Archive for January, 2008
Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
If you want to improve your running efficiency or running speed, you must first master the basic mechanics of running. I see many people “fighting themselves” when they run because of terrible running mechanics! Bad running mechanics can also lead to injuries. Running mechanics have three main components: Posture, Arm Action and Leg Action. Listed below are some key checkpoints of proper running mechanics:
Checkpoints for proper running posture:
1. At maximum speed, the head should be held high. Also, the head should never sway from side to side and the jaws should be relaxed.
2. The head should be in line with the torso and the torso should be in line with the legs at all times.
3. There should be a slight body lean when starting and accelerating. At maximum speed, which usually takes about 4-5 seconds, the body is more straight up with tall hips.
4. The feet should be dorsiflexed (pointed up) at all times except when striking the ground. Feet should strike the ground on the balls of the feet.
Checkpoints for proper arm action:
1. Use the shoulders (and not the elbows) to pump the arms as fast as possible if you are trying to increase speed. When you are in the middle of a long distance run, good arm action can make a big difference in your performance. The hands should be relaxed in unballed fists with the front hand rising up to about nose level and the back hand passing the buttocks.
2. Move each arm as one piece with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. Arm action should be straight forward, up and down and never flailing side to side.
Checkpoints for proper leg action:
1. The faster the running speed, the higher the heel on the rear foot should kick up. When the foot leaves the ground, it should follow a path straight up to the buttocks. It should not flail from side to side.
2. The knee raises up to where the thigh is almost parallel to the ground. The foot then drops down below the knee (knee angle is about 90 degrees).
3. At top speed, the drive (pushing) leg should be fully extended to the ground.
It’s a good idea to practice good running mechanics at all times until it becomes second nature to you.
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Submitted by Got Strength? Blog
Cardio Training: Three Things It Is… And Isn’t
Posted in All Posts, Fitness Articles by Isaac.Wilkins on the January 31st, 2008
One of the old lines of getting fit and losing fat or weight is “You gotta do your cardio”. Take a walk around the gym, talk to most trainers, or spend some time at the water cooler and you’ll hear that over and over again. Let’s look at what this “cardio” thing is, real quick.
When most people talk about cardio they mean “steady-state cardiovascular exercise”. This means they’ll walk, run, bike, use the elliptical, or whatever for a certain amount of time at about the same intensity. If someone says that they’re going to get on the bike for half an hour after they lift weights, usually they are talking about this.
Lately this type of energy system training has been beaten up pretty badly in the “educated” training world and in the online forums. Steady state cardio has become the whipping boy for most of the poor results seen in the gym. To some degree these arguments hold water, but like anything else, there’s a middle ground. The problem isn’t necessarily the cardiovascular exercise; it’s the selection and application of it.
Here are three things that steady state cardiovascular exercise is:
1. Cardiovascular exercise can be helpful for recovery purposes. Long, slow cardio exercise isn’t particularly stressful or demanding on the body. What it does do is help move blood through the muscles as they’re being worked. This flowing blood helps carry fresh nutrients into the muscles and carry waste products and damaged cells out.
2. Cardiovascular exercise is a good calorie “sink”. Ok, so let’s say you sit on the bike and burn 300 calories. In the grand scheme of things, 300 calories isn’t a huge deal and you could have burnt it much faster doing heavy squats. Those squats would have made a big dent in your recovery, though. The half an hour on the bike didn’t do much to offset it (and might have helped your recovery as we went over above) and you did nail down 300 calories. Five sessions like that a week and you’re at almost half a pound down without much stress.
3. Cardiovascular exercise is an effective method for improving insulin sensitivity. One of the big problems when it comes to losing weight (fat) and staying healthy is insulin resistance. Basically the sugar in your blood can’t get into your muscles easily to be used so more insulin has to be released (causing a variety of health problems) and the sugar is more likely to be stored as fat. Cardiovascular exercise is an effective way to stimulate the glucose transporters in the muscle cells to move to the cell membrane and start moving that sugar in the muscles.
Ok, so that’s three facts about steady state cardio that it does well. Here is a list of three things that it is not:
1. Steady state cardiovascular exercise is NOT the most efficient way to improve VO2 max or “fitness”. Studies have shown that the body responds better to a brief, intense stimulus over a longer, weaker stimulus. To get in top shape the body must be exposed to stressful situations, and steady state cardio isn’t stressful enough. If the activity were stressful enough to cause these changes, then you couldn’t keep it up long enough to be considered steady state cardio.
2. Cardiovascular exercise is NOT the best way to elevate your metabolism. The body’s metabolism is affected by a bunch of factors, but one of the primary factors that you can control is an “afterburn” effect. This is a combination of processes including tissue repair/remodeling, waste removal, and substrate replenishment. All of these processes require energy from the body, measured by calories. Steady state cardio doesn’t cause much damage or stimulate a whole lot of change, so other than the energy required to actually perform the task (running, biking, whatever) it doesn’t need much. Heavy weight training, on the other hand, can keep the metabolism going for days after the session is over because the body is still trying to repair all of that damage.
3. Cardiovascular exercise is NOT the best way to improve or maintain your bone density. I know all of you young pups out there are rolling your eyes at this one, but it does matter. Osteoporosis is a mother and people build most of their bone mass between the ages of 15 and 25 or so. This is the time when nutrition needs to be on point as well as the stresses placed on the skeletal system that will induce more bone growth. Steady state cardio is better than sitting in a chair all day but it’s not stressful enough to really build much bone. Sprinting and heavy weight training put a whole lot more stress on your tendons, ligaments, and skeleton, which will push the body to fortify its structural system.
It’s not as simple as saying that “cardio is good” or “cardio is bad”. It’s important to focus on picking the right methods of fitness training to produce the effect that you’re looking for. Look at the human body for the adaptive organism that it is. It will react to the stimulus that you give it, so pick the right stimulus for the result that you’re targeting.
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
This week, Part 2 of my interview with one of the most famous fat loss trainers in North America, Alwyn Cosgrove. Back in 2006, I saw Alwyn speak at a personal trainer’s seminar, and Alwyn showed study after study supporting his fat loss programs.
