Packaged and re-packaged fitness/bodybuilding:

So here we are deep into 2009, nearly 4 decades since those bodybuilders of the 70’s made bodybuilding, strength training, weight lifting, strong men, and “pumping iron” popular. Nearly four decades since those early “muscle-head” characters broke open their little sub-culture and help spread it across the country and around the globe. Today it has been studied inside and out, backwards and forwards, the techniques, forms, and approaches over-analyzed, adjusted, and over and over supposedly dissected and “perfected.” We now have physical exercise PhD’s, Kinesiology degrees, sports nutritionists, and certifications of every shape, size, form, and type. We have legal drugs, illegal drugs, supplements, tools, equipment, machines, and gadgets to do just about everything and anything imaginable to these bodies of ours. And the types of exercises available to us go from just plain standing still, to lifting weight, to Pilates, Yoga, insane vibrations, running, muscle confusion, P90Xyz, and much more. It has all been shaped, sponsored, packaged, and re-packaged, and sold in every way imaginable, well at least imaginable so far (more to come for sure!).

In the 34+ years I have been lifting weight, working out, bodybuilding, and performing aerobics, I have seen everything change, but in reality really nothing actually changing at all. When it comes down to it, “tried and true” is what really works! The consistent day-after-day, regular, dedicated effort, and raising the bar/level each time is what really pays off. I don’t care if it’s lifting weights, jogging, rowing boats, whatever, results take time and consistent effort to build and maintain just about any level of fitness. And, it requires more of the same for extreme levels of rock-hard, ripped, defined levels of strength, fitness, and/or endurance. But still we “science” it to death, we pump ourselves up with pride through extensive degree programs, levels of certification, and our incredible knowledge of the human body inside and out. But yet I go into gyms and fitness facilities and most people I see in them are out of shape. Okay, so you expect that (maybe). After all that is why they are in there, to do something about being out of shape, right? But here’s the problem, the out of shape people I see in those gyms even applies to the personal trainers, the people handling the front welcome desks, selling the gym memberships, and incredibly even guys wearing shirts that say “MASTER PERSONAL TRAINER” on the back of them. But somehow they have the answers, they can tell you when you are lifting wrong, not lifting far enough, lifting too short or too long, hands turned wrong, not breathing right, and on and on it goes. They can look you over, size you up, run an assessment on you, and either design a “customized” fitness program for you, or tell you which classes in their repertoire you need to take in an instant. It always amazes me what we “think” we know, and I mean we “think” know without a doubt. If you are old enough, you remember when it was in-grained in us like gospel that we must stretch before and after every type of exercise. Today studies seem to show a very different picture. Now stretching before many types of exercises actually sets the muscles up for failure, sprains, strains, and pulls (I hate to say I knew it, or I told you so, but I did – Not sure how I knew though, so I admit that.). Then there is this new found wisdom that says more muscle is grown outside the gym than in the gym. In fact, if you want to pass your personal trainer certification exam you better know that, and you better know how long of a rest and recovery you need between types of workouts or you will fail. Today the conventional wisdom says 3 to 4 days per week of strength training max. Crazy, but I could swear I heard Arnold Schwarzenegger say he worked out 6 to 7 days per week. I think he even worked out 2 to 3.5 hours at a time. Oh I get it, if he had rested more God only knows how much bigger he would have been. Not! Then there is the new found wisdom of the muscle confusion crowd. If you want to change your muscles you have to confuse them. Shock them into changing; don’t let them get used to the same exercises, just keep changing and confusing them. I think what really gets confused is the person trying to do all those exercises, and often they get hurt too. Muscles don’t grow because they are confused, even though brains can and often do when they work through all of the confusion, and straighten it out. Muscles change and grow from working them hard, challenging them, taking them further than they have been before, along with fueling them with the proper nutrients. Oh, and by the way, the brain is not a muscle, it is fat, hence the term “fat head.” Physical exercise actually can grow your brain, but that’s the subject for another article or blog. Those muscle heads are really quite smart (okay, not all of us).

