Monday, January 24, 2011

"They Say".........


Whenever I get into a conversation about weight loss or general health almost 99% of the time someone brings up "THEY SAY___________".  Some examples:
-They say red wine is good for you.
-They say to eat dark chocolate.
-They say to exercise on an empty stomach.
-They say not to lift heavy weights.
-They say pilates creates long lean muscles.
-They say you should build a "cardio base" before you lift weights.

First of all, who the hell are THEY?  People take some of the stuff they hear far to literal and hardly every research or look further into what THEY SAY.  Most of the general public can be brainwashed by overhearing something on TV or from a conversation between a group of people who may or may not know what they're talking about.

They could be a doctor or group of doctors. One of my favorite things I've heard is "They say not to take over the counter Fish Oil because its not regulated by the FDA, take the Rx version instead".  Why do they say that? Is it because their pharmaceutical rep takes them out to nice dinners and promotes their Rx brand?  Or do they know from experience or personal practice on whether their is a difference between the two product besides price. 

Do THEY workout?  Are THEY in shape?  Do THEY eat right?  Before I take advice from anybody I want to take a look at what type of life THEY live.  You might have a Doctorate or Master's Degree but if you look like crap, don't eat right, and are as week as an Olsen twin, why should I listen to you when it comes to eating right and working out.

Here a few things that "I" say, if you care to listen to me.
-I say to eat more green veggies throughout the day
-I say to do more resistance training and focus on getting stronger.
-I say to only allow yourself one "cheat" meal a week MAX!
-I say to incorporate interval training in your program.
-I say to eat lean protein with each meal.
-I say you will NOT get lean chugging beers and sipping on frozen drinks during the weekends (or weekdays)
-I say stop bashing others on the internet and get to the gym and better yourself.
-I say to avoid fried food and heavily processed carbs (chicken wings, french fries, BREAD, gluten loaded    pasta, bagels, etc.)
-I say to drink more water / don't drink fruit juice, soda, and those damn 1,000 calorie coffees!  
-I say to stop listening to what THEY say and research information for yourself, get a little more educated in the areas of exercise and nutrition and make a decision based on what you know.  Not what THEY say.

I've mentioned before, I'm not the WORLD"S BEST TRAINER, or the most knowledgeable person on nutrition.  I try to read and research information before I put it into practice toward myself or my clients.  There is a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of what THEY SAY is extremely vague.  Take some time and become more knowledgeable regarding your body. YES, you have time- turn off the damn TV, get off the couch, and start exercising your mind.  One day people may listen to what YOU have to say........

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey guy. If you could recommend just one piece of home equipment for those days when you can't get to the gym, what would you recommend? I found a multi-purpose bar at Dick's the other day. The bar allows you to do pullups/chinups, dips, pushups and probably another exercise that I can't recall. Appreciate your time.

Damon Brobst CSCS said...

The multi-purpose bar would be a great choice. I happen to like the TRX as well for a little variety. A jump rope is an awesome and overlooked piece of equipment. You could always start with somebody weight movement countdowns such as push-ups and squats do 10 of each, 9 of each,8 all the way down to 1 with little or no rest in between. Enjoy.