Top 10 Reasons to Avoid a Fit and Healthy Lifestyle

Preaching at the unfit can be a losing battle! 

   When I took the certification course for what is now the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, we learned about the Trans-Theoretical Model of Change. Originally designed for smoking cessation programs, this model states that behavioral change progresses in stages. The 5 stages of change are:

• Pre-Contemplation. The individual is not ready to change their lifestyle.
• Contemplation. The person is seriously considering making changes.
• Preparation. Someone is actively planning action with a set starting time.
• Action. The person is actually doing something that is a positive lifestyle change.
• Maintenance. The individual is actively engaged in the new behavior and continuing to perform it.

    According to the 2013 edition of the CSEP training manual 'Pre-contemplative clients are unlikely to react well to being told that they should exercise.'  Their reaction will be similar if someone suggests changes in diet or abstinence from unhealthy vices. Preaching at them will not work.
It will however, result in some classic excuses for maintaining their present lifestyles. 
  
For those in the Pre-contemplation Stage the logic is often irrefutable in favor of avoiding healthy changes. These are the 10 best arguments against the fit lifestyle that I have heard.

1. Cardio can cause cardiac arrest. People drop dead running for the bus - not waiting for it.
2. Walking and running is supposed to be hard on the joints.
3. An apple is healthier than a slice of pizza? Right - look where that got Adam and Eve.
4. Lifting weights makes you muscle bound. 
5. If you stop working out the muscle just turns to fat.
6. I get all the exercise that I need by playing 'World of Warcraft'.
7. My uncle smoked and drank, ate whatever he wanted, never exercised and lived to be 99 years old. 
8. There will be a cure for all these things soon.
9. I believe in a balanced diet - a beer in one hand and a doughnut in the other 
10. You have to listen to your body. Mine says stay on the couch and pass the Doritos..

(Check out the picture caption for bonus reason number 11.)

 Preaching won't cut it. Pre-contemplation individuals may make positive changes, but only
when they decide to. It is far better to listen and encourage. Putting them on the defensive won't speed up their change to the next stage. Trying to debate them will likely be an exercise in futility.

Bonus argument no. 11
"So I give up smoking to live longer.
I could get killed by a car crossing the street the next day."
There is no rebuttal to such logic !
  

 Meanwhile enjoy some of the priceless gems of logic that you will hear.                                                                                 
                                                      Until Next Time.....

Keep Fit

Little Bobby Strong








Links

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview.com

             

I'm Five Foot Ten but Big Like Ben........Johnson. I'm a Fast Charles Bronson

   The Olympics are coming!  The Russians - maybe not !

   The Russian Athletics (Track and Field) team is implicated in a state sponsored doping program unheard of since the days of the East German sports machine of the 1970's and 1980's. In fact, it was possible that ALL Russian sports federations, not just Athletics, may be banned from the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is an ongoing story involving the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti Doping Agency, the International Amateur Athletic Association, the Center for Arbitration in Sport and the Russian Ministry of Sport. So far Russian Track Field athletes are out! Other Russian sports teams have been given a reprieve.

   Doping in sport is a continuing story! It is news, but it is not a new story.

• Before   Lance Armstrong finally came clean on Oprah after years of denial and litigation
• Before  the Major League Baseball steroid scandal that implicated Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds  Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemons
• Before   the  BALCO bust (Bay Area Lab Cooperative), a 'supplement' company that supplied Performance Enhancing Drugs to Barry Bonds and led to the fall of golden sprint queen Marion Jones
• Before   the 'unbelievable' performances of distance runners and swimmers of China in the 1990's.
• Before   the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall when a light was shone upon a long suspected East German state sponsored Performance Enhancing Drug regime.
• Before   all of that was the First Great Olympic Doping Scandal - The Rise and Fall of Ben Johnson!

   Ben Johnson was the first modern era Canadian superstar in a summer Olympics marquis event. Sure, we had success in the winter sports like hockey, speed skating, and skiing. Winning the 100 meters gave you the title of 'The World's fastest Man'! From 1984 to 1988 Johnson took the track and field world on a wild ride:

• Big Ben won the world Championships in the 100 meters sprint crushing the World Record
•  He put Canada on the Olympic map in a marquis event
•  He defeated American arch rival, the seemingly aloof and arrogant Carl Lewis
•  Ben Johnson had an outspoken and controversial coach Charlie Francis
• Lance Armstrong had Dr. Michele Ferrari as his go- to medical guru.  Ben had the somewhat dubious Dr. Jamie Astaphan as his physician
• Ben won the 100 meters and crushed the field and the world record again in the 1988 Olympics
• Two days later his urine sample tested positive for the steroid stanozolol
•  Medals and world records were stripped 

   Never before or since has a Canadian athlete had such a devastating fall from grace.

