Blogcritics

Ignore the "Obese Police"

Sal Marinello — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:23:11 EDT

I�m not talking about cops who are fat, but rather the butt-in-skis who are obsessed with body weight and body fat.
Unless you’ve been unconscious, live in a cave, or are a member of the lost tribe of the Amazon, you’ve heard about the overweight/obesity “epidemic.” You've also been subjected to myriad reports, studies, reviews, and opinions that fat is bad and that too many people have too much of it. Television shows like The...

Sylvester Stallone Admits Using Human Growth Hormone

Sal Marinello — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:24:25 EST

Rambo and Rocky star admits to using human growth hormone (HGH) and testosterone to prepare for his latest movies.
Sylvester Stallone has finally fessed up to what some of us have known for quite a while, in that he has been using HGH and testosterone to prepare for his physically demanding roles of Rocky and Rambo. Rather than his use his private label supplements that he sells to his fans to prepare for these roles, Stallone has credited a combination of...

Using Steroids and Human Growth Hormone is Cheating

Sal Marinello — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:53:55 EST

Because the vast majority of people � including reporters - are misinformed, the discussion about performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is focused on the wrong issue.
The debate surrounding the issue of steroids and human growth hormone shouldn't be about whether or not PEDs are safe, effective, dangerous, ineffective or anything else. The governing bodies of sport - whether it be MLB, NHL, the Olympics - have stated that participants cannot use PEDs. Therefore, those who use these substances are breaking the...

An Analysis of Roger Clemens' Injection Excuse

Sal Marinello — Fri, 4 Jan 2008 13:30:20 EST

The word is Roger Clemens� story is that his trainer Brian McNamee injected him with Lidocaine and Vitamin B-12, not steroids.
The latest development in the Roger Clemens/performance-enhancing drug (PED) saga took a new turn this week when word leaked out that Clemens told 60 Minutes his trainer Brian McNamee injected him with the Lidocaine – a local anesthetic – and Vitamin B-12, and not steroids, human growth hormone or any other illegal or banned substance....

The Healthy Skeptic: Vibra-Train Whole Body Vibration Platforms

Sal Marinello — Mon, 3 Sep 2007 22:32:28 EDT

Vibra-Train�s website says that they are �Vibration Training Specialists.� Can they back up their claims with vibration training research?
Whole body vibration training has become somewhat popular over the past several years, thanks in small part to some celebrity endorsements and testimonials. However, real scientific data in the form of bona fide vibration training research is basically non-existent.Let’s see how Vibra-Train, self-appointed "Vibration Training...

NFL Has An HGH Scandal On Its Hands Beyond Rodney Harrison

Sal Marinello — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:28:05 EDT

New England Patriots veteran Rodney Harrison will be suspended for admitting to using HGH. The NFL has a big problem.
According to “sources,” ESPN is reporting that Rodney Harrison, a 14-year NFL veteran, will be suspended for 4 games after admitting to federal investigators and to the league that he used HGH. ESPN is also reporting that at least one NFL assistant coach has been questioned as part of this probe and is considered to be “a person...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

The Healthy Skeptic: The 300 Workout

Sal Marinello — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 11:37:05 EDT

