Video: European Commission and UEFA promotes physical activity

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

Arthur A. Jones, Nautilus inventor and fitness pioneer, passes away at 80

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

American Gladiators about to return to take names, kick asses

Variety.com reports that NBC is about to bring back American Gladiators for a new generation of TV viewers. At least six episodes are expected, depending on the popularity:

NBC is getting into the ring with “American Gladiators,” which has been revived by the Peacock for mid season.

The competition skein — which featured players with names like Nitro, Turbo and Laser in its campy, early ’90s syndie incarnation — will be updated for the 21st century with new technology and twists.

Even more focus will be on the contenders, their back stories and their training:

Contestants, both male and female, will also be extremely fit but as an added bonus, will also have the chance to train for the match, displaying their physicality, coordination and cunning to viewers in advance of the competition.

Each challenger will also have a unique story to tell — and a compelling reason why they need to win. These unsung heroes combine brawn and heart in their effort to be worthy competitors, which the audience can cheer for against the villainous gladiators.

Interested in becoming a Contender or a Gladiator? NBC is accepting applications.

American Gladiators became a worldwide phenomenon and besides an international edition locally produced series became successes in Denmark, Finland, Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden and United Kingdom. In Sweden the series ran for five seasons in 2000-2004. The set used was actually the UK set, which was transported to Sweden…

Technorati Tags: American Gladiators, Gladiators, TV, NBC, Awesome

Video: Bodybuilder who stops bank robber rewarded $5,000

The Seattle Times reports of a story that has gotten worldwide attention in bodybuilding discussion forums. An amateur bodybuilder, Todd Jewell, was able to subdue a serial bank robber, ultimately crushing the mans ribs after he wouldn’t succumb:

“Old School” was expelled Friday, thanks to a world-class body builder.

It all happened in Lynnwood when a robber, known to the FBI as the”Old School Bandit” because of a bandanna he always wore across his face — an old-school disguise — tried to rob a Banner Bank.

He was ambushed by a customer who just happens to be a top bodybuilder, Todd Jewell, 26, of Yakima.

Q13 Fox News reports:

Jewell grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground, bank employees helped out. And while vigilante justice may not always be wise, Jewell says seeing the teller in jeopardy outweighed any worries about himself.

As long as he didn’t have a gun, yeah, I’d definitely do it again,” says Jewell.

KEPR CBS 19 has the video story of the incident, and an interview with Todd Jewell demonstrating his technique:

Edit: Update – good thing come to those who deserve it, reports Yakima Herald:

Now the Yakima bodybuilder and 1999 Eisenhower High School graduate will receive a $5,000 reward from the FBI for capturing the man the federal agency dubbed as the Old School Bandit at a Lynnwood bank Friday afternoon.

We’re working on the paperwork as we speak,” said Larry Carr, an FBI agent based in Seattle.

Technorati Tags: Bodybuilding, Police, Bank Robbery, Criminals, Robbery

SHREDDED.TV – Bodybuilding movies on demand

Australia’s GMV Bodybuilding har the largest selection of bodybuilding movies on DVD. Their new venture with UK’s Globalfibre.tv enables you to rent streaming titles from GMV. They also plan to offer selected movies from other producers. 500 titles is planned by the end of the 3rd year, yikes!

SHREDDED.TV is a new joint venture between GMV and Globalfibre.tv presenting the world’s first internet TV station devoted exclusively to bodybuilding and fitness. This website is like a TV station on the internet and features both professional and amateur athletes. It will also include contests from around the world. Shredded.tv is not a video download site, it is a streaming media internet TV station.

Also note that all the people involved in this project either currently is or has been a competitive bodybuilder. A guarantee for a dedication to the hardcore soul of bodybuilding…

Sweden: Man arrested for having big muscles

Tomislav Boduljak’s big interest is weight training and living a sporty wholesome lifestyle. He’s 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 275 lbs. Late one night in Stockholm he got into a conversation with a female assistant police officer. The original article from Metro is referenced in English by The Local:

According to Boduljak, 27, the police officer was pleasant at first, but changed her attitude when he said he worked out. Saying his muscles were ‘abnormal’, she said he must have used drugs.

“I asked if she didn’t think it possible that I work out a lot and eat well. She said that if someone looks like me, she assumes they have taken drugs,” he told Metro.

Despite Boduljak’s assurances that he didn’t use steroids, she forced him to go to the police station and give a urine test. In her report, the officer said he had “unusually large muscles, particularly large arm muscles, which are a sign of steroid use.”

The doping test was (of course) negative. And the translation of the police report above is probably a misquote. The Swedish article says that the muscle group the police officer reacted to was Tomislav’s large trapezius…

What is likely to have happened is that the assistant police officer has gone trough a lesson in “how to identify AAS-doped individuals based upon muscular appearance”. Eager to test the (newly?) gotten knowledge theory met harsh reality. The individual tested negative for doping. With more experience the officer wouldn’t have suspected Mr. Boduljak of doping based upon his appearance…

But the theory behind looking specifically at the trapezius muscle is sound. For more read Anders Erikssons dissertation from Umeå University (PDF): Strength Training and Anabolic Steroids: A comparative study of the vastus lateralis, a thigh muscle and the trapezius, a shoulder muscle, of strength-trained athletes:

Strength training is widely used to increase performance in sports with high physical demands. The use of drugs such as anabolic steroids among athletes is a well known phenomenon, and the effects of these drugs on physical performance documented.

The studies presented in this thesis focused on the mechanisms of muscle fiber hypertrophy in the vastus lateralis and the trapezius muscles of strength trained elite athletes. The main hypothesis was that the muscle adaptations to strength training and anabolic steroids are muscle specific.

The hypothesis was proven by the research, muscle groups reacts differently to anabolic androgenic steroids, and trapezius grows more than most muscle groups. From the conclusion:

The adaptation processes differ between muscles, supporting the concept in the Umeå muscle research group that each muscle is unique.

Technorati Tags: wtf, Bodybuilding, Doping, Police, Steroids