Forget those little bitty crunches and "going for the burn." Real core exercises like old fashioned bent-legs sit-ups, wood choppers with weighted cables, and windshield wipers (no equipment needed) are the real way to a stronger, firmer gut.
If you're a beginner, enter slowly. Use the bent-knees side to side motion first. Then graduate to straight legs once you get the hang of it. Work up to a few sets of 20 and feel the muscles of your trunk get stronger and a whole lot firmer.
Do them with control, always. And breathe smoothly.
Once again, Jack LaLanne had it right. He said, "Your waistline is your lifeline." And it's true. But decades ago when LaLanne was coming up with snappy bumper-sticker type slogans about health, many in the medical field labeled him a nut.
Now, we know that he had it right all along. In this report from Rueters we see that United Kingdom researchers recognize the limitations of the BMI as a health indicator. Instead, they say the size of a man's biceps and waistline are better indicators of his longevity. Somewhere Lalanne, now in his 90s and still working out, must be smiling.
It's probably a little late for most male Gray Iron readers to do anything about it, but recent studies indicate that having four or more children increases the likelihood of living to 100.
Wow! When I read that headline I thought it sounded a little goofy, and if you read my blog regularly you know that I am generally suspicious of many claims that are supposedly backed up by "scientific studies." That's why I like Snopes and junkscience.com, incidentally. It is B.S. not hydrogen that is the most common element in the universe. Still, many studies are of course truly scientific, important, and valid. Either way, valid or not, this one is an interesting read.
The benefits of progressive strength training workouts continue for older men, even after they switch to a less intense workout schedule, according to the results of a new study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.
So what is the ideal number of workouts per week for people over 50? Gray Iron thinks that nobody knows for sure, and it probably varies somewhat from one person to the next. What is certain, however, is that weight training works wonders as we grow older. And the study in the Journal of Sports Medicine indicates that the benefits continue even with less workout frequency/intensity than previously believed.
The "It's A Small World" ride at Disneyland opened in 1964 when people were a lot trimmer. The famous California theme park will shut down the ride in January for ten months to make the water canals deeper and build stronger boats. They need to do this because people are fatter and causing the boats to completely stop in the middle of the ride. When the boats get stuck, a crew member has to ask people to get off the boats and lighten the load.
Disney also said they are having the same problem with "Pirates of the Caribbean," but it's not as bad as Small World.
The average sized man weighed 166 lbs in 1960. In 2002, the average man weighed 191 lbs, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Regardless of overwhelming evidence that smoking is the nation's number one preventable cause of death, 1 in 5 Americans still smoke. The idea that there is an irreducible number of people who will smoke, no matter what, is probably true; but it is much less than one in five people. Utah, for example, has a (smoking) prevalence rate of only 9 percent.
In another state, Oregon, the tobacco industry spends $3.50 per person annually on “marketing,” which is a convenient term for addicting people and keeping them that way.
What should be done? What is government’s role? Or should government have a role at all? For the full story on who smokes and who does not, go here.
“I think the Atkins diet is potentially detrimental for cardiovascular health, if maintained for a long duration and without attempts to lose weight,” said Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventative cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “A stabilized Atkins diet is not the way to go." Read the full report here. But also let me summarize the findings in plain talk: Eventually, you’ll pay a price for following a long-term diet that is high in fat, particularly saturated fat.
The Gray Iron opinion has always been that any diet that practically eliminates any one of the macro nutrients (in the Atkins diet it would be carbohydrates), eventually leads to problems or failure. Sugar and processed flour carbs are uglier than sin, but certainly not fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Medical terms such as “metabolic syndrome” enter the common vocabulary and many times people really don’t know what they mean. The first few times I heard the term, I didn’t have a clue.
Simply put, metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It is a very common and dangerous medical problem.
Metabolic syndrome means the presence of three or more of the following health problems:
• Excess weight around one’s waist (a waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women).
• Triglycerides blood level of 150 mg/dL or more.
• HDL cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women.