By the time the movie 300 hit the theaters earlier this year there was a lot of buzz about the workout program followed by Gerald Butler, who played the part of King Leonidas, and the other guys in the cast. Men’s Health magazine led the pack in promoting the movie and the workout by publishing a feature article detailing the training program designed by Mark Twight, and “enjoyed” by the cast and stunt crew of the movie.Here’s what “The 300 Workout” consisted of:25 pull-ups50 dead lifts with 135 pounds50 push-ups50 jumps on a 24-inch box50 “floor wipers”50 1-arm clean and presses with 36-kettlebell25 pull-upsMost of the coverage of Twight’s program, at least the loudest coverage, missed the point of what he and his legions had done. From the get-go, by calling it “The 300 Workout” rather than “The 300 Program,” the media gave people the impression that the cast of the movie performed this routine regularly. Given that the vast majority of people have no idea about what real training/conditioning work consists off, word of this workout set folks into a tizzy.Message boards buzzed with the cock-sure opinions of the misinformed and some “experts” that stated "the 300 guys" had to be using steroids or other drugs in order for them to complete this routine. Personal trainers rushed to get their clients to “do the 300,” the vast majority of them not understanding the underpinnings of Twight’s handiwork. Given what passes for Hollywood-based fitness routines, and the media’s overall lack of knowledge for what constitutes true fitness, these misunderstandings are understandable. The fitness media considers bodybuilding-based routines to be the pinnacle of fitness and conditioning, so how could they possibly understand what Twight had accomplished? In a country where drugged up bodybuilders and pro wrestlers are considered fit, how could the masses be expected to grasp what these actors had accomplished?The workout programs touted by celebrity personal trainers and other fitness experts who appear on television are concerned with biceps curls and lateral raises, so how could they, and the media that supports them, comprehend kettlebell work and box jumps? Asking these folks - and their minions – to understand “The 300 Workout” is is like asking a second grade student to figure out Einstein’s Theory of Relativity or handing a beginner a pair of drumsticks and having them play “Driven to Tears” with The Police.Add to the equation that Twight’s routine wasn’t even a workout that was repeated, but was a test that was meant to measure the progress of men who had gone where few gym rats have ever gone. As should have been expected, the media had no ability to express just what these guys had gone through in order to be able to complete this test, so it was reported that this test was a workout. By the way, the term gym rat is a good thing. I’m a gym rat, and always will be. But most gym rats have no idea what this kind of training is like and what real training is. Tabata intervals, kettlebells, and sledgehammer training aren’t found at 99.99% of local gyms and in mainstream magazines. People who hit the gym a few times a week and think doing leg extensions and leg curls constitutes a good leg workout, have a “back and bis day” - and personal trainers who promote this kind of pap - will never be able to get a grip on the what goes on in high-end programs like Twight’s.At some point during all of this uber-hype, Twight published a screed on his website that addressed a lot of the comments and criticisms that were directed at his program. I can’t say I blame him. But I also am kind of surprised he was surprised that people thought that steroids could have been involved. Granted he obviously developed a very strong bond with his clients during their training, but since athletes and actors have used steroids and human growth hormone alike, Twight should have expected this response. The uninformed, especially the uninformed who may be drug users themselves, are never going to understand the concepts that are responsible for “The 300 Program.”Nobody will ever know if individuals used drugs, but certainly there’s nothing about this program that should make anyone think that the only way guys can accomplish this kind of excellence is strictly because of steroids. As Twight himself says, “The actors in 300 are not normal guys.” The average person will never get, especially the guy who fancies himself an expert based on the nonsense that he’s been fed from magazines, that there is a different world out there that can’t be found by working out using machines.And genetics do play a role in the development of these guys, especially the stuntmen. Stuntmen are athletes, and they excel at their craft because they have attributes that allow them to reach the top level of their profession. This kind of guy will always respond better to training than the average Joe, especially when you consider that many of the cast members are accomplished martial artists.If you’re one of the guys – or girls – who have shrugged off the program and think that the results of "The 300 Program" are strictly due to computer generated graphics, other Hollywood tricks, and drugs then just go away. What color is the sky in your universe?For those of you who have heard about “The 300 Program” and want to try it, you should. Don’t be silly and just go out and try to finish the test, especially if you’ve never seen a kettlebell or don’t know what “floor wipers” are. Visit Twight’s website and read about and watch what he does. If what Twight does scares you, but you still want to learn more, that’s a good thing. Changing your beliefs is never an easy thing. And don’t get discouraged. Remember, getting in shape for this movie and pushing themselves to crazy levels was their job. These chaps were getting paid to get into shape to be in a major motion picture. That’s pretty good motivation for a guy to do the extraordinary. On the other hand, we have jobs, families, and other responsibilities that change the timetable for success in this kind of program. So be patient.The movie is damn good; the fitness concepts that are responsible for the way the cast looks are even better.

Sal Marinello is a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer, a U.S.A. Weightlifting Certified Coach, a full-time, private Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach, an assistant football coach and a Head Strength Coach for a suburban New Jersey High School. He writes a lot and has no free time.

The Healthy Skeptic: First Impressions of the Soloflex Whole Body Vibration Platform