Today he will focus on the nutrition and the psychology of weight loss.
Alwyn Cosgrove is a superstar in the world of physique transformation for men and women. He’s trained champions in multiple sports and winners of multiple 12-week body transformation contests. Alwyn owns and operates a training facility in Santa Clarita, California and he’s also written his own fat loss book called “Afterburn”.
Learn more about “Afterburn” here
CB: Where do people go wrong with meal frequency when trying to lose fat?
AC: Two primary mistakes.
One is trying to eat very little all day in a bid to keep calories low (and then blowing it every single night when they get home).
Two is actually the opposite — putting too much faith in the “6-8 meals per day” theory.
As usual the truth is somewhere in between.
For a 200lb male eating 2400 cals per day - 6 meals is 400 calories per meal. If a couple of these meals are 200 calorie shakes - he can actually eat some decent size portions.
But for a 135lb female trying to drop a little more fat, who is eating closer to 1350 calories per day - 6 meals per day ends up being 250 cals each. It’s hard to get in decent sized meals. They’d do better on 4 meals per day.
So it’s a sliding scale.
Almost every new client that walks into our facility usually skips breakfast, maybe has a coffee mid-morning, eats lunch, eats nothing all afternoon and eats a big dinner. They ARE only eating two meals per day. By switching their macronutrients around a wee bit, cleaning up their diet and getting them on 4-5 feedings per day - we really do notice a difference.
CB: You have an impressive list of low-carb studies cited in your arguments. What’s the take home message about this issue?
AC: At this point - a reduced carb, higher protein diet is superior for fat loss. Period. And probably superior for health.
There are several studies comparing the SAME caloric intake of higher and lower carb diets and a) the low carb groups lost more fat and more importantly b) there was a significantly greater client compliance with the low carb groups. Greater client compliance is huge. This is real world value again.
I don’t know the threshold that a diet becomes “low carb” at, and I’m not convinced that a diet that was 70% carbohydrate with all carbohydrate sources coming from vegetables would hurt fat loss at
all. Adam Campbell of Mens Health shared a study with me that showed individuals on low carbohydrate diets tended to eat more vegetables than prior to beginning their program.
I guess a very low REFINED carbohydrate diet is what I recommend.
CB: In my opinion, the role of hormones in fat loss has been ignored. Do you do anything to manipulate hormone levels to get greater fat loss in your clients?
AC: Insulin is the only hormone we really have control over. The main thing is keeping insulin in check. Here’s how I explain it to beginners - insulin is a fat storing hormone - if we can keep our insulin levels reduced around the clock (reduced carb diet) then we can effectively increase total fat oxidation.
Obviously that’s an oversimplification and elevating insulin is useful around workouts - but that’s the only thing I’ve been concerned about.
CB: In addition to the “three keys to fat loss” that you covered in your presentation, how important are motivation and social support to success? How do you address these attributes with your clients?
AC: Yeah - the three keys I presented are all physiological. But psychology trumps physiology every single time. There’s a reason why Weight Watchers and Curves are making more money than the
majority of personal trainers: Social support. And social support drives motivation.
In our center we tend to get motivated people anyway - so that’s less of an issue - but one of the things we always ask is “does your family/significant other support you on this journey?”
It makes a huge difference. That’s the difference between a successful trainer and an unsuccessful one.
But I’ll tell you one thing without going into too much detail - switching to semi-private training increased results across the board. Probably because of group dynamics and social support.
CB: Most relatively good trainers can handle the physical components of fat loss, but how does a trainer succeed at the mental game? Any resources you can recommend? And is the “mental
component/mental drive” something you can immediately tell that a client has or is missing?
AC: Well I’d question that most trainers can handle the physical components of fat loss but I won’t get into that right now.
As far as the mental component goes - my resources came from being exposed to a great coach at a young age.
We all remember the coach in our youth, who left us on the bench, or had us running laps in the rain. We also remember the coach who inspired us, picked us up and made our young lives a little better.
Which type of coach are you? That’s the secret.
I instill in my clients that we are a team. I work for them. I deliver the best service I can in the position of their fitness coach. Once they put their faith in you - never betray that. But their results will increase when they realize this is a coaching relationship - not just a trainer - client.
Some very general psychological tricks: most females will only respond to positive reinforcement and don’t respond at all being compared to others or to ‘norms’.
Occasionally they want comparisons but generally they respond better to comparisons to themselves.
Males in general will respond better to having to “prove” themselves and always need to know “what’s good? Is this a good number for me to be lifting?” etc.
Girls just don’t want to be intimidated. Guys just want to be “one of the guys”.
A poor coach uses the same personality when working with all his or her clients.
A good coach recognizes that his or her personality only works with certain clients.
A great coach can change his or her personality TO the client.
CB: Bottom line: How do you help someone be more disciplined - especially with their eating and their habits outside the gym?
AC: It’s an understanding of the entire picture. It’s not the workout.
It’s not the diet. It’s not the intervals - it’s the synergy between all of these things.
At any one time a client is either getting fatter or leaner. If they get fatter this week - they haven’t failed - they have just found and executed the perfect system for increasing fat! All we have to do is to change that system (which we know doesn’t work now) and we can’t fail.
Clients have to make the mindshift that it’s not about “will this piece of cake really hurt me that much?” to “is what I’m doing getting me closer to my goals or not?” Just a little shift in thinking can reap huge rewards.
Yeah it’s true - if you dieted and trained all week, a glass of beer and a few chicken wings won’t hurt you that much - but it damn sure isn’t getting you closer to six pack abs.
One thing I really liked was John Berardi’s compliance grid - where we see overall compliance to the plan, as opposed to details. It helps clients see the big picture. A 90% goal is what we shoot for.
So let’s say the plan is 5 meals per day, and 3 workouts with post-workout nutrition per week. So we’re looking at 38 meal opportunities.
If a client misses a meal, or doesn’t eat a meal that’s part of the program, then they lose a “point”. Our goal is a minimum of 34-35.
It lets a client see that if they eat perfectly on Sun-Fri, but miss a couple meals on Sat, and eat a couple of cheat meals that day - in their head they were “on” the whole time.
