Concussions

   A concussion is an injury to the brain typically caused by a external trauma towards the head.  In sports jargon it is known as 'having your bell rung' or getting 'knocked out ! The brain also can jam against the skull from any violent force to the region of the body.
   Sports historically glorifies the courageous athlete who would get knocked out but return to the field of combat to perform heroic feats. Hockey legend Maurice 'the Rocket' Richard got knocked unconscious during a playoff game but returned in overtime to score the winner on a spectacular end-to end skate. Less is heard about him suffering a seizure in the dressing room after the game. How many tales exist of boxers getting knocked down, barely beating the referee's 10 count, and still winning the match? These are the stories of sporting folklore. Today there is a greater recognition that concussions can lead to future mental health problems.
 
 A number of incidents recently have brought the issue  of sports concussions into the public eye.

• A few summers ago, three National Hockey League enforcers (or tough guys) died within a short time span. Two were deemed suicides and one was alcohol/painkiller related. All 3 suffered depression symptoms consistent with concussion syndrome.  Professional hockey is the only team sport that lightly penalizes but condones fist fighting.
•  The National Football League recently settled a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit in favor of former players with concussion related cognitive problems.
• Dementia symptoms in ex-boxers has always been accepted as a hazard of the trade. The term 'punch drunk' has its origins in pugilism.
•  In pro-football, league governors fear the consequences of linking football contact to concussions. What if millions of mothers stop their sons from playing football? The sport would die on the vine. 
• In Canada there is a movement afoot to delay the age of full contact body checking for minor hockey. The old guard thinks that this is heresy but many hockey parents want their children to enjoy the sport without the greater risk of physical harm. Their chances of making the pro leagues are minimal. Why not keep it safe?
• A few years back in my home town of Ottawa, a high school aged elite woman rugby player died from a head injury during a game.  It was suspected that she entered the game with a previous undiagnosed concussion.
• Sidney Crosby, the world's current hockey superstar received 2 consecutive concussions in back-to-back games. He missed major portions of 2 playing seasons.
• The next 'great one' in hockey, Eric Lindros,  never lived up to full expectations due to a series of concussions. His brother Brett retired after one professional season due to concussions.

   I will even go out on a limb here with my own theory about O.J. Simpson. Simpson was an NFL football running back. If a running back gets the ball  he gets a touchdown or runs out of bounds or most likely gets tackled. Without the ball he is usually blocking some gargantuan defensive player will ill intent towards the quarterback. Even if you believe that O.J. Simpson was not guilty of the Nicole Simpson / Ron Goldman murders, there are still possible signs of cognitive impairment. Where is the rational thinking in the police chase with the white Bronco or the kidnapping scenario to retrieve his memorabilia? Could not post-concussion syndrome cause such bizarre behavior?
   There is much evidence that a first concussion can make a person more susceptible for successive concussions. It is also accepted that a concussed athlete should not return to action until totally free of any symptoms. Rocket Richard heroics should be left as ancient history.
   Coaches, athletic trainers, and team doctors are starting to see the light and working as a team to diagnose concussions and keep competitors out of competition until the brain injury has healed.
 
   If you Fitness Train athletes that participate in contact or collision sports you may have clients that come in with disregarded or delayed head injury symptoms. Hopefully you are proactive enough to prevent clients from getting head trauma during your exercise sessions! Nevertheless, stuff happens.
It's best to prepare for the worst:

• Be sure your first aid certification is current.
• Be familiar with the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT).
• Monitor speech, eye motion and pupils, pronator drift, and gait.
• Watch for signs such as; headache, confusion, neck pain, dizziness, nausea, irritability, confusion, memory problems, concentration lapses, ringing ears,  hearing problems, drowsiness, fatigue, head pressure, or any malingering physical concerns.
• Refer client for a medical evaluation if symptoms seem minor.  
• Call an ambulance or transport to a medical center if symptoms are significant. 
• It is better to over react than to under react.  

Before being allowed to return to action the athlete or client should progress in sequential stages as follows:

1. Rest physically and mentally until symptoms subside.
2. Light aerobic exercise (less impact is preferred).
3. Sport specific exercise
4. Training drills and light resistance training. Avoid body contact.
5. Full contact practice only after a final medical clearance.
6. Return to competition.

If the client is not a competitive athlete, ensure a gradual progression in intensity for the workouts.
Ensure a full day before progressing to any advanced stage.
If symptoms recur, return to stage 1.  Ensure that medical follow up is adhered to by the client or athlete.

Any severe set backs will require a further medical evaluation! 
Keep ahead of the learning curve.

Getting your bell rung!
Even the most high tech helmet provides only limited
 protection from a targeted head shot.

Until next time,....

Keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong!













References
1.  Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT)
2. 'League of Denial' by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru
Crown  Archetype Publishing   2013

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

Birthday Milestones - Celebration or Dread!

I don't like getting old - but it beats the alternative !
 
Turning 18 is usually celebration time!  Turning 21 - it's time to roll out the barrel and  have a barrel of fun!  
   What about some the more ancient celebrations?  Sometimes the jubilation is less and the feeling of advancing age and pending mortality takes the edge off of the birthday party mood. You can say 40 is the new 30 or 50 is the new 40, but do we really fall for that line of positive spin?
   However, there may be a plus side to this ageing business. Birthday milestones may prompt lifestyle changes regarding physical fitness! When someone realizes that they have reached a certain numerical milestone and fear being worn out and decrepit, they just might seek out a Fitness Trainer. A Fitness Trainer with knowledge of the nuances of physiological ageing will have an advantage over some barely certified or non certified muscle head calling themselves a Fitness Trainer. People want to feel young again.  They want to believe that you can guide them to the warm waters of the Fountain of Youth.

   Skeptics will say that you can't turn back the years. Ageing is an irreversible force. There is a certain point at which the human organism stops improving and begins an inevitable descent. Certain chemicals and hormones produced by the body begin to decline taking the various interacting physiological systems down the slide to immobility, incontinence, disrepair and dysfunction.
   Sure that happens. It is also true that a knowledgeable Fitness Trainer can prolong the physical quality of life in an active individual. A skilled Fitness Trainer can even IMPROVE the the fitness, mobility and well-being of a sedentary time wary client!  This may not be the Fountain of Youth but can a Sprinkling Mist of Youth be so bad?

 Keep in mind the following points:

• People that have been sedentary can actually show great improvements in fitness - even more than those who have always been active. 
• Aging clients who always been inactive will lack the 'muscle memory' of those who were quite active at one time. They may be tentative at first.  Fitness Trainers will need to spend special time and care on exercise technique with them. 
•  Warm ups and cool downs should be important parameters of the exercise program.
• Functional flexibility and postural exercise should be emphasized with such aging clients.

   As for your own concerns about the ticking clock - helping your clients succeed in achieving their fitness goals will keep you feeling young.  After all,  isn't it it about time someone took a serious crack at Methuselah's longevity record? We are competitive beings, are we not?

In the words of New York Jets Super Bowl champion and legendary football quarterback Joe Namath

"I can't wait until tomorrow because I get better looking every day!" 

Until Next Time,..........Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

I think this most recent one was number 29...or was it?
I can't remember ! 

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview./rabbitview-crossfit

The Grand Guru of Grappling!

