Awesome New (to me) Fitness Blog For Women (www.heyjoob.com) – Juliet
As someone who’s constantly fighting the seemingly never ending battle to convince women that it’s not the end of the world to place a barbell on their back and squat it every once in a while – and that they’re more likely to make out with Brad Pitt than end up all “big-n-bulky” because they happen to do a few chin-ups – I’m ecstatic whenever I come across blogs that help to spread the word and help to direct women away from the stupid.
It’s hard, though.
I mean, when you have the likes of Tracy Anderson – someone whom thousands (if not millions) of women consider an authority on fitness – spewing out gems like this (below), referring to her approach to training Kim Kardashian, it’s hard not to want to throw my face into a brick wall…….repeatedly
We don’t want to take away Kim’s amazing curves,” Tracy Anderson, one of Kim’s trainers, says. “We just do specific movements to tighten the skin and to pull the muscles tight against the bone.
This is the same woman who, in her infinite wisdom (note excessive sarcasm), believes that no woman should ever lift a weight above three lbs. Ever.
Which is why, I want to direct everyone to Juliet’s blog. Juliet (sorry, I don’t know last name) is a frequent reader of this blog, and someone who goes out of her way to post comments when she feels so inclined. It’s only been recently that I actually took the time to check out her stuff, and well, I think it’s pretty cool and something I like a lot of fitness enthusiasts will enjoy. So, show Juliet some love and check it out for yourself!
Power Endurance – Charlie Weingroff
Not that I really have to go out of my way to say so, but Charlie is kinda smart. Here, he discusses why improving movement quality – as well as utilizing some dedicated time under the bar – can (and will) help improve power endurance to boot. Contrary to popular belief, improving performance on the court/ice/field/bedroom (bom chicka bom bom), often starts in the gym.
Heart and Stroke Foundation Pushing Video Gaming for Fitness Now? – Yoni Freedhoff
Thanks to my friend, Mark Young, I just started reading Dr. Freedhoff’s blog recently, and I have to say, it freakin rocks. The Doc writes extensively on obesity research, but along the way, he’ll step on a few toes and basically call “bullshit” when he feels the need to. This post does exactly that.
I’ve never really bought into this whole “play video games to get fit” trend. Sure, I get it: it’s better than nothing and it at least gets people moving. But, does it really? According Dr. Freedhoff – not really.
My understanding is that Wii Fit burns negligible amounts of calories, and has never been shown to have any significant impact on “fitness“.
One study comparing Wii Fit Aerobics to treadmill use reported,
“Heart rate during Wii aerobics fell below the recommended intensity for maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness“
Another, looking at Wii Sports and kids reported,
“The energy used when playing active Wii Sports games was not of high enough intensity to contribute towards the recommended daily amount of exercise in children.“
Furthermore, another recent study demonstrated that video game playing increased food intake in adolescents.
I remember the days when I was a kid and would literally spend the entire day outside riding my bike, playing kickball, baseball, wiffleball, basketball, and swimming. Shoot, my mom wouldn’t even see me until it was dark outside – and even then, my brother and I would head upstairs and do stupid things like reenact WWF Summer Slam and throw one another through a wall. That really happened!
It’s sad that in today’s society kids are more apt to enter a speed texting competition than play Little League. Moreoever, what does it say when we promote “being active” as standing in front of a television moving your arms around a liittle bit?
I don’t get it.
