Holiday Fitness Guilt

   Yes, it's that time of year. 

• The Twelve Days of Christmas 
• New Years
• New Year's Eve
• Demanding children
• Visits to or from relatives and in laws who don't give a hoot if you miss a hard workout because of them
• Travelling to visit same relatives who will plan your schedule that does not allow for gym time or outdoor pursuits
• Ample food feasts 
• Traditional quaffing of Dad Hetke's homemade hooch -  disguised as egg nogg 
• Mom's Christmas pudding with the extra ration of thickened rum sauce
• Reduced business hours at the Fitness Center
• NFL and NCAA Football
• World Junior Hockey on TV

Mix all of these ingredients together and there is the fear that that hard earned abdominal six pack could turn into a soft bouncing jelly belly!

   Of course, not all families are inactive during this time of year. Many families take time for skiing, skating parties, and other active holiday functions.
If you belong to a clan that will insist on a sedentary season there may be some ways around it:

• Use shopping trips as a chance for some walking exercise. 
• Park at the far end of the mall
• Avoid escalators and use the stairs
• Cruise the mall before buying the presents
• Do an extra loop of the mall
• Offer to take the clan children out for some snow time. (Good luck. Getting today's youth away from their electronic devices may prove impossible.)
• Turn down that second helping of dessert. Test your resolve. 
• Maybe you can even convert the clan and organize a morning walk or a post meal skate. !
• If relatives are nearby, walk instead of drive if the distance is reasonable

   None of these tactics may be effective. The Holiday gravity of gluttony and grog guzzling plus the many demands on your personal time may leave you feeling unfit and sluggish.
 
Get rid of the guilt! It's only for a week or so. Most sensible fitness training programs have built in periods of down time to let the body recover from exercise stress. All those little micro fibers of the muscles need healing time. Use the Christmas Holidays for such recovery. Ideally  active rest with some movement is best. The detraining effect will be minimal.
   You just might have to be patient and determined when you start back up. But it will be possible!
It will be New Year's Resolution time.

Season's Greetings

Little Bobby Strong  

Skip the escalator at the mall. Take the stairs and burn some calories.

LinksLinks
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

Controversial Exercise - The Leg Extension Machine

Pumped up iron aficionados often like to demonstrate their strength in the weight room.
 In my athletic prime I did it too. I used to lift the whole stack on the Nautilus Leg Extension Machine. I don't remember the exact weight but I think it was around 220 pounds or 100 kilograms. It wasn't a single lift but rather a set of 20 repetitions for one set. My quadriceps muscles would be screaming for mercy from the 12 Apostles by the 15th rep. Nothing could seem to match the leg extension machine for carving out the muscles of the front thigh. As for the sacred muscle pump, leg extensions reigned supreme.
  Now, years later, I get episodes of nagging knee pain!  Throughout my years of  sporting life my knees were the rare joints that weren't injured. The evidence for me to  blame Leg Extension Machines is only anecdotal but still compelling. However sports science seems to share my view.
   Performing an exercise such as the squat causes compression force. The load of the weight is spread throughout the body with shoulders through the torso through the legs to the feet absorbing the gravitational force.  The weighted load from a leg extension is at the upper ankle joint. This creates shear force pushing downward directly on the knee joint. Short term damage or sudden injury are unlikely. However years of accumulated grinding could lead to long term instability and in the extreme case conditions of osteoarthritis may occur.  
    The ligaments and tendons supporting this joint are not designed to withstand extreme or excessive shear force. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL), the Lateral Cruciate Ligament (LCL), the Medial Cruciate Ligament (MCL) and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) all provide support for the knee. Ligament tissue receives little blood flow and does not get larger or stronger in response to exercise the way muscle does.
   The Patella (kneecap) shields the underlying meniscus or articular cartilage that lubricates and cushions the 3 bones that join at the knee. Sudden stops, traumatic force or constant overuse can damage the intricate balance of this important location of the human organism.

   The 4 muscles of the upper thigh are called the quadriceps. This is the anatomical profile:

1. Vastus Lateralis - Outer muscle of the upper thigh.
2. Vastus Intermedius- Middle muscle of the upper thigh.
3. Vastus Medialis- Inner muscle of the upper thigh. This muscle can take on a tear drop shape especially using a leg extension machine.
4. Rectus Femoris - Overlies the other 3 quadriceps muscles. 

   The leg extension machine is an isolation exercise.  It isolates the quadriceps but does not engage the other muscles of the thigh, The hamstrings, the adductors, the abductors and the glutes are not participants in the movement, This exercise also enables movement only through the knee joint. The hip joint is not engaged.Hip flexor muscles muscles such as the Psoas, the Gracilis, and the Iliacus are mostly left out of the equation with the Leg Extension Machine.

   This exercise is not functional to any practical movement or athletic motion. Squats, deadlifts, lunges or even walking or running stairs or hills mimic movements that are more realistic to normal motion. As for building strong muscular thighs, have you ever seen the legs of a sprint cyclist?. Hard brief intervals on a bike are super leg developers. Speed skating and sprint running also develop leg strength. 

   Is there anyone that might find use from the leg extension machine?  Bodybuilders could benefit from such an isolation movement and the effect of creating visible separation of the quadriceps muscles. Even then, bodybuilders usually perform squats or leg presses first and use leg extension machines for fine tuning.  
  *** The most important muscles in lower body locomotion are the gluteus maximus muscles of the buttocks. If these muscles are weaker than the quadriceps then numerous postural problems can occur. The over active hip flexors can pull the body into anterior pelvic or sway back. Many distance runners can be skinny and have little belly fat but the front pelvic tilt makes it look like they have a gut.

All weight training movements have some potential for risk. Fitness Trainers should be aware of the risk / reward ratios of each prescribed exercise. The type of apparatus used is also a significant factor.
Some leg extension machines are poorly designed and can feel awkward and uncomfortable. Equipment such as Nautilus or Life Circuit are of superior design and safer to use.

   The Leg Extension Machine does build strong and well developed front thigh muscles.
It does not develop functional strength that is specific to every day movement. It is an exercise that should be done carefully. It also should not be the only front thigh exercise used in any training program.

Until Next Time,....Keep Fit    

Little Bobby Strong

Leg Extensions do pump up the upper Quad muscles.
Proceed with extreme caution! 

The Multi Hip Machine offers knee and hip flexion
 similar to a running motion. Less risk of long term damage!