•  An often  broken nose does not hamper the sweet smell of nostalgia when the topic of the glory days of amateur wrestling are retold over cold grog on an Edmonton patio on a warm summer eve.
• Battered ears devoid of cartilage can still hear the praises of his world class exploits on the wrestling mat, the boxing ring, the judo dojo, or the Mixed Martial Arts field of combat.
• A shoulder whose ligaments and rotator cuff muscles have long since given up the ghost, can still propel a disciplining Popeye like forearm across the nose of an impudent rookie during a sparring session. (Ouch! I can still feel it years later)
• Lower back muscles that creak like violin strings upon awakening can still explode into action in the afternoon and suplex an opponent twice his size over his head and unto the mat into an instant pin.

This describes the Guru of Grappling, Shaun H., a living legend of the mats!

   I was a late comer into my second career as an  amateur wrestler. I wrestled for the only two years that my high school had a team. I was primarily a track and field man.  All during my succeeding running days, I kept thinking that I had left something at the table. I often felt that amateur wrestling may have been my real calling. How good could I have been if I'd really applied myself in this sport! As the bad guy in the  'Dirty Harry' movie said when wondering if there were any bullets left in Harry's 44  Magnum,  "I gotst to know!".
 
   The was a varsity team and a club team at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton where I then lived. I showed up one day as an overage walk-on. My first week was tough but other than a stiff neck, so far so good. The second week , not so good. After an accidental foot to the hand my thumb was suddenly resting on top of my knuckles. My mullet hairdo was also standing straight up like I'd been electrocuted. The medical term is a dislocated thumb. So much for that try-out. The result was a trip to the emergency ward and a cast on my hand for a few months.
   Like a fool for love I was back for more punishment a year later. This time all my joints held together despite the initial pain.
   What was more surprising was the way that I was accepted by the wrestling club. I thought that I would be laughed out of the combat room like some overage, delusional clown. Not so!
Everyone was enthusiastic about giving me tips and pointers.  Nobody tried to physically embarrass me or insinuate that I was out of my league - which I was initially! This attitude came from the top down. The coach, Shaun the Grappling Guru, was no elitist. Inclusion rather than exclusion was the wrestling room environment that he promoted - as long as you showed up willing to work hard and listen! 
   Work hard, we did! The guru was a stickler for conditioning. Fortunately my track runner background help me through the pyramid wind sprints. That's about all that the track background helped me. Everything else was relearning. My bodybuilding style weight workouts had little carryover to the resisting techniques and explosive attack movements required to excel at wrestling.
The Guru had little time for any exercises that were not functional to that sport!
   The Grappling Guru also had a low tolerance for foolishness or laziness during practice. However
the Guru was not one to yell or curse or berate. His first line of a coach's tough love was 'The Look'.
'The Look' was a withering stare that could melt granite. Anyone clueless enough to not heed the stare (like me) could expect the second level of a coach's tough love. This involved a one-on-one sparring session in which the clueless pupil's poor technique would be countered with a stiff forearm cross face block across the nose. The purpose, as in all wrestling moves, was not to cause pain but to cause slight discomfort. Enough slight discomfort should cause an opponent to adjust their body position to comply with the person applying the discomfort. In this instance the discomfort was a learning tool. Since I had a sensitive nose, I became a quick learner.

   I wrestled for four years under the Guru and his successor Vang I - the toughest little guy in the world!.  Both coaches took as much time with me as with the more skilled talent. I appreciated their tutelage and I had a super experience. My amateur wrestling career was modest but at least I know that I had left nothing on the table. 
The inclusion rather than elitism formula must have some merit. An athlete from the program, Colby Bell, made it to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in Greco Roman wrestling.

The Guru and I wrestled in the Veteran World Wrestling Championships in Toronto, Canada. This was a tournament for age categories starting at age 35. It was funded by John DuPont, heir to the Dupont chemical fortune.  Dupont was a weird and beyond eccentric cat. There is a wrestling movie about Dupont called 'Foxcatcher'.  It is a must-see!  By the way, the Guru scored a tough earned silver medal at this tournament.

   Shaun H is less involved in wrestling these days but is not out of the grappling game. The Guru competes in age class JuiJitsu and Judo competitions with great success. He also coaches Mixed Martial Arts. He is currently working on a PhD in the Social Sciences. Woe to the Professor who misjudges a certain doctoral dissertation! Beware of 'The Look'!

Until next time,..............Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong
   

The Grand Guru of Grappling on the right with one of his enthusiastic but less than world class protegees.

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

No One KNEE-ds a Blown Out ACL

   Women athletes in certain sports are at greater risk of blowing out their knees! 
Not politically correct you say. Go back to your anatomy and physiology textbook then.
There are physical differences between the genders. In the sports world this can lead to some significant injury observations.
   I just finished reading an interesting book called "Warrior Girls" by Michael Sokolove.
The author uses anecdotal and statistical evidence to suggest that there is actually an epidemic of severe knee injuries of elite young women in certain sports.   Sports with sudden stops and directional changes at top speed seem to pose the most risk. Soccer, basketball, and also rugby come to mind.
Teenage women on top notch competitive teams with year long league and tournament play are especially predisposed to become statistics.
   Often when these injuries occur they are noticeable with a dramatic leg plant and a loud popping noise. Sometimes it happens on an innocent looking movement. Either way leaves the casualty with pain and grief.

   The weak link in the knee is almost always the ACL  -the Anterior Cruciate Ligament!  This ligament runs at an angle across the front of the knee joint. The ACL prevents the femur bone of the upper leg from overpowering the two lower leg bones and sliding beyond the natural range of motion of the knee joint.  Once the ACL ruptures, a lifetime of trouble can ensue! Many surgically reconstructed ACL joints blow out again when the athlete returns to competition.
   Men blow out their knees too. They just do it at a lower rate. Recreational athletes are less at risk due to the slower speeds involved.  Maybe that's why I never got badly injured playing beer league hockey. I only thought that I was going fast.
Why are women at greater risk for ACL tears? There are many possible reasons:

• Hormones. Estrogen can make for more flexible joints. An overly flexible knee knee joint can be a disadvantage during a speed sport involving sudden deceleration and quick changes of direction.
• Weak core muscles such as abdominals, lower back and glutes (rear end). 
• Overspecialization in one sport at an early age. 
• Muscle imbalance in which the hamstring muscles are too weak to prevent the quadriceps muscles from dominating during running movements.
• Overly upright and erect running style. This is a cultural trait going back to the role of women carrying toddlers during the hunter/gatherer historic phase. (In Biblical time, this falls between the expulsion from Eden and the Great Flood.)
• Anatomy. The Q angle or quadriceps angle. This is a measurement of where the upper leg meets the kneecap. For childbearing reasons women often have a wider pelvis than men. This makes for a greater Q angle. The greater the Q angle, the less stable the knee. 
• More anatomy - knock knees. The opposite of being bowlegged. This can also be due to a wide Q angle. 
• Sedentary lifestyle. Many teenage athletes are inactive physically except when practicing or playing their sport. They don't develop other muscles. All of the wear and tear is on the same joints. Thank the modern tech toys for that!

Are there remedies for this epidemic of ACL injuries?  There are possible actions that may help:

• Strengthen the hamstring muscles so that they are not overpowered by the quadriceps.
• Strengthen the core muscles of the midsection including the abdominals, glutes and lower back.
• Improve running form. Athletes should learn to run with the butt low to the ground and relaxed hip and knee joints.
• Jumping drills emphasizing landing with bent knees to absorb shock.
• Play other sports or do other recreational activities to build a more balanced musculature.
• Work on balance. Balance drills train the body's proprioceptors which adjust during movement to keep in balance.
• Have a distinct off season from the sport.
• Take up a sport that doesn't require speed, deceleration or change of direction. You can also give up you favorite food and replace it with sprouts - but is this really an option?