• At first Ben's handlers, Francis and Astaphan claimed sabotage.
• The Canadian government held a legal investigation known as the Dubin Inquiry.
• Charlie Francis came clean. He claimed that to compete without doping was to start a meter behind everyone else.
• Lance Armstrong had a similar argument once he was officially outed. "It's not cheating if everyone else is doing it!"
• Ben Johnson received a 2 year competition ban.
• He made a comeback. He was still fast but not world beating fast.
• Ben had a 2nd positive test for high testosterone levels.
• He became a Personal Fitness Trainer for Moamar Ghadafi's soccer playing son. 
• He was also a Personal Fitness Trainer for controversial Argentinian soccer great Diego Maradona.
• Six other runners from Ben's 1988 Olympic race had past or future links to performance enhancing drugs. None were sanctioned or dragged through the mud the way Ben Johnson was.   

Is there a moral to this story? Maybe it is just that if the powers that be turn a blind eye to state sanctioned doping or ignore rule breaking by those with political clout - others may try to beat the system as well. For Marian Jones, Lance Armstrong and Big Ben, they tried to beat a fixed house but failed! 
   Where does this leave us now?

1.    The Rio Olympics could be a fresh beginning for clean and fair sports. 
2.    They could  more likely be a tipping point for the jaded sports fans of the world.
3.    Even more likely still, the status quo reigns and corruption is swept under the rug as    the show goes on like nothing has happened. 

( My blog title comes from a Canadian rap singer Maestro Fresh Wes song 'Conducting Thangs'.
I'm a Country Rock man - not a rap listener but that kind of rhyming is in
Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, William Shakespeare territory. Check it out on Youtube)
                                                          

 

Big Ben (center) in selfie at my brother-in-law's
Produce Depot grocery store in Ottawa.
He still looks very  FAST !!!!

Until Next Time

Keep Fit !!!!!


                    
Little Bobby Strong                               
           












Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview.com

The Video Artist Meets the Mixed Martial Artist

   A few weeks ago someone gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. I had a chance to observe the creation of a mini documentary on a Mixed Martial Arts world champion. The offer came from a western crony, Calgary based video producer and Film Maker Jeremy Podlog. Jeremy is the proprietor of RabbitView, a video production company. My food and lodgings would be covered This was dependent on two conditions:

1. I would have to be his assistant / helper/and bag carrier during the video shooting.
2. I would also have to be Jeremy's corner man and warm-up partner / throwing dummy as he competed in Canada Cup Wrestling Tournament in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. You see, Jeremy Podlog's alter ego is as amateur wrestling legend "Mad Dog Podlog" -a one time Canadian Championships bronze medalist. He was also a former adherent of the 'Little Bobby Strong' fitness training regime.

   It sounded like a fair trade off for a few days of adventure, so I agreed.

   We both survived the tournament in one piece and lived to add it to our cocktail hour rap. 
Jeremy survived better than I did even though he actually wrestled in 3 matches.  Just helping him warm up made me realize how my on- mat conditioning has long since given up the ghost.

Video producer Jeremy Podlog discusses a scene set up with
MMA / JiuJitsu competitor and instructor Jeff Joslin.

   The next step was the nearby city of Hamilton, Ontario to shoot the first MMA video. Hamilton is a rough and tumble steel town. Fittingly, the video subject was Jeff 'the Inferno' Joslin - a 5 time world champion in Brazilian JiuJitsu. He also fought in the UFC and once lost by a narrow decision to Josh Koschek. He had to retire from the UFC due to concussion issues. However Jeff still competes in Brazilian JiuJitsu which is grappling rather than kicking, punching and striking. The risk of head injuries is much less.

   Jeff also instructs martial arts classes in the training center below where the Joslin family once lived .His father, Rick Joslin, started the training center as a Karate studio and Jeff has carried on the family tradition. Generations of Hamilton young people have been taught self defense and learned self confidence by the Joslin clan.
Jeff is part of the movement to have regulated concussion protocols for head injuries.

Observing and helping during the actual video shoot was an eye opening experience. You are mostly on your feet and moving to keep the subject of the camera shot in scope and in focus. It is surprising how much energy you expend. Jeremy even let me hold one of the cameras and track the subject. It is an art trying to keep the camera steady while in motion. Hopefully, some of my camera work will make the final cut.

 Another highlight was getting to meet Jeff's father Rick Joslin, the MMA Master himself. Rick talked about living over the karate dojo and raising kids in that interesting environment.
.  Rick Joslin was such a compelling interview that Jeremy decided to also make Rick the subject of his own separate video.

The video artist getting some action shots.

   I was only able to spend one day
observing the video shoots.
However it was a day of learning.
I hope to soon add video clips to my blogging repertoire
   The best way to be successful is to follow the example of those that are successful. Jeremy Podlog is a video artist on the way up! Stardom awaits!

....View Jeremy's website at
www.rabbitview.com .........