Sal Marinello — Tue, 7 Aug 2007 06:02:06 EDT

I was able to score a Soloflex Whole Body Vibration (WBV) contraption from a client whose husband had been impressed by Soloflex’s fantastic claims with regard to what their vibrating platform could do. After using the WBV for a couple of weeks, he abandoned the platform and it had been collecting dust in the garage. As my client was complaining one day about how he wasted his money on two – two! - of these things and wasn’t using either of them, I pounced and asked if I could borrow one.Of course, she said yes.Let’s start by talking about the platform itself. The WBV’s dimensions are similar to those of the old school Reebok step-up platforms that hit the scene in the 80s – though not as high off of the ground - and are smaller than I would have imagined. From the images in the manual you get the impression that the platform is bigger than it actually is. With my size 9.5 feet, my shoes are longer than the platform is wide, so when I stand on the device my feet hang off in front and in back. The length is also on the short side, so anyone that’s over 5’ 8” won’t be able to perform a proper lunge, or many other of the recommended moves, on the platform.Speaking of the manual, it is a tribute to misinformation. On the front page the Soloflex folks provide us with a lesson in “over-extrapolation” when they tell us that, “Gravity is acceleration. Gravity can be induced by resisting a load (e.g. lifting weights), and now, by mechanical means (WBV). That means you can stand still on a WBV Platform and get a good workout.” Stand still and get a good workout? Research certainly does not back up this statement.The back page – under the bold heading “It works for doggies, too,” - the manual tells us that, “The Soloflex WBV Platform ($495) along with static exercise, works like a moderate weightlifting program.” Taking into account the results of recent research, it’s being kind to say that this statement is a stretch. Unless of course Soloflex is referring to dogs lifting weights versus standing, or sitting, on the platform.On the inside of the manual it says, “Just standing on a WBV platform will make you sweat.” I can tell you flat out that I stood on this platform for 10 minutes and did not break a sweat. In contrast, when I perform dynamic flexibility exercises I start sweating at around the 4-minute mark, as do my clients.The manual also recommends visiting the Soloflex website to learn more about WBV but all that is provided are the same inconclusive and flawed studies that have been touted by the other WBVers as proof. Here’s a little tip. When you read about a study in which positive results were achieved, be less impressed by the results if “older,” “untrained “ or “sedentary” individuals were the subjects and if the study lasted 10 weeks or less.Older, untrained and/or sedentary individuals are often used as subjects in studies because they are almost certain to show improvement when any kind of regular exercise or activity is introduced into their lives. The human body will always respond to exercise and activity regardless of how long it has been deprived of it. Older untrained/sedentary subjects will show more relative improvements than their younger counterparts, as older folks have had more time to fall into disrepair. Some of the most startling improvements have been found in studies involving the oldest and most sedentary members of the population.Studies that last less than 10 weeks should be viewed with a discerning eye, especially if the study also employed the above mentioned older/sedentary group. With the introduction of any new activity, any improvements found during the first 2 months are due to neural factors – learning - not increased muscle mass/strength. Simply put, as people learn new tasks they get better at doing them. Only after this initial learning phase can the impact of an activity or exercise on an individual be judged. By the way, this study from the University of New Mexico that discusses the adaptations to exercise serves as a great rebuttal to the folly being perpetrated by the pro- WBV crowd.It really should be no surprise that the manufacturer of a WBV device would use the results of studies in this manner. If you’ve read my other pieces on this subject, you’re familiar with that old chestnut.The WBV platform produces an awful vibration and sound when you plug it in and turn it on, and depending on where you have the platform it’s varying degrees of god-awfulness. On a wood floor, upstairs on a wood floor or anywhere upstairs for that matter, on ceramic tile or on carpeting. Pretty much any where you put this thing it creates quite a racket. Even in my basement on a thick rubber mat the sound was ridiculously unpleasant.As a matter of fact, one of the reasons that my client’s husband stopped using the WBV was because of its inconvenience of use. So for the sake of my continued domestic bliss I brought the platform to my training facility where the larger area and rubber flooring can somewhat dampen the sound produced by the WBV. In my totally non-scientific sampling of opinions, the results are unanimous in that people would never buy this equipment knowing that it produced this vibration/sound. It’s really that loud.To stand on this platform is an extremely unpleasant experience. The vibrations rattle your teeth and are every bit as unpleasant – if not more so – than the sensations encountered when doing real exercise. Ten minutes stretching on the Soloflex WBV seems like 2 hours, and for the Soloflex people – or any WBV proponent – to make the case that sedentary individuals would find this method of “exercise” appealing is to be totally unaware of the nature of people who dislike exercise.The person who is turned off by the idea of walking around the block or climbing steps several times a day is NOT going to stand on this platform for 10, 20 or 30 minutes, let alone perform flexibility moves or weight lifting exercises on it.For anyone who is over 5’ 8” and can handle a decent amount of weight while performing exercises, the Soloflex WBV platform won’t get the job done. I can’t see how anyone using dumbbells of 50 pounds or more will feel comfortable standing, squatting, lunging or pressing this weight while standing on the smallish platform. Given the research that indicates the vibrations need to be closer to targeted areas for there to be a chance for WBV to have any effect, there’s no reason to bother with any upper-body exercises anyway.But despite all of my reservations regarding the Soloflex WBV, I will continue to use it and report back on my experiences. And if I can get any of my staff or clients to give it a shot, I’ll be sure to include their comments in future entries. Although for what it’s worth the Soloflex WBV, thanks to the noise and sensation, has turned off several clients and all staff alike. And these folks aren’t even aware of the shaky research grounds on which its use is based.Stay tuned.

