Archive for Fitness testing
If you “wrap” it they will come!
Posted by: | CommentsCertified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Exercise Training for 2010
Posted by: | CommentsHere is a short video I did while watching the Steelers vs. Dolphins game this past Sunday. The Steelers won by the way!!!! In the video, I talk about why people will fail at their fitness goals and what they can do about it. This can also pertain to everything not just fitness. Enjoy!!!! See you on the lean side!
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Time Magazine bashes Exercise
Posted by: | CommentsIn the article “Why Exercise Won‘t Make You Thin”, the author’s main point for why he is not losing any weight is exercise stimulates hunger. He states after exercise he gets hungry. The next question out of my mouth would be, ” What are you eating when you’re hungry?” I would be willing to bet it wouldn’t be considered “clean eating!” I did a blog post a few weeks ago titled ” You can’t out train a bad diet”. Go read this post if you haven’t and you’ll get an understanding of what I am talking about now. Diet and exercise must go hand in hand if you are to accomplish your weigh loss goals. You cannot eat hot dogs, pizza, and wash it down with soda pop and expect to lose weight. If you do this after working out, I promise you you’ll either gain weight or at best maintain the weight you already have. The equation is really quite simple: to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. Those calories need to come from fruits, vegetables, and good carbs!
I’ll end on this and I said it last post; beware of what you see and hear…always look for facts. For instance, in the article the author tells the story of some friends jogging who complain about losing weight. Guess what they are eating after they finish their run? Muffins! I cannot believe this. Exercise and diet are synergistic catalysts for weight loss, one without the other just won’t work. See you on the lean side…Dee
Click here to read Time Magazine article
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Ceritifed Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
Michael Jackson’s death blamed on exercise?
Posted by: | CommentsI had to write about this as it struck a nerve with me! Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest a week ago. I happen to be combing the internet and noticed several articles linking exercise to Michael’s death. I couldn’t believe it! The articles I saw said Michael was pushing himself too much to get into shape for his upcoming tour. How the hell could they blame it on exercise?
Lou Ferrigno who played the Incredible Hulk, was enlisted as a personal trainer for Michael to get him ready for his upcoming tour. Lou claimed Michael couldn’t even lift the lightest of weights and his body was too frail. This was before exercise, what could have been done during exercise that may have contributed to his death? It has been my experience that exercise doesn’t cause death, preexisting conditions do. Most people don’t know or don’t even care to do a physical exam before they exercise. Physical exams are good for detecting hypertension and heart conditions amongst other things. Hypertension and heart condtions can definitely be detrimental when combined with exercise. This is a no brainer! Apparently, MJ had a battery of tests that cleared him to engage in exercise. I wonder what the tests were and furthermore did his physicians know the effects of exercise on the body? You’ll be suprise to know most physicians don’t know what happens to the body when it encounters excercise. From a personal training standpoint, did Lou Ferrigno perform his own tests to make sure Michael was fit for exercise? A good personal trainer’s job is to be a “suspectician” by performing additional tests such as blood pressure and observing the client and noting any changes in heart rate, etc.
I seriously doubt Michael Jackson’s death had anything to do with excersise. I won’t speculate what it may have been… its not my job. I can tell you one thing.. believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. See you on the lean side…Dee
“Get Fit or Die Tryin”
Posted by: | CommentsHey… every now and then I like to go into my movie collection and watch movies I’ve watched before just to past the time. I don’t care how many times you watch the same movie you can always pick up on something you didn’t catch the first time. Well… the other night I watched “Get Rich or Die Tryin” with 50 cent. I love this movie! There is one particular scene which always stands out when I watch it.
50 cent aka Curtis Jackson gets shot as he is going back to his car. The shooter ends up shooting him several times and the final shot ends up going into 50’s jaw. 50 recovers from the gun shot wounds only to have his jaw wired shut. In addition to having his jaw wired shut, he now has to depend on prescription meds to stop the pain from his gunshot wounds. The scene begins when his girlfriend asks him, “ Is this it… this place, this life”. She then calls him weak and tells him he’s given up. A few minutes pass and then you see the change in 50 cent. He goes to the kitchen and begins to crush the prescriptions and then throws them down the sink! The movie then starts to show him exercising to get back into shape. In the beginning, he can hardly run then he progresses to running and even doing pull ups. This movie inspires me everytime I watch it. It leaves me with two messages when I watch it:
1. Setbacks happen – How you react to those setbacks will determine if you succeed in fitness or life in general. I have seen many people start diet and exercise programs only to become “weak” and accept that who they are now is all they will ever be. If you have a setback, gather yourself and get up and keep going. Setbacks are temporary… quitting is eternal.
2. Exercise is progression – Don’t expect to go out on your first day and run two miles. It ain’t gonna happen! Many people get frustrated when they can’t do all the exercises they see in the latest fitness magazine or on a dvd and they give up. You have to stick with it and progress within each session. Remember… the people you see in magazines or on dvds have been doing those exercises for years and chances are they couldn’t do them the first time they tried. Set a goal for yourself to lift more weight or hold a pose longer than you did during the last session, never ever get discouraged. I am willing to bet within a few sessions you will get to the point where you can do the routine.
Until next time, “ Get Fit or Die Tryin”! See you on the lean side…Dee
Darren McDuffie
Certified Fitness Testing Specialist
Certified Exercise Foundations Specialist
Certified Nutrition Education and Weight Management Specialist
