Gymrat’s Weblog

Yesterday the European Commission and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) kicked off football season with a campaign promoting physical activity. From the press release:

The advert encourages viewers to get out of their armchairs and be physically active, using the slogan “Go on, get out of your armchair’. Millions of Europeans are expected to view the advert, as it will be screened free of charge during the half-time break of this season’s televised Champions League football games.

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: “Europeans are eating too much and exercising too little, which explains why more than half of European adults are overweight or obese. Through this TV advertising campaign we aim to help viewers better understand the importance of physical exercise in living healthier lives and encourage them to introduce physical activity in their daily routines.”

In related news a Danish pilot project has shown that regular football practice is much more successful at boosting fitness than regular jogging. The blog Conditioning Research (publishes summaries of scientific research on fitness, strength, diet and performance) explains the effects of interval training:

I have put up a few posts about the benefits of interval training - short intense intervals of work separated by rest periods. I’ve also mentioned some problems with respect to the standard prescription for aerobic exercise of long slow endurance type training / “cardio”.

The researchers examined the effect of training on a football team, comparing their performance to a group who were just jogging. The sport - the power law application with high intensity work and lots of low intensity stuff too - led to improvements in insulin sensitivity, balance, muscle mass and body composition.

Technorati Tags: Advertising, EU, European Commission, European Union, Exercise, Health, Fitness, Obesity, Video, YouTube

Ocala Star-Banner reports:

Arthur A. Jones, inventor of the Nautilus exercise equipment and founder of the Jumbolair estate in Anthony, died at about 4:40 a.m. today at his Ocala home. Jones was 80. His son, William, said he died of natural causes.

In 1970, he introduced Nautilus equipment, “the first of its kind marketed to utilize the principle of variable resistance to develop muscles and build strength,” according to MedX.

The article concludes with this quote:

“I hope that Arthur Jones’ contributions in the fields of fitness, sports medicine, exercise physiology and orthopedic rehabilitation will be recognized and appreciated,” said MedX executive Jim Flanagan, who worked with Jones from 1971 to 1996.

For much more on Arthur A. Jones, visit Arthur Jones Exercise, where you can read Arthur Jones’ written works free online, hosted by the Personal Trainer Certification I.A.R.T. Also visit the web site for MedX Corporation, which Arthur Jones created in 1986.

At Dr. Ellington Darden’s High-Intensity Training forum the thread about Arthur Jones’ passing is moving reading.

Nautilus, Inc. recognizes the passing of the founder of Nautilus Equipment:

The Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) staff and board sadly acknowledge the passing of Arthur Jones, the inventor of Nautilus® training equipment in 1970 that has served as the standard of strength training equipment for nearly four decades.

“The fitness innovations Mr. Jones brought to market are what first established the Nautilus brand as the gold standard in fitness,” said Bob Falcone, Chairman and CEO of Nautilus, Inc. “We are pleased to carry on his legacy of innovation with a complete line of cardiovascular and strength equipment bearing the Nautilus brand.”

Update: Both New York Times and The Washington Post now has articles about Mr. Jones passing:

Mr. Jones was a rough-and-tumble character who had six wives, a nearly lifelong smoking habit and an affection for exotic animals like rattlesnakes and crocodiles, which he kept at his farm, the younger Mr. Jones said.

He tinkered with exercise equipment for more than 20 years before creating his first Nautilus machine, called the Blue Monster, in the late 1960s. Mr. Jones presented the equipment at a Mr. America contest in California and started Arthur Jones Productions to sell the equipment. The company’s name was later changed to Nautilus, because the cam, or gear, that was crucial to the machine’s success resembled a nautilus.

Technorati Tags: Arthur Jones, Arthur A. Jones, Nautilus, MedX, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Sports Medicine, Exercise, Exercise Physiology

Frank Zane won Mr. Olympia 1977, -78 and -79. In December 2006 he peaked and shot some new photos. In his monthly newsletter Frank tells us that he’s found it harder and harder to get in really good shape the older he gets. The latest diet and training program he used is outlined in the Winter issue of Franks own Building the Body Quarterly Magazine/Newsletter:

I was able to get in my best shape in over a decade and this Winter issue describes all the details of my workouts, diet, and motivation along with photos of the condition I achieved by the middle of December 2006. You may want to subscribe if you don’t already.