• Blood pressure of 130/85 mm HG or higher.
• Pre-diabetes (a fasting blood sugar between 100 and 125) or diabetes (a fasting blood sugar level over 125 mg/dL).
Metabolic syndrome seems to run in families; but being overweight, having a poor diet, getting no regular exercise, and having bad lifestyle habits such as smoking also contribute to it.
Usually there are no symptoms, but your doctor is able to diagnose it with lab tests that are usually a part of a thorough physical examination.
Gray Iron urges people to have periodic exams at intervals their doctor recommends.
Bulgarians are real "thigh busters." Play the video and little explanation will be needed. Daughter Jennifer demonstrates and prefers a 3-count on the descent and a 1-count coming up. Try varying the tempo and reps. And if your body weight alone isn't challenging enough, hold a pair of dumbbells. A few sets of these and your thighs will scream for mercy!
Deep breathing is essential in a good workout. But when does deep breathing become grunting? And does grunting actually help? Or is it merely a form of exhibitionism? To grunt or not grunt, and what constitutes a grunt, these are the questions discussed here. So before making that next giant exhalation in public, understand about grunting's value and protocol. Go to Grunting.
"The defeat of famine is the goal of all successful societies. Unfortunately, triumph often evolves into the other extreme -- gluttony." --Living the Fitness Lifestyle
Beverley Balkau, director of research at the French National health research institute INSERM in Villejuif, led a study published in the journal Circulation that concluded obesity is becoming a global problem.
It puts the rest of the world close to par with the United States, long considered the country with the worst weight problem. An estimated two-thirds of Americans are overweight and a third of these are obese.
I can remember long car trips with my mother and stepfather smoking, and often with all the windows rolled up. My mother deluded herself by saying smoking was harmless to her because “I don’t inhale.” And since I didn’t smoke I was only inhaling "harmless" secondhand smoke.
Effective January 1, 2008, such behavior by adults in California will result in a $100 fine. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed into a law a bill making it illegal to smoke in a vehicle if someone under age 18 is present. Similar laws are in effect in Arkansas and Louisiana and under consideration in other states.
As someone who generally objects to government intrusion into most personal behavior, I am cautious about cheering for such legislation. I can see dangers down the road when government becomes too "helpful" in saving us from ourselves.
So call me inconsistent, because at the same time I am in favor of practically any legislation that discourages smoking and protects non-smokers, especially children. The tobacco industry has a powerful lobby. I personally find little distinction between tobacco peddlers and drug dealers. One may have the law on their side, but both are in the business of destroying lives.
The prototype Wellness mobile phone from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. has a way of keeping track of a user’s health, according to company spokesman Noriaki Tobita. It can take your pulse, check your body fat, time your jogs, and tell you if you have bad breath.
Spokesman Tobita calls the device a “hassle-free way of keeping track of a busy person’s health.”
Call me an old coot — go ahead, it’s ok — but if the latest multi-multi use cell phones make lives “hassle-free,” I'm not convinced. For example, now motorists will be able to distract themselves even further while driving in traffic. They will be able to yak on the phone and check their body fat.
Many of us take supplements of one kind or another. Personally, I am very careful about taking them and skeptical about many of the claims made by supplement manufacturers. I do not rely on their advertising claims. I hope you don't either.
Some supplements, high quality fish oil (Omega 3) immediately comes to mind, have unquestionable value. While some others are suspect. A few have even been proved dangerous, such as some of the diet pills that we've all read about.
The Gray Iron advice is to take only those supplements that you have discussed with your physician. Remember that certain substances may interact negatively when combined with prescription or over-the-counter medications you might be taking. Ask a pharmacist for professional advice.
The Marines love this little gem of an exercise called Mountain Climbers. I was a jarhead so I speak from experience. But my guess is that the other branches appreciate its conditioning merits, too.
If you are in fairly good shape, MCs are good ones to add to your cache, especially when they are used as part of a circuit or interval workout. Senior beginners, however, or those who are very overweight, should put MCs on hold until they’ve reached post-beginner stage.
