Mythbusters

So I have had some questions recently about what I would call fitness fads. This is not a first for me. I used to train athletes in a fitness center and I would periodically get questions from all types of people on the latest fitness fad. So since I did not get an article out last week I thought that I would do this one in addition to the kettle bell article.
I will try to touch on several different fitness fads in this article and shine as much light as I can. I am sure that I will not answer all of the questions that you have but if you shoot me an e-mail I can follow up in another article. I kind of feel like I am on Mythbusters.
First let’s deal with all of the products out there that claim they are the greatest exercise for your abs. As a colleague of mine says, "anything claiming to give you a six pack should set off your B.S. detector." These products have a few major flaws: 1. there is no such thing as localized spot mobilization. So just because you are working your abs, doesn’t mean that you are burning fat from there. In fact you are burning the same fat that you would be if you were jumping up and down, which coincidently will burn a greater amount of calories and will actually give you a six pack faster than the AB BLASTER 2000. 2. Isolated movements only work one muscle group. This is a waste of time. Why work just one muscle group if you can work 5 or 10 at once? Besides working multiple muscles at the same time is the way that our body naturally functions. So why not exercise the same way? In addition you will be burning a heck of a lot more calories, and working close to the illusive "rock hard abs."
The next topic I really didn’t want to touch on. But since I have had a list of questions about it, here goes. This topic involves pills. Let me first say this, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DIET AND EXERCISE. That should be all I have to say, but I know that I will get e-mails that want me to explain so I will save you the time. Good old fashion exercise: you can not replicate the benefits of this, period. Exercise increases your resting metabolism, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, gives you higher energy levels, better sleep, and so on. The list is almost endless. Have any of you read or heard the myth that you can get a great workout in less than 10 minutes. That is just false. You really need to elevate your heart rate for at least 20 minutes, if not up to 60 minutes a day. Exercise is great for you and will have lasting benefits in your life. DO IT!!! As for the diet, you can not eat a bunch of junk, take a pill and expect to loose weight. This requires self discipline, which in today's culture is a four letter word. It is a simple equation that if the number of calories taken in is less than the number of calories that are burned, you will lose weight, and you do not need to spend a small fortune on gadgets to make this succeed.

Kcal in < Kcal out = weight loss

To stay on this topic, let me say that no matter what you take you will not change your resting metabolic rate, and the only way to change it is through exercise. Now there are things that temporarily raise it, but nothing that does it in a healthy way, and nothing that you will not eventually become used to and stop responding to, with the exception being exercise.
There is a lot more that I could cover on just these topics and an almost endless supply of crap out there, so if you want me to go over anything else let me know.

tkolb@northernmichigansportsmed.com