Most of all I proved to myself that age is no barrier to physical improvement and I intend to be in even better shape in 2007. One thing I did learn is that as you get older you have to allow more time to get in shape. I did everything possible to reach peak condition, dieting, training two even three times a day, 1000 reps of abdominal work daily, and eventually 1 and a half hours of aerobics a day.

Technorati Tags: Mr. Olympia, Frank Zane, Bodybuilding, Diet, Exercise, Inspirational,

Yesterday, a novel attempt in solving the problem with one of the International Space Stations solar panels not folding fully was tried:

The problem lies in a guidewire that is stuck in one of the eyelets, causing the array to billow. NASA will try helping it along by jiggling the array in hopes that will push the wire through the hole.

It plans to move a joint on the panel to shake it, and may also ask one of the astronauts to break a sweat using a bungee bar-like exercise device. NASA officials recalled an incident where the space agency saw an array shaking and found the cause was astronaut Leroy Chiao working the device hard in his squats and lifts.

The attempt didn’t succeed though; Vigorous exercise unable to jiggle solar array into cooperating:

German astronaut Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency was told to do 30 seconds of robust exercise on a bungee-bar machine in an attempt to vibrate wires on the 115-foot solar array and prevent an unplanned, fourth spacewalk.

Mr. Reiter tried several times, but his exercise did not appear to change the solar array.

How do you exercise by lifting weights in weightlessness? Well, apart from the current set-up on ISS, scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, is developing the next generation of training equipment to be used - the Yoyo strength-training equipment.

Earlier this year the Swedish magazine which I work for (BODY Magazine) was asked to help recruit volunteers. One of the chosen was our magazines sales chief; Stefan Elfving. Here is a photo of his earning his volunteer fee on the machine:

More about the machine can be read at www.yoyotechnology.com. Also, here’s a two page article from the magazine Medical Science at Karolinska Institutet that explains the “Space Gym”: Space Gym - a health issue for astronauts (PDF, in English):

Exercise equipment, supplied by Technogym, has been installed at Liverpool’s Central Library. Instructors will be on hand to supervise and offer advice. If successful, the project will be rolled out to libraries across Liverpool. Wow!

icLiverpool.co.uk has more on the story:

“The idea is to encourage library users to “build fit bodies as well as fit minds”, said council fitness manager Mark Jones. But he assured book lovers the new mini-gyms would not spoil the hushed atmosphere at Liverpool’s Central Library on William Brown Street, where the scheme is being piloted.

Five new machines worth £12,000 will this morning be “discreetly” installed away from main reading areas, in the second floor computer area. He said the mini-gyms would be installed next to computer terminals, so anyone queuing to use the internet can take time for a quick workout.”

More about Liverpool’s Active City campaign at icLiverpool.co.uk.

CNNMoney.com writes about a new trend, still in it’s infancy:

“Locations can foster all sorts of lifestyle choices - good and bad. For those who want to achieve or maintain healthy lifestyles, there are now planned “wellness” communities springing up around the United States. They create atmospheres where regular exercise, nutritious diets and avoiding unhealthy habits is the norm.

“Wellness” communities go beyond just having facilities such as golf courses, spas, gyms and biking trails.

These new places hire trainers, nutritionists and wellness directors who lead workshops on avoiding disease, put together work-out regimens and diets, lead hikes and biking trips, teach rock-climbing and show residents how to get the most out of their workouts. They act as gurus as well, leading spiritual exercises and demonstrating stress-reduction techniques.”

More about the communities mentioned by CNNMoney: Montesoro, Calistoga Ranch, and the Cliffs Communities.

Hat tip: Diamond Cut

An AP news item from Japan caught my eye - sumo and fitness in the same sentence isn’t that usual…

“Exercise videos typically feature svelte, muscular models. But Japan’s latest fitness program sports a figure known more for girth than grace: the sumo wrestler.

