The pretty poster advertisement says:
“Come in to our gym/training studio/ boot camp for a FREE assessment!”
OH BOY! REALLY??!!! A free assessment? Where does the line form? How can I resist such an offer?! Ya know it was just the other day when I said to my friend that I really wanted to get a fitness assessment done! (more…)
I was recently asked about this new thing called Sensa, or Sensa powder. Read on for the good, the bad and the expencive reallity of Sensa. (more…)
I am currently reading a book called the Obesity Myth by Paul Campos.
It’s a heavy book, one where I need to take a mental break after reading a few pages.
As the title may suggest it’s a true Fit Rebel book. One that takes the whole of our fitness culture and throws it against the wall.
The general gist is that obesity is an imaginary disease, It’s not unhealthy to be fat and our weight loss culture is a complete sham.
Pretty funky ideas eh?
I’m going to be doing lots of posts on this book (I have over 5 pages of notes so far) but for right now I want to address a very serious issue this book brings up.
Because of the nature of this book I can see one of two reactions from most anyone who reads it. Either the person doesn’t believe a single word and declares the author a complete idiot, or they fall in love with the whole thing and believe every word.
Two completely different reactions and I really do believe that taking either stance is going to screw you over royally.
It’s very typical of many fitness pros to believe they have a handle on this whole fitness or weight loss thing and instantly discredit anything that goes against their beliefs. So when the opposite of their ideas come up they dig their heels into the sand and refuse to budge.
In other words they are destined to refuse to move in new directions and as a result they go nowhere. 5 years from now they will have the same beliefs, train by the same rules and as a result be in exactly the same situation they are now. I hope they are comfy.
The others who eat up every word are the opposite. Instead of digging their heals into the ground they follow every street sign and go with each gust of wind in whatever direction life takes them. They just sort of wonder, going from one fad to another. They spend a lot of energy moving around but ultimately they too don’t really go anywhere.
So what do you do? dig your heals into your hard set beliefs and go no where or believe everything and just wander aimlessly to every trend and idea.
I believe I have the answer. I learned that information is kind of like food. You consume it and if you give it some time you will digest it and use it in the best way you see fit.
The problem is most people don’t have the patients to digest the information. They want to quickly pass judgment and get on with life.
But big ideas are too important to pass up. This is why I don’t plan on writing any posts or make any videos until at least a week or two after I read the book. I want the information to sit in my mind so I can break it down and digest it fully.
Once I do that the real answers I’m looking for will float to the top of my subconscious right where can pick em off.
So be careful, don’t pass judgment too soon, even if it seems completely ridiculous. Even the most crazy ideas have a grain of sanity behind them.
Be fit and live free,
Matt Schifferle
It’s not uncommon for many fitness pros to tell clients that they must first master body weight exercises (like the push up) before being introduced to more serious free weight and machine exercises like the bench press.
This, along with our technology and gadget happy culture has set calisthenics and body weight training to be viewed as a light and elementary sort of exercise. It’s not for serious folks who want serous results.
I used to think that way too, but once I read Convict Conditioning by Paul “Coach” wade, I’m thinking other wise.
Now I see calisthenics for what they really are, the supreme ultimate sign of personal strength and athleticism.
Convict Conditioning (C.C.) is a masterpiece among fitness books.
Where as most books spend a page or two glazing over the philosophy and reasoning for their programs Paul takes one whole chapter after another to detail why body weight training has become so watered down and why the methods in his book are above and beyond anything you’ve experiences in gym class.
After you’ve read up on why classic body weight training is a fantastic way to condition your body you’re introduced to the 6 basic exercises; The push up, the squat, the bridge, the leg raise, the hand stand and the chin up.
One of the common complaints about modern body weight training is that you can’t adjust the resistance like you can on a set of weights. C.C. puts this myth to rest by presetting you with very clear 10 stage progressions for each exercise. He also give you standards of performance for each exercise so you know when it’s time to move up to the next level or if you are better off at a lighter stage.
I was humbled by how hard I found myself working. Out of the 10 progressions I found myself on step 3 or 4 on most of them.
This book came into my life at the perfect time. After 15 years of lifting iron I was hitting serious plateaus and feeling like I had all but reached my limits. After a month of practicing nothing but the exercises in C.C. I felt I was just getting started on my journey towards real strength.
The progression are easy to follow and the descriptions of each move are very clear. There is a full 2 pages dedicated to each step so it doesn’t feel as if the editor tried to cam as much information into the book as possible while saving paper.
After a month of using nothing but the progressions in C.C. I found myself with strength and power I never knew I had. The few aches and pains in my joints were a distant memory and I had become a complete convert to making body weight training the foundation of my entire strength program. I even gave up my beloved bench press because I was gaining greater results through the push ups and hand stands!
This is one book I recommend without reservation. It will help anyone improve their fitness and help you gain a measure of freedom at the same time because what could possibly be more versatile and independent than body weight training?
No matter what your goals are, this book belongs on your shelf.
Be fit and live free,
Matt Schifferle