What bothers me most about the fitness industry is that we’ve been socially conditioned to accept a certain “method” to get in shape.  For example, women will do endless amounts of “cardio” in an attempt to lose weight and men will sit on a bench and do curls for an hour so they can look good in a t-shirt.  When this method fails, and it usually does, people lose motivation and faith in exercise.  I take great offence to this because I’m a firm believer that exercise, functional exercise that is, is the greatest thing since sliced bread!  The problem is, it just has to be applied properly in order for it to be effective.  In order to do that, we must first cleanse our minds of the decades of brainwashing the fitness industry has laid upon us.  What I’ve laid out below are some of the most common exercise myths that have infected our popular culture today.  Read. Digest. Apply.

1.  Women who lift weights will get big and bulky - If only I had a nickel for every time I heard this one.  Women have less testosterone than men which is the primary hormone responsible for building lean muscle tissue.  Women also have proportionately less muscle mass in their upper body compared to men which limits their ability to “bulk up” in this area.  Without the aid of performance enhancing drugs, it is virtually impossible for a woman to develop muscle mass the way a man would.  Further, strength training is one of the most effective ways to maintain and increase bone density and elevate fat metabolism.  Spend a little less time on the elliptical machine and start lifitng some weights to build a stronger and healthier body.

2.  Lifting light weights is better for toning - What the heck is toning?  First of all, there is no such thing as “toning.”  What peopple are referring to is muscle definition which is a result of reduced body fat.  In order to achieve this lean and defined look, one must practise good nutrition combined with high intensity strength training and conditioning.  Simply put, if you want a nice looking physique, you have to work hard and eat right.  It makes absolutely no sense to lift a weight for 10 reps when you know you could have done 15 and actually expect to get benefit from it.  A muscle will only develop and take shape if you give it a reason to do so.  The results you achieve, regardless of your goals, are in direct proportion to the intensity with which you train.  Stop toning and START TRAINING!

3.  Use machines before you progress to free weights - Let’s set the record straight, universal machines were invented to make exercise simpler and more convenient- NOT MORE EFFECTIVE!  We can also thank the bodybuilding world for its heavy influence of “isolation” training that advocates the use of multiple machines for every muscle group.  The reality is universal machines do nothing to prepare the body for functional movement or free weights.  Machines confine the body to a fixed plane of motion, provide little to no joint and core stabilization, and usually reinforce movement patterns not applicable to sport or daily life.  The truth is, elite levels of fitness can be attained primarily through the use of functional movements such as squats, lunges, push-ups, chin-ups and various presses that can all be intensified with the addition of free weights such as barbells and dumbells.  Release yourself from the shackles of machines and move freely to maximize your results.

4.  Deadlifts are bad for your back - I don’t know who came up with this one but if this statement is supposedly true then we should all never bend down to pick anything up again.  The deadlift may be one of the most beneficial exercises that NOBODY does.  It teaches you how to correctly use your LEGS to lift an object from the ground (a fundamental movement for most human beings).  It strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and ENTIRE back not to mention the tremendous grip strength you will also acquire.  Deadlifts aren’t bad for your back, bad deadlifting is bad for your back.  Start with light weight, develop proper technique and build full body strength that will take your fitness to new heights.

5.  Crunches are the best way to get a six pack - Don’t get me started on the crunch.  First of all, everybody should know by now that six packs are made in the kitchen not in the gym.  Clean up your diet and increase your training intensity if you want to reduce you body fat and develop a chiseled physique.  Secondly, the crunch is an inferior method of building core strength.  Use jacknives, woodchops, and mountain climbers to build a rock solid core.  End of discussion.

6.  Muscle weighs more than fat - The difference between muscle and fat is not in their weight but in their DENSITY.  Density refers to the amount of volume per unit of mass an object has.  In lamens terms, it means how much space an object takes up relative to its weight.  For example, one pound of muscle takes up less space than one pound of fat therefore it is considered to have more density.  This has many implications for those of you who are preoccupied with the scale.  Losing weight will definitely make you look smaller but if you can increase your lean muscle mass AND reduce your body fat, you will look leaner at a higher bodyweight.  For example, a person wh weights 150lbs and has 10% body fat will look smaller than someone who weighs 150 lbs and has 18% body fat.  When trying to get back into shape, your goal shouldn’t simply be to lose weight but also to improve body composition by increasing lean muscle mass.  Remember ladies and gentlemen, muscle will always and forever be the kingpin in the game of fitness.