   Wait a minute! I am always on the lookout for potential opportunities for Fitness Trainers. This is one of them. Women's soccer is very big in affluent suburbs and gentrified urban areas, Why not become go to person for knee injury prevention? Young women should be encouraged to be active and participate in sports. We also don't want them to get injured!
   You will have to ensure that your credentials and knowledge levels are up to date on current knee injury prevention science. This may require extra courses and constant educational updates on ACL prevention programs. Seek out such information and check out websites such as:

 PEP Program - SMSMF
 sportsmed.org
 sportsinjuries.org/acl-injury-prevention.aspx 
American Council on Exercise
National Strength and Conditioning Association
BioMechanics with Justin Price (I highly recommend checking out his courses)
or any other sites that you may find. Don't neglect the sports science periodicals either.
    

  If you want to specialize in working with post operative knee surgery clients tread carefully.

Knee surgery survivors would be considered a special client population. To work with special populations it would be wise to have an advanced accreditation that gives you the preferred knowledge and legal protection. Knees are too fragile a joint to risk to an under qualified Fitness Trainer going beyond their scope of practice. Do it right!

   There is a current controversy in the World Cup of Soccer for Women!
The 2015 games are to be held in Canada in stadiums with artificial turf. A number of women from other national teams have filed a suit against FIFA complaining that soccer at this level must be played on grass. One of the concerns is that turf has less give and elite athlete's knees will be exposed to dangerous conditions. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Then again, maybe they just fear going against the Canadian soccer women and arguably the best female athlete in the world - Christine Sinclair!

Top speed! Sudden foot plant for a kick!
A recipe for a blown out knee!

Until Next Time,.......Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong
















Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

 

 

Top 10 Ways to NOT Operate a Fitness Center

   There can be certain red flags at a Fitness Center that can indicate a systemic malaise towards customer service. Recognize any? I certainly do! This is how not to run a Fitness Center:

1. Train your staff to exhibit great enthusiasm and assertiveness when trying to entice new customers to become paying members. Encourage same staff to exhibit obvious apathy and indifference if existing members approach them with concerns or complaints. Make sure the customer gets the message that their issues are 'not your problem' !
2. Employ at least one front counter person with an abrupt, unfriendly persona. It keeps members on their toes.
3. Recruit Fitness Trainers because they have buff bodies without regard for their actual qualifications or credentials.
4. Never acknowledge that there may be a problem with thievery in the change rooms. 
5. When an irate member has been ripped off in the change room,  brainwash your staff to inform them politely with a smile that the Fitness Center is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
6.  Have staff inform the same irate member that it is not your policy to phone the police. Irate member must do it themselves even though the irate member is ready to go ballistic and burst an artery in anger.
7. Permit juiced up members of an outlaw biker gang a free run of your Fitness Center and allow them the same behind the counter access as staff.  (Such an existing hard core muscle head hangout that I know of eventually went broke. Then the building burnt down. Surprise! Surprise! There may have been some insurance claim issues afterwards.)
8. Use your spa services such as the hot tub as leverage to entice new members. Install a discontinued hot tub model that keeps breaking down. Be very lackadaisical and tardy about fixing it.
9. On those rare occurrences where the hot tub is functioning,  ignore the line of accumulated filthy scum around the water line.  Think of it as a natural form of inoculation against Legionnaire's Disease. Cull off the weak and let those with stronger physical immunity live to fight another day!
10. When an exercise apparatus breaks, put an 'Out of Order' sign on it and forget about it. Then it's no longer something that you need to worry about!

   Believe it or not - I have seen every one of the above scenarios during my days in the Fitness world. Buyer beware!
   If you are a Fitness Center manager or employee, always remember that customer service must be a high priority.

Until next time, ..........Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong
                                         

Soothe your muscles post workout with a hot tub !
It comes with your membership fee !
Oh no! Out of order again! Nice pool, too!

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

Fitness Training : More is Not Always Better

   Fitness Trainers should already know this.

• Muscles don't grow when you work out!   
• Muscles grow when you sleep!
• Your cardiovascular system doesn't improve while you run, cycle or swim. 
• The cardiovascular system adapts to the imposed workload and improves in efficiency as you rest.  

   This of course is all in accordance with the good old S.A.I.D. principal -  Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands! The adaptation occurs during the rest, rejuvenation, and recovery phase. Positive adaptation doesn't occur if you keep hammering that bodily system.
   During my younger days as a weekend warrior and aspiring athlete, I often disregarded this basic principal. Being the work out fanatic that I was I wanted to believe in the workaholic's credo. More is better ! A hard hour or more of interval running would be immediately followed by a hard hour plus in the weight room. The next day might be a longer but less intense run followed by a hard hour or more in the weight room working on different muscle groups than the previous day.
   Day 1 may have been lower body resistance training while day 2 might have been upper body resistance training. My philosophy at the time was that since I was training different energy systems and different muscle groups every day I would survive to train another day. Even though my calf muscles would be so seized up that I could barely jog I failed to recognize the connection to lack of recovery time.
   What I should have known was that the Central Nervous System and the human body as a complete organism requires up to 48 hours or more to recover from intense overload!
 I was often flirting with illness, injury and fatigue. I was also missing out on the improvement that could have occurred with proper recovery time allowing me to increase the intensity the following workout. I was settling for the mediocrity that comes from over training.
  There is an economic  theory known as 'the Law of Diminishing Returns'. After a certain level any additional increase of one component may cause productivity to stagnate and possibly decrease. There can be a 'Law of Diminishing Returns' in exercise, as well. 
   For the record, I was not a complete fitness hard head. I did have the presence of mind to take two full days off before races, wrestling tournaments or beer league playoff hockey games. I usually had a surge of energy that I likely lacked during workout or practice time. I would have been well served to apply this tactic to my workout schedule. Maybe I could have been a contender - or at least the conqueror of the tier 2 division !
     
   As a Fitness Trainer you will likely have some clients at two opposite ends of the spectrum.

1. Clients who do the minimum. They will do only what you supervise them for during their paid sessions. Despite your cajoling and encouraging, they do little that is active between visits to the Fitness Trainer. Take comfort in the fact that what little exercise they get with you is still better than if they did nothing.
2. Clients who become exercise fanatics. These clients are the subject of this discussion. They may be less common than other types of people that seek your Fitness Training services. Make no mistake - these people do exist.They will do everything that you prescribe for them between sessions. On top of that they may pile on more cardiovascular work and extra weight training sessions. They become the classic example of those who over train.

     Over trainers become convinced that more is better! At first they may attain their fitness goals at an an astounding rate. They then start to believe that adding to your program will keep the fitness party going. However they will invariably hit a plateau and may even start to regress with their fitness gains. Opportunistic ailments such as head colds and flu bouts may become common as the over trainer's immune system gets suppressed by the lack of recovery time. Muscular and joint soreness become the norm. They may start quoting the famous phrase from German philosopher Neitzche "That which does not destroy me - strengthens me!" These are warning signs.
The fitness party can lead to a big time hangover!
 
These clients can be a major challenge. Your job is to convince them that sometimes less is better! Once a client is bitten by the exercise fanatic bug they become a hard sell for moderation!  They essentially become exercise addicts! You can't stop them from doing too much. You may feel like a Dr. Frankenstein that has lost control of the monster that you have created.
   There are some things that you can do to try tame the fitness beast:

• Educate your client. Give them literature to try and sway them from the 'more is better' exercise trap.
• Try and steer them towards off day activities with less impact and wear and tear on the body. If they refuse to slow down at least try and sell them on the merits of activities such as swimming, yoga, thai chi, walking, or recreational cycling.
• Paint them a hypothetical picture of their greater strength and fitness gains if they only stick to your exercise prescription. 
• Use my story as an example and ask if they wouldn't rather be a contender than the king of the consolation round.