But when we do the compliance grid we see that Sat alone cost them 5 points. So despite what they think or perceive to be happening - they are NOT compliant - just an important distinction to teach them.
CB: And finally, can you leave us with some of your best results or case studies?
AC: I prefer to talk about average results - we all have star clients and testimonials that we can talk about. Generally across the board with a client who is doing everything right we see a consistent
loss of 24 to 32 lbs of fat in our initial 16 week program. Some people out perform that, or lose more over a longer period of time.
Some do less than that - but that’s a fair average that I don’t mind quoting.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one girl who I worked with.
This girl’s brother paid for her training sessions before being shipped to Iraq. Unfortunately he never made it back.
But he’d be proud of his wee sister. She trained her ass off, gained a ton of muscle, cut 20lbs of fat in about 12 weeks and now holds the record for kills as a freshman in D1 Volleyball at Idaho.
Haley Larson - an amazing athlete - watch for her name.
CB: Alwyn, Thanks so much for your expertise and motivation.
Go here: >> Alwyn’s site & more about his programs
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Don’t miss Alwyn’s unique blend of fat loss info and humor.
>> Get Alwyn’s articles & programs here
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
I truly believe that nutrition is the biggest, by far, component of a good fat loss program.
There’s a saying in the fitness industry, “you can’t out-train a bad diet”, and that hold’s true almost 100% of the time (and especially as you get older).
Fortunately, I also believe that good nutrition for fat loss is very simple. And here are my 5 steps to building a fast fat burning diet.
1) Find out how much you are eating now. Use fitday.com.
2) If you are not losing weight, eat less.
3) Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and good protein sources. Don’t eat junk from a bag or a box.
4) Give yourself one treat meal per week to look forward to - not a treat day, just a treat meal.
5) Plan ahead. Prepare your meals (spend 1-2 hours on the weekend getting your meals and meal plan ready for the week). Identify obstacles and come up with solutions to avoid them.
That is it.
Very simple. Most people do pretty well on 1-3 and even 5, but mess up on number 4. I often hear how well someone did all day long, but then while making dinner they snack on upwards of 500 calories of
their kid’s treats, or other processed carbohydrates they have lying around the house.
The little things can add up to big time problems. So take a good long look at everything you eat.
And all of this can be avoided if you follow rule #5.
Combine my five simple nutrition rules with three short workouts per week of resistance training and interval training, and you have a very manageable fat loss plan that can fit any busy lifestyle.
Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training for fat loss
There are NO negative calorie foods,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
PS - Lose Over 5 Pounds Per Month & Change Your Body With Only 3 Short TT Workouts Per Week…
“I’m 25 and was seriously overweight at the start of this year. I’ve been doing the TT for Fat Loss Workouts and after 5 months of training. I’ve lost nearly 28lbs. I want to take this opportunity
to thank Craig for making your knowledge so accessible and your articles and blogs that not only make us think about our lifestyles, but encourage us to change them for better health.”
Kevin Thow, Sydney, Australia
“Turbulence Training makes so much sense and i really enjoy the different workouts so never get bored. From an aussie that was looking for something other than just another weight workout
with the same old moves this has been a real eye opener for me and i have been telling my friends just how great the TT method is.”
Kelli Tomkins, Australia
“I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal
for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get
me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends.”
Billy Williams
Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training for fat loss
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Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
There are few injuries as bothersome and harder to recover from than hamstring injuries. Prevention of hamstring injuries is the best solution. Similarly, weak hamstrings can lead to other serious injuries. For example, female athletes tend to have weaker hamstrings because they use their quadriceps muscles more while walking and running. This means females use their strong quadriceps muscles and do not adequately activate their weak hamstrings. The hamstring muscle group acts to protect the anterior cruciate knee ligament (ACL) and the opposing quadricep muscle group places stress on the ACL. Therefore, quadricep dominant muscle work demonstrated by any athlete places excessive stress (and many times serious injury) on the ACL.
Every athlete runs a higher risk of serious knee injury when the quadriceps are significantly stronger than the hamstrings. The best prevention for hamstring injuries and hamstring-related injuries are adequate flexibility and strength.
The athlete is also at risk of a hamstring injury when the gluteus maximus doesn’t fire properly. When the hip flexors are tight, they cause weakness in the gluteus maximus. This often leads to the hamstrings doing the work that the gluteus maximus should be doing. And, since the hamstrings are not equipped to handle this type of workload, injury to the hamstrings is the result. Therefore, it is critical to have flexible hip flexors. Below is a good hip flexor stretch:
Bridges are a good exercise to activate the glutes.
Try these flexibility and strength exercises for your hamstrings:
Hamstring Flexibility - walking lunges, resistance band eccentric stretch and static stretch (static stretch should be done after workout or game).
Hamstring Strength - lying or standing hamstring machine curl, deadlift, good morning exercise (with or without weights) and russian hamstring curl.
Injury prevention is definitely better than the cure!
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
I just received a book bonanza in the mail today, as 6 books I recently
ordered were delivered.
They are…
1 - Screw It, Let’s Do it - Richard Branson
2 - Prime Time Women - Marti Barletta
3 - Action - Robert Ringer
4 - Smart Startups - David Silver
5 - Make it Big - Frank McKinney
6 - Richard Branson’s Autobiography
I’ve also read 7 books this year…(only #’s 1, 6, and 7 are really that
good).
1. Eat that Frog – Brian Tracy
2. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word – Sugarman
3. The Official Get Rich Guide to Information Marketing – Kennedy
4. Small Giants – Bo Burlingham
5. Smart Mobs – Howard Rheingold
6. Vagabonding – Rolf Potts
7. How to Make Millions with Your Ideas – Dan Kennedy
And here’s a list of the top 21 books I’ve read in the last 5 years…these
are the books that have had the greatest impact on me in terms of business
and training - but are in no particular order.
in no particular order, here are 21 you should try and read this year.