 

Links

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit

The Super Client

   Every Fitness Trainer needs a client like Mordi ! Mordi was one of my earliest clients. He was referred to me by Charlie, my first client. Mordi fit the bill of super client status.
   For a Fitness Trainer, all clients should be considered valuable commodities. Some will be inspired and use your expertise and knowledge to transform themselves physically. Some just show up, do as you tell them and go about their way without wanting to interact much. Others may use you as a sounding board about their lives as they do your prescribed exercises.
Few of us can afford to be selective and must adapt to all types.
 
Then there is the Super Client! This would be someone who enriches your life experience as you are pumping them up and cajoling them on the exercise bike.This would be someone like Mordi.
Here is what makes this client special .

• Mordi admitted that he needs the commitment with a Fitness Trainer for him to adhere to an exercise program. This is never a bad thing for a trainer.
• Mordi was a good source of referrals for other potential customers.
• He was a great mentor for business advice being that he was an entrepreneur par excellence. For a rookie Fitness Trainer such advice was like gold.
• Mordi was also a wise philosopher on the nuances of human existence. I like to think that I became wiser just through osmosis.
• He was a voracious pupil in the weight room when his mood was right. His eager capacity to lift heavy weights sometimes needed to be tempered with moderation. 
• He constantly challenged my views on nutrition and physiology. Doctor Mordecai (Mordi) had a PhD in chemistry. His science background was light years more extensive than mine. It forced me to constantly keep abreast of current fitness knowledge.

   A less patient Fitness Trainer might describe him as a potentially difficult client. Why would this be?

• He could occasionally be a master of avoidance. A favored tactic was to start passionately arguing politics just before a planned high intensity workout on the stationary bike? 
• Mordi made a convincing argument that the hot tub could be considered a substitute for cardiovascular training.
• Mordi won many a battle of wills and convinced me to join him on countless post workout visits to a local pub and eatery called Joey T's.
• He usually vetoed my suggestion of carrot juice and salad for orders of fortified elixirs and less than lean cuisine.
• His flirtatious banter with the barmaids of Joey T's was of the sort that might draw the wrath of today's political correct whiners. The barmaids never complained. They took his tips and flirted back

   Mordi had little patience for the foolish, the lazy, the entitled and the dishonest. He did not tolerate

poor or indifferent service. He did tolerate most of my humor. In fact he said it made the tough workouts more bearable. At times when my Fitness Training career was struggling, he lifted my spirits by telling me that I was good motivator. Mordi has also been the number one supporter of my fitness blog! 

   On every visit that I make back to Edmonton, Canada, I make sure to get together with Mordi. 

The motivation that I gave him when working out he has given back in with advice and confidence building pep talks - usually over fortified elixirs and pub grub. Each visit his personna becomes more and more legendary.

   Fitness Trainers should pray for such clients! Not only are they good for business, they lift your craft to where it is more than just a job.   

   Mordi is a successful self made man - except for his massive, muscular upper body. 

I take some credit for helping build that!
Let's toast the Super Client with a carrot juice - or something stronger!

Look at those magnificent guns!
Unquestionably a super client.

Until next time,...Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong

Links

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

Who Has the Juice ????

He has the Juice !
Actually that's my brother in law's homemade Maple Syrup
in the hands of a performance enhanced juicer.  It's all natural
and it won't trigger a positive drug test.

I waited impatiently for the scandal to erupt like a smoking volcano.  There was warning smoke and there were flaming plumes but no full fledged eruption - yet !

The I.A.A.F. World Championships (Track and Field) were held a few weeks ago in Beijing, China. As always, I look forward to such events with anticipation. Track and field rarely receives much television coverage in North America. Fortunately this year was a windfall. The Pan American Games were held in Toronto so the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) covered the events especially track and field. Two weeks later the CBC also had coverage of the World Championships. I was like an opium addict                                                                                   set loose in a wild poppy field.

This athletic buffet was not without the presence of possible and potential pitfalls of performance impropriety.There were some ominous storm clouds conjuring on the horizon that suggested a scandal to come:

• Russian racewalkers withdrew from the world championships due to drug innuendos from a German documentary.
• Russian distance runners including a woman Olympic champion were filmed discussing using doping products.
• The Russian Anti Doping Federation was alleged to be guilty of systemic corruption and cover ups.
• Another documentary shows Kenyan physicians openly admitting to providing E.P.O to Kenyan distance runners.
• According to the Track and Field News and the U.K. Daily Mail, other rogue nations suspected of systemic doping programs include Morocco, Turkey and Ukraine. 
• A BBC documentary discovered that numerous drug tests showed blood profile irregularities in 1/3 of Olympic and World Championship medallists since 2001.
• The same BBC investigation took aim at a target who was one of my running heroes. Alberta Salazar is the coach of the Nike Oregon Project which is a team of elite, mostly American, distance runners sponsored by the sports apparel giant. Salazar was a former world record holder in the marathon. Supposedly he provided prescription performance enhancers to an athlete  (or athletes) that was not prescribed to them. 
• Salazar is also a coaching adviser to the British track team He coaches British Olympic and world champion Mo Farah. Farah has not been linked to any performance enhancing drugs other that by his association with his coach. Salazar denies any guilt.
• Some Jamaican sprinters have returned from suspensions for using stimulants. It does not necessarily mean that Jamaica is guilty of state sponsored doping. At least, I hope not!

   My fears proved unfounded. There were no major drug test failures at the World Championships. Only a few lesser lights tested positive. Usain Bolt was supreme. Mo Farah won 2 gold medals. The Canadian Track and Field team had its best showing ever on a world stage. Programs that support Canadian athletes are  paying dividends on at the elite levels of competition.

  

  I watched every event and watched the replays over again. I was in sports Heaven viewing such excellence in action. Athletes ran fast; jumped high; and threw far. Track and Field seems to have survived and avoided the possible scandalous eruption. However as I absorbed this magnificent spectacle on my big screen there was this nagging, persistent, cynical voice of skepticism in my head that kept barking in my ear.   "Who has the juice !!!!!!"

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

Little Bobby Strong          

References

1. The Doping Secret : the Dark Side of AthleticsHajo Seppelt, Germany ARD/WDR

2.  Sunday Times, London

3.  Daily Mail, London 

4. Track and Field News, Sept. and Oct. Editions

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



                                                                           

Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame - Pascal Dauriac

                     Scandal!      Slayings!     Shenanigans!     Shock!      Shame!           

   

   Don't go beyond your scope of practice as a Fitness Trainer.