“Sumo Health Exercises,” released by the Japan Sumo Association this month, contains 12 sets of stretches, squats and splits demonstrated by professional wrestlers.”

John Briley, Washington Post columnist and veteran gymrat, found a new piece of equipment at the annual conference of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA):

“Perhaps my favorite, due to its simplicity and relative affordability ($120), was a set of adjustable nylon straps — designed to be attached to almost anything sturdy (tree, door, ceiling joist, NSCA master trainer, etc.) — that allow people to do more than 250 exercises using only the straps and their own body weight. The system weighs less than two pounds and packs down to the size of a sneaker. The trick will be finding that sturdy anchor.”

If you need a gym on the road with you, why not try TRX Fitness Anywhere:

SportsGeezer tells us of yet another thing exercise is a remedy for in “Repetitive Stress Injuries Respond Well to Exercise“:

“Repetitive stress injuries, often caused by some work-related motion, supposedly cost business $100 billion a year, so you might think someone would have figured out the best way to treat them a long time ago. Not exactly.

The good news, though, is that researchers now think they have an answer, and it’s not what most doctors would have recommended. The Los Angeles Times reports that a review of 14 studies suggests that different types of exercise, including strength, weight and endurance training, may be the best way to go.”

ScienceDaily reports of new research from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Exercise is the medicine that ails most problems:

“Reducing the size of abdominal fat cells takes more than cutting calories, according to new research. Early results from a five-year study show that exercise should be added to the equation.”

Other titles of releases from WFUB Medical Center News from 2005/2006 I found interesting:

• Animal Studies Suggest Vegetables May Reduce Hardening of Arteries
• Trans Fat Leads To Weight Gain Even on Same Total Calories, Animal Study Shows
• Small Study Points to Addictive Effects of Frequent Tanning
• Expectations About Pain Can Affect Its Intensity, Research Shows
• Genetics May Affect How Older Adults Respond to Exercise
• Suppressing Growth Hormone in Early Adulthood May Prevent Cancer
• Liver May Be Source of “Good” Cholesterol, Animal Study Suggests
• Deficiency of Growth Hormone and IGF-1 Reduces Cancer and Kidney Disease, but Creates Other Problems

The blog Medgadget writes about a diving suit, vacuum, and exercise on a treadmill. Sounds like a dream I once had…

“Apparently the Vacunaut works on the theory of hypoxic training which says that difficult fat deposits have decreased blood flow and are therefore less likely to be utilized by the body.

Never mind the fact that exercise increases blood flow or that ‘hypoxic training’ traditionally refers to high altitude induced erythropoiesis, not weight loss. Color me suspicious.”

From the Vacunaut section of the Southwest Hypoxitraining Centre website:

“Vacunaut treatment involves exercising on a treadmill whilst wearing a specially adapted diving suit which places your abdomen in a computer controlled vacuum.”

The August edition of NSCA Performance Training Journal is avaliable for download. NSCA’s Performance Training Journal is the NSCA’s online publication targeted at non-professionals. About NSCA:

“For more than 28 years the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) has served as the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning by supporting and disseminating research-based knowledge and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness.

Here you’ll find the latest strength and conditioning news. We want to be your first source for reliable, research-based health and fitness information.”

RossTrainings blog points out a story about a fellow gymrat, Bins Chien, a 99-year-old man, who trains three times per week at the gym:

“His story is beyond inspirational.  His real-life example is a testament to the capability of the human body. I recommend that everyone take a minute to read through the full article. Bins Chien has certainly shown us all that NO ONE is too old for exercise.  His fitness routine has certainly added vivacity to his life.”

In a related inspirational tale, MSNBC writes about Mary Stroebe, an 88-year-old woman who trains for a triathlon:

“The July 15 triathlon — a succession of swimming, biking and running that tests even the most hardened athletes’ wills and stamina — will be Stroebe’s 12th.

“I think I’m young so I act like it. I don’t realize how old I am,” she said. “I’m in good health and good shape. I’ve stayed active the whole time. Those are things that pay off.”

