Anyone who's spent some time training and even picked up a few bodybuilding magazines knows all to well there is a real lack of science in the sport. Bodybuilders create these high volume workouts that offer the non steroid using weightlifter nothing more than extreme fatigue and over training. Most of that advice can be summed up as follows; lift a lot and you get big.
Anyone that hits the gym with intentions of packing on some muscle knows that intensity in a workout is a good thing. And those who know a thing or two about training know that intensity is probably the most important thing. But few people hit the gym with a plan beyond lifting until tired. And while this will offer results for the novice, most experienced lifters know that progress comes slowly.
Lifestyle arts like Yoga, Pilates, and Martial Arts are becoming more prominent alternatives to your typical weightlifting and cardiovascular training sessions. They are exercise with a purpose, and in some cases, fitness is a byproduct of dedicated training, and not the primary goal. While the benefits that follow are not exclusive to Yoga and are in fact true for many lifestyle arts including Pilates and Martial Arts training, they are indeed what makes Yoga more than just fitness training.
Everyone raves about the benefits of team sports for children. They develop teamwork. They develop social skills and networks of friends and so on. But team sports may pale in comparison to individual performance sports when it comes to things like independent thought, leadership, and self reliance.
Self reliance is a skill undoubtedly developed in individual sports.
We all know that protein is a good thing. And despite the fact that we try to eat well balanced meals, most of us still eat too infrequently to keep our body well supplied with nutrition and keep our metabolic rate high. This can be avoided with protein shakes or drinks consumed once or twice throughout the day.
Even though this has become more common among fitness buffs, weight loss gurus, and bodybuilders, there is still not a lot of talk about which proteins are best when.
Is it just me, or are they everywhere these days? That cute little dog down the street, strutting around without a care in the world, mocking us. At first it was the dog sweater. And then came little capes. And now, oh god, and now, dog shoes. They're as silly to me as those dogs who get their heads stuck in buckets and crash into things. Only this is no accident.
Not everyone has time for an hour at the gym every day, and even if we do, it's a big commitment requiring a lot of resolve. And very few people find that drive and make long term weight loss progress. Fortunately for all of us who'd rather spend that time at home or with friends, we can get dramatic results with at home mini workouts rather than the conventional sweat-your-butt-off gym sessions.
Love handles are undoubtedly the most stubborn part of the body to get rid of. For many of us, they tend to linger regardless of how hard we bust our but at the gym or try various diets. And unfortunately our bodies don't really want to let go of these long held fat stores. So we need to change our fitness approach to coax that fat from our sides.
Martial arts training is not necessarily self defense training, and this may surprise a few devout martial arts trainees. Martial arts that focus on striking the air and mastering techniques through patterns training and no contact fighting have strayed far from the path. And I feel fully qualified to make this criticism because I was brought up in a martial arts school just like that.
First of all, let me disclose that I am a personal trainer. But this is not blatant self promotion. It's an assessment of my industry based on my experience with clients. And I can tell you conclusively that there are many people for whom personal training is a very good idea. There are also a great number of people for whom it is not.
This line should not be drawn according to weight, but according to knowledge and motivation.
Tom Fazio is an American personal trainer and martial arts instructor in Shanghai. He incorporates 
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