   This might include giving nutritional advice to someone with an eating disorder, trying to diagnose a medical condition, or dealing with client issues beyond your expertise and comfort level.
   In such circumstances always refer the client to the appropriate professional. This referral could be to a physician or a Registered Dietitian or some other more qualified expert. We can now add another example of a Fitness Trainer going beyond the skill level and expertise of what should be expected.

   Do not agree to hire a hit man to murder the mother-in-law of your client !!!!!!

Surprisingly, this is not an action that would fall within the Fitness Trainer's scope of practice or code of professional conduct. Apparently, it is also considered a major felony in most countries that follow the rule of law.  A hit man is not the sort of qualified professional that should be on your referral list. 

   I just read a riveting and interesting article in the November 2014 edition of Vanity Fair  magazine

entitled "Murder Made in Monaco" written by Mark Seal. 

  Wojciech Janowski lived with the daughter of a wealthy woman industrialist in Monaco. They never married. The woman industrialist mother, Helene Pastor was supposedly Monaco's richest woman. Helene Pastor never liked Janowski. She thought he was a gold digger. The daughter, Sylvia Ratowski-Pastor, came down with breast cancer. Janowski feared that should his partner die, the mother would ensure that the family wealth would bypass him and go to his partner's daughter. Common law marriage s are not held in the same same legal esteem in Monaco as they are in North America. 

   Wojceich Janowski was health conscious enough to have a Personal Trainer. The Personal Trainer, Pascal Dauriac operated his training business, Pascal Dauriac International, out of Nice in the nearby French Riviera.  Kudos to Janowski for placing importance on his physical well being.

   The alleged sequence of events have yet to be proven in a court of law.

1. Janowski began to introduce his Fitness Trainer to potential business prospects in Monaco.  The trainer, Dauriac, felt especially indebted to Janowski.
2. Janowski then asked Dauriac to obtain a gun for him so he could kill his pseudo mother-in- law Helene Pastor.  Dauriac refused.
3. Janowski began to become aloof around Dauriac and give him the cold shoulder. Dauriac feared losing his biggest client since he only made about $3000.00 a month. He supplemented his Fitness income by selling essential oils. (Fellow Fitness Trainers - can you sort of relate to some of this?)
4. Janowski approached his Fitness Trainer again after the brief freeze out period. This time he requested that Dauriac find somone else who would knock off the pseudo mother-in-law.  This time Dauriac agreed. After all, shouldn't a Fitness Trainer go that extra mile out of customer appreciation? Plus there was the promise of a lucrative bonus!
5. Luckily Dauriac's  live-in girlfriend had a seedy brother who had connections with the Marseilles underworld. Dauriac approached the seedy brother with an offer. 
6. The seedy brother recruited two drug dealer gangster types for the hit.  
7. The two hit men took a train across the border to Nice, France where the pseudo Mother-in-law was visiting her son in the hospital where he was recovering from a stroke. Their reasoning was that there are fewer cops per capita in Nice than in Monaco.
8. Helene Pastor was ambushed in her mini-van by an assailant with a sawed off shotgun. This pseudo mother-in law was wounded and died 15 days later. Her chauffeur died instantly at the wheel.
9. The ingenious hit men neglected to wear masks or disguises. The also made it look like a robbery thus inadvertently leaving behind DNA evidence.
10. The police used eyewitness testimony, a search of the usual suspects, cell phone records and DNA to identify the hit men.
11. More cell phone records led the police to the brother, the sister and then to her  the Personal Trainer boyfriend Pascal Dauriac. More cell phone records and bank transactions finally led to the murder victim's pseudo son-in-law Wojciech Janowski. The Personal Trainer also ratted out his wealthiest client.
12. Wojciech and his Fitness Trainer Pascal Dauriac are now in custody. So are the hit men.

    Pascal Dauriac should have referred his client to the local law enforcement agency.   

The accused has yet to be tried. He is presumed innocent until found guilty. If he is found guilty

he will likely be sentenced to a lengthy period of incarceration. Pascal Dauriac will also then have his name enshrined on the hallowed walls of................  the Fitness Trainer Hall of Shame!

Handing over a bag of cash to a contract killer as a go-between
 in a murder for hire!  Absolutely NOT within a
Fitness Trainer's scope of practice !

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



Little Bobby Strong







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

Follow the Bouncing Bosu Ball

   Fitness trends come and go. The mid to late 1990's saw a new trend in fitness explode unto the market - stability balls. These came in the form of  full balls and the half sphere Bosu Balls.
The theory behind exercise orbs is simple:

1. Exercise balls force you to work harder to keep your balance
2. The balance issue causes you to rely on your core (midsection) more than usual thus causing greater strength adaptation for that important section of the body
3. A stronger core makes for better athletes and fitter people
4. Improved balance should make for a better athlete and fitter people
5. Hockey superstar Sydney Crosby has done extensive exercise ball training. Not only does he have phenomenal core stability and balance, he has a pair of arguably the strongest legs in any team sport. 

New studies suggest that  the benefits from this exercise
may be compromised using this Bosu Ball.

However there may be a new scientific take
on this matter. A recent study from the
University of Eastern Illinois studied the
effectiveness of Bosu Balls on balance and strength. This study concluded that:
extensive training on on Bosu Balls does not lead to any  statistically significant increases in core strength or balance when carried over to a stable surface!

   It has also been common knowledge that training on an unstable surface such as a Bosu Ball will compromise strength gains since greater loads can be lifted on a stable surface. Specificity also becomes an issue. How many sports or activities actually take place standing on a half ball?
   
   You may get some argument from Greg Harvey. Greg is one of Canada's most proficient and successful Fitness Trainers and is the C.E.O and proprietor of Fit N Well in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He points out that previous studies have shown that Bosu Balls are effective for core and balance training. Greg's own client data base  has documented case histories of improvements using stability balls as one of the training tools.  I went back to the research and tried to find out more.

• Previous scientific studies used mostly untrained test subjects.
•  Improvements in core strength and balance were noted. 
• Untrained individuals will respond to most training stimuli.  
• The recent study used trained test subjects.
• Trained subjects will likely have developed core strength and balance skills therefore improvement will be less than in untrained subjects.
• The studies used only the Bosu Balls in training. 
• Had they studied Bosu Ball training in conjunction with regular training on a stable surface would they have discovered improvements in strength and fitness?  