The blog Slashfood, part of the Weblogs, Inc. Network, writes about a couple of new video games that comes with educational messages:

“The games are called Nanoswarm: Invasion from Inner Space and Escape from Diab. Each is an immersive role-playing game that is supposed to help kids learn about how to make the food choices that will keep them healthy, modifying any unhealthy eating behaviors.”

There is a trailer of Nanoswarm online at the developers website:

The above video games is a step in the healthy direction to counteract the abundace of messages in the opposite direction. Center for Media and Democracy’s blog tells us of advergaming:

“The Kaiser Family Foundation has released a study titled “It’s Child’s Play: Advergaming and the Online Marketing of Food to Children,” which found that more than eight out of ten (85%) of the top food brands that target children through TV advertising also use branded websites to market to children online. Examples of advergaming are Cheetos Cowtapult, Ritz Bits Soccer Shoot Out, and several games choices featuring Pop-Tarts.”

In related news, Health Club Management tells of a Welsh gym that have attatched Playstations to cardio equipment to attract kids:

“Paul Morgan, a gym co-ordinator at the council-run leisure centre, said: “We were looking at ways we could entice more young people to take up exercise because of the rise in childhood obesity. A lot of children go home from school and start playing on their games consoles and don’t do any exercise. We thought that if they could do that at our facility, maybe they would come.”

As with almost everything else, fitness trends starts first in the United States, then spread around the world. One example is the gyms that are designed for kids. Scotsman.com writes that ‘Kids sweat it out in new mini-gyms‘:

“With child-sized treadmills, exercise bikes and resistance weight machines, mirrors on the wall and pop music pumping out, this gym in Potters Bar looks and feels just like its larger adult version. At least 80 such gyms have opened in Britain in recent years, and one of the leading kid gym companies, Shokk, says it alone is opening new ones at a rate of around three a month.”

But not all greet the specialized new trend with open arms. Some are voicing the concern that the equipment misses the point, as this article in The Australian tells us:

“I’m concerned that parents would buy this equipment with the expectation of fixing the problem,” said Susan Sawyer, director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.

“For one thing, it is blaming the child for the problem rather than looking at the broader issues, like what sort of food is being served at home and the family’s pattern of physical activity.”

The article continues:

“Greg Stead, head of not-for-profit safety group Kidsafe, said: “Children should be encouraged to have active play at the park rather than indoors on equipment. I do have concerns about the appropriateness of these products.”

Isn’t it simple? If kids enjoy training at the gym with machines/free weights (under supervision) they will continue to do so. Let them! If not, find the sport or activity they enjoy - then they will continue doing it, by themselves. Moore choices for exercise = better.

When I was young and overweight my family tried to find ways to activate me; nordic skiing, football (read soccer), wrestling - even ballet! I had to be dragged too and trough those different activities. Team sports had nothing to offer me. Then in my early teens I started exercising regularly. How? I found the gym. I was hooked. This was to bee ‘my thing’. I could feel it. Thanks heavens for dumbbells and barbells!

Dr. Mel Siff, sadly departed, had this to say on the Supertraining discussion list:

“I have also pointed out that many daily and sporting activities involving running, jumping, hitting and kicking impose far greater loads on the growing bones of children than even squats or jerks with double bodymass.

Thus, if one militates against weightlifting for juveniles, then all sports involving those types of activity (including football, basketball, track & field, soccer and baseball) should also be banned from schools.

Some people seem to have forgotten that the body of the human adapts at any age to sensibly imposed stresses and strains. Damage is the consequence of bad training, not because weight training is intrinsically “bad” for the body.”

We all know ExRx.net is the most solid resource for strength training exercises, anatomy - and well, everything exercise related. Now Justin Leonard, leonardfitness.com, seems to be developing a web resource much like ExRx.net:

“Coming soon: Workoutz.com - the largest collection of online instructional exercise photos and video demonstrations.

• The largest collection of exercise photos and video demonstrations ever assembled
• 100% FREE, no membership required
• Specialized videos - athletic performance, home workout, stretching, and more
• Ability to select exercise “target area”
• Choose exercises based on fitness and skill level”