1. Info Millions – Bob Serling (bought from Eric Ruth)
2. Never Eat Alone – Ferrazzi
3. Primal Branding – Create Zealots for Your Brand – Patrick Hanlon
4. The Psychology of Influence & Persuasion – Robert Caldini
5. The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss
6. Instant Income – Janet Switzer
7. The New Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz
8. Made to Stick – C&D Heath
9. Fooled by Randomness – Nicholas Taleb
10. My Unfinished Business – Kennedy
11. Attractor Factor – Joe Vitale
12. No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs – Kennedy
13. No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs – Kennedy
14. Grow Rich With Peace of Mind – Napolean Hill
15. No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses –
Kennedy
16. Magic Hundred – Dax Moy
17. Purple Cow – Godin
18. Free Prize Inside – Godin
19. Idea Virus – Godin
20. The E-Myth – Gerber
21. Farewell to Arms – Hemmingway
Oh yeah, and someone told me Turbulence Training was good as well,
CB
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
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Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
A knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the most common injury affecting the knee joint. About 70% of all serious knee injuries involve damage to the ACL. And, about 80% of these injuries occur without any contact from another player. There are some training techniques the athlete can use to lessen the risk of this injury. The knee ACL is located within the capsule of the knee and connects the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia). Pictured below is a torn knee ACL:
Most ACL injuries occur when the athlete decelerates, comes to a sudden stop or lands with improper technique while placing too much stress on the knees. The athlete should dominate the hamstrings, hips and glutes during movement. The hips are often under-used during sports competition. Another common mechanical breakdown is when the knees protrude far in front of the feet when decelerating, landing or squatting. This puts undue stress on the knees and often causes injury. Also, when the quadriceps are much stronger than the hamstrings, this can cause an ACL injury. Research has shown that the hamstrings play an important role in stabilizing the knee and protecting the ACL during deceleration.
Females injure their ACLs at six times the rate of males. Females demonstrate a lower hamstring to quadricep ratio. This means they typically have weaker hamstrings compared to males. They also demonstrate different muscle activation patterns compared to males. Females are typically quadricep dominant athletes which means they use their strong quadriceps muscles and do not use their weak hamstrings enough. Strength training for females should be adjusted to adequately strengthen the hamstrings.
Lateral lunges and lateral bounding teaches the athlete how to move correctly while dominating movement with the hips.
The athlete should also learn proper landing techniques using exercises such as vertical jumps, broad jumps and depth jumps.
Surgery will be necessary for a tear of the ACL. Usually, the tear is repaired by using a part of another healthy ligament to replace the damaged ACL. Rehabiliation for a torn ACL takes about 3-4 months and it takes 8 months or more before the athlete can return to competition.
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
Here’s a TT Members update on the latest workouts and videos from www.TTMembers.com
I’ve combined classic circuit training with Turbulence Training in the new February TT Workout of the Month.
You can now download it and start burning fat with TT circuits…
Click HERE for the February TT Circuit Workout
Let me know what you think. And oh yes, there is a tough new “Bodyweight 200″ circuit in there for all bodyweight enthusiasts.
==================================
Transformation Secrets Bonus For You
==================================
I am making this very special bonus report available to all TT Members.
Transformation Secrets
Please read it…there is loads of valuable info in there for your own personal fat loss transformations. It contains fat burning
secrets from three very high priced fat loss coaches…
======================================
All the Workout Videos from 2007
======================================
If you are a Platinum Level Member, you can go through a new set of archives to watch all of the Workout Videos from 2007. This was the first year I started doing video and it was a huge hit. Check them out for all of your favorite moves and supersets.
The full 2007 collection is here:
http://www.ttmembers.com/members/department57.cfm
======================================
Keep your New Year’s resolutions going strong,
CB
PS - You can also watch the 6-Month Bodyweight Manual workouts at www.TTmembers.com
Go here to watch fun & challenging bodyweight workouts:
http://www.ttmembers.com/members/department54.cfm
You must be a Platinum Level Member to watch these videos.
“Turbulence Training is absolutely incredible. I’ve worked out for years and spent many dollars on personal trainers with very minimal results. TT is the only way to go. There really isn’t even a close second!! I’m telling everybody who will listen about TT. There’s so much junk out there that I love telling people when I find something that is really great. One of the things I say about you on my website is that you over-deliver. You over-deliver like nobody I’ve ever seen. Keep up the GREAT WORK.”
Steve Tuggle, CPT
See you on the forums!
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Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
In this part of the glutes series, I will detail the functions of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. First, understand that every muscle must load in all three planes of motion before they can unload with maximal force. The glutes are no different in this regard, although one of the principle roles of the glutes are to eccentrically decelerate the forces generated by gravity, momentum and ground reaction forces.
Let’s look at the functions of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus:
1. First, the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body (Wow!). It originates at the ilium (posterior crest), sacrum (posterior) and lumbar fascia. It inserts into the femur (gluteal line, or rear) and tibia (lateral condyle). The primary function of the gluteus maximus is to extend the hip (moving the thigh to the rear). A summary of the gluteus maximus’ muscle contractions are:
Concentric (force production) - Accelerates hip extension and external rotation
Isometric (stabilizes force) - stabilizes tibial internal rotation
Eccentric (force reduction) - decelerates hip flexion and internal rotation
2. The primary role of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus is to abduct the hip. Abduction separates your legs away from the midline of the body. The minimus lies underneath the medius. They both originate at the ilium and insert into the femur (greater trochanter, or side). Abduction occurs during any athletic movement requiring you to move from side to side such as playing the infield in baseball, defense in basketball and football, and ice skating. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus also have critical roles in gait (walking) because they stabilize the pelvis. This prevents the pelvis from tilting sideways when you are balancing on one foot. A summary of the gluteus medius’ and gluteus minimus’ muscle contractions are:
Concentric (force production) - accelerates hip abduction and internal rotation
Isometric (stabilizes force) - stabilizes the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex
Eccentric (force reduction) - decelerates hip adduction and internal rotation
The gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are sometimes called the “gluteal deltoid” because together they form the same shape as the deltoid muscles of the shoulder. The gluteal deltoid also performs similarly to the shoulder’s deltoids. The deltoids move the shoulder through all planes and the gluteal deltoid does the same for the lower extremities.
In part 4 of the glutes series, I will look at exercises that primarily strengthen the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
I’m always amazed by people who tell me that Turbulence Training is too easy for them.