Okay, so I am not against advanced education, science, valid studies, new and innovative ideas, ways to keep fitness and exercise fresh, and all of the rest that helps us evolve and improve in all areas of our lives. But I do think it’s time we start looking at real results, listening to the people who achieve incredible results, and especially those who sustain them year after year. Today you are a near super hero if you are the “biggest loser” and you are the person who we should all be listening to. If you weighed over 300 lbs and lost it, and you can now wear a Speedo or a bikini (or eat at a well-known sub sandwich shop and wear Dockers 5 times smaller than before) you are the biggest loser, and you are our newest super hero with all the weight loss and fitness secrets we all desperately need. All you need is someone with a PhD in Kinesiology to back you up, a supplement company to sponsor you, a fitness magazine cover photo, and you have it made as our new fitness super hero. Seriously, fitness and muscle growth do come from repetitive, consistent, regular, and constantly challenging exercises. Just like education, good solid nutrition, and like most anything worthwhile in life, sustainable and real fitness takes time. Shortcuts only work in the short run, if at all. Long, sustained and sustainable exercises that become a lifestyle are what work in the long run. It is hard work, it does require patience and time, but it does work, and it will serve you well for an entire lifetime.

One last thing regarding bodybuilding that I need to leave you with. Those muscle heads of the 1970’s were more right than they even knew. For years bodybuilders have known that strength training is the next best thing to the Fountain of Youth. Not sure if they knew how they knew it (sound familiar), but they did, and more and more studies are proving them right. Strength training is a major key to good overall, long-term health and fitness, and yes you can do it into your senior years as well. It’s never too late to start, and the benefits are incredible. For more fun-filled, creative common-sense type articles and information, please visit my Web site at: www.creativecommonsense.us.

“If you want to change your body, take it where it has never been before.” - Nick C. Casale

By Nick C. Casale, L.C., C.P.T.

Fantastic article! I workout in a Gold's Gym where kids in their 20s make up the PTs. I watch them take people thru cookie-cutter workouts and think, what can you teach them? How to have a fast metabolism because of age? Even 50% of them are overweight which is sad because of their age.

Great job with the article. Would like to see more articles by you posted here!

Kevin

Kevin,

Funny you should say that! I just spent some free trial time in 24 Hour Fitness and Gold's Gym, just to see what else is going on out there, and I saw exactly what you saw with the P.T.'s.

Glad you like the article. It's a combination of things that have been brewing in me for quite some time.

Nick

Wow, there was a lot to think about in that article. I have a feeling that I could read it again latter and find even more thought provoking lines.

Thanks for a great read.

Lift

A friend of mine, via MySpace, read the article too and asked me what I thought about Turbo Jam. My response to her is below as I think it helps explain where I am at on other exercice routines a little more.

"Hey Kathi, I don't know anything about Turbo Jam so I can't respond to that. But please keep in mind that I am not really meaning to knock all of these new exercise routines. I just think people jump around too much for the latest and greatest craze, don't stick with something long enough, and they end up with either short term results, no results, injuries, or with nothing sutainable. I am sure there are many routines out there that help kick things up a notch, add some fun and high energy effort for a while, etc. I just hope people don't forget the basics, and the "tried and true" stuff when it comes to developing and doing something sustainable and long-term. Just my opinion. I hope that helps.

Nick "

Another great write up Nick! Read it on your MS. I see things are the same in your area as they are here, as far as PT go.

In my opinion, the best articles are those we are very passionate about. I agree with you and where I think some of your motivation comes from; there should be a way to distinguish between 32 years of experience in health, fitness, training & bodybuilding and kids who are being paid to be professionals but lack the experience to compete as that. But the general public doesn't realize or investigate this. It would be like walking into McDonald's and asking for a filet mignon steak. They don't know or have the experience in anything but the cookie cutter recipes they were taught.

Unfortunately, most in the world settle for McDonald's because it's fast & easy and CHEAP! But alas, you still get what you pay for!