   It should also be noted that exercise science is a relatively recent and rapidly evolving field of study. At one time athletes were discouraged from lifting weights for fear that they would become
muscle bound. A juicy steak was considered the ideal pre-game meal. Menthol cigarettes were considered cardiovascular fitness enhancers. (or was that just my Dad's theory?) Now we mostly know otherwise. I would be hesitant to write off Bosu Balls just yet.

    I decided to sacrifice my body in the name of exercise science. I visited Greg Harvey in Edmonton and had him put me through a Bosu Ball regime. I am a formerly fit subject  compromised physically from years of overly competitive beer league hockey, club level amateur wrestling, and past bouts of zealous over training. These were my observations and physical experiences.

1. It was a brutally tough and challenging workout! 
2. Many of the exercises were difficult for me even without using extra resistance.
3. I could especially feel the deep layers of my abdominal muscles working during core specific movements.
4. The need to have a qualified professional such as Greg Harvey overseeing the workout was evident. Strike another blow for a need for Fitness Trainers.
5. I could see how Bosu Balls would be of essential benefit for injury rehabilitation. 
6. Caution and safety consciousness is important because of the instability of these half orbs.

   I could only conclude that Bosu Ball must have some significant value.  My abs haven't been that  gratifyingly sore for some time. My lower back muscles on the other hand were fatigued but not sore. That is a sign of a decent core session. I will definitely add the midsection exercises to my repertoire! My six pack will return to fight another day!
   Greg Harvey doesn't have his clients train exclusively on stability balls. It is but a portion of the complete workout. Greg suggests that work on stability balls can help someone break through a training plateau by strengthening the stabilizer muscles. Training on an unstable surface followed by stable surface training with heavier loads can also make for a good pre exhaustion type workout.
    Even if this apparatus does not transition completely to the functional demands of the client's sport or activity, it still provides variety and a form of cross training. Variety keeps the workouts from becoming monotonous. Cross training helps keep certain muscles from overuse and over development .That is part of the formula for a balanced training regime.
   Anyone living in the Edmonton region wanting cutting edge training should  contact training guru Greg Harvey at  www.fitnwell.com  Meanwhile it may be time for me to copy Sydney Crosby's stability ball centered, off ice hockey training program. My hockey comeback and the Ottawa Senator's Stanley Cup win are both long overdue.

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

Greg Harvey demonstrates
Bosu Ball Crunches
Starting Position 1

Little Bobby Strong                                                                          







                                              

Mid Point Position  2

Finish Position   3
Flat surface crunches can't match this

                                                                                                                                                                      

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

Orange Juice: A Nourishing Nog of Nutrients or Satan's Sugary Saliva ?

Health Canada wants to zap orange juice from the Canada Food Guide. Actually all fruit juices now have a target on their back. This includes my favorite - cranberry juice.
The Canada Food Guide divides required eating into 4 basic groups:

1. Vegetables and Fruits: Orange juice or fruit juice is suggested as an alternative  to a serving of fruit.
2. Grain Products: Rice, quinoa, or ancient grains could be a substitute for those with wheat allergy or gluten intolerance.
3. Milk and Alternatives: Soy could fill in for those with lactose intolerance.
4. Meat and Alternatives: Vegetarians and vegans would have to ensure that amino acid needs are met with meat substitutes such as tofu and beans.

  The Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists recommends that their certified Fitness Trainers suggest that clients follow the Canada Food Guide. The goal is to encourage sensible, moderate eating habits rather than having someone resort to radical diets or extreme food fads. The Canada Food Guide is a great tool such a purpose. Unfortunately, the message may not be reaching the unhealthy masses that most need to eat well.

  The powers that be in Health Canada have been listening to the experts in the field of nutrition and diet. They now want to eliminate orange juice and/or fruit juice as a substitute for an actual helping of fruit. Fruit juice lacks much of the fiber and vitamin enriched pulp of an orange. It is also high in sugar even though it is in the natural form of fructose. Some experts suggest that a tall glass of orange juice may contain more sugar than bottle of pop. The Horror! The Horror! 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and make some outrageous anecdotal and personal observations:

• People are not fat because they drink orange juice
• Children are not over weight or obese from guzzling fruit juice
• Orange juice does not cause diabetes although a glass of it may raise insulin levels. Interestingly many first aid courses suggest giving some orange juice to a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or a hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) casualty suffering a blood glucose related weak spell. 
• Orange juice is not a major factor in heart disease if it is even a factor at all
• Inactive and sedentary people usually choose a beverage of choice (or several of them) other than orange juice or fruit juice.

People have health and weight problems due to

• Genetics
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Sedentary lifestyle and electronic devices
• Poor eating habits and over reliance on fast foods, junk food, and processed food
• Stress

People with weight and health problems may drink fruit juice instead of eating fruit. I suppose that makes fruit juice a minor culprit. If Health Canada decides to drop this liquid from the Canada Food Guide, so be it. It will have only a slight effect on the real problems due to poor eating habits! The population with real issues likely doesn't read the guide.
No worries - orange juice will still maintain it's exalted position as a Vodka companion. 

Until Next Time,........Keep Fit  

It actually looks almost healthy from this angle!

Little Bobby Strong             









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

Are Treadmills Dangerous ?

    Are treadmills safe? This is a timely question.
   Just last week David Goldberg, a high tech executive, died from a treadmill accident while working out at a resort in Mexico. This has resulted in a torrential questioning of the safety of such apparatus.

   In all of my years of frequenting fitness centers as a customer, employee, or Fitness Trainer, I have never  actually witnessed a treadmill mishap. The only other fatality that I can think of was boxer Mike Tyson's 4 year old daughter getting caught in a power cord of a moving treadmill  and dying by strangulation.
   However after some research I have discovered that treadmill accidents are rare but do occur.
The reasons are obvious:

• The treadmill is an electrically powered apparatus with moving parts.
• State of the art treadmills have television screens or computer consuls attached. This can be a source of distraction. 
• Children have a tendency to want to horseplay on such machines. 
• Cheaper treadmills may be of inferior quality and more prone to slippage or break down.

  I have always considered treadmills to be a safe if somewhat mundane way of performing a running or walking workout. I always preferred to do my cardiovascular training in the great outdoors.
   However I can see the appeal of treadmills.

• It is a controlled environment
• You can set a steady pace on the treadmill and use it as a guideline
• Treadmills are effective for fitness tests since the pace can be controlled 
• There are no weather concerns such as ice, snow, rain or hail
• There is no running through back alleys or dangerous ghettos
• Concerns of potholes, gopher holes, and mud puddles are eliminated
• Your bony legs are safe from escaped junkyard dogs

There are some sensible precautions to take to ensure safety around treadmills.