Actually, shocked is a better word.
Each Turbulence Training workout has left me sweating and feeling tired (but a “good” tired), and I’ve never finished any TT workout and thought it was too easy or ineffective.
So if you think it’s too easy, or if you’ve done this Intermediate TT workout and said, “no problem”, take a look at how I would do it, and then ask yourself if you are training hard enough.
Now you might not be able to use the same weights as I do, but maybe you could be using more intensity in your own workouts. And that’s all that is necessary to make your workouts better for fat burning.
So let’s examine Workout A, from the Intermediate Phase of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual…
Warm-up: I’d use this to get mobile and warmup my muscles. I’d even be starting to sweat a bit. Now onto the supersets…
1A) DB Split Squat (8 reps) - I would use at least 60 if not 70 pound dumbells for this. It would be really hard - there’s no other way to put it.
1B) DB Incline Press (8 reps) - I’d use 80-90 pound dumbells for this. Combined, this superset would soak my shirt on its own.
2A) Stability Ball Leg Curl (15 reps) - Granted, I could do this exercise without a problem, so I’d either increase the number of reps per set to 25, or I would do the 1-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curl.
2B) Pushup (15 reps) - I would increase the reps to 35 pushups per set, or I would use a more difficult version such as close-grip pushups, or even decline close-grip pushups.
3A) Stability Ball Jackknife (10 reps) - I’d increase the reps to 20 per set or I’d do 1-Leg Stability Ball Jackknives.
3B) DB Rear-Delt Raise (10 reps) - This would be tough, and I’d use 15 or 20 pound dumbells.
After this intense strength training session, I’d rest 1-2 minutes and then get on the treadmill for intervals.
Interval Workout A
Intervals can’t be easy for anyone. For me, I’d run at top speed on the treadmill (12mph), or I’d run the intervals outside.
A beginner might use 3.8mph for walking intervals. Either way, we’d both make it as tough as possible for our own personal fitness levels.
Overall, this workout would be tough. And someone who is fitter than I am would just increase the intensity up to his or her level so they would boost their metabolism to the max and burn fat fast.
Turbulence Training isn’t easy, but it works.
Get started on a fat burning workout today from: ==> http://www.turbulencetraining.com
It all comes down to you,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
PS - Lose over 10 pounds in 3 weeks!
“The sticking point for me has always been time. There was never enough to cover all muscle groups, find time for cardio and incorporate In 6 weeks I have lost 6.5kg (14.3lbs). I am now in my ideal weight range (with abs) without dropping off existing musculature. As far as internal health goes my cholesterol has dropped from 6.4mmol/L to 3.7 mmol/L (247mg/dL to 142mg/dL). Guess what! my life insurance premiums will reduce accordingly if i keep it this way. Did I mention I feel great. This stuff works.”
Alan Rogers, Australia
“I am a 48 year old woman who has been on some sort of diet plan since 1987 (that’s when my son was born) I’ve tried all sorts of exercise programs; Curves, The Firm, 6 weeks, Numerous Beach Body programs, not to mention Atkins, Slim Fast, Nutrisystem, low fat, low carb, low calorie etc. You name it I’ve tried it and probably bought it! 3 weeks ago I stumbled across Craig’s Dark Side of Cardio. Here it is 3 weeks later and I’ve lost 10 pounds! My clothes are looser! A program that actually delivers! A program without false promises! A program that doesn’t make you workout 5-7 days a week but only 3X for 45 minutes! I’ve got to tell you, I was certainly skeptical because of past history, but WOW, I can’t believe this. I tried on a skirt that I couldn’t get past my hips last winter and I wore it today!!! I love this program; it’s fast, fun and complete. Thank you Craig for helping me on my dream.”
Kelley Howard
Get started on a fat burning workout today from:
==> http://www.turbulencetraining.com
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
I don’t play golf, but for some reason I enjoy watching it on TV. Each tournament, - if Tiger is playing - I always try and catch the final 3-4 holes.
Today was Tiger’s first tourney of the year, and it wasn’t even close. He already had a record lead after Saturday’s round, and he made some great shots today to win easily. Tiger is fit and looks focused for a lot of wins this year. Should be good times.
And no, I still don’t think Tiger Woods uses steroids. He’s just young and fit, that’s all.
Now apparently Phil Mickelson also spend the off-season working out, and I think I noticed he was significantly slimmer than in the past few years, but I’m just guessing based on how he looks. If anyone knows his fitness routine, let me know, I’d be interested to see it. Phil looks like the kind of guy who has a hard time with nutrition, so hopefully he improved that as well.
Good luck to all the TT golfers out there this year,
CB
Lose fat for the summer
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Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
If you don’t know my take on dietary supplements by now, then here it is again—GET THE NUTRITION AND ENERGY YOU NEED FROM FOOD CONSUMPTION FIRST! Supplements are just that–supplements! Besides the safeness of food, you’ll save yourself alot of money.
Researhers have completed a small study dealing with the effects of energy drinks on people with high blood pressure. The results of the study prompted researchers to advise people with high blood pressure or heart disease to avoid energy drinks because they could impact blood pressure or effect medications. These energy drinks generally have high levels of caffeine and taurine which can effect heart function and blood pressure.
The person who led the study had this to say:
“We saw increases in both blood pressure and heart rate in healthy volunteers who were just sitting in a chair watching movies. They weren’t exercising. They were in a resting state,” James Kalus of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who led the study, said in an interview. The increases did not rise to dangerous levels in the group of 15 healthy volunteers, whose average age was 26, the researchers said.
But the increases potentially could be significant in people with cardiovascular disease or those taking drugs to lower heart rate or blood pressure, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida.
The study participants were asked not to consume other forms of caffeine for two days before starting the study and then throughout a study in which they consumed two cans of energy drinks daily over seven days. Each can contained 80 milligrams of caffeine and 1,000 milligrams of taurine.
The volunteers’ heart rates rose by about 8 percent on the first day and 11 percent on the seventh day.
Maximum systolic blood pressure – the top number in blood pressure readings that represents pressure while the heart contracts — rose by 8 percent on the first day and 10 percent on the seventh day, the study showed.