   You may run into some super serious situations that could prove to fall beyond a Fitness Trainer's scope of practice. 

1. Anorexia Nervosa can be a dangerous disorder. A person with anorexia thinks that they are overweight even though they may be down to skin and bones. They may even eat and purge or eat hardly at all. Aerobic exercise may be taken far beyond the extreme. They may resort to amphetamine type drugs to keep losing weight. If your client gets to this point it is out of your hands. Refer to a medical professional. Trying to deal with this yourself is a good way to have a client die on you!
2. The opposite of anorexia is Muscle Dysmorphia. This is more common in men but not totally exclusive to them. Think Women's Ms. Olympia bodybuilders. Muscle Dysmorphia sufferers think that they are always too small and must add more muscle. They often live in the weight room and may resort to questionable substances to increase muscle size. Once again, if your client gets to this level you must refer to a medical expert. Otherwise danger lies ahead!
3. Workaholic athletes that believe 'More is Better' at the risk of compromised health and injury. Professional athletes usually have team doctors to keep them in line. Amateurs and weekend warriors may push far beyond their limits. You may be able to reach such clients. If you feel you are losing them.....REFER TO A MEDICAL EXPERT! 

   It may not be easy to sway clients from the path of doing to much. Fitness Training sometimes throws you major challenges. That's why you made this career choice, isn't it?

For the record - as you hit those significant age milestones your required recovery time after intense activity may increase to much more than 48 hours. Listen to this aging sage! I've been there!

Until next time,......keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong 
                                               

Your muscles grow when you rest!
Gadzooks! Look at those guns!
Obviously this aspiring muscle man doesn't miss much sleep.

Fitness Trainer Hall Of Shame : Pain and Gain with the The Sun Gym Gang!

It's brilliant!  Why didn't they teach this at college where I took my Fitness Training course.
This all went down in Miami, Florida, USA in 1994 and 1995. Daniel Lugo was a convicted health fraud embezzler. He managed a hard core weight room called the Sun Gym. He also fancied himself a Fitness Trainer. Back then any weight room muscle head could call themselves a Fitness Trainer. (Has anything really changed on that matter?)
   That's when Daniel Lugo hatched a less than conventional get rich quick scheme, It would require the help of a few of his pumped up and juiced up bodybuilding weight room cronies. This is what he proposed and they finally acted upon:

• You kidnap a wealthy client. They kept screwing up the abduction before they actually got it done.
• You torture the client for a full month and coerce him to sign over all of his wealth. 
• You then attempt to knock the victim off . 
• You blow it all on fast living. You actually occupy the victim's house until you basically trash the place.
• Repeat the procedure with another wealthy mark. This time you accidentally kill the victim. Your steroid fueled co-conspirator pumps the victim's girlfriend with animal tranquilizer in order to loosen her tongue and get a safe combination. Whoops! He gives an overdose and kills her. Since nothing was signed over and no information was passed on, the killings were for absolutely no financial gain.
• Buy a chainsaw to cut up the corpses to dispose of evidence. Return the bloody chainsaw for a more powerful one. 
• That chainsaw also breaks. Use hatchets. Put the body parts in buckets. 
• Ditch the buckets in the Florida wetlands known as the Everglades. Let the hungry alligators do the rest. Leave the dead couple's Lamborghini in the woods.
• Go back to life as usual and assume that you won't get caught.

  Doesn't that sound more exciting than trying to determine a client's body mass index for a modest fee. Believe it or not, this really happened. Well, something similar happened depending on which sources that you go by.  It was all very nasty!
   Daniel Lugo and his musclebound accomplices did not realize at first that they had left a loose link.
They had forced alcohol down the gullet of their first victim then tried to stage what appear to be a fiery, drunk driving fatality. The victim escaped from the car and tried to flee. The murderous muscle heads chased him with their car and ran him down. They assumed that they had finally killed him and fled the scene.
   Amazingly the victim, Marc Schiller, was one tough dude. He still wasn't dead!  He woke up in the hospital. He tried to tell the doctors and nurses about his ordeal. None of them paid it much heed. After all this guy had been totally inebriated and ran his car into a post. The police also seemed to disbelieve Schiller's tale.Schiller also had a past history of financial impropriety that shadowed his credibility.
   Schiller contacted a private investigator, Ed Du Bois. Du Bois was also skeptical of such an incredulous story. However he eventually began to uncover a paper trail of peculiar documents involving vast transfers of wealth and property. Unfortunately by the time the police became seriously involved, the second caper with the double homicide had already occurred. Both cases were linked to the Sun Gym Gang.
   A massive police raid ensued. Daniel Luca was arrested hiding in the Bahamas. Overwhelming evidence was found in the police raids. The ditched Lamborghini was discovered. Witnesses included:

• Marc Schiller. His testimony was riveting. Ironically, after testifying Schiller was arrested for his past financial impropriety. The victim and star witness served 2 years in prison even after all that he had been through.
• Sabina Petrescu - Daniel Lugo's girlfriend. The exotic dancer believed Luca when he told her he was a C.I.A. operative.
• Jorge Delgado. This member of the Sun Gym Gang turned rat and gave evidence against the gang.
• Neighbors of  Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton, the murdered couple. They had actually met the members of the gang who were posing as potential business partners. 

      Daniel Lugo and Noel Doorbal are now on penitentiary Death Row. Jorge Delgado got a 15 year sentence. Other Sun Gym members got prison terms ranging from 30 years to 8 years.

   Marc Schiller wrote a book about his ordeal. CBS 48 Hours did a documentary on the Sun Gym Gang. The documentary was a major reference for this blog.
    The movie 'Pain and Gain' was released in 2013 based on the Sun Gym Gang crime spree.
The movie was a black comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, and Ed Harris.  Marc Schiller and family and friends of victims Griga and Furton felt that the movie made light of what were heinous and gruesome crimes by evil sociopaths.

My final verdict is in on Daniel Lugo and the fast twitched muscle fibred fiends known as the Sun Gym Gang. They have moved to FRONT AND CENTER of the 
Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame! They are the worst examples that I've heard of - so far.
    Don't kidnap, extort and murder clients or other people. It gives Fitness Trainers a bad reputation! We have enough trouble being taken seriously.

Until Next Time,.......Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

Kidnap a rich client!    Coerce him to sign over his hard earned possessions !
Spend the rest of your years in prison and maybe even death row !
You also get a seat of honor in the Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame !

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com
www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit


                                      

Fitness Training: The Extreme Home Gym

   He didn't earn the nickname 'Mad Dog' by sticking to the status quo!
Jeremy Podlog is a married father of two, a competitive amateur wrestler, a digital media entrepreneur,  and an award winning documentary film maker. All of these titles require an extensive commitment of effort and time.
   Jeremy's 25 year plus wrestling career was capped with a Canadian Championship bronze medal and an appearance in the wrestling World Cup on the Canadian National team. His tenacity and attacking style led to the Mad Dog moniker. Many a wrestling tournament announcer lauded these legendary exploits with trembling, tongue-tied reverence.

 Jeremy still has the fire in his belly to keep on wrestling. He is addicted to the sport. In his own words "The wrestling mat is my crack pipe! I gotst to have it!"  

   Jeremy's dilemma is a familiar one to many a working person.

• His wife is a successful and busy career woman
• His children are getting involved in sports and arts
• His film making career is beginning to boom. He is well on his way to becoming Canada's answer to Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock.