1. Know where the safety kill switch is to stop the treadmill belt from moving.
2. Working out in a Fitness Center ensures potential help will be nearby in case of a mishap.
3. If you use your treadmill at home clear the rear of any clutter.
4. Don't place your home treadmill with a nearby wall behind it. You want a clear landing area just in case.
5. Don't exceed your limits. Treadmills were not designed for full out sprints.
6. Relax your body, drop your center of gravity and protect your head and neck if you do slip.
7. Lock home treadmills in a safe room inaccessible to young children
8. For best results, train on a treadmill under the watchful eye of a competent Fitness Trainer......Note that I said 'competent Fitness Trainer'.  I remember one of the few times that I unfortunately watched the reality T.V. show 'the Biggest Loser'.  A Celebrity Trainer berated a contestant to the camera for not being focused because she fell backwards off of the treadmill. This Celebrity Trainer was not in a close vicinity to her when the accident happened.  He should have paid attention to those under his supervision.  Fitness Trainers should always practice SAFETY FIRST!

      Treadmills are not dangerous. There can be some risk if attention and concentration goes lax.

Being sedentary on the couch can pose greater health risk over time than being on a treadmill.

Remember....treadmills are machines  -  not toys!
Always be attentive and vigilant to avoid missteps!
Those paint cans in the rear could add to a rough landing!

Until Next Time, .....Keep Fit          


Little Bobby Strong                                    

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

Justin Bieber : A Symbol of Healthy Living ????

   Brilliant!   Simply brilliant!

Adolescent pop star and heart throb of wailing teenage women, Justin Bieber, was featured on the cover of the April 2015 issue of Men's Health magazine. How can this be anything but a breakthrough for health and exercise science?  I can just envision the cutting edge workout regime that will appeal to the electronically addicted new generation. How about this challenging physical program?

• Fifteen bong hits a day (according to a housekeeper) from an arguably illegal herbal substance.  Could this be a new breakthrough in cardio-pulmonary endurance training? Is this how he maintains the high falsetto notes of "Baby! Baby! Baby!" or will he wind up sounding like Amy Winehouse?
• Have your bodyguards carry you up the Great Wall of China. That way there is no danger of over training!
• Throw eggs at your neighbors house. Throwing eggs is a compound muscle movement and a full body workout! Eggs are also a good source of protein.
• Mouth off and start a fight in a night club only to have your posse of bodyguards move in to finish the job. You get all of the adrenaline rush and warrior pride of being in battle without having to worry about actually getting hit back! 
• Drag race a sports car down a residential street in the early morning hours while you're under the influence. It sure beats plodding away on a treadmill! You won't hit any kids. They're inside playing video games!
• Guzzle a healthy supplement - sizzurp. Sizzurp is an opiate based cough syrup mixed with pop. GNC eat your heart out. 

   Men's Health magazine has really hit this one out of the ball park. The sedentary youth of today can relate to this type of celebrity model of health and vigor. Athletes and real fitness practitioners are yesterday's news.

   Okay! Okay! Enough of my sarcasm.  I'll give Men's Health magazine the benefit of the doubt

and here is why.

1.  The magazine business is competitive, cut throat and losing market share to the online world. You have to go with what sells.  A human train wreck grabs the attention faster than a cover picture of some unknown Fitness Trainer of the month.
2. Men's Health magazine is not totally about health. It is a hybrid of a muscle mag and a lad's mag along the lines of Maxim. Who can't benefit from an article on tips for scoring in a nightclub? How about tips on how to throw a punch or enjoy a good whiskey? These are things essential to the well rounded male!  
3. The articles on actual health for are usually informative and written in a manner that the layman can understand.
4. The April issue was called 'the Reinvention Issue'. In all fairness to a fellow Canadian, maybe this young man really is turning things around and this is not just a public relations attempt at positive spin.  I cynically believe that are are more serious addiction issues involved here that don't go away with a few yoga classes and a boxing lesson. Then again, a little is better than none. 
5. I did read the article in the library. (Hey, I'm only human. I can succumb to sensationalism too.) The writer, Oliver Brody, approached the interview like an investigative reporter rather than like a celebrity suck-up.  Mr. Brody was inquisitive and a true example of literary critical thinking.
6. The author also posed a question that many of us have asked. He asked why Mr. Bieber doesn't just disappear and reinvent himself. Why not get away from the pressure of celebrity. No real answer was given.
7. I'm sure this issue will be a big seller for Men's Health. If you don't sell you go out of business. If you go out of business you lose your platform for spreading the word of active living.
8. This edition also had a great article on poisonous box jellyfish. I won't go jumping in the ocean surf any time soon! 
9. The story on the 4 best types of running training was awesome as well.

         

   Magazines of this genre are easy and enjoyable reading. They may inspire you to become or stay active. You may receive some good weight training and healthy living tips. Keep reading them if you find they help you. Support the trade!

   However if you really want to keep current on exercise science and health get down to the local university medical sciences library. Check out the exercise science periodicals. Curl up with some back issues of Strength and Conditioning.

                                                      Check out.... MENSHEALTH.COM

Throwing eggs at a neighbors house! A full body workout!
Picture compliments of Thomas 'Tommy Gun' Drummond 

Until Next Time,.........Keep Fit 

Little Bobby Strong















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

The Fitness Trainer and the Senate Scandal

   There is a Senate scandal brewing in Canada! 
In the U.S.A. Senators are elected to represent their state. In Canada Senators are appointed by our head of state the Prime Minister in a model similar to the House of Lords in Great Britain.
The Senate was originally intended to be a 'chamber of sober second thought' to act as a check against any excessive ideology in bills passed by the elected House of Commons.
   The current accusations allege that bills of the dollar plus variety may have changed hands in bribery charges and overzealous expense claims. The Senator on trial is Mike Duffy, a former T.V. political newshound turned Senate appointee. So what we have is a political story involving possible bribery and misuse of taxpayer money. "How is this even news?" you might ask. Crooked politics
and shady bag men have been bedfellows since the first vote was ever cast. "Tell me something new!"
   What intrigued with this story was that a very small portion of the suspected misappropriated funds
were used towards the services of a Personal Fitness Trainer.  Mike Croskery is an Ottawa based Fitness Trainer with a B. Sc. in Human Kinetics. He is also accredited as a Certified Exercise Physiologist with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists. He has extensive credentials in the fitness field.  He has also published books and pamphlets on fitness. He has worked with numerous sports teams. Kudos to Mike Duffy for realizing he needed such expert help with his fitness.
 