Diastolic blood pressure – the bottom number that gives the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats — rose by 7 percent on the first day and 8 percent on the seventh day.
Kalus said the study did not address possible health effects from the way some people consume these drinks, such as mixing them with alcohol.
Again, PRIMARILY GET THE NUTRITION AND ENERGY YOU NEED FROM FOOD CONSUMPTION!
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Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
Burning more calories every day will help you reach your fitness goals sooner. Body composition is the key to physical fitness. Stated another way, how much lean muscle mass does your body have in relation to fat mass. One major fitness goal should always be to decrease fat mass to an acceptable level. Building muscle while simultaneously reducing body fat will insure long-term fitness success. Building muscle mass will also speed up your metabolism and burn more daily calories.
So, how many daily calories are burned by one pound of muscle? And the answer is—35 to 50 calories! Its great to lose weight but you need to do it the right way. If you lose major poundage without strength training, most of your weight loss will be muscle mass. That is why you see some people who are “skinny-fat” (skinny with high body fat). The goal should be to have a lean and toned body. Therefore, you need to strength train 2-3 times per week.
Here is an example of losing weight the right way:
This person weighed 210 pounds, with 30% body fat
(lean mass = 147 lbs. and fat mass = 63 lbs.)
Exercise program results:
Weight: 195 pounds, 25% body fat
(lean mass = 146 lbs. and fat mass = 49 lbs.)
This person’s exercise program was very successful! He lost 15 total pounds with only 1 lost pound of muscle. That means the other 14 pounds lost was fat! He was able to do this because he combined good nutrition with strength training and cardio exercise. Now, muscle up and lose fat weight
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
I’ve combined classic circuit training with the TT approach in an experimental fat loss program for you.
Click HERE to get the TT Member’s Circuit Workout
Let me know what you think. Oh yeah, and there is a tough new “Bodyweight 200″ circuit in there for you bodyweight enthusiasts.
One other thing…
I no longer publish daily tips on this email list due to email problems.
If you want more frequent fat loss tips, Click HERE to signup for the Turbulence Training fat loss newsletter
Thanks!
Stay strong,
CB
PS - Get the New TT Circuit Training…
…in the TT Member’s area.
Not a TT member?
Sign up today and you’ll get…
The January TT Fat Loss Workout of the Month
The February TT Fat Loss Workout of the Month
All the fat loss interviews & teleseminars
A chance to ask me your fat loss questions on the forums
See you there!
Click HERE to become a TT Member today
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
There’s a tool from Google called “Google Alerts”, that lets you type in any phrase and then Google will alert you whenever it pops up on the Internet. For example, just type in your name, and you’ll be emailed whenever a website is created that has your name on it.
A handy little tracking device. One of my Google Alerts is, not surprisingly, Turbulence Training.
But now here’s the surprise - it seems great minds think alike, even if they are halfway around the world.
According to this story in UK Guardian, a Turkish football coach has named his training system, “Turbulence”…
“…A rookie coach, Uygun credits his managerial success to the influence of Carlos Alberto Parreira, the manager who schemed Brazil’s unBrazil-like 1994 World Cup triumph and was responsible for Fener’s mid-90s revival.
But equally key to Sivasspor’s success is Uygun’s own training system (nicknamed “TURBULENCE”) in which players alternate between performance-enhancing fitness binges and prolonged rests, the idea being that form-sapping fatigue can be meticulously scheduled against breaks in the fixture calender.
Sivasspor also go heavy on bonding sessions. As their president Mecnun Odyakmaz put it: “Money is not a major concern. We are a brotherhood.”
*****
Granted, his system is a little different from mine, but very interesting to see how 2 men, worlds apart, could come up with the same phrase for a nearly identical philosophy.
The only thing is, I actually have the term Trademarked. Yep, just received official confirmation from the US Government the other day for US registered trademark # 3,355,431 - “Turbulence Training” for use in exercise videos and books.
Turbulence = a winning system everywhere in the world,
CB
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss
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Submitted by My Fitness Hut Blog
That’s a good question! I’m sure that clients wonder if their personal trainers “walk the walk” when it comes to staying fit. In my opinion, if your personal trainer doesn’t stay fit, you need to find another trainer.
One of my main goals for fitness is to improve cardiorespiratory and other health components. So, every workout that I do will include at least 20-30 minutes of cardio. The intensity of my cardio workouts are always at 75%-85% of my maximum heart rate. I do this to achieve maximum cardio, calorie burn and fat burn benefits.
My other main goal is to maintain the physical fitness I have achieved during my life. Fortunately, I started serious physical fitness (weight training, aerobic and anaerobic) in high school because of participation in football and baseball. This allowed me to increase my fitness level in college while playing football. Over the years I have maintained a reasonable level of fitness.
I have two basic workouts that I rotate during a month:
1) Full body circuit (this means with little or no rest between exercises) workout with light weights and a cardio mix. Light weight means 50%-60% of my maximum effort with 12-15 repetitions per exercise set. During the 1 hour workout, I will maintain a heart rate of 75%-85% for the entire time. The order of the workout will go something like this:
–5 minutes warmup on treadmill or other cardio machine
–10 minutes on treadmill, jump rope, stepper, etc. heart rate 75%-85%
–30 minutes, circuit weight training, heart rate 75%-85%
–20 minutes, intervals on treadmill or other cardio machine, heart rate 75%-85%
–5-10 minutes cool-down and static stretching
This is a very intense 1 hour workout and is not recommended for beginners.
2) Full body workout with heavy weights and heavy cardio at the end. Heavy weight means 80%-90% of my maximum. I will usually do 3 sets/4-6 repetitions per exercise with 60-90 seconds rest between exercises. This workout will go something like this:
–5 minutes warmup on treadmill or other cardio machine
–60 minutes weight workout
–20 minutes, intervals on treadmill, jump rope or other cardio machine. Heart rate is maintained at 75%-85% for the entire cardio session.
