Exercise Gurus

As you've probably seen on TV, a great many people are ready to give you the secrets to a healthy body for the right price. Good health is plain old hard work. As KentBeck says, anyone who tells you different is selling something.

Wasn't it the ManInBlack who first said it?

There are a few people out there who really know how to exercise. These people have no equipment, power drinks, pills or gym memberships to sell you.

As a Computer Enthusiast, I find I need to conduct some type of exercise beyond getting up from the chair in front of the computer and moving about. As a result I have enrolled in a local CommunityCollege? in a LifeTimeFitness? class which emphasizes Aerobic Exercise. It is inexpensive, ($60 per semester) and has resulted in the increase of energy and flexibility and range of motion. The course also emphasized proper diet and conducts classes about subjects related to fitness. They have the equipment, but no power drinks or pills to sell, just exercise, education and encouragement.

It doesn't matter what type of fitness program you belong to as long as you have something that you enjoy to stay in shape. Set goals for yourself and evaluate them at the time you set for yourself. Set new goals for yourself and measure your progress towards those goals. Find a way to keep motivated that is the key to success.

As far I as I can tell, these people have nothing to sell you:

Arthur Jones: Mr Jones is a visionary genius. But if he were to read this, he would probably deny it. He is arrogant and humble at the same time. He spent tens of millions of his own hard-earned dollars (he started with nothing) investigating exercise. He invented Nautilus equipment and the Nautilus training methods. This is the Smalltalk-80 of the exercise world: Simple, elegant and powerful. You can read much of Mr Jones' original writings on exercise on the web at http://www.cyberpump.com/arthur/arthur.html . He currently runs MedX, a company which designs rehabilitation equipment.
Ellington Darden: Mr Darden worked extensively with Mr Jones developing ideas about training. He has written literally dozens of books and probably hundreds of articles on exercise. Everything he says is worth considering. His writings are probably the best source of accurate, factual and clearly presented information on exercise available today. Here's an Amazon Book reference to some of his work ISBN 0809240742 ISBN 0399519009 .
Ken Hutchins: Mr Hutchins is also an original Nautilus researcher, but his research has taken a slightly different direction. It all started when he tried to write down a scientific definition of exercise. Answering that question, "What is exercise?" is an ongoing process. It's taken more than 20 years. You can read all about it at http://www.superslow.com. This is good stuff, right on the money. -- AnthonyLander

Um, perchance Nautilus equipment? They appear to be the people who'd own the most stock. However, I'll admit that it looks more like useful information than most people give. Going from the stuff on Arthur Jone's page, I could probably build one. He might possibly make money off me simply because I'm too lazy to do that, but not for several years, most likely; I have other things to work on right now.

What, you ask? I ran into someone who truly wasn't selling anything. He has a job as an ergonomics inspector and safety instructor, but he also practices GuruingByWalkingAround in fitness. I seem to recall his name being LynnMurphy?; he's apparently an ex-football player.

--EdGrimm

I'm definitely not an exercise guru, but I also have nothing whatsoever to sell at my web pages (especially when it comes to fitness). I just got tired of seeing the same FAQs about stretching and flexibility on various Usenet groups several years ago. So I took it upon myself to compile an FAQ list with answers on the subject (http://www.enteract.com/~bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/) (the format gradually changed from being Q&A to a more narrative prose). -- BradAppleton

I suppose you're right. Those guys would want to sell you Nautilus equipment, but the stuff they write is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle--not maintaining a healthy lifestyle through Nautilus. I guess it's up to you to put two and two together <grin> --AnthonyLander

You don't need anything other than 3 feet by 8 feet of floor space, and the 5BX exercise program (available in a Penguin paperback).

Possibly true about the 3x8 space, probably not true about the 5BX program. Here is an excerpt from the (Canadian Department of National Defence) Air Force 5BX Exercise Program web site, http://www.airforce.forces.ca/8wing/about_us/faq_e.asp#12:

"The 5BX (Five Basic Exercises) program, which was extremely popular during the 1950s, is no longer in existence. We are unable to provide it because the exercise principles of the program have long been proven invalid--or even hazardous--by scientific advances in modern exercise physiology.

If you are interested in