Very good commentary, very good.. Your no-nonsense straight forward approach is how I always treated my clients. I just wanted to mention that these detox pads that you consider snake oil are quite effective. I wouldn't bash them until I tried them if I were you. You are absolutely right about the fat being so contaminated that your body cannot use it, that's the whole point of alkalizing your body.. Detox pads and ph drops are the fastest way to rid your body of acids and toxic wastes. Your suggestions are right on about fasting and cleaning yourself out naturally. My ultimate concern is ridding your body of as much toxins as you can as soon as possible, hence my suggestion for the products. Aside from you calling it snake oil, I have nothing further to add, thank you very much for your input. I would first like to suggest for you to give the detoxing goods a try before you call them snake oil.
Turbulent training is solid. My favorite trainers are Charles Poliquin, Charles Staley, Ian King, and John Berardi is an AWESOMEEEEEEE nutritionalist.. Lonnie Lowry is fantastic with postural alignment/muscle imbalances. Check out www.t-nation.com they have quite a line up of trainers, nutritionalists, and coaches.
Matt, Great thread. What is your opinion of machines such as rowers, ellipticals, stationary bikes, Total Gym, Soloflex, etc.? I'm in my 30's but I have a bad knee (torn meniscus, had it scoped) and when I run or try to play hoops it ends up hurting like hell. This guy I know who used to be a personal trainer says I just have to keep running and playing hoops, and slowly working my knee back into shape. But that doesn't seem to be working....So, not being able to pursue physical activity that way, I'm on the cusp of shelling out for some machines, particularly a rower for cardio and a Total Gym, and working out at home. What are your thoughts? Thanks, H
elliptical is a great cardio workout hapa. In My gym they are right behind the treadmills making it a perfect exercise and viewing machine for the lovely ladies doing their daily walking...
H, Realistically, anything you do aside from sitting on the couch doing 12 ounce curls and finger presses is good. All those machines you listed all have their place in the physical fitness arena. The best investment you can make your for body would be to get a pull-up bar. You can work your back with pull ups (your biceps with chin ups) and you can really work your abs (by holding on to the bar and keeping your feet relatively straight and bringing your toes up to touch your hands holding the bar, that is GREAT for your core muscles!!!) With your meniscus I would simply recommend that you concentrate on self myofascial release (buy a $3 foam pad and roll over your tight muscles to release the muscle fascia and increase your flexibility), deep tissue massages, and detoxification. You would also benefit from an EMS sstimulator, hell, you can get one for $50 bucks, even a digital one for $80, they aren't that expensive and they are a great investment for those of you with knee, back, and neck problems. Running right now isn't the best thing for you, as your muscles are weak and you are very susceptible to injury. Use the EMS stimulator for about 2-3 weeks 10 minutes per day, then slowly ease yourself into the ellyptical, then the treadmill (a fast pace walk on a moderate incline is the most effective means of burning fat) and then eventually out on grass. Make sure you get some good running shoes too, SAucony is a great brand for running. I hate to make all these recommendations for purchases and have you people thinking I"m some kind of 'marketing fitness guru' but when I tell you have I tried it all, I mean, I have tried it all. Being a former fat boy, you are born with a gullible gene and you will try anything to lose an inch off your waist. I have sense mutated my genes and I will only purchase and suggests those items that work.
Ellipticals are good, but the interval and hill programs are a must, unless you want to be a cardio gerbil.
So Matt, if you were to design an optimal fat-burning program, what would it be, say compared with the Body-for-Life program?
It's really hard to say I could come up with a program that would be effective for everyone. Everyone has different needs, problems, strengths, weaknesses, muscle imbalances. Body-for-Life is more mentally helpful than anything. I'll give you my 8 keys to long-term health. 1) Get quality sleep. Quality over quantity anyday when it comes to sleep. Be sure that you are in a quiet environment where you can get some REM sleep. 2) Drink at least 1 gallon of water per day. Most headaches are due to dehydration. Not hydrating yourself properly is like your car not having a radiator. You're overheating yourself. On top of that, dehydration accelerates aging, illness, and pain. 3) Take a multi-vitamin. Soil is depleted of vitamins and minerals. With a fast paced world, it is almost impossible to obtain the right amount of vitamins and minerals we need to live healthy. 4) Exercise daily. You don't have to hit the gym for 2 hours 7 days a week, even a 15 minute walk will do wonders for your overall health. 5) Detoxify yourself at least twice a year. Could you imagine if you only cleaned your pool twice a year, how dirty it would look? With all the chemicals in the foods we eat, we need to clean ourselves out thoroughly to maintain low bodyfat levels and keep our immune systems strong in fighting against illness. 6) Stretch everyday. Stretching enhances blood flow, blood flow into muscles helps replenish oxygen levels to aid cell respiration and regeneration. 7) Avoid sugars and processed food as much as possible. I know it's impossible to do this but most processed foods are full of sugar and sodium. Too much sugar and sodium will shorten and make your life miserable. 8) Read a book. Your mind will kill you faster than anything, you need to stimulate it everyday. It's usually your mind that starts going before your body.
Absolutely, they can become VERY tedious and you can lose your motivation to use these machines very fast. Definitely use the different programs to keep the entertainment value up.
I take apple cider vinegar daily with water. Will this help for ph balance? Your reply much appreciated