BODYBUILDING...NOT THE PICTURE OF HEALTH

Bodybuilding. What is it? Is it a sport? I guess so if golf is a sport. But I have my own reservations about that.

Let's also understand that all exercise is in essence bodybuidling. You are building a more effective and healthy body. It is exactly in that premise that we run into a bit of a dichotomy when discussing "bodybuilding".

The activity is supposed to demonstrate humans at their healthiest by showing how greatly it can be developed. But the premise falls apart when it becomes apparent that it is not the bodies natural means which are achieving the incredible results.

If the Mitchell Report was an eye opener for you then what would be found in bodybuilding would give you a stroke. Steroids, growth hormones, extreme calorie consumption, extreme dieting, rampant use of diuretics. In fact so many chemicals and unhealthy methods of training are utilized that it is no wonder so many participants suffer from serious health concerns such as heart problems, kidney and liver conditions and joint decay among others.

It is would actually take too long to list all the detrimental effects of participating in this activity for too long a time especially for anyone seeking to do this in the professional ranks. By the way the warning is for both men and women. So don't be dazzled by all those bodybuilding and fitness covers. In your limited weekend warrior activities you may be healthier than all of them.

IS IT JUST BOXING?

I understand that there may be some out there who believe that all I do is train people in boxing. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact I don't have any desire to make my clients boxers.

First thing I do with a client is find out and understand what their goals are. Also to help them establish goals if they don't have any beyond the vague "losing weight". After that the next step is to teach them how to move. No they are not paralyzed but even someone who has trained regularly may find themselves in movement patterns that are not effective. Maybe they have been doing a lot of weight training or a lot of cardio and they have fallen into habits and shortcuts which don't allow them to maximize their efforts. Among the biggest shortcomings is their core ability.

I know many have heard about core but don't really know what it is. In essence think of your body as being comprised only from the bottom of your chest to the bottom of your hips. The stronger this part of your body is then the less you will require of the limbs which hang and by their positioning and percentage of body mass are weaker.

Developing core stability and strength is not only about doing a lot of ab work or just working the big swiss balls (those are the big rubber balls in the gym). It is about making sure that the area is engaged in every exercise that is done. That includes proper breathing, being aware of your posture when sitting or standing, when you lift, run, walk.

So before we move on to more detailed training I focus on that. After that then we begin to put all the other pieces of resistance training, cardio, interval, boxing and any other element that interests my client to help them reach their goal.

Yes boxing type training forms a cornerstone of my approach because it encompasses so many of the elements that make movement, conditioning, fat burning, lean muscle development and skill development effective. Plus as I have found, the key to long term success in training is to remain interested and my clients have told me unanimously that boxing training keeps them stoked.

So no, boxing is not all I do. But while I see that it keeps helping my clients achieve their goals I will continue to include it along with all the other tools I have at my disposal.