7.  Lifting weights will stunt children’s growth - This is untrue for may reasons:

• Children (ages 9-16) experience greater impact on their bones and joints in the sports they play (i.e. basketball, football, soccer, hockey) than they would in the weightroom.
• Children (ages 9-16) aren’t strong enough to load their bodies with resistance great enough to stunt their growth.
• Studies have shown that a moderate and supervised strength training program for children can be beneficial for strengthening bones and joints as well as aid in injury prevention.

The benefits of a functional strength training program for children far outweigh any perceived cost and extend far beyond the weightroom.  The positive effects of staying healthy and fit will transfer into virtually every aspect of their lives as they grow up.

8.  It’s not good to workout 2 days in a row - Although it is important to recover from workouts, there is no hard and fast rule that restricts one from exercising 2 days in a row.  Ironically, the greatest amount of muscle soreness is experienced 48 hours after intense exercise.  This would suggest that it may in fact be better to exercise 2 days in a row and then take a day off.  How often you work out ultimately depends on your current fitness level, your training intensity, and overall recovery practises (i.e. nutrition, sleep, stretching).  The fitter you become, the harder you can train and the faster you can recover.  Listen to your body, train hard and train smart.

9.  Spot reduction - This directly applies to #5 as people seem to think that by isolating a specific muscle group they will burn fat directly from that area.  Your body will burn fat from ALL areas if you work at an appropriate intensity.  An inner/outer thigh machine won’t burn fat off your thighs any faster than a bicep curl.  I don’t want to sound like a broken record but work hard, eat right and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

10.  The “Fat Burning Zone” -  This could be the greatest tragedy in the fitness industry do date.  The fat burning zone is essentially low intensity exercise.  The last thing we need to do is encourage people to exercise slowly and comfortably (we all know what kind of results that produces).  What people don’t realise is that we are burning fat all of the time through our aerobic energy system.  As long as we’re breathing oxygen (which is quite often)  we are burning fat.  So when we are sitting on the couch watching TV, while we’re sleeping, while we’re sitting at our desk all day at work we are using fat as our primary energy source.  All this really means is the lion’s share of the calories we are burning are coming from fat.  The problem is,  the overall intensity is too low to have any significant effect on your overall fitness level.  If you are trying to maximize how much fat you burn in a workout, the goal shoul not be to work in a specific “zone”, but to maximize your OVERALL caloric output.  Through this, a smaller percentage of your calories burned will come from fat but you will burn more fat overall.  For a greater understanding of how important intensity is to your overall success check out NO MORE CARDIO.

I’ve only scratched the surface with the many myths that continue to plague this industry.  It’s time to wake up and defy our social conditioning.  The truth is here, it’s up to you to use it to achieve success.

Yours in health,

Isaac Payne, DRIVE Fitness Co-Founder and Head Strength and Conditioning Specialist

In my first article, I made the analogy that bodybuilding was like a record player; very basic and limited in many ways.  The training of today has to be more like an mp3 player; more diverse, higher quality, and produce longer lasting results.  We have to apporach our exercise programs with more than the objective of simply gaining muscle mass.  Optimal fitness is achieved through the development of many elements.  These elements, depending on your age, sport, or level of physical activity you currently engage in, should be developed proportionately to meet your needs.  There are 6 key elements that embody complete AND “functional” fitness - STRENGTH, POWER, SPEED, AGILITY, FLEXIBILITY/MOBILITY, AND CONDITIONING.  Through the development of these 6 elements, one will be better prepared to meet the physical demands of sport and daily life.  As well, an exercise program with such diversity stresses the body in many ways that a traditional bodybuilding program wouldn’t allowing for more favorable results.  The primary objective is to have the body move through full ranges of motion, in mutliple directions, with and without external resistance, and develop the aerobic and anaerobic conditioning systems.  A program such as this will not only have you performing better but also LOOKING better as result of an overall increase in exercise INTENSITY - fundamental to achieving a higher level of fitness regardless of your goals.  From here, the first step is to change the way you think about exercise and train your body to move and feel better and looking better will be inevitable.  Second, eliminate isolation and machine-based exercises from your exercise program and incorporate exercises that build the body without bodybuilding.  Stay tuned, in part 3 I will discuss the 6 Elements in greater detail and how they apply not only to athletes, but also the general population and aging adults.

