just starting an exercise program it is necessary to build a cardiovascular foundation and steady state cardio workouts are the safest way for a beginner to do that. And of course if long duration cardio workouts are someone's preference then by all means do it. Anything that you enjoy that leads to positive health and fitness should never be omitted.
As far as I know that phrase has nothing to do directly with exercise or fitness. Except for giving you a chance to win some pretty good fitness equipment. Oh, and a new car. Nissan has a sweepstakes going on called Master the Shift and each week they are giving away something related to leading an active, fit lifestyle. Some of the remaining prizes are camping gear, skis, snowboards, and this week's prize- a NordicTrack C2 SI Stationary Bike. The sweepstakes ends March 31st (sorry, it started April 20th but I just found out recently myself) so you still have 10 chances to win some neat stuff. And a new Altima. One more thing, you don't have to worry about being added to unwanted mailing lists by entering.
Before I go any further let me correct myself, Mark McGwire took some performance enhancing drugs during his pro sports career. I heard on the news he admitted to using banned substances. I don't know for certain what he took and I'm not going to use the term steroid without knowing. And no, I'm not going to research and find out exactly what he took for one reason. I don't care! I don't care for a bunch of reasons.
First I'm not and have never been a Mark McGwire fan. Nothing against him personally. I only know of him because he was a major league record breaker/setter. I know of him because of the congressional hearing about substance abuse in pro baseball which apparently did no good. I couldn't even tell you who he played for. And again I'm not going to look it up because I don't care.
Second, I'm not a big baseball fan. Until about four seasons ago I didn't watch any baseball at all. I do consider myself a San Diego Padres fan and I do watch them on TV. But the only baseball I watch is Padres baseball. I can take it or leave it. It's not that big of a deal to me. And since Mark McGwire doesn't play for the Padres I , well, you know.
Reason number three- I don't think it's that big of a deal, anymore. When I was young I idolized professional bodybuilders. Arnold, Robbie Robinson, Mike and Ray Mentzer, Chris Dickerson, Danny Padilla, Ken Waller. I knew them all and was a huge fan. I was a fan before I learned of the steroid abuse and remained a fan after learning about the dark secret of pro bodybuilding(accepted steroid usage). The only impact it had on me was that it made me realize that I would never become a competitive bodybuilder since it involved using drugs. It did not stop me from performing bodybuilding workouts and training to improve my physique. I took and still take the positive aspects of the practice. Even now as it was then it seems to be accepted that bodybuilders take performance enhancing drugs, primarily anabolic steroids, but it is not okay for baseball players or football players. Why not? Their reasons are all the same. It's for the sport right? So who's being hurt? The fans? The team owners and investors? The few players (my opinion here) that are not juicing? Members of Congress? Little league players? Did Mark McGwire ruin any lives?
When I was younger my friends and I used to watch professional wrestling, back when WWE was WWF and Bruno Samartino was the champ. If you were to tell me back then that a great number of those entertainers were on steroids I wouldn't have believed it. Now I know better. I don't care but I know better. When I watch the Padres I can't help but wonder which players are taking something. Or are they all? And if they all are I personally don't have that big of a problem with it. As a matter of fact I now understand it. Thanks to the documentary Bigger Stronger Faster my opinion about performance enhancing drug use in sports has greatly changed. In the film Dr. Yesalis asked the question "If you had to take a drug with the known side effects of anabolic steroids to keep your job right now and support your family would you do it?" I know most people would easily say "No." But I think the answer may not be as easy if it was your dream job and it meant the difference between possibly losing your career and guaranteeing your career, being the best at it and making more cash in a month than you know what to do with. What if everyone else was doing it and getting away with it?
I think the biggest reason that I don't care about the fact that Mark McGwire took banned substances is because I don't concern myself with the lives of athletes. I admire what they do during competition, but when the game is over I realize they are just human beings like anyone else. Well paid, talented people capable of doing stupid things, capable of making mistakes and bad choices. I don't let their personal lives impact mine. I don't place athletes on a pedestal or hold them to higher standards. I don't view them as role models and I make sure that my kids are well aware of that.