The Healthy Skeptic: Latest Research Reveals the Significant Limitations of Whole-Body Vibration Training

Sal Marinello — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:17:31 EDT

Whole-body Vibration training (WBV) is one of the latest gimmicks to hit the fitness scene. Manufacturers of equipment, both cheap and ridiculously expensive, have seized upon an incredibly thin volume of research in order to support the claims that WBV training can improve fitness levels. Unfortunately, some personal trainers and other strength and conditioning professionals that should know better, and who haven’t done their due diligence, have jumped on the rickety WBV bandwagon.Marketers of these devices have been making the claims that WBV is ideal for all members of the population despite the lack of any real evidence. Most WBVers rely on some research done by NASA, and the former USSR, which shows that in a weightless environment WBV may help combat bone loss that’s caused by exposure to a zero-gravity environment. Since astronauts are the only folks who are going to be weightless anytime soon, the results of zero gravity WBV studies don’t pertain to consumers.And of course there are the testimonials from those folks who have allegedly benefited from WBV training. In the face of a lack of real data, these testimonials don’t even rise above the level of rumor or idle gossip. These success stories sound nice but are a very thin reed on which to hang proof for the efficacy of WBV.Other research touted by the WBV industry is similarly flawed and should be viewed as marketing department generated research and not scientific data. These studies rarely mention the massive expense of WBV machines and don’t include critical study and analysis that compares WBV to other, less costly modes of exercise.In the May 2007 edition of the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, there are four studies that deal with the effects of WBV and the results of these studies do little to further the claims of WBVers that this mode of training is suitable for the masses. As a matter of fact these studies should serve to marginalize WBV, as consumers see how ineffective WBV is.The study titled "Whole Body Vibration Induced Adaptation in Knee Extensors; Consequences of Initial Joint Strength, Vibration Frequency and Joint Angle" (pg 589) found that, “WBV will be an ideal therapy for people with low-performance capacity (muscle weakness in frail, elderly or diabetic patients).” Emphasis is provided to reinforce the position that WBV is not suitable for people who are in shape or even remotely capable.Other findings of these researchers from the University of Maastricht in The Netherlands are, “Improvements are limited to initially weaker subjects” and that there were “limited improvements in maximal force in initially stronger participants.” What this means is that only the most unfit, incapable members of the population will get anything out of WBV training.Another important conclusion reached by these researchers is that “WBV training needs to be performed at joint angles similar to angles used in the performance task to be improved.” This reality makes WBV impractical for the vast majority of the population and certainly for anyone who isn’t extremely limited. This study exposed subjects to WBV while either standing or sitting in a position where the knees were at a 70-degree angle. The conclusions reached by these researchers indicate that in order to be effective, even on the most sedentary and unhealthy folks, WBV needs to be applied to joints while they are in specific positions and not as the joint works through its range of motion. Impractical, thy name is WBV.A study titled "Effects of Acute Upper-Body Vibration on Strength and Power Variables in Climbers" (pg 527) conducted at Massey University in New Zealand found that exposure to upper-body vibration (UBV) did not demonstrate the “expected potential neuromuscular enhancements on climbing performance tests.” So here’s a study where researchers failed to confirm the benefits of UBV despite the fact that they “expected” to do so. After exposing climbers to arm-cranking, upper-body vibration via dumbbells and non-vibrating dumbbells the researchers found that there were no improvements in the medicine ball throw, hand grip strength, and in a specific climbing drill.It’s worth noting that this is the first study to investigate the acute effect of UBV as it pertains to sport-specific strength and power, and the researchers found that UBV had no effect. The most telling observation/analysis of these researchers is where they say, “UBV exercises lacked specific muscular performance positions and angular displacements required to induce neuromuscular effects.” This statement serves to point out what should be obvious to everyone -- if you aren’t moving, you aren’t exercising. As certain as this data should serve as a death-knell for vibration training, just as certain is it that WBV hucksters will continue to shout down those of us who point out that the WBV emperor has no clothes. The marketing types that are trying to push these ineffective and expensive pieces of equipment on the unsuspecting public will invoke the meaningless intricacies that they alone have developed with regard to the “science” behind the WBV fad. This “science” is nothing more than marketing materials on steroids that are designed to intimidate and confuse people into thinking that WBV is a valid mode of training. Throwing scientific sounding terms at people is a tactic used by supplement and equipment companies in an effort to generate sales.Don’t fall for it. Only the most infirm should be exposed to WBV training, and if people are this frail they need to be in a clinical setting under strict supervision, and not in a general population facility working on their own or with a trainer of some kind.In the study titled "The Effects of Movement Velocity During Squatting on Energy Expenditure and Substrate Utilization in WBV" (pg 595) researchers at the University of Leon and the University of Madrid in Spain examined the effects of WBV on squatting. These researchers found that squatting at a greater frequency helps to maximize energy expenditure during exercise with or without WBV. The fourth study titled "Influence of Vibration Training on Energy Expenditure in Active Men" by researchers at the University of Cordoba in Spain found that it, “Appears that half-squat strength training could be rendered more energy efficient through addition of vibration,” and that it’s “feasible to introduce WBV into regular training programs for purpose of muscle hypertrophy and fat reduction.”The researchers came to their conclusions with regard to WBV improvements in large part by incorporating a measurement known as “Perceived Exertion” (PE). PE is measured by the researchers' observations as to how hard the subjects are working at a given task – there is a significant subjective component involved in this measurement - and can hardly be considered the basis for putting much stock in the belief that WBV can do anything that these researchers claim, especially in the face of all of the other recent bad WBV news.Just like any fad or gimmick, there will always be people who are willing to sell these WBV gadgets to unsuspecting members of the buying public. This equipment is very expensive and ineffective and has been marketed in a dishonest manner. When it comes to WBV equipment the phrase “buyer beware” should be modified to “buyer stay away.”