Until Next Time

Keep Fit !

Little Bobby Strong                                      

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview.com

                                                             
                                                           

                                                                   

Are the Olympics Ready to Implode ?

The Olympics are likely the only time you will see
'amateur wrestling' on your television - if at all.

Implode - (Definition)

1. To collapse violently inward   
2. To fail catastrophically  

   





There is just over a month to go until the biggest reality show on earth.
Kardashians - eat your heart out!
I am talking, of course, about the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro  Brazil.

  This will be the first time that an Olympics has been held on the continent of South America. There may be a reason for this exclusion. South American countries are rife with poverty and undemocratic governments as well as a myriad of other issues. There was a time when the Olympics were awarded to developed nations that could afford to build the infrastructure and were capable of hosting the short term but intense influx of tourists and athletes. The theory was that an Olympics would provide an economic boost to the host city as well as leave the sports facilities for future benefit.

 Does this theory hold water?

   Canadian examples may provide some answers to this discussion:

• The Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988 used a blend of new and existing venues to stage a moderately successful celebration. Canadian athletes fell short in the medal winning department -  zero golds medals - but the athletic facilities were a boon to future Canadian competitors.
•  The Vancouver Winter Olympics were a medal boon -14 gold medals - for Canadians due to athletes who trained at Calgary sports facilities. These Olympics also used a blend of new and existing infrastructure to stage a successful and celebratory world gathering.
•  The 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics drew awesome crowds and helped showcase Montreal on the world stage. However the grossly underfunded Canadian athletes won few medals - also zero golds - and were contenders in few sports. Most of the venues had no effect on future athletes. The Olympic stadium now has no permanent tenant. The velodrome, pool and running track are long gone. Montreal taxpayers finally paid off the Olympic bill in the past decade.
• The Athens Summer Olympics in 2004 brought the Olympics back to its Greek birthplace. The financial strain of constructing the competition sites helped pushed Greece into bankruptcy. There has been little lasting legacy from the sports infrastructure.
• The Bejing Summer Olympics in China were rife with pollution and civil rights issues.
•  The 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia dealt with population displacement, environmental treachery, and rampant cheating. They also tried to have a winter Olympics somewhere that rarely gets winter weather.

   Is Rio De Janeiro ready for these Olympics?   
South America has hosted the Pan Am Games and Rio held the World Cup of Soccer in 2014. However these upcoming Olympics have some simmering issues that are reaching boiling point.
Here are some political, environmental and social problems:

• Political Instability - Brazil's President is suspended and awaiting impeachment proceedings for financial impropriety.
• Brazil is a hot spot for the mosquito borne Zika virus which can cause problems for pregnant women. Numerous athletes in different sports have withdrawn due to this health concern. 
• Water pollution is an issue to many water sports such as rowing, yachting, triathlon,open water swimming. Athletes training in Rio have contracted water borne viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
• Crime is rampant in Rio. Just recently 2 Australian Para Olympians were robbed at gunpoint.
• Security issues - Police forces in Rio are underpaid and going on strike.
• Firefighters are underpaid and threatening labor dispute action.
• Rampant poverty - Much of the local population will not benefit economically and can't afford tickets to events.
• Fears of terrorism - Munich in 1972 had terrorism and Atlanta in in 1996 had a bomb explosion.

   Then there are the ongoing sports scandals just waiting to erupt:

• Sports corruption within FILA - the world governing body of soccer.
• Sports corruption within the I.A.A.F - the world governing body of Track and Field.
• Doping issues with Russia, Kenya, and other countries.
• Possible collusion between WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) officials and Russian state sponsored doping affiliates.
• The Anti Doping laboratory in Rio has been shut down for inefficiency and incorrect testing procedures.

   Are the Olympics even worth the trouble anymore? The answer may be to just hold separate world championships for each individual sport at whatever host city can accommodate them. However, this is unlikely to ever happen. There is too much money and politics involved.

Pre Olympic Wrestling Tournament at Canada Cup in Guelph, Ontario
Wrestling legend "Mad Dog' Podlog grapples with a Cuban Olympian

   Will I watch the Olympics? Absolutely!  I am too much of a sports addict and sleaze junkie to give them a pass! I am not the solution. As an obsessive Olympic viewer, I am part of the problem!

Fortunately I am a die hard track and field aficionado! They will give that sport ample air time.
 Hopefully the networks take time from the popular events to give screen time to some of my favorite but seldom shown sports such as weight lifting and wrestling. Unfortunately this is probably wishful thinking. Instead it will be countless hours of beach volleyball once the basketball and soccer matches have been played.
Oh well, I suppose can always watch my events on the internet.

Until Next Time,........ Keep Fit 

Little Bobby Strong       

Links
schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank

AudienceBuilder.ca

www.fitnwell.com

www.rabbitview/rabbitview-crossfit