Health vs The "Look"

I am a personal trainer. I studied the human body immensly. I have studied nutrition, sports performance, structural anatomy, basic physiology and quite a bit more. As a trainer, I see most people in the gym wanting to have either the bodybuilder look or the fitness look.

Most people don't realize that those "looks" aren't necessarily healthy. My main focus when training and eating, is to be at my health prime. I make sure that I train for the wellbeing of my inner body, knowing that when I am at my ultimate health, the "look" will follow.

I have noticed that not too many people agree with me. I find that unfortunate, although I would love your feedback on the issue.

Here is my point... when you look for the bodybuilder look, you need a very high protein diet which can be hard on the kidneys and lower intestines. You need to lift very heavy weights which can over time wear on your vertebrae and your ligaments and tendons. You are more likely to be using supplements (most of which are harmless, but the wrong mix can lead to trouble) and some may even try illegal anabolics. (on the steroid note, I do not judge, the choice is yours and only you can say what is right or wrong for you).

At the end of your serious training you may achieve the look you wanted, but it does not mean you are any healthier. This is the field of health & fitness... HEALTH & fitness!

As a trainer, I can tell you that I get greater joy from the older gentleman telling me that his cholesterol or blood pressure went down, as opposed to a client benching 4 plates. Both are incredible accomplishments, but which one will pay off more when you are in your 80s?

Happy Training!

The perfect activity

Many people worry about their joints, hips, back problems, their belly etc...
These worries are always there, and that's part of human nature I guess. There is however a perfect activity for everybody. This activity can help reduce the pain associated with arthritis. It can help reduce knee pain, help flatten your stomach. This activity can also help relax and calm you.
You ready?

WALKING!!!!!

I guarantee you that if you walk as often as possible, doesn't matter where or what pace, you will see benefits.

If you have arthritis in the knee or hip, or even in the lower back, walking is a great low impact exercise, and it can even slow the progression of osteoperosis.

If you have bad knees, walking is way less impact than running, and easier flow than biking.

Need to relax and calm down? Go for a nice walk along a river, or in the woods. Be it alone or with somebody you get along well with, go enjoy nature. Bring a camera if you want.

For that stubborn belly... walk at a quicker pace. To lose fat, you need to keep a somewhat brisk pace, and please be aware that diet plays a huge roll in this as well.

I can assure you that the long term benefits of walking daily are endless, so go out and enjoy a stroll, be it alone, with a loved one, with the family dog, or with a baby in a stroller.

Enjoy!

Athletes and our era!

This blog is a bit off topic from fitness and nutrition, but I am sure that you will find it of interest, at least I hope you do.

I am not naive when it comes to sports. Sports enhancers, cheating, gambling, drugs and sex scandals are a part of modern professional sports, and I can accept that. I am not sure how new of a trend this is. Some of the best baseball players of old were known to be hardcore alcoholics. The "Black Sox" admitted to throwing the world series for money...

Unless you live deep down under a very large rock, you have heard about the sex scandal surrounding Tiger Woods. Golf never got this much attention. Here is a question for you, what does Tiger Woods being an unfaithful husband have to do with golf? He could be sleeping with goats, but he is still the best golfer out there.

Mike Tyson is the youngest man ever to become Heavyweight Boxing champion of the world. That is a fact that cannot be changed. Another fact is that he spent time in jail for rape. Do you remember the name of the girl he raped? To be honest, I don't.

Baseball has been under the microscope since the steriod scandal broke. I am personally against steroids for myself. I have no need for them, nor do I expect that I ever will. I will be very honest though, I don't care if players decide to use steroids. I like fast pitches. I like homeruns. I am sure the owners like filling the seats and selling jerseys.

In this era of sports, I find we are more enthused with the players and what they have done wrong, as opposed to the sport. People remember Darryl Strawberry as a 5 time failure who can't get off of cocoaine and hookers. How about this... he was on pace to beat Hank Aarons homerun record until he let drugs get in the way. We remember his failure, not his accomplishments.

Pete Rose made a huge mistake, and for that, he will not be in the Hall of Fame (they may have changed that, not 100% sure). Fact remains he was one of the best hitters of all time. He is still a popular person. He even was featured in 2 Wrestlemania events.

I like sports. Most sports anyways. Hockey, Baseball, Football. I am not much of an NBA fan. I enjoy curling and volleyball. I watch Bullriding. I follow bodybuilding and rollerderby. I watch to see players I like. I have teams that I prefer. I watch for the fun and excitment of the sport.

In todays world, as in Hollywood, we are more concerned with the players lives as opposed to what they do for the sport.

Can't we just enjoy the sport for what it is anymore?