–5-10 minutes cool-down and static stretching
I will lift weights 3 days a week. Weight training includes core and balance exercises. On the days that I do cardio-only workouts, I will do intervals for 20-30 minutes at 75%-85% and core work for another 20 minutes. I will vary my modes of cardio training. I usually workout 5-6 days a week. As always, I will listen to my body and increase or decrease the intensity as needed. There it is! I have done these workouts with clients and really enjoyed it. I think they like to see their trainer hurt a little bit too!
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
The World’s Busiest Dad, Chris Lopez, put together a great list of the 10 things he thinks you should do in 2008 to make it your best year ever.
Here’s just one of the things on his list…
3. Build your own HOME GYM.
No, don’t drop 10G’s on a complete renovation, a customized lifting platform and sauna (although if I had the $$$, the time
and the space that’s what I’d do). But for a fraction of the price you can have a half decent set-up. My “home gym” will never take place of where I train. But for days when I’m stuck, this set-up will do. Go out and get a door gym, a stability ball, a kettlebell of a relatively challenging weight and yoga mat. That’s it. I’ll drop some good workouts over the next few
weeks on how to use just those 4 pieces of equipment.
See what the “World’s Busiest Dad” thinks of fasting for weight loss and goal setting.
Read Part 1 HERE
Read Part 2 HERE
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Submitted by Turbulence Training Blog
This week, I’m interviewing one of the most famous fat loss trainers in North America, Alwyn Cosgrove. I recently saw Alwyn speak at a personal trainer’s seminar, and Alwyn showed study after study supporting his fat loss programs.
Today Alwyn will his approach to fat loss in greater detail. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series. Parts 2 and 3 will deal with nutrition and the psychology of weight loss.
First, a little more about Alwyn (pronounced “Allan”)…
Alwyn Cosgrove is a superstar in the world of physique transformation for men and women. He’s trained champions in multiple sports and winners of multiple 12-week body transformation contests. Alwyn owns and operates a training facility in Santa Clarita, California and he’s also written his own fat loss book called “Afterburn”.
Click here for more info about Afterburn
CB: What is the significance of adding circuits as you sometimes do? Are you always using total body sessions or do you sometimes use upper-lower splits?
AC:
I tend to use split routines from the get-go, however I split the work based on movement patterns not on muscle group.
If the goal is fat loss I don’t use upper and lower body splits - although regardless of goal I tend to favor the non-competing supersets system that we both use.
As the client progresses I feel that they start to increase their loads in their exercise and need more rest between sets of the same exercise.
e.g. originally:
1a: Squat: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with one minute of rest
1b: Push ups: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with one minute of rest.
Between sets of squats I have 3 mins of rest (rest + push up time +rest) but if I’m doing three sets of each I’m still getting all the work done in 12 mins - one set every two minutes. My ACTUAL rest time is short - but my practical rest time is 3 mins, and my work density is one set every two minutes.
Eventually though we use heavier loads and need more rest - but here’s how we do it:
1a: Squat: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with 45s of rest
1b: Push ups: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with 45s of rest.
1c: Seated Row: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with 45s of rest
So now I have 4 min 15s of rest between squats (45s rest + push ups + 45s rest + row +45s of rest). I can definitely go heavier with my legs having that much longer of a rest.
If I do three sets of each it takes me 15 mins and 45s. But I’m now getting NINE sets done in that time or one set in 1 min 45s. I’ve increased my practical rest time but I’ve also increased my work
density. So I can go heavier AND get more work done in the same time when compared to the original program.
And just a reminder - we’re talking about fat loss training here - I’m not talking about optimal hypertrophy or strength routines.
CB: You talk about the “Afterburn” being a massive metabolic disturbance (aka - what I call “Turbulence”) being applied to the muscle. Can you explain why this metabolic disturbance matters and simply, what it is?
AC:
Quite simply if you work out every day for an hour - you’ll do seven hours of work.
But there are 168 hours in a week. 7 hours (a significant commitment that few people have time for) is actually only 4% of your week. Do you really think that you’ll make a difference with fat loss based on a 4% investment? No way.
So we have to focus on the OTHER 23 hours of each day - the entire 168 hours in the week.
The bulk of the calories your body burns comes from your resting metabolic rate (RMR). If we can turn that number up slightly - then we can make a big difference in total fat lost.
Now if we took that hour of exercise that we spend every day and could create a disturbance in RMR that would last (and as I mentioned earlier - studies have shown increased EPOC from a single
workout 38 hours later) - then we are affecting the bigger picture.
Just by doing the math - forget about the workouts and the diet for now - if I could increase RMR only 25 calories per hour, every hour - that would end up being 600 additional calories per day - or 4200 calories burned per week. That should result in over a pound of fat loss per week before we even talk about the calories burned during the workout, the caloric deficit from the diet, the thermic effect of feeding, etc etc.
For fat loss - what you do in the workout is irrelevant - we are looking solely at a stimulus to drive EPOC up. Interval training and resistance training do that very well.
Steady state aerobic work, particularly at low intensities doesn’t do that as well - so it’s not the first tool we turn to.
Look at this study…
“Fat loss following 15 weeks of high intensity, intermittent cycle ergometer training”
Authors:
Trapp EG and Boutcher SH
University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia
The study found 3 x 20 mins of intervals for 15 weeks resulted in more fat loss than 3 x 30-40 min of aerobics at 60% V02 max.
The interval training group lost about 3 times as much fat.
CB: Without spending too much time going over your thoughts on aerobic training for fat loss, is there a time you would ever use aerobic training?
AC:
Of course. I use it with deconditioned people - I’ve used it heavily myself since my transplant, and I use it with athletes needing to develop their aerobic system.
Aerobic exercise is very beneficial - please don’t misinterpret my thoughts on the matter - it’s just been overemphasized for fat loss. Does it work? Of course. Is it the BEST program (which is what people pay me for)? No.
For fat loss - I don’t use it too much. It doesn’t burn very many calories when compared to interval training and does little to increase EPOC - which is the biggest key in fat loss programming.
I do use aerobic training as part of a “stubborn fat” protocol that Lyle McDonald introduced me too, but realistically that type of training only applies to a small percentage of people. I don’t believe most people have stubborn body fat as much as they need a longer period of fat loss training and dieting.