What Mark McGwire did was wrong. He lied, he cheated and as a result he has probably let many people down. He may have even broke some laws. But in my opinion, just like the Tiger Woods scandals, I don't make it my business and I don't care. I am not saying that I condone the use of steroids or performance enhancing drugs. I certainly don't think it is okay to lie, to cheat, or to break the law. Mr. McGwire obviously did some of these things, possibly all of them. As far as integrity I truly believe he's not the only one involved, and certainly not the only case. As long as there are rules there will always be cheaters. But as long as the team owners, managers, coaches, advertisers, sponsors, investors and the majority of fans are willing to look the other way the fact that he finally admitted to using what he did is nothing more than trivial at this point. I don't know if I'm the only person with this opinion about it's news worthiness. I'm sure there are many sports fans who strongly disagree with me. I just think that until we hear that athletes are being prosecuted for illegal drug use and/or possession like dealers and junkies on the streets there are more important things to make the news. For now we need to face the fact that substance abuse is a part of sports, professional and amateur. Frankly I think the chit chat about drug testing is just to appease some of the fans. Look at what happens when an athlete is caught. Until it is taken much more seriously why focus on this or any one athlete in particular? Why make it national headline news? The sports organizations need to take responsibility, to take charge and either get serious about stopping drug abuse or go the way of professional bodybuilding and professional wrestling- allow the athletes to use it and not make it an issue of concern. Or maybe they should take it a step further and bring it out in the open. Legalize a new category of drugs just for sports performance enhancement. Create two leagues, one natural and a new organization allowing drugs. Give amnesty to all athletes. Give them the choice of which league to play in. Let them come clean about what they have been using, let them keep using and keep everyone happy. Let the fans have the choice between watching the clean unadulterated league or the pharmacological enhanced league. The fans will get to see records broken every season. Competition will be fiercer than ever and just continue to grow every season. And there won't be any question about who's on something or not(until cheaters infiltrate the natural league!). And those who insist on worshiping professional athletes and using them for role models for themselves and their children will just have to come to grips with the fact that they use drugs.
Every day someone that is not famous ruins lives using substances far worse than steroids or performance enhancing drugs, and some legal drugs that you can buy at the supermarket or convenience store. They might make the local news for one day, but they impact the rest of dozens of lives. Another athlete took drugs and cheated. The only way it has affected me is by reinforcing my belief that the majority of pro athletes use drugs and gave me a topic to write about. I guess if that is the biggest news in the world everything is going great.
As an advanced species, when it comes to naturally improving and caring for our lives, sometimes humans seem to be going in the wrong direction. We may be smarter as a whole than all other animals but some of our actions compared to animals in the wild are just stupid. Here are four differences to consider. Compare your actions and habits to those of an animal in the wild and see if you are doing what is natural to help your health and fitness, or are you going against nature.
Sleep: Pet owners know there is no need to tell your pet that it's time for bed or time to take a nap. But too many humans avoid or put off getting enough sleep like it is an unnecessary nuisance. Technology can be a big part of this problem. I'm guilty of staying up too late just to catch the end of a television show or read a few more emails. It's not just adults either. Little kids fuss about having a bedtime, teenagers try to stay up all night then suffer through the day sucking down Starbucks. When your body is signaling that it needs to rest and recuperate listen to it. The detrimental effects of sleep deprivation have been well documented. Make getting a great night's sleep a regular part of your routine.
Food: Only domesticated animals and those over exposed to humans and our poor nutritional habits will consume junk. Given the choice between fresh, natural foods (meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds) or something created in a lab, wildlife will naturally pick nature over manufactured. What about you? I'm sure you know which is the healthier, wiser choice but are you making an effort to make the right choices? Try to make the bulk of your diet foods that are minimally processed and as close to natural as possible, like fresh produce.
Eating: No, this isn't the same as the previous topic. That was about What we choose to put in our bodies. This is about volume, intensity, and frequency. This is where humans should excel but we fail miserably. With most of us having access to more than enough food there is no reason to stuff like we are going into hibernation or are unsure of the next kill (or shopping trip in the case of humans.) Carnivorous predators do their best to get their fill of the freshly killed prey because it may be days, or in some cases weeks, before they eat that well again. But every calorie consumed is put to great use. Herbivores on the other hand are constantly grazing to keep the energy levels up. Most natural carnivores are powerful but unlike some herbivores, who are also naturally strong, they don't have as much endurance. Think about a lion chasing an antelope. Wildlife naturally knows how vital staying hydrated is to life. Can you use this info and adapt your eating habits to better suit your fitness goals and training preference? Are you making sure to stay well hydrated throughout the day?
Energy Conservation and Usage: Again, it's human influence that causes chronic over-fatness and obesity in animals. This is due not only to the types of food and eating habits but also inactivity due to confinement(like being stuck in an office cubicle) and access to permanent shelter and a regular food supply. But even animals kept for people's companionship or entertainment usually do their best to remain in a positive state of physical condition. All animals have the strength to easily handle their body weight. Can you easily handle yours? Are push ups and pull ups part of your routine? Cats and dogs stretch multiple times a day. Do you? Given the chance to sprint even adults house pets will readily accept the invitation. How many adults do you know that will run at top speed just for the fun of it? Stretching is easy, try doing it at least once a day, especially if you have a sedentary occupation. Fit some physical activity into your daily routine. Get up and move. Not only is it good for you, it's natural.