   This mushrooming success of family and vocation has left less available time for his avocation - wrestling. However for a think-out-of-the-box type of genius like Jeremy this is not a deterrent. It is just another challenge! Rather than take valuable time to travel to the wrestling venues to practice,  he has built his own wrestling room in his garage. With some mats and some constructive ingenuity the Mad Dog is back in business - big time!
    Jeremy is also fortunate to live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a city with no shortage of current and former internationally and nationally experienced amateur wrestlers. He is able to entice these warriors over with promises of tea, muffins and post workout grog in exchange for an hour or two of combative exercise. In this way Jeremy can work around his hectic business and family schedule.
Since Calgary can experience the full wrath of a northern prairie winter, the garage can be heated.
   Jeremy also has a home gym in his basement to supplement his wrestling with weight training.
Occasionally he is able to slip away for CrossFit sessions at a nearby club where he also provides digital media consulting services.

   Jeremy's personal wrestling studio should not be confused with an infamous 'Professional Wrestling' institute known as the 'Hart Dungeon'. The Hart family are Pro Wrestling icons who ran a school for aspiring Pro Wrestlers out out the basement of their Calgary mansion. Rumors of the family patriarch, Stu Hart, physically torturing ex-football payers turned wannabe pro wrestlers are tales of horrific local legend. The Mad Dog's garage dungeon is more about competitive fitness and fun.

   Hopefully this home studio can keep one of amateur wrestling's most charismatic and colorful characters in the game for a few more years.  
   

Don't try this at home! Then again - he did!
Mad Dog Podlog and his garage wrestling studio.
Mess with him at your peril!

Until next time,..Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong


                                   













P.S. Check out Jeremy Podlog's CrossFit website at www.rabbitview.com/rabbitview-crossfit

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Fitness Training and the Home Gym

   The home gym business is booming! There are many reasons for this:

• People today are busy and pressed for time!  Kid's soccer, gymnastics, hockey, or music lessons can eat away at the free moments in each day. Throw in work commutes, differing spousal schedules, social commitments, household duties, and other family obligations and the first thing to get dropped could be a fitness club membership. A home gym could appear to be be the answer.
• Fitness club memberships can be costly!  Home gyms can vary in price but once paid off there are no more monthly fees as with a club membership. 
• There are no parking expenses or other travel issues with a home gym.
• There are no periods of peak usage and wait times to get on certain apparatus or equipment.
• Some people feel uncomfortable working out in a public gym. They feel that they are being compared to fitter people and being judged negatively. This may be only a figment of their imagination but it can still be a powerful perception. 
• The home gym owner can work out when the mood strikes them. In theory there should be fewer excuses to prevent this from happening,

  Can we safely say that for a time challenged person the home gym is the answer? 
  This is not necessarily so. 

• Many home gyms collect dust and cobwebs, become indoor clothes lines, or get stashed in a neglected corner of the garage or basement, never to be used.  I have always believed that someone who will not take the time to actually go to a gym or fitness center to work out is more likely to give up on a program with a home gym. 
• Some home gyms will be junk that breaks easily and does not provide a full range of motion for the exercise.
• There can be distractions at home! Kids, computers, televisions, phone calls, pets, other family members, ringing doorbells and friendly neighbors bearing six-packs of craft beer can conspire against a successful home work-out.

How can someone who is serious about exercising at home insure that they are buying a suitable product? The best way is to stick to brand names such as LifeFitness, Nautilus, Bullworker or Livestrong. (There is the former Lance Armstrong cancer foundation Livestrong but there is also the business part of Livestrong that posts fitness information and makes fitness equipment.) For free weights the best choices are Weider or York. Television infomercial gadgets or home gyms from 
Walley Mart likely won't fit the bill!
   Since many people with home gyms give up the ghost rather quickly there will be bargains on E-bay, Kijiji, Craigslist or the want ads. 

The entrepreneurial Fitness Trainer will think outside of the box! Tap into the home gym demographic. Cultivate house call Fitness Training sessions with the home gym owners.
Some of the home gym buyers just may realize that they could use some expert help to reap the full benefit of their investment.
It may require some tips from Fitness Equipment dealers to track down recent buyers. The Fitness Trainer will have to network and establish such relationships.  It could prove fruitful.
Working out of a Fitness Center is not the only career option!

Until Next Time, ......Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong
                               

No travel time!  No crowded weight room!
No sneers from boorish muscleheads!
Maybe even a potential client!

PS: Kudos to Germany at the soccer World Cup!
I tried to stay neutral but my Mom does have German blood.
Her maiden name was Schwabe.
Little Bobby Strong could have almost become
Little Bobby Schwabe! 








Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Fitness Training and Late Night Infomercials

   Sometimes I get those nights. I can't sleep. It doesn't happen if I've spent that the day being active outside. However, on those other days it can occur. I can try thumbing through a muscle magazine from my old stack in the closet. I can try reading a chapter from my college exercise physiology textbook. If I can't read I can always turn on the tube and be entertained - or be bored.
   If I click to the right channel I can find it - that special channel showing the fitness equipment infomercial. Then I have an epiphany. This is it! This is the ultimate answer to finding the perfect exercise.
   Get super fit with the Titanic Toner! You don't have to leave the couch. You just sit there and put the Titantic Toner on your lap. Then you proceed to pull on the handles and perform crunching movements for 10 minutes. Repeat every day as you watch your favorite sit-com.  Observe as the pounds melt away. Gaze in amazement as your muscles become toned cables of sinewy steel in just a few short workouts. Observe as your abs transform from rolls of quivering jelly belly to looking like a farmer's plow ran over your midsection. There is no longer any need to hoist weights or cycle around a park or run like a rat on a treadmill. Stop wasting vast amounts of your valuable time by working out.
All you need is the Titanic Toner!
   The person on T.V. demonstrating the Titanic Toner is a super ripped model or even a former Olympic champion. Wow, do you think that that's how they got their world beating physique .It couldn't have been from hours in the weight room and countless intervals of hill runs, 400 meter repeats or numerous lengths in the swimming pool. No way! It was from performing the same movement on this innovative device for 10 minutes while never leaving the couch!
   Fitness Trainers will invariably get asked about the validity of such gimmicks by their clients. People like shortcuts. If these products actually worked, our profession could become obsolete like VHS tapes and Polaroid cameras. Don't worry. Fitness Training is safe, for now. Such infomercials make claims that can be quite misleading. There are some common issues that make the promise of these super gadgets very unlikely:

• The exercise movements are overly simple and repetitive
• There is usually no method of adjustment for increasing overload to make the exercise more difficult
• The equipment is often poorly constructed and easily broken
• The exercise movements are rarely specific to any functional range of motion required for sports or normal activity  

   These infomercials are targeting a specific type of person. This is not a hard and fast rule but it is a strong belief that I have. People that will not leave home to work out are probably not going to adhere to a workout commitment. Of course, there are always exceptions. However, the ones that will stick with it at home will buy a weight set or a treadmill or they will do yoga. They do not rely on the infomercial super exerciser.
   If you haven't pounded back too many brews in front of the tube, you may have noticed the disclaimer that reads  "The results shown may also depend on diet, extra exercise and other variables."  That is the equipment maker's legal out in the likely event that the buyer does not get ripped and fit by sitting on the sofa.
   Some exercise is better than no exercise!  However in most cases ,taking a walk, or going up a few flights of stairs, or house cleaning, or gardening will produce better results than a T.V. wonder gadget.
   There is a famous story about a legendary, medicated  insomniac taking his gun and blowing out the television screen one sleepless night. Maybe Elvis Presley was watching the Titanic Toner commercial when he pulled that trigger.