I'm watching you and trying to gather info from you as I would like to transition into a small gym and/or personal training business when my kids graduate high school. I have 5 gyms on my side of Waco (it's only 100K in population yet 5 of the 7 gyms in Waco are on my side of town!) and I think at least one of the chains will have to go out of business to open a niche. As you know & presumably have witnessed, the chains here lack customer service (I love what you do to communicate with your clients!) and that will be my niche but I'll need for one of them to open up the market. We no longer have a hard core gym on this side of town but everyone has had to settle for one of the chains.

Anyway, I appreciate this article & your expertise.

The girl that led the "physical fitness" program at my gym looked like she was over the line of obesity. I would watch her take people through routines and see people that were in much better shape than her actually paying for her to tell them this stuff. I was just thinking "couldn't an 8 year old figure out that there was something wrong with this picture." Meanwhile I see other guy's benching 315 for sets of 12 with less than 10% body fat and hardly anyone will approach them or talk to them. Grant it some of those guy's are getting help from a little friend in a needle, but not all of them. Those are the "regulars" that I personally have become good friends with and continually encourage me to push harder. I agree, it's kind of a messed up little world we live in full of people that just don't make sense.

Hey Kevin,

I agree, the best articles, the best artwork, movies, books, etc., come from extreme passion. Or from intense, powerful experiences.

Regarding my little gym here, I am struggling right now big time. Business has dropped off way too far. Of course I am not the best sales and marketing guy, and I live in a very small town too. It's a tough one, but I hope to somehow keep it going and get things moving again. I may end up taking on some part time work in a local gym, if I can get it. The crazy thing is that all of my clients, since the last quarter of 2007 when I started my business, have acheived really good results. The word of mouth trail just dried up on me, unfortunately.

I like your McDonalds analogy too.

Justin Morgan wrote:

Justin,

That is just too funny about the bigger girl training the girls in better shape. But none of that shocks me in the least. I know a lady who was obese, lost tons of weight using this particular product, and looked incredible, kept the weight off for numerous years too, but the put it back on. Now she still gets up there in front of people, obese, explains her weight gain away, and sells that very same product like crazy. Go figure!

Nick,
Nice article! I wish I had the patience and ability to bring my thoughts to print.

Anyway, Sometimes I am asked what the best exercise for gaining mass in a specific bodypart is and my response always is the same, "It is the one you will do with passion, effort, and intensity". I usually get a blank stare and with further explanation I continue, "you don't need the latest fad routine or piece of equipment", you only need some basic compound exercises. Most of them require no additional weight, just bodyweight.
The following week they are right back to business as usual. Most of these machines and routines of present are made for the general public who are grossly overweight/out of shape/nutritionally deficient and these basic compound core exercises with their own bodyweight are near impossible for them to perform. So we make cam machines, assisted pulls, comfortable machines that allow them to feel like they are working out.

Can go on and on about this.

Good Day and Happy Easter

Bert

Bert

Hey Bert thanx! And I know what you mean. A lot of those machines take the work out of the "work out." And I also know what you mean, or are experiencing, when people come to you for advice, you give them the very best you've got to give, and you know it works, but they go right back to what they were doing. You almost feel like you are not even there sometimes. It's like they are totally caught up in this crazy illusion and don't want to be woken up. Stranger and stranger life seems to get. Or maybe it's us, or me, that just plain gets stranger. I dunno!

Nick

Nick,
The older I get (43 now) the more I realize how far we, as a race, have deviated from a nutritionally sound core diet. It is evident by all the medications we consume as a society to offset these deficiencies.
Doctors try and patch these holes with meds when the solution is quite simple, natural, and healthy. Just provide the core building blocks thru diet and the body knows how to handle the rest.
If you feel isolated in your approach be assured you are doing the right thing. Most everyone else is on the nutritional tightrope with one foot on a banana peel.
My family always refers to me as being a bit neurotic with my diet (free range, organic,supplement,etc...) I take it as a compliment and it only reassures the fact that doing it right takes effort and intelligence.
Be good....

Bert,

I could not agree more on the nutritional stuff. And I am glad to be on a good path and eating right. Sometimes I feel like the Jack Lalanne of the 2000's! Old, short guy, still in shape, touting the benefits of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Oh geez, what have I become??? I saw a Jack Lalanne video on Youtube yesterday and I could not help but laugh at myself.