Yours in health,

About a week or so a go, I was at the 7/11 near my house checking out the latest fitness magazines. Wow! Times sure haven’t changed one bit.  Flex!, Muscle and Fitness, Muscular Development, Testosterone, and the list goes on and on.  Joe Weider has got to be one of the smartest human beings alive becuase it will forever baffle me how bodybuilding still has any mainstream appeal.  Don’t get me wrong, professional bodybuilders train very hard and are extremely disciplined to get their bodies to look the way they do but these surely aren’t the best resources for the general public.  Honestly, who wants to look like these guys anyway?  No wonder so many people have such a hard time sticking to an exercise program; the high volume workouts are too hard to follow, the nutrtional supplementation is ridiculous, and the exercise routines lack any sort of variety or creativity.  Man, have they got us fooled; these “chemical freaks” still have way too much influence.  What people really need is information and resources related to quality of life, recreational activity, and maintaining a healthy bodyweight throughout their life span not “16 ways to Blast Your Arms!” or “Bigger Back in 3 Weeks!”  I don’t know how many times I’ve made fun of people who come to my gym just to do bicep curls.  What a waste of an hour! No wonder people can’t get the results they’re looking for.  They haven’t done anything!  Now, I’m fully aware that bodybuilding has pioneered some of the major training techniques and principles that are incoporated into strength and conditioning programs for athletes, as well as weight loss programs but our evolution is taking a little longer than I had hoped.  The big machines, the isolation movements, and the “cutting down”; please don’t get me started on the “cutting down!” Oh my god! I can’t remember the last time I saw a guy get really, really big and bulky in the winter and get completely shredded in the summertime.  Most people don’t have the discipline or the knowledge to manipulate their bodies like that, yet this style of “winter bulking” and “summer shredding” still remains to be quite popular.  That fact is, bodybuilding has had a tremendous impact on the health and fitness industry but in doing so it has set unrealistic expectations for gym goers, and popularised a style of training and nutritional habits that really only benefit a small percentage of the population.  All in all, I look at bodybuilding as a historical artifact one would find in the Smithsonian like a record player.  It was great in its time and it definitely paved the way but the sound quality and durability of mp3s is unmatched!  So what are the mp3s of today you ask?  I’ll have to save that for another article.  To conclude, I want to take a stroll down memory lane to look at one of the most influential men in the industry.  There’s no doubt Arnold Schwarznegger is a legend and I will always have the utmost respect for all he’s done, but it’s time for us to evolve and start building our bodies without “bodybuilding”.  Arnold, I love ya but the “pump” stops here.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to put an end to the madness.  If I had a dime for every person I’ve ever watched walk aimlessly on a treadmill or drape themselves pathetically over a stair climber I’d be on the cover of Fortune 500.  I’m not sure who’s responsible for creating this cardio epidemic but if I ever meet them I certainly won’t mince my words.  We live in a day and age where everyone wants results yesterday but the irony of it all is that most of us are taking the scenic route to get there.  Health clubs continue to fill their facilities with endless amounts of treadmills and elliptical machines equipped with the latest entertainment technology.  With built in DVD players and tv’s in each machine, people are enticed and believe this is the answer to their fitness woes.  All this really does is create long line-ups for each machine and encourages lengthy, drawn out workouts that lead virtually nowhere.  Don’t get me wrong, a long slow walk on the treadmill is better than sitting on the couch eating pizza and potato chips but I think we can do better, MUCH BETTER! 

Before I go any further, I want to first abolish the term “cardio”.  Cardio represents everything that is wrong with the fitness industry today.  It connotates mediocrity and people’s complacency with their current fitness level.  It represents traditional thinking that strength training and cardiovascular exercise must be performed seperately.  Cardio is simply an inferior means to get the job done.  If you want to efficiently burn fat while preserving muscle mass, you have to perform “CONDITIONING” workouts.  Conditioning refers to higher intensity, shorter duration, interval training.  Conditioning can be performed seperately or intertwined with strength training to make for more efficient workouts. 

Here are 2 scenarios that provide a basic example of the cardio vs conditioning.  In scenario 1, a 130lb woman runs at a medium pace for 30 mins and burns 350 calories.  75% of her calories come from fat.  350 x.75 = 262.5 calories from fat.