Some people workout for their appearance, some for athletic performance, some because we just love to, and some to save their lives. When I say save their lives it has more than one meaning. Yes, some people have been given an ultimatum by their doctor- “start exercising and change your diet or die fast.” But also because some people face life or death risky situations daily, like police and deputies, firefighters, and members of the armed forces. What about you?
In one of his recent blog posts fitness advocate Freddie McCloud asked the question "Could you save yourself?" He used the cliff hanger scenario that you see in movies where the hero is hanging from the edge of a cliff and has to pull himself up to safety. Then he goes on to saving the heroine and together they conquer all evil and save the world, right? Anyways, Freddie who used to be 280 pounds, but not solid muscle at the time, knew before getting serious about improving his fitness that his answer was no. He was too heavy to perform a pull up. Fortunately now he can.
Dangling from a cliff is just one scenario though. Here is something to think about, whether you workout or not, if your life depended upon your level of health, fitness, and strength would you be able to prevent your own death? Imagine yourself in a terrifying scenario such as this: You're in a high rise building, let's say on the forty fourth floor. Suddenly there's a series of explosions, you feel the building shake and hear people screaming to run and get out. The power is out. The elevators are useless. You know you need to get out of that building, and fast. There's a mad rush to the stairs, people are panicking, pushing others out of their way. You are now facing a descent of forty four floors to safety. Could you make it? Really think about how fit and healthy you are. Could your heart handle the rush of adrenalin? Do you have the cardiovascular endurance to run all the way to safety? What would happen if you got to a certain point where the stairs were destroyed. The only way to progress is by climbing down holding onto railings. Are you strong enough? Do you have the physical endurance, the mental strength, the will, and the confidence to not give up? Or do you stay put and possibly lose your life and put others at risk of losing theirs?
You and I could come up with dozens of other scenarios where your health and well being are at risk- a building fire, hostage situation, shipwreck, being chased by a pack of dogs. You might be thinking, "yeah, but that's not going to ever happen to me." And hopefully that's the truth. But what if? When you exercise, are you taking care of all the components of fitness? Are you including strength training for strength, not just aesthetics? Are you doing cardio to help make your heart stronger and healthier, not just because you want the caloric deficit? Are you making sure to stretch regularly so you don't easily strain a muscle when the time comes it has to work outside of the range of motion you are accustomed to exercising in? Are you going outside of your comfort zone to see how much you can handle, mentally more so than physically, at least occasionally? Are you doing a variety of exercises- body weight, heavy external resistance, high reps, static holds for time, high intensity, applying compound resistance, complex patterns to improve your balance and agility? Do you have the physical strength to handle your own body weight plus some external force pushing, pulling and/or twisting against you? Could you run to safety holding some very precious cargo, like maybe your child? Next time you get ready to workout, regardless of what your goals are, ask yourself if your program is helping you live a longer life in more than one way.
at the end of this post but stay here first, please. I chose the video because the trainer appeared in more than one of the frames. His video made complete sense and I was in total agreement with him. He was discussing a strategy that some people claim cannot be done, but it can and he did a good job of explaining how. So I decided to check out another video of his. Within 11 seconds of this video I realized my opinion is the complete opposite of his in regards to core training. He stated core training was one of the biggest wastes of time in the gym. He feels it's the most ineffective and dangerous thing you could do in the gym. He recommends that you work each muscle group independently and then do some crunches or leg lifts for the abs and forget about doing core training. I disagree. First let me say this: All exercise is good. Some is better than others for specific goals, but the health benefits of exercise always makes it worthwhile. Second, all physical activity, proper exercise included, has some possible risk of injury. The risks increases with lack of supervision, poor instruction, and improper progression. 
titled 'The man whose arms exploded.' He admits he used anabolic steroids, and according to many sources online he is highly suspected of using 'site-enhancement oil' to create his freakishly over-sized arms, which he denies. Basically, site-enhancement oil is a substance containing medium chain triglycerides, a preservative, and local anesthetic that is injected directly into the muscle which basically stays in place, pumping up the volume of the muscle due to this oily fluid build up. It can't even be called a performance-enhancement because it is not increasing true muscle fiber mass or strength, just overall girth.