Until next time,...........keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

Just squeeze the handles of the Titanic Toner together to attain 'total fitness' with just 10 minutes a day.
Hmmm. Maybe I'm not doing it right!  

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Fitness Training and the Three Body Types

There is a theory that classifies the human body into 3 physical types.

1. Skinny
2. Muscular
3. Fat             

William Herbert Sheldon was a psychologist, eugenicist and medical professor who developed a theory that there are 3 predominant body types or somatypes:

1. Ectomorph: This body type is slight and lean. Ectomorphs are low in visible muscle and fat but may be high in endurance capacity. The ectomorph could excel in sports such as distance running, cross country skiing or endurance cycling. Think of Jim Ryun, Greg Lemond, or Bjorn Dahlie. Since we're talking Sheldon's Theory - yes Sheldon from 'Big Bang Theory' is a perfect example of an ectomorphic  physical build.
2. Mesomorph: This body type is muscular and built for speed and power events.The star quarterback , the track and field sprint star, or the champion bodybuilder usually fit this mold. Real life examples might be football's Tim Tebow, sprinter Usain Bolt, and bodybuilder and later California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. 
3. Endomorph: This body type stores fat easily and may tend towards obesity if the lifestyle is unchecked. However endomorphs can combine strength and mass to excel in sports requiring these traits. Football offensive linemen, weight throwers in track and field, heavyweight powerlifters, and 'Worlds Strongest Man' competitors are usually endomorphs, Think of Olympic weight lifter Vasily Alexeev, strength champion Magnus ver Magnesson or Canadian shot putter Dylan Armstrong. Throw in a ZZ Top beard and some hard core tattoos and you get your typical Biker bar bouncer. Mess with these guys at your peril!

   I first came across Sheldon's theory when I was in High School. I stumbled upon a copy of Popular Mechanic magazine from the late 1960's. According to the article, each person has some characteristics of each somatype on a scale of 1 to 7. The dominant body type has the highest. The article profiled hockey players. Bobby Hull - nicknamed the Golden Jet- was a perfect mesomorph scoring a 1-7-1. He rated 1 in endomorphic qualities, 7 in mesomorphic - and 1 in ectomorphic. Bobby Hull was hockey's fastest skater and terrorized goalies with the world's fastest slapshot.

Bobby Hull was a fast twitch muscle, mesomorphic beast!

   There appears to be a logical correlation between two body somatypes and muscle fiber characteristics.

• Ectomorphs tend to be lower in explosive fast twitch muscle fibers but higher in slow twitch muscles that are efficient in cardiovascular endurance.
• Mesomorphs are lower in slow twitch fibers and dominant in fast twitch fibers.
• Endomorphs can be dominant in either muscle fiber type. It is less common to see endomorphs excel in endurance events but not unrealistic. I personally know people with round shaped body types who compete successfully in full length Ironman Triathlons. An endomorph with dominant fast twitch muscle fiber can become a human wrecking machine on a power/strength program.

      People can have characteristics of all body types with varying degrees of dominance. Bruce Jenner was a mesomorphic track and field decathlete almost 40 years before his back-up role on 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians'. The decathlete is almost often a mesomorphic monster. Jenner also ran a smoking 1500 meters race indicating strong ectomorphic tendencies as well.
   This does not mean that people can't change their physical shape. Ectomorphs can slowly add muscle with proper resistance training. Conversely, they can morph into round, overweight body shapes with a sedentary lifestyle. Inactive mesomorphs can pile on fat quickly or shed visible muscle with extensive endurance training, Endomorphs can shed weight and add muscle.

   Numerous scientist have tried to critique Sheldon's theories. In terms of the physiological aspects, the theory seems to have survived much official scrutiny.
   What does this mean for Fitness Trainers? It might help to have an idea of your client's dominant body type. A visual assessment should give you an idea. Obviously you want to work on the client's weaknesses. An overweight endomorph should  work on weight reduction and cardiovascular issues. However, remember the golden rule of Fitness Training.   Set your client up for success.
 The same client may respond enthusiastically to strength training exercises.
An ectomorph will likely perform better at endurance work than strength work. A mesomorph will respond physically to a strength and power regime. Gauge the body type!
Develop according to strength as well as weakness. Coordinate the goals of the client with their physical attributes. Use the body type to their advantage. 

The 3 body types from left to right
Endomorph.............Mesomorph...........Ectomorph
Publisher's note: No, the one on the right is not the 'Golden Jet'!

Until Next Time,..
Keep Fit!

Little Bobby Strong      

   

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame : Jillian M.

I really do try to avoid judging other Fitness Trainers.
 However there are instances in which those in the public eye give a negative impression. I can no longer hold back from  a written rant. As usual, the names of the perpetrators have been abbreviated to buffer the criticism.

    There is a popular reality television show called "The Biggest Loser". The premise of the show is that extremely overweight contestants compete to lose weight for a cash prize.  The contestants get all hyped by these drill sergeant type Fitness Trainers who cajole them to push themselves physically and expose themselves emotionally.
Contestants have been known to lose half their body weight in six months. 

    The so called Fitness Trainers on this show use questionable tactics to get the contestants to lose such massive amounts of weight. The number one offender is Jillian M.

• Jillian M. is heralded as a celebrity 'Fitness Trainer to the Stars'.
• Jillian M. has best selling fitness books on the market.
• Jillian M. has been on two reality T.V.shows, 'The Biggest Loser' and 'Losing It With Jillian'.  

    A Google search of Jillian M. turns up all of the celebrity praise. However it also turns up a few controversial issues. Well, maybe more that a few. Lets see what the search turns up:

• Jillian M. endorses questionable supplements. I'm usually willing to cut some slack on this one. She is far from the only Fitness Trainer pushing supplements. My current opinion is that unless someone is deficient in a certain vital ingredient, the addition of a mega dose of that ingredient is pointless. Internet rumor has her being sued for promoting unsafe supplements. In fact, this is the 4th time that she has been sued for this sort of promotion.  
• Her credentials as a Fitness Trainer have been often questioned. She has actually threatened a defamation suit against the sources of this doubt. Her credentials and certificates supposedly are current and up to date. When you are a public figure you CAN be a target of haters! But why so many haters and why all these lawsuits? 
• Countless Fitness Trainers on the Internet deride Jillian M. for having reality show contestants perform unsafe exercises for people of such massive weight. Having reluctantly watched the show, I concur. The show's producers may be somewhat to blame as well. They want action and conflict. That's what sells!
• Internet sources also accuse our beleaguered Jillian of teaching improper technique. I will assume that she is not in total control of what exercises are prescribed.The Hollywood powers that be likely dictate the terms.
•  Jillian M. acts like a profane, foul mouthed bully according to on line fitness pundits. I don't think I can defend her on this one.
• Jillian M. is a disgrace to the fitness profession because she crashed and burned at a triathlon competition. Ease up you haters. She's human - not Wonder Woman! I've bonked on a few marathons and almost succumbed to the soul sucking succubus of glycogen depletion on a run-bike-run race. I give her a mulligan on this one.

 Make no mistake. Jillian M. is attractive!  Jillian M. is super fit and super ripped! Women want to look like her! Men want her as their Personal Trainer! That's why Hollywood wooed her for 'The Biggest Loser". Jillian M. has that rare quality known as charisma. They don't want some boring exercise fanatic who rhymes off muscle attachments and muscle mechanic movements during every exercise challenge. Hollywood wants star quality!