This is how this Fitness Training link to this scandal unfolded:

• Mike Duffy secured the services of Mike Croskery as a Fitness Trainer while Mr. Duffy was still a  political news icon.
• This Trainer - Client arrangement continued after Mike Duffy became a Senator. 
•  Instead of Mike Duffy paying from his own finances the billing was now being done to a consulting company that then invoiced the Senate. 
• Fitness Training fees are not considered Senate business.  
•  At Duffy's suggestion, the Fitness Trainer also began to bill for services as a consultant on 'Fitness for Canadian Seniors".
• Nothing appears to have ever been produced for the consulting for the senior's fitness idea. There was hopes for CD's or books but nothing materialized

   Did Mike Croskery show poor judgement by accepting payment from a questionable source?
Was he part of a bogus fitness for seniors consulting scheme?

   Cut the man some slack! Most Fitness Trainers do not have the luxury of being able to screen their clients financially. Do mob lawyers get condemned for defending clients of questionable character or for for taking payment of what may possible be dirty money? Why should Fitness Trainers be held to a higher standard?
My take on this scenario:

1. A Fitness Trainer agreed to a training contract with a well known client.
2. Such clients can boost recognition for the Fitness Trainer and possibly attract more high income potential.
3. The Fitness Trainer accepted in good faith that the reimbursement came from honest and lawful means. 
4. The Fitness Trainer agreed to provide consulting services with a Fitness for Seniors theme.
5. The Fitness Trainer received payment for the consulting services although nothing of substance ever materialized from it. 

   This particular Fitness Trainer may be guilty on point 5. He possibly accepted payment for a task that was never completed. Was this really his fault? The terms and conditions of this project seem to have been vague with no real goals,objectives or guidelines. Maybe this project was not dead but just very far behind schedule. Now that the Senator has been stripped of his duties, we will never know if a final product was pending.

   It would of course be wise for a Fitness Trainer to know as much about a client as possible. You want to deal with a person that is punctual, honest, and willing to adhere to your exercise program.
You also want to be sure that the potential client will be able and willing to pay in a timely manner with legally earned currency.  However we are exercise experts - not forensic accountants! 
Fitness Trainers rely on referrals, and initial  pre-screening interviews to decide on taking on new clients.  Red flags warning of financial impropriety may not be obvious or evident.
It is probably good policy to question payments of cash with purple dye or bloodstains.
   Who knows!  Maybe ex-Senator Mike Duffy will be found not guilty!  There is much evidence in his favor. There are also worse ways to spend tax money. The Old Duff will not go down without swinging back! 

A questionable fitness consulting payment?
Not necessarily!  

                    
Until Next Time,...Keep Fit


Little Bobby Strong













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

The Almost Perfect Day ?

What would be the ingredients of an almost perfect day? Let me think about this for a minute.
How about this?A morning coffee and breakfast by the ocean on a sun drenched day.

• A run in ankle deep water on a tropical beach.
• Reading a good sports book on the same beach under a hot sun. (Of course using a strong SPF sunblock.)
• A nourishing lunch on the patio by a pool
•  A hard muscle pumping workout just before supper
• A deep tissue massage
• An all you can eat salad bar and meal at a restaurant overlooking an exotic bay
•  An after supper hot tub outside surrounded by palm trees.
• A cold tropical beverage in front of a big screen T.V.
• What's this? They are actually showing amateur wrestling on television!
• After wrestling the world CrossFit Challenge is on.
• Finish the evening by drifting  off into a deep restful, uninterrupted slumber.  

Ring! Ring! Ring!
It is the sound of my alarm clock. I jump startled out of bed. I look out the window.
There is no sun-drenched tropical beach. There are no palm trees. There will be no morning coffee
under the palm trees. There will be no long run along the shoreline. There is no amateur wrestling on the tube!
   This is Ottawa, Canada in late March. Although it is theoretically early spring, it is snowing outside. Winter will not give up the ghost this year! 
   The hot tub at my fitness center is kaput once again. A run in six inches of snow does not compare with a run in the ocean surf. There is no CrossFit on T.V. I have to rush to work. I am out of cream for my coffee.  T.V. My cable is on the fritz so I can't even watch the hockey playoffs.
    I look skyward and shout out a self serving, soliloquy slurred slogan of Primal Scream Therapy.  Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!
    
    Now let it go. Face reality. Bodies must be trained. Weight must be lifted. Muscles must be stretched.    Summer will soon be here - I hope!

Don't let the alarm clock ruin this near perfect day!

Until Next Time, .....Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong



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





                                                                       

Cardio - Indoors or Outdoors?

   You see it at every fitness club. Men and women churning out miles and miles on the treadmills. Others use steppers or cross trainers. Not as many use the stationary bikes. Fewer still use the rowing machines. They walk, they run, they step - usually very slow in what they have been told is the
fat burning zone. 
   Others go hard or do anaerobic interval sessions that leave them drenched with effort. Group exercise classes are most often (but not always) held in an indoor environment. I have heard of marathon racers doing all of their training on a treadmill because they can more accurately gauge their effort and pace.
   My preference leans towards doing my endurance work outdoors. I have a mental tolerance on indoor cardiovascular apparatus such as treadmills, exercise bikes, step machines and cross trainers of about 5 minutes maximum. After that my brain gives up the ghost. I can't continue the task without
feeling the boredom set in.
    I am an outdoor cardio animal. I can't run anymore because of a hip injury but outdoors my capacity for bicycling , skating or cross country skiing is dependent on my pace and my fitness levels.
I prefer fresh air and green forest trails. I can escape when I am outside. I think back to my high school days. I would come off of wrestling season and start running track and field outside in the spring. As soon as I started running outside I felt refreshed and free!