The Healthy Skeptic: Warning, Diet Soda May Seriously Harm the Health of Yeast

Sal Marinello — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:01:49 EDT

Recently the Food Police has set their sights on diet soda as the new health damaging, junk food boogie man. In May of this year a Professor Peter Piper performed a peach of a study that predicted that a preservative used in some diet soda – sodium benzoate – could promote pernicious persecution of our DNA.News reports providing details of this study hypothesized that the results of Piper’s study indicates that hundreds of millions of people may be at risk of cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease – among other degenerative conditions – because sodium benzoate has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. Serious cell damage could result from drinking diet soda that contains sodium benzoate, we’re told.Wow.Did I mention that Peter Piper picked a peck of living yeast cells in order to study the affects of sodium benzoate delivered diet soda? Not anything that crawls or walks on two legs, or even four legs, but yeast cells. Not a mouse or mice, not a rat or rats and not humans. Peter Piper chose to study the effects of a preservative on yeast.Dr. Piper didn’t share with us his reasons for studying sodium benzoate on yeast, and not on a unit of biological classification that is closer to human beings. He was too busy telling anybody who would listen that the United States' Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization is using old data to justify the safety of sodium benzoate.Piper's hysteria is due to dead and altered yeast cells.Drug trials and all other kinds of studies depend on animal and human studies to prove efficacy or un-efficacy. You would think that if Piper was really interested in seeing if diet soda was potentially dangerous to humans – rather than winding up with a certain outcome – he would have at least used a species that has a little more in common with humans.Any news organization that is marginally credible should have been more interested in filling in some of the very big blanks in this story, rather than running with it. I’ve seen this story reported as legit in way too many places, and that’s really pretty sad. In fact, media outlets did run with this diet soda doom story - and give it credibility. This diet soda story stinks of agenda, and hasn’t a whiff of legit, objective science.Here are some of the main problems with this study and this story. As I mentioned, we’re given no indication as to why yeast was used to study the affects of sodium benzoate. For all we know, sodium benzoate could be the natural enemy of yeast cells. In the same way that humans cannot drink seawater and that flowers and fish cannot survive by being submerged in milk, perhaps yeast cannot tolerate sodium benzoate. In the reporting of this study we aren’t given any details as to the concentration of sodium benzoate that the yeast cells were exposed to. Was the yeast “fed” 100% sodium benzoate or was the SB delivered in the same percentage that humans are exposed to? Was the yeast deprived of all other forms of “nutrition” or was this preservative delivered in a real-world fashion? I’m not aware of any food that contains 100% sodium benzoate, and I haven’t heard of an all sodium benzoate diet.After all, humans can die in an atmosphere where there isn’t the proper amount of oxygen, or where there is an imbalance in the gasses of the atmosphere. There are plenty of examples of how a massive dose of a substance can cause damage to an organism, where that same substance is harmless in a normal dose. A person can die from too much carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and even blood in their system, and grass and plants can die from too much water.This diet soda non-story serves as a great example of why you need to be aware of the Food Police and their accomplices in the media. So the next time you read a headline that blares of the dangers found in some common food item, be suspicious, if not contemptuous.