many others suffering from some sort of mental disorder that causes them to think this, whatever it is they are doing, is cool, impressive, attractive, or I don't know what. I've said before that even though I certainly 
Last night I finally got completely caught up with the current season of The Biggest Loser. I'll admit this time it snuck up on me and caught me completely off guard. To be completely honest, it lost out to 
So let's look at this a little closer. Instead of using the well known fitness examples of comparing the scrawny, sickly looking marathon runner than so many trainers take delight in using, to the world class Olympic sprinter, let's use the example of a Lamborghini Murcielago with a Toyota Prius. The Lamborghini has 631 Horse Power and a top speed of 210 MPH. This is a very powerful machine, just like the human body is capable of being. On the downside it's fuel efficiency is only 8 - 14 MPG. In other words it has a high metabolism, which is a great thing for the human body to have if you are concerned with permanent fat loss. Now the Toyota Prius has 134 HP, a top speed of about 112 MPH, but averages an efficient 48 - 51 MPG. Liking it to the human body it is not the strongest, and is very good at conserving energy(storing fat.)
fat burning. Using the Lamborghini as our first exercise subject, it is common knowledge that in order to get the listed MPG we would need to drive at or below the posted speed limit, easing into stops and gradually taking off from standing still. But if we enjoy this machine for what it's made for and drive like a bat out of hell with a get-out-of-jail-free-pass, well you better have a spare gas tank riding shotgun! You'll quickly watch the fuel gauge work it's way to empty. This is why the car stickers show both Highway and City estimated MPG's. The same difference affects the human body.
car. Nissan has a sweepstakes going on called Master the Shift and each week they are giving away something related to leading an active, fit lifestyle. Some of the remaining prizes are camping gear, skis, snowboards, and this week's prize- a NordicTrack C2 SI Stationary Bike. The sweepstakes ends March 31st (sorry, it started April 20th but I just found out recently myself) so you still have 10 chances to win some neat stuff. And a new Altima.
just like the Tiger Woods scandals, I don't make it my business and I don't care. I am not saying that I condone the use of steroids or performance enhancing drugs. I certainly don't think it is okay to lie, to cheat, or to break the law. Mr. McGwire obviously did some of these things, possibly all of them. As far as integrity I truly believe he's not the only one involved, and certainly not the only case. As long as there are rules there will always be cheaters. But as long as the team owners, managers, coaches, advertisers, sponsors, investors and the majority of fans are willing to look the other way the fact that he finally admitted to using what he did is nothing more than trivial at this point. I don't know if I'm the only person with this opinion about it's news worthiness. I'm sure there are many sports fans who strongly disagree with me. I just think that until we hear that athletes are being prosecuted for illegal drug use and/or possession like dealers and junkies on the streets there are more important things to make the news. For now we need to face the fact that substance abuse is a part of sports, professional and amateur. Frankly I think the chit chat about drug testing is just to appease some of the fans. Look at what happens when an athlete is caught. Until it is taken much more seriously why focus on this or any one athlete in particular? Why make it national headline news? The sports organizations need to take responsibility, to take charge and either get serious about stopping drug abuse or go the way of professional bodybuilding and professional wrestling- allow the athletes to use it and not make it an issue of concern. Or maybe they should take it a step further and bring it out in the open. Legalize a new category of drugs just for sports performance enhancement. Create two leagues, one natural and a new organization allowing drugs. Give amnesty to all athletes. Give them the choice of which league to play in. Let them come clean about what they have been using, let them keep using and keep everyone happy. Let the fans have the choice between watching the clean unadulterated league or the pharmacological enhanced league. The fans will get to see records broken every season. Competition will be fiercer than ever and just continue to grow every season. And there won't be any question about who's on something or not(until cheaters infiltrate the natural league!). And those who insist on worshiping professional athletes and using them for role models for themselves and their children will just have to come to grips with the fact that they use drugs.
it is an unnecessary nuisance. Technology can be a big part of this problem. I'm guilty of staying up too late just to catch the end of a television show or read a few more emails. It's not just adults either. Little kids fuss about having a bedtime, teenagers try to stay up all night then suffer through the day sucking down Starbucks. When your body is signaling that it needs to rest and recuperate listen to it. The detrimental effects of sleep deprivation have been well documented. Make getting a great night's sleep a regular part of your routine. 
fourth floor. Suddenly there's a series of explosions, you feel the building shake and hear people screaming to run and get out. The power is out. The elevators are useless. You know you need to get out of that building, and fast. There's a mad rush to the stairs, people are panicking, pushing others out of their way. You are now facing a descent of forty four floors to safety. Could you make it? Really think about how fit and healthy you are. Could your heart handle the rush of adrenalin? Do you have the cardiovascular endurance to run all the way to safety? What would happen if you got to a certain point where the stairs were destroyed. The only way to progress is by climbing down holding onto railings. Are you strong enough? Do you have the physical endurance, the mental strength, the will, and the confidence to not give up? Or do you stay put and possibly lose your life and put others at risk of losing theirs?