   So is it better to do your cardiovascular workouts inside or outside? It is mostly a matter of preference or comfort. Many people do both and make their choices according to weather conditions and convenience.
     There are positives to indoor cardio most of them related to safety:

• No traffic to worry about
• No exhaust fumes
• Rain, snow, sleet, ice or sunburn are taken out of the equation except for the commute to the fitness center. Since Canada has just gone through 2 consecutive brutal winters, weather is a MAJOR factor!
• No thugs lurking in back alleys as you run, bike or roller blade
• Less likelihood of turning an ankle or blowing out a knee by tripping or hitting uneven terrain
• Stable environment for monitoring physiological improvements with built in monitoring devices on cardio machines
• No worry about nasty dogs, coyotes, or skunks

    For the outdoor cardio argument we have:

• Fresh air - maybe.  (Pollution can be an issue in many urban centers.)
• The sense of freedom of being outside.
• Sunlight. (Unless you lived in Canada the last 2 winters.)  
• Scenery. Trees, parks, rivers, lakes and green spaces.
• Supposedly trees can give off natural chemicals that are healthy to breathe in while exercising. 

    There is no right or wrong answer in this case. Every person has their own comfort zone.
Any exercise is usually better than being inactive.

This athletic couple prefers to do their cardiovascular training in the great outdoors.
The  setting is the Rideau Canal in Ottawa Canada -
The world's longest skating rink!

Until Next Time

Keep Fit!


Little Bobby Strong











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

Pro Bodybuilding: Great Entertainment ! - Poor Fitness Model !

   When I was 15 years old my life changed forever!  At Christmas one of the presents from my Dad was a box containing a pair of grippers for increasing wrist and hand strength. The grippers were compliments of the Weider brothers, Joe and Ben. The Weiders were Canadian born fitness and strength equipment entrepreneurs. The packaging for the grippers contained an ad for a muscle magazine. I sent away and became an instant fan of the wonderful  and wacky world of bodybuilding.
   Suddenly a scrawny teenager had hope to become a monument to manly muscularity. All you had to do was get access to a set of weights (preferably Weider brand) and blitz and bomb your stubborn muscles until they had no choice but to grow.   Skinny biceps could become the Guns of Navarone!
   Bodybuilding is but one discipline of lifting weights. The goal of bodybuilding is to cause hypertrophy.  Hypertrophy is when the skeletal muscle cells react to external stress
(such as lifting weights) by increasing in size. Bodybuilders can be strong but their main goal is usually to build larger muscles.They will lift less than the maximal weight multiple times for multiple sets.  Powerlifters and Olympic weight lifting practitioners work towards building strength and power. Therefore they tend to be stronger than bodybuilders without the same exaggerated size increases. They will lift heavier weights fewer times in training. In competition they try for one maximal lift.
  The popularity of bodybuilder turned actor Arnold Schwarzenegger helped fuel the growth of the fitness boom. This also led to the embryonic beginnings of the Personal Fitness Trainer industry.   Many early Fitness Trainers were gym rat bodybuilders that began training clients who wanted bigger biceps. Often the only credentials of the gym rats were their muscular torsos. Still, the demand for muscular gurus was there and started to grow.  We owe them for that.
Bodybuilding begat Fitness Training!

   That does not mean that a fitness program centered around bodybuilding is the only path to fitness success. In some circumstances bodybuilding type training may be contraindicated:

• Athletes requiring greater strength may be better served by a powerlifting or an Olympic Weightlifting type of regime.
• Athletes with a goal of speed or greater explosive power should gravitate towards plyometric training and / or Olympic Weightliftng exercises. They want to train muscle movements rather than isolated muscle groups as in many (not all) bodybuilding techniques.
• Runners likely could do without the extra weight and muscle mass resulting from bodybuilding type weight training.
• Cyclists and swimmers may also be served by a more specific type of resistance training. 

   Bodybuilding type training can work wonders for all shapes of people wanting to improve their physique. This mode of exercise  definitely can enlarge muscle tissue and help reduce fat by speeding up the metabolism. The best competitive bodybuilders will come from the ranks of the mesomorphic body types with mostly fast twitch muscle fiber.

   The bodybuilders of the 1950's and 1960's were aesthetically shaped. By the 1970's the professional bodybuilders had discovered anabolic steroids. They looked to be just beyond natural. By the 1990's and into this century the pro bodybuilding stars were looking more and more freakish.  This is also why I think that pro bodybuilders are not the best fitness role models for those desiring health and vigour. It is no longer about health for many reasons:

• The new generation of pros are on multiple stacks of steroids for most or all of the year. Health consequences can range from baldness to infertility to heart disease.
• Non diabetic bodybuilders will take insulin for its anabolic properties. This can be fatal both short term or over time.
• Today's pro stars take synthetic Human Growth Hormone on a consistent basis. This can cause distended bellies and auto immune disorders.
• The paper thin skin with the grotesque veins that you see at professional competitions is attained by severe dieting and the use of diuretics.  Diuretics have killed many bodybuilders in the aftermath of a contest.
• The most hard core and insane bodybuilders have been known to inject synthol oil directly in a muscle to cause the muscle to swell in size. Side effects include absesses, infections and gangrene.
• Women pro bodybuilders have become so muscular and unnaturally freakish that there has been a backlash. Many pro contests have dropped the women's competition.
• Aspiring bodybuilders will try and follow a professional workout routine as outlined in a muscle magazine. If they aren't juiced they won't be able to get the results. There is little recovery time built in.
• Many of these enhancing substances can only be obtained unlawfully!
• Many pro bodybuilders drop dead relatively young.

   These muscle freaks should get some points for honesty. Baseball players, cyclists and track and field athletes implicated for Performance Enhancing Drugs give far fetched excuses, claim innocent trust in handlers, or espouse theories of sabotage. Pro bodybuilders admit they partake but downplay it as just one of many components of their training. 

 Don't get me wrong. Pro bodybuilding can be appealing entertainment for some people, just as professional wrestling is a major draw. I still get a kick out of reading muscle magazines.

It just no longer has anything to do with health and fitness!   

Hormonal manipulation and hard core bodybuilding!
Short term gains! Long term health and fitness - maybe not!

Until Next Time,....Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong









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

I Fell and I can't Get Up

   There was an interesting article last week in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. Apparently, my home town of Ottawa, Canada is the leading city in North America for falls that cause injury in the senior population. This comes as no great surprise to me. Ottawa is no boom town that would attract hordes of twenty - somethings seeking their fortunes through resource extraction! Instead it is a government town with a large and growing population of retired civil servants. Go to many shopping center food courts first thing in the morning and it is easy to see that Ottawa is Senior Central.
   Ottawa also has a nasty winter mix of fluctuating cold and thaw episodes. It is not the 'dry cold' of Canada's western prairies. It is a miserable, damp, wet cold that bites like Jack Frost with rabies. There is also the frequent drenching from freezing rain and sleet.
Winters in Ottawa are a perfect storm for icy streets and slippery sidewalks!

