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