The Ultimate Workout Dilemma Solved (Sort of)

1 hour....nap, or workout?

My client was 20 minutes late and I wasn’t happy. I have a strict 15-minute no-show rule, and this was his fourth time violating that policy. Since he was my day’s last client, I began packing my bag when finally he rushed into my office, breathless and apologizing.

“I lay down to rest for a few minutes, and…” he began, though he didn’t need to finish the sentence. Trying my best not to sound like a prudish schoolmarm and reprimand him, I asked about his sleep patterns, fully aware how he’d answer.

All in Your Genes: Can Genetic Testing Determine Your Perfect Workout?

Genetic testing and exercise: find out your best workout

I’ve long proposed a combination of burst training and weight resistance provides the most efficient, effective exercise for most people. Earlier this year, I had a client who challenged that belief.

“You talk often about biochemical individuality and avoiding one-size-fits-all programs,” she said during her first session, “and yet you tell everyone to do the same exercise. Sure, you modify it for every individual, but it’s pretty much the same routine. What if I need something… different?”

At first I felt enraged. How dare she question my over 20 years’ hard-earned fitness experience? I mentally categorized her in the PITA (pain in the ass) client category and hoped she would go away.

Crossfit: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Excessive workouts don't necessarily lead to better fitness

Recently I traveled to a rather remote area of Southern California to visit an old friend I hadn’t seen for several years. Living in Los Angeles, I’m always rather stunned to not see Starbucks along every corner.

Well, her small town didn’t have one Starbucks; just a local coffee house that didn’t open till 8 a.m. As an early-morning riser who likes a good cup of dark roast before my workout, all I could think was The horror!

We had dinner one night at the town’s only semi-upscale eatery. As I dove into my sirloin, my friend began telling me about a new workout her friends had passionately embraced akin to a Lululemon sample sale.

“It’s called

Muscle Testing: Science or Pseudo-Science?

My chiropractor suggested vitamin-B12 after pushing on my arm?

I meet two types of people at conferences. One includes those hard-boiled guys (and occasionally gals) who demand empirical evidence to support something. “Show me the science,” is their mantra.

If I say blueberries are brain food, they want to see three studies to support that claim. If I talk about how coenzyme Q10 benefits cellular energy, they want a textbook illustration to validate its role in the electron transport chain.

I like the second group better. They believe in science, but they’re open-minded to also accept empirical evidence. Don’t get me wrong. If an “expert” claimed she could talk to angels to cure cancer, these folks wouldn’t buy it for a millisecond.

But they also don’t need

Reduce Your Risk for Alzheimer’s an Astounding 50% with Exercise

Exercise brain AND body to enjoy older years

One of my closest friends has a genetic history of dementia. Both parents suffered Alzheimer’s, and I watched my friend witness the mental death of them both before they physically passed away.

Dementia is a cruel disease that shows no mercy, ultimately stealing a person’s dignity and self-worth.

My friend called me recently panicking. “I’ve been forgetting things more lately,” she told me. “First it was random moments, but lately they’ve become more frequent. I looked for my car keys yesterday morning for nearly an hour and eventually broke down crying.”

After I helped her calm down,

7 Myths Debunked about pH-Balanced Diets

Fruits and vegetables help neutralize acidity...so?

I have a reputation at my gym for being a myth-buster. Not a week goes by that a client doesn’t ask me whether a particular “muscle-enhancing” supplement is legit (usually not) or how many studies support creatine’s efficacy (a good many, actually).

I admit: sometimes I have to research these queries. Such was the case when a long-time client recently showed me her alkaline water.

A few months before, this client had begun one of those pH-balanced diets. You know, the ones that emphasize alkaline-forming foods and frequently include charts to differentiate alkaline and acidic foods. To boost her body’s alkalinity, my client was downing four or five bottle of alkaline water daily.

Can We Officially Declare Carbophobia Dead?

A small amount of healthy carb can help you lose weight

I have a friend who lost over 60 pounds on Atkins Induction. A year later, she’s kept off the weight and looks fantastic. Over that time she also became a carbophobe, evidenced recently at dinner when she asked our server to substitute her sweet potato for another green vegetable.

“Why the hate for sweet potatoes?” I asked her as our server walked away. “They’re loaded with fiber and beta-carotene. Add a little butter and… delicious.”

She looked at me like I had lost my mind. “A medium sweet baked potato has more net carbs than I’m allowed a day,” she replied, and then recounted how many green vegetables she could get for an equal amount of carb grams.

I admired her discipline even if I wondered why anyone would pass up such a delicious, healthy food.