    There is also the fact that as an aging population is more susceptible to serious slips and falls.
There are many reasons for this:

• The proprioceptors of the muscles affect our ability to sense where our body is in space.
•  As muscles become decrepit with age so might the proprioceptors therefore affecting balance.
• The muscle strength decreases with age. An older person has less strength to resist a spill.
• As we age we have a greater tensity to stiffen up as we fall rather than relax.
• Opportunistic ailments such as inner ear issues or infections can cause dizziness and compromised balance.
• Degrading cognitive function would of course make someone more prone to an accident.
• Certain medications may have side effects that cause dizziness and balance problems.

What can be done to stave off the possibility of serious spills in citizens of the golden years?

1. Use it or lose it! A sedentary person will be more of a sitting duck were they to venture out into an icy environment. However many medical conditions due to aging will certainly have a negative effect on being active. 
2. Seniors could avoid risky icy and snow conditions as much as possible. Many seniors walk in shopping malls for exercise during times of inclement weather.
3. Attend indoor group exercise sessions geared towards aging populations.
4. Don't neglect functional strength. If you do fall you may have to get back up by yourself especially if in an isolated area. 
5. Don't rush anywhere! By a certain age you no longer have to explain yourself for being late. You've paid your dues. 
6. If you suspect broken bones, wait for help. Don't make things worse by moving a fractured limb, especially a broken leg. The femur bone of the leg is the largest bone in the body. A broken femur is considered a serious medical emergency. 

   Other than that, the best bet is to move to Belize or pray for an early spring.
After all, this is Canada - the land of ice and snow!

Gadzooks!
I told you to watch your step!

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

Little Bobby Strong

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

Bruce Jenner Olympic Champion Involved in Tragic Car Crash

   I was just about to post this blog when I saw a shocking clip on CBC news. Reality TV icon and former Olympic Gold medalist Bruce Jenner was just involved in a horrific Los Angeles traffic accident. There were seven injuries and one fatality. Jenner walked away unscathed but may have caused the accident. My first instinct was to kill the piece or at least put it on hold.
   After some consideration, I decided to continue. This was a plea to return to track and field as an ambassador to a sport under attack. In no way does it constitute a 'piling on' on of Bruce Jenner during
difficult and tragic times................................................................Read on for the blog.
.......................................................................................................................................

Thirty years ago this would have been a career ending scandal! Bruce Jenner is rumored to be willing to public with the news that he is in the process of  'transitioning' into a woman. Further rumors hint at his own reality T.V. show about his coming out. We are talking about the 1976 Montreal Olympic Champion in the decathlon. The decathlon is 10 track and field disciplines spread over 2 days using a points per discipline system to determine the winner for the event. The winner is traditionally heralded as 'The World's Greatest Athlete'.  
  How can such a symbol of male virility want to become a woman? For the past few years Bruce Jenner has been a background character to his wife (now ex wife) and step daughters in a Hollywood reality show called 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'.  The show chronicles the misadventures of the mother and daughters in a a world of affluence and over consumption. They are mostly famous for being famous and little else. Bruce Jenner was usually a reluctant, embarrassed, unheard voice of reason in the shadows of the main cast. His past athletic exploits were rarely mentioned.
   My views on Bruce Jenner's desire to transition into a woman:

• Is it even a surprise? His multiple plastic surgeries and fashion choices have made that a poorly kept secret.
• Is this even an issue anymore? We live in a more libertarian society in which such choices can be made with less judgement. It's his business - not ours.
• This should not detract from his past Olympian achievements. He won fair and square and that glory should always belong to him (or her).
• Who cares any more? We all have our own problems to deal with!

   My issue is this. We have lost Bruce Jenner to Hollywood. Track and Field needs him more!
One of my favorite sports is under attack. Interest in Track and Field is waning in North America.
Many universities in the U.S.A have cut their track programs due to budget constraints. In Ottawa, Canada when I was a teenager, each high school had large groups outside practicing track and field events. Now such fields either sit empty or host soccer games in the spring. Track and field is in decline.
   The International Olympic Committee is trying to keep the Olympics interesting to modern youth.
Traditional sports are in danger of exclusion. Amateur wrestling was in danger of being dropped completely from the Olympic program.Traditional wrestling nations protested enough and bought a temporary reprieve. The Olympic powers feel that to keep youth engaged they must incorporate more modern sports such as skateboarding, world of warfare, or interactive zombie zapping.
Traditional sports are in danger of extinction!
   
Track and Field is one such sport under attack! Once the marque event of any summer Olympics, Track and Field is now under scrutiny. The Olympic powers want to add new sports but keep the number of Olympic competitors at a manageable limit. That means either:

1. Dropping sports from the program. Amateur wrestling is on the bubble.
2. Cut events from certain sports.

Track and Field will never be dropped completely. What has been proposed is to eliminate certain events. Racewalks, triple jumps, hammer throws, and even the 10,000 meter run could go the way of VCR's, and TV rabbit ears.
Once dropped from the Olympics, there is a high probability that an event will no longer be considered valid for a world championship consideration.
   What we need is a respected ambassador - a spokesperson to fight for the tradition and history of the original competitive endeavors.
Usain Bolt is the current face of Track and Field! Beyond him there are few icons to promote the sport. Elite former stars such as Ben Johnson and Marion Jones succumbed to steroid scandals. Sprint stars of the 1980's and 1990's came off as being too aloof and self serving to promote the sport. Distance running champions are often shy and media wary. Throwers usually toil in obscurity.
   Bruce Jenner would be the perfect legend to be a Track and Field Ambassador. He had charisma, media savvy, and practical knowledge of almost every event. Jenner was the first Track and Field personality to stay in the public limelight past his competitive prime. Unfortunately, the Olympic boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics cost him a job as a commentator.
He drifted into other endeavors such as endorsements, infomercials, acting and eventually reality TV. Track and Field's loss was Hollywood's game. Bruce, Track and Field needs you back!
......................................................................................................................................
    Since I wrote this Bruce Jenner was involved in that horrible automobile accident. I would think that there will be legal and liability issues to come as well as much grieving from many parties.
Track and Field will have to wait.  

A discus, some spikes and a washed up former club level track man.
Not enough to save Track and Field from decline.
Bruce - the sport needs you more than Hollywood does!

Until Next Time,
Keep Fit 


Little Bobby Strong













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