    I went on line and watched the first episode of 'Losing It With Jillian'. Jillian M.  is invited to work with a fitness challenged and likely emotionally dysfunctional family. True to form, Jillian M. cajoles, encourages and even bullies this family to eat properly and get up and move before the deadline of a daughter's wedding.  Jillian got the family to shape up after a few emotional breakdowns. That is my major issue with this episode. This family obviously had some major emotional issues and psychological dysfunction.Maybe the show used professional resources to help Jillian M. deal with this. However the show made it seem as though our super Fitness Trainer solved everything herself. Such obvious dysfunction requires a referral to nutritional and medical professionals. 

   The beauty of television is that we have options.

1. We can turn the channel and choose not to watch a particular program
2. We can seek out only educational or enlightening shows - if you can find them
3. We can turn the television set off and do anything else

Since I am a fitness aficionado I did watch a few episodes of  "The Biggest Loser".  I saw many actions unbecoming to what I believe is the essence of Fitness Training. I got annoyed and switched to more inspiring fare such as "Breaking Bad". However I kept hearing about such negative blow back towards the Trainers that I went on line and watched some more recent episodes. This is what I observed.

• The Fitness Trainers were all guilty of putting severely overweight and unconditioned contestants through an exercise program that seems beyond their initial physical capabilities. The prescribed programs could be injury inducing and potentially dangerous. Explosive, ballistic movements or road running on hard concrete for such clients is a recipe for physical undoing. Jillian M.was only one of the violating Trainers. Remember also that the mandate of the show may dictate the plot line. The Fitness Trainers may just be complying with the producers.
• Weight loss is emphasized over health, fitness, and safety. Once again, Jillian M. was not the only violator.
• Jillian M. shouts, intimidates and verbally bullies the contestants under her charge. In group exercise boot camp classes the drill sergeant instructor  seems to be a trend. In a real life one on one scenario, severely overweight clients may have been bullied for much of their life. They may take offence to once again being treated in such a manner. The 'tough love' approach can be a tactic that can backfire. 
• Jillian M. seasons her drill sergeant approach with a great propensity for throwing F-bombs at the contestants in her care. The T.V. show obviously feels that this is a ratings boost. For a real life Fitness Trainer to do this could spell lost clients or lost jobs. Best to leave that language back at the oil rig.
• Jillian M. set up a contestant to fail! This particular episode really rankled me. A woman 'Biggest Loser' contestant was making considerable progress. Then  Jillian went to work on her. Jillian M. commanded the contestant to jump up onto a box that was about 2 plus feet off of the ground. The contestant was psyched out by the height and would not attempt the jump. This induced a crying spell. I suppose she wanted to 'get to the emotional root' of the woman's weight issues.  Why does this bother me? 

1. Trying to make such a jump and missing could lead to injury
2. A single box jump will have no effect on weight loss - or fitness
3. A golden rule of Fitness Training is to "Set your client up for success." Jillian M.  could have used a lower box that the contestant could land on. She wanted a reason to break the contestant. Once again, this makes for good T.V. drama but sets a terrible example for real life Fitness Trainers. 

   It is now time to see if this person deserves to be sentenced to the Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame.
I will deal with Jillian M. as two distinct entities.
There is Jillian M. the celebrity trainer, author, digital media sensation and training video star. This Jillian M. has attracted more than her share of controversy and has many detractors. This may be just the price to pay for being in the public eye. She has garnered financial success and book sales.
She also has legions of admirers. She seems to have weathered the controversies and kept on going.
She has also earned more than most Fitness Trainers can even dream about. There doesn't appear to be enough to sentence her to the Hall of Shame without seeming like sour grapes. This Jillian M.  gets a pass.

Then there is Jillian M. the Trainer of the 'reality' television shows. As role model for proper procedure and protocol for a practicing 'real life' Fitness Trainer' this Jillian M. is a bad example! In her defense, are we seeing the real Jillian M. or are we seeing a caricature created for the viewing audience by the Hollywood factory? In my opinion reality shows are more fabrication and manipulation than actual reality. Jillian M. is not claiming to be a role model for Fitness Trainers and should not be held up as such! This Jillian M. is an entertainer. I also believe that she really does care about the people that she works with.
This entertainer is a ratings money maker - a television icon.  She gets a pass!
The Fitness Trainer caricature goes into the Hall of Shame! There are just too many cringing situations to be used as examples of what a Fitness Trainer should not do!

Bullying your clients until they vomit!  Bad Idea!
Leave that for the reality TV. Trainers!

So there you have it.
I should be nominated to the Supreme Court for that 'split' decision.
Keep raking it in Jillian.
I'll probably turn the channel to watch
'Just Call Saul'!

Until next time,.....Keep Fit

   
Little Bobby Strong   





   


Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Fitness Training : Top Ten Signs That You May Be Getting Older!

1. You no longer care about getting stronger. You're too worried about getting gradually weaker!
2. You stop chasing the leaders in the local running road race. You are too busy staying ahead of the stragglers.
3. There is no such thing as a 'mild' head cold.
4. You wake up in the morning and think "Gadzooks! I feel awful. I'll never do that again.!" Then you realize that you didn't do anything.
5. People insist on offering you their seat on the bus.
6. When you bench press, the bar is pushing down harder than you're pushing up.
7. Backaches used to come and go. Now they come but they don't go.
8. If the lat pull down machine at the fitness center is broken it's a minor inconvenience. If the hot tub is broken it's a major emergency.
9. The abs are still there. They're just shy. 
10. You hold a door open at the fitness center for for a woman member and she says "Thank you sir."  SAY WHAT!  I'm not a sir!  Sir was what I called my Dad when he was out of smokes and I brought home a less than stellar report card!

      As a Fitness Trainer you should be able to read your body as age affects your capabilities. 

That doesn't mean that you should give up the ghost as wear and tear and physical limitations

become more noticeable. It does mean that you adjust and adapt! 

    I no longer run due to hip joint issues. I bicycle, walk and swim to compensate. I have had to shut down squats, dead lifts, and leg presses for various reasons. I have replaced them with stair workouts and hard intervals on the stationary bike. My shoulders won't hold up for full range of motion bench presses. Instead I perform half lifts on a chest press machine.

Life goes on and hopefully the exercise and movement continues! 

   A Fitness Trainer working with seniors or a demographic of the Baby Boom generation should be aware that a decline in mobility or physical function can be gradual or sudden and may often be irreversible. The Fitness Trainer must adjust and tailor the exercise program to the specific needs and capabilities of the client. Also remember that any serious dysfunction may require a referral to the appropriate medical practitioner! You may be required  to work as a team with a physician

 or a physical therapist.

   Remember, getting old is not the end!  Instead it is the beginning of a smarter more functional exercise program.

Until Next Time,....Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

There are those who accept aging as a natural physiological process.
Then there are the less accepting types!

Links

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

     

Why Your Client May Not Be Like You

   Your typical client may not be quite like you! How so?

• Your favorite school subject was phys-ed - Your client hated it and avoided it
• You participated in sports in High School - They ran with a different crowd
• You never smoked cigarettes - Your client lit up like a campfire
• You can't stand being inside on a sunny day - It's too hot outside for them
• You become restless after too long a period of inactivity - They don't
• You see the weight room as a studio in which to sculpt your physique - Your client sees it as a torture chamber
• To you a vigorous run is a fun, invigorating experience - To them it is a death march
• You look in the mirror and feel good about yourself - Your client looks in the mirror and is ashamed and embarrassed
• You look forward to your workouts with anticipation - Your client looks towards the workouts with trepidation
• You can't wait for a weekend off to perform some sort of competition or fitness challenge or that killer bike ride - They can't wait for a weekend off so they can do nothing physical
• You are able to push yourself to a near physical limit before having to back off - You client may back off long before a physical limit is reached

    Of course this is a sensationalized generalization. Your clients and potential clients can come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may have had an active past but fallen into a sedentary lifestyle. If you work with athletes, they likely had similar backgrounds as you. Your clients and potential clients may well be very talented and extremely successful in other fields. Some of them may have attained high financial status. Those are good clients to cultivate.