Additionally - very occasionally you can have a client eating well, doing metabolic resistance work 3-4 days per week and intervals 3-4 times per week, and because of time constraints (e.g. a show/photo shoot/ movie is coming up) - you need to burn some more calories.
Under circumstances like that, it’s impractical to add another weight training session or another interval session - so we add 1-2 steady state aerobic sessions.
CB: What’s your favorite interval method and duration - has anything stood out in your experience as being more effective than other methods? And do you have any uniquely effective interval methods?
AC:
I think the Tabata Protocol holds some merit (20s on 10s off for 8 rounds) to just crank metabolism - but it is better for conditioning and athletic performance than for fat loss. But as with most things - it’s a useful tool in your arsenal.
Last year I experimented with a bunch of different work to rest intervals. Basically what I found is that the best fat loss results seem to come with 30 to 60s of work and 60-120s of rest. As much as
I played around with it - I couldn’t really come up with anything that stood out as being superior.
As far as uniquely effective intervals - I think the future of fat loss training is going to move away from traditional cardiovascular based intervals and move towards, tabata stuff, bodyweight circuits, complexes, and strongman type medley’s with the same loading parameters.
CB: What’s more important - exercise fat oxidation or 24-hour energy expenditure? Why?
AC:
24 hour energy expenditure.
If I take a workout and burn 300 calories from fat (ie very low intensity work), that’s 300 calories burned.
If I take a 30 min workout and create enough metabolic disruption so that you burn even ½ a calorie extra per minute, (and studies are showing an elevated EPOC for 38 hours), - then I’m looking at another 720 calories for the next 24 hours PLUS the calories burned in the original workout.
Focusing on what is burned DURING the exercise session is massively short sighted. That type of thinking has its roots in the mythical fat burning zone. I hope we don’t have to go into that.
CB: We don’t, no worries. Alwyn has a lot of great information on his website.
>> Click here for Alwyn’s site & more about his programs
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Written by Michael Vass
There is no end to the surveys, studies and pundits that mention men don’t see doctors or get annual physical exams. Recently there was a June 2007 survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians that showed that while 79% of men said they were in good health, 42% were diagnosed with chronic conditions. Obviously waiting for unbearable pain or illness to motivate a trip to the doctor is not a good idea.
But what can be done in the meantime? How can you keep your health up, and be motivated to live better? And how can you keep from going to the local fast food restaurant, which everyone knows is bad for you but tastes so good.
Well there might be a bit of help found in the question of fast food. A recent article I just ran across deals directly with the restaurants and foods that we love to consume. And the results are surprising. It seems that not everything you though was good for you is, and some are better choices than what’s been often lamented.
Now some things are obvious. Like the Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing. The number 1 worst fast food in America. Not that you would be surprised. Also on the no surprise list are Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes or Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger among others.
But also in the Top 20 worst foods are Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips from McDonald’s (5 pieces) with creamy ranch sauce, Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger, and On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef. Each of these trying to lure in consumers with the notion that they are “health” because of what they are comprised of or their name. A salad, chicken and turkey burgers all sound healthy, but that isn’t necessarily so.
There are quite a few “healthy” foods that just don’t make the grade. Take yogurt with fruit on the bottom, granola bars, chicken caesar salad, and the oft mentioned bran muffin. Each of them just aren’t what they are cracked up to be.
So now that you know a few of the bad choices and some of the hidden unhealthy choices that are presented as good for you; the question is who is the best and worst?
Well topping the very best fast food restaurants to eat at are Chick-Fil-A, Boston Market, and the favorite of Jared – Subway.The worst? Macaroni Grill is hands down at the bottom of the list. Only slightly better is Pizza Hut. And believe it or not the middle ground is held by (in order of best to worst) Taco Bell, Wendy’s, McDonalds, KFC and Burger King.
There is much more on the good and bad fast food out their. I’ve only scratched the surface of the full article. If you want to see how everyone really breaks down, and what is definitely bad and what the health nuts claim is good but isn’t, check out http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/index.html
Until your next annual physical (which you need to go to) this might help a little. Still a few push-ups won’t hurt either.
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Written by Michael Vass
Back in the late 80’s, when I was in the service, I recall a night over at a Coast Guard base. It was about 2 in the morning and I was with a friend. We were watching a show that I had never seen before, and I thought it was great. It was American Gladiators.
Being the fit and uber in shape Marine I was at the time I was wondering if I could compete in the television show. Unlike wrestling, and with no other “reality” programming existing on television it was the only program where regular people could display the physical fitness we worked on attaining. I never did try to get on the show, but in a year or so the program became an underground hit and goes to a more realistic timeslot.
Fast forward to today, and we see that American Gladiators has returned to television. With it has returned the opportunity for real people to show their stuff. Not like the unreal “reality” programs that dominate the airwaves these days. Just regular people, who have worked out and stayed, fit throughout their lives. Some even having started to become fit latter in life.
Now this is not a program that is high-brow in any sense. It’s physical competition. It’s a display of dedication that contestants have made over time, and none of them are professionals. And that’s why I enjoy it.
This is the one show where you or I could get on. That’s the motivation. We work out, maintain a proper diet, exercise on a regular basis, and without becoming an Arnold Schwarzenegger clone, we have a realistic chance of appearing and winning $100,000. It takes me back to my time in the military and that night at the Coast Guard base.
Sometimes we all need a reason to do what we know we should do anyway. Sometimes we need to see a regular person do something we can do as well. I love football, but there is no way I’m ever going to get into the NFL no matter how fit I become. But American Gladiators is a possibility.
Perhaps it’s unrealistic to think I will ever make it on television for such a program. But the next time I’m in the gym, or you are, seeing that Joe Average guy that did the same things we do in the gym might just help get one more mile on the treadmill, or that extra set of push-ups.
But does it matter if I don’t make it to the show? If I, we, gain the reward for being more physically fit does it matter what motivated us? If it only means I will live better, play golf better, and spend more time playing with nephews (not to mention get a second or third look from the ladies) have I not gotten the reward I really wanted?
There are many reasons why men get physically fit. If American Gladiators can add one more reason to the list, it’s a good thing to me. How about you?
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