That said, here is what to expect:
High repetition MCs will really get you huffing and puffing and fit nicely in a resistance/cardiovascular combo workout. As you watch the short video (Jennifer demonstrates), you will see how maintaining a solid push up position while chugging away engages your entire body: abs, back, chest, arms, shoulders, and of course your legs.
The following is a quick little body weight only workout that will demonstrate what can be accomplished on those days when you can’t get to the gym.
1. Mountain Climbers: Do them fast and with vigor for 20 reps, 10 each leg. 2. Flip over onto your back. Do 10 standard sit-ups. 3. Flip back over to the push up position. Do 10 standard push ups. 4. Stand and do 10 squats.
Catch your breath and repeat. Do as many rounds as your time and fitness level allow.
Is anyone out there an ultra-marathoner (not something I'd recommend, by the way), or maybe a super triathlete, or veteran English Channel swimmer? Think you're tough? Can you run or swim till you drop?
Well, this little lady named Godwit would laugh at your wimpy efforts. Don't believe me? Check it out here. It is an amazing world we live in. Have fun.
It probably won't surprise readers of my blog to learn that people who take supplements are generally better nourished than those who don't take them. In fact, a substantial proportion of seniors (people 51 and older) don't get enough vitamins and minerals from diet alone, and fewer than half of them take supplements every day.
The widespread inadequacies should be considered when developing recommendations for supplement use for seniors, according to Rhonda S. Sebastian of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Gray Iron recommends taking a quality vitamin/mineral supplement, but with the approval of your physician. This is important because the USDA also notes that many people get too much of some vitamins and minerals and not enough of others. So be a smart supplement swallower. And remember, too, that no amount of supplementation can make up for a highly inadequate or gluttonous diet.
For the story of the report by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, go here.
It should be small comfort to learn that the U.S. is not the globe's only gluttonous country. In fact, most highly developed nations have the same "Super Size Me" problems.
The Aussies have come up with an idea to trim the blubber -- and also reduce their growing cost of health care, which in the end must be paid for by everyone, the obese and svelte alike.
The Australian General Practice Network (a physicians group) suggests the following: To combat the spiralling problem of type-2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers linked to obesity, they want the government to pay overweight people a 170 dollar ($141, U.S.) subsidy to do something about their expanding butts and waistlines.
"We believe that this (money) will go a long way to helping people get access to accredited weight-loss programmes where the people will be supported," network chairman Tony Hobbs told state radio.
Does this sound crazy? Or are they really on to something down under?
Maybe I'm wrong, but I can think of several reasons why it wouldn't work and would lead to unpleasant, unintended consequences.
Here at Gray Iron Fitness we have made it policy to keep politics out of our mission. Opinions? Sure, we've got them. But our job here is encouraging senior fitness and healthy lifestyles. Period.
Still, you do have to have some fun now and then. It's healthful. So here's a report from the British journal Nature Neuroscience that says the brain neurons of liberals and conservatives fire differently when confronted with tough choices, suggesting that some political divides may be hard-wired.
Could the study have been weighted to get the outcomes the researchers wanted? It's possible. But let's have some fun. The findings probably confirm many of your beliefs about "the other side," no matter which side you may be on.
If you eat "clean" 90 percent of the time, does it hurt to once in a while indulge in, say, a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake?
Normally, Gray Iron would say go ahead and take a break, as long as it is just that: a break. But in no way is Gray Iron defending saturated fat. No question about it, loading up on saturated fat is not good for you.
(Note that we are talking about saturated fat, not the heart healthy fats found in fish oil, avocados, olive oil, and most nuts and seeds.
Now, according to a study by researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia, just one piece of high-fat carrot cake, for example, and a milkshake diminishes your body's ability to defend itself against heart disease.
Their study included 14 trial participants, all healthy and between the ages of 18 and 40.
The indication is clear: Eating foods high in saturated fat is harmful to your health and especially your heart.
