Funny Fitness Facts

I am amused at the fitness industry. You have so many different theories and different attitudes and it is hard to really figure out which one is right. I suppose it's just a matter of finding out which one is right for you.

The interesting thing is that the people with healthy, happy and motivational attitudes, like, let's say Leslie Sansone, famous for her chatty instructional videos - specifically Walk Away The Pounds - often give good advice but not much information to back it up in the nutrition department.

Then the people who do give you specifics - which is what I believe is fundamentally important in building and maintaining a healthy looking physique - often have the strict, bulldog mentality, like Mike Geary, author of The Truth About Six Pack Abs who spouts hilariously harsh one liners that you would only expect to come out of Bruce Campbell's mouth.

I recently read a blog entry written by the former fitness guru where he signed off his post saying:

Til next time,
Don't be lazy... be lean.

The interesting thing was that he actually gave some useful diet and exercise information. Instead of spouting off something that vaguely sounds informative and motivational, like most fitness bloggers who don't want to give away their secrets without getting people to pay for their books, he gave concrete information, which would actually inspire someone to purchase his book once they see that he knows what he's talking about!

For example, eating before a workout is important, especially in the morning. True.

That is something that my mother has been barking at me for years, insisting that I would go to the gym fed, at 5am or 6 am while the other women there, including the instructor, would talk about "finally" eating breakfast afterward, making me feel left out and pudgy... but eating before and after is crucial to building and maintaining muscle. The question is "what" to eat (and how much, but that also depends on the individual)... he goes on to say that carbs are important, but more important is the type of carb. He even gives a recipe for a pre-workout drink:

"Geary's Pre-Workout Energy Serum." This is 10x better than any ripoff energy supplements or any other crap that the supplement companies will try to lure you into paying top dollar for.

Yes... he actually wrote that... and he actually gives the recipe for it.

Since he gives information that I can find useful, I give him credit. However, the funny thing is, some people just cannot handle the type of attitude that comes with the information, and just won't give his advice a shot. People like my husband, who hates being told what to do, would never consider hiring a trainer like him, listening to their advice or purchasing their book... when really, the information in there could be quite helpful in attaining one's goals.

I'll admit that after my health incidents and my issues with my joints and heart, I have come to find Leslie Sansone's workouts helpful, energizing and effective. I really love her attitude, but I am embarrassed to admit it and to do my workouts in public. Whenever I have to do my workouts around my husband, he laughs and wonders how I can actually focus with that chatty instructor, but I've come to really enjoy her "chatter" and find it makes the workout move faster when you focus on what she's saying--she knows her stuff!

But I also know that I could do her workouts and without the proper nutrition, still look like a puff pastry on the outside.

This also applies to the crazy workouts I have done in the past, ranging from hours upon hours at the gym, running outside, lifting weights combined with endurance cardio, to even following step programs, spinning, pilates or tapes like Billy Banks' and Jillian Micheals. You name it, I have most likely done it and have found that in order for anything to work, I need to monitor my nutrition.

For me, working out does not mean that you can eat "anything", you need to combine diet and exercise (or just diet) to become healthier and trim the waistline.

That's where I need help. Nutritional advice, like Mr. Geary's power drinks, but I also need something I could realistically follow for life. Which is why I need to find the right combination of fitness facts that work in my favor.

So which tips work for you?