   However, there is a good possibility that with non-athlete clients you will get a hit on at least a few of the above points. Go by the premise that your client is not quite like you!

   What is important is that they have decided to make a change! They have come to YOU to make a positive change in their life! Remember that. YOU are their lifeline!

   These potential differences are important when designing a training program for a client. Do not assume that your client likes the same modes of exercise that you prefer. Use your knowledge and innovation to create variety. Set up a program that your client will enjoy. Tailor the prescriptive program towards activities that the client is more likely to enjoy. This is more likely to ensure adherence.
    Greg Harvey of Fit' N' Well in Edmonton Gives his clients options besides weight training and stationary cardio machines. Greg offers indoor volleyball in racquetball courts as well as racquetball and squash options. That is an advantage of working out of fitness centers with such facilities. Greg also offers group walking sessions in the river valley on weekends. That is why he is a successful Fitness Trainer The variety allows more activities that may appeal to different people.

On a sunny day you are frothing like a rabid dog to get outside.
Your client or potential client may think differently.
"It's too hot out there. I'm not leaving the couch today!"

 Set your client up for success! 

 Remember, it's not about you.
 It's about them!

Until next time,...... Keep Fit   

Little Bobby Strong!










Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com

Why I Hate the Biggest Loser !

   I hate 'the Biggest Loser" ! I'm talking, of course, about the reality television show.
 The show's premise is that severely overweight people compete against each other for a lucrative cash prize by trying to lose the most weight over a set period of time. The competitors are divided into two teams and individually weighed at the end of each episode. The team that loses the lowest percentage of total poundage must vote to drop one of their lesser achieving members from the contest. The last person standing wins.
   The creators of this program know the T.V. market.

• They create conflict. This makes for  drama and therefore people watch to see what happens.
• The participants are very motivated. Large cash winnings, in this case a  cool million, will do that.
• The show's creators use a variety of challenges to test the participants. Variety keeps things interesting and keeps the participants motivated.

    The show's creators also seemingly try to keep the contest safe.

• Fitness Trainers guide the clients through the weight loss programs. (I do have some serious issues with the credentials and methods of these Fitness Trainers)  
• Nutrition is emphasized as well as exercise. Nutritionists consult with each person individually.
• Medical experts are present to provide support and in case of emergency.

   In order to survive the prime time war, a television show must attract viewers. The more the competing personalities clash, the more drama occurs. The more infighting the better! If one or more of the contestants have an onscreen meltdown, great. Watch the ratings soar!

   However this is NOT the working model that I would use when dealing with my own clients. In fact, if I saw a Fitness Trainer actually acting like a T.V. trainer I would suggest that they have their certification revoked. That person would be a menace in the fitness world! 
   Here are some of the issues that I have with this particular reality show:

1. It can be a case of too much too soon. These contestants are extremely obese as in 300 or 400 pounds. Instead of a gradual build-up of exercise, they are thrown into a competition in which the quickest weight loss is the goal. There is great potential  for overuse injuries and joint problems. 
2. There is an increased the danger of cardiovascular emergencies such as heart attacks when jumping into intense activity after years of a sedentary lifestyle. Thin and active people can drop dead from hidden medical issues during exercise. Obese people are at greater risk! The T.V. show screens the contestants medically and also has access to on-site medical support. If you are working your clients in a similar fashion and speed, your client is at risk and emergency medical help may not be so close.
3. The show focuses on weight loss only. The other parameters of health and fitness are ignored. If the contestants don't lose enough weight, they are failures. We know that muscle is denser than fat. In many cases the person may actually gain a few pounds initially if their body responds by adding lean mass. Girth and Body Mass Index  measurements are a more reliable indicator of progress. For example, The person may weigh the same or slightly more but the waist circumference is decreasing indicating positive progress. In this reality show, the health of the client is basically disregarded. The fastest weight loser wins, not the healthiest contestant. 
4. Sudden drastic weight loss can be a shock to the human body. In real life, gradual progression is preferable to fast weight reduction.
5. What happens when the show is over and the contestants go home? When there is no follow-up guidance, motivation and exercise adherence often wanes. There may be a severe rebound effect with all of the lost weight returning.
6. The reality show Fitness Trainers tend to be extremely aggressive 'in your face' types. Their usual mode of communication is to shout instructions like a marine drill sergeant. This adds to the dynamics of the show. Most non T.V. clients would likely get intimidated or irritated by such a trainer. A few of these trainers are outright guilty of verbal abuse! Is it not possible that some of these contestants may have been victimized by negative taunts and bullying in the past? Do they really need more of this treatment?  Were these Fitness Trainers to try such tactics with some of my former clients, such as Stephen, Mordecai or Charlie, they would get a return blast that would shatter their eardrums!
7. I question the credentials of these Fitness Trainers. Morbidly obese people should qualify as a special population in regards to potential health issues. The Trainers of this show were recruited because they were famous for working with celebrities.  In Canada, Fitness Trainers should have a minimum of a Bachelor Degree in an Exercise Science related field as well as a Certified Exercise Physiologist Certificate in order to work with special populations. The USA has similar standards with groups such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise. A background search of the Fitness Trainers in "the Biggest Loser' does not reveal any such expertise in working with at-risk individuals. If they do have such credentials, they should list it in their portfolios. This enhanced certification is mostly to appease the insurance companies. The show would be insured and protected legally to the maximum no matter who the trainers are. Reality T.V. is not really that much like real life! 
8. The Fitness Trainers try to induce an emotional breakdown in the contestant. The purpose of this is to get the contestant to admit to some deep rooted psychological issue, a past trauma, or an eating disorder that is at the root of the obesity. In real life such a client should be referred by the Fitness Trainer to a health professional. The actual show does has a staff of such professionals in the background. However the suggestion that the Fitness Trainer deals with this on their own is both misleading and dangerous!
9. Some of the exercises or challenges in the show are outright dangerous for obese people to attempt.  A 400 pound contestant is at risk for joint injuries if subjected to ballistic, explosive movements as is the norm for this show. Likewise would be to have them run long distances. Joint injuries are common and a cardiovascular emergency could be looking for a place to happen.     

   I have already conceded that such a show has the right ingredients to draw a prime time audience. 

That does not make it a model for how Fitness Trainers should operate with their clientele!

Lose a few pounds! Get cursed at by bullying Fitness Trainers!
Do some dangerous exercises! Give up a few of my favorite foods.
I could win this thing!
The million dollar prize sure would come in handy! 

To me, it is too much like watching a
 hockey movie where the actors can't
skate or a running movie where
 someone runs a four minute mile
 with every muscle in their body all
 tensed up. If I can't buy into the realism I won't watch it.   

   If you like watching train wrecks
 this show this show is for you.
 Otherwise turn off the tube and read
 up on the latest Fitness Training

Notice the difference already!
And I haven't even got to the diet changes yet!
A Million bucks - in the jeans!

 research. Do something constructive!

Until next time,......keep fit! 

Little Bobby Strong

  




















Links

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net
AudienceBuilder.ca
www.fitnwell.com