In scenario 2, the same woman performs an interval workout on the treadmill.  She runs for 2 mins at a fast pace and then jogs lightly for 2 mins. She repeats this 6 times for a total of 24 mins of work and burns 450 calories.  65% of her calories come from fat.  450 x .65 = 292.5 calories from fat.

As you can see, in scenerio 2, the woman not only burned more total calories in less time, she also burned more fat calories even though a smaller percentage of her calories cam from fat.  This is just a basic example of the fundamental difference between cardio and conditioning.  As one becomes fitter and can train at higher intensities, the differences become much more evident. 

The other major benefit of conditioning vs cardio is that you will better preserve muscle mass.  All you have to do is look at the physique of a sprinter vs a marathon runner and you can see one is strong, and well defined while the other looks weak and malnourished.  A prime example of short and fast vs long and slow. 

Now that you have a better understanding of why one can potentially waste their time with long, slow, daunting cardio workouts, it’s up to you to shift gears and get some real results.  With a little motivation and work ethic, you can be well on your way to achieving your goals.  Here is a sample workout you can try next time you’re on the treadmill.  You won’t need Maxim magazine for this one.

Good luck with your fitness endeavors and remember NO MORE CARDIO!

Yours in Health,

In my 8 years of experience in this industry, I’ve seen and worked with a wide range of clientele.  I’ve discovered that although everyone is unique and may have different goals than the next person, there are some exercises that are beneficial to everyone.  Much like fresh fruits and vegetables provide nutrients that enhance overall health, there are certain exercises that provide benefits that enhance performance both on the playing field and in everyday life.  Assuming you don’t have any injuries or limitations in your movement patterns, these exercises should play an integral role in your overall exercise program.  Start now and reap the benefits of a truly fitter body.

In no particular order, here they are.

1. Cable Woodchop - The woodchop and any variation of it may be one of the most effective ways to build dynamic core strength.  This exercise will teach you how to effciently generate force from your torso and prevent low back injuries.  If you’re still doing crunches, STOP NOW and replace it with the woodchop.

2. Single Leg Deadlift - The hamstings and the hips are two areas that are most often underdeveloped in both athletes and the general public.  This exercise addresses both issues.  The ability to stand on one leg while loading it against resistance will enhance hip strength and stability as well balance and hamstring strength.  This is important as a large percentage of lower back pain originates from a lack of glute/hip and hamstring strength.  For many athletes that want to run faster and jump higher, they must develop these areas in order to produce more force and reduce the risk of injury.

3. 2 Arm Kettlebell Swing - I have to admit, I have only recently come to realise the tremendous benefits of kettlebell training.  With this one simple tool, you can truly develop ALL AROUND fitness by performing a few key exercises.  The 2 arm kettlebell swing may be one few exercises that provides strength, power, and conditioning all at the same time.   No more 45 minute death marches on the stair climber, pick up a kettle bell and start swinging.

4. Bulgarian Split Squat - I’m still amazed at how many guys are scared to train their legs.  The benefits of go far beyond looking good in a pair of shorts.  If squatting and deadlifting”hurt your back”, then the bulgarians are the answer.  With this exercise, you can build strong glutes, quads, improve hip and knee stability all without putting undue stress on your lower back.  Also, this exercise is relatively easy to learn compared to squats and deadlifts.  For all the ladies, this exercise will firm up those hips and thighs quite nicely.  No more excuses.  Add bulgarians to your program and watch you ENTIRE body transform.

5.  Overhead Squat - It is quite common for people to suffer from poor flexibility in their hips, spine, and shoulders.  This can be attributed to excessive sitting from a desk job that essentially puts all of these muscle groups into a shortened or “tight” position.  The overhead squat will almost instantaneously identify these weaknesses while simultaneously addressing them.  With this seemingly simple movement, one can improve their posture, flexibility, and squat technique which is critical for a wide array of activities.  This exercise may not make you look pretty, but it will certainly keep you off the disabled list.

6.  Standing Lat Pulldown - Most people in the gym have no problem with pushing exercises like bench presses, flyes, and military presses.  The problem with this is that they are compounding their existing problem which is poor posture.  Only through effective pulling exercises can one develop proper posture and enhance shoulder/rotator cuff stability.  This exercise is performed standing because it puts you in a position that further activates the core and lower body.  Better posture, more core strength, less shoulder problems.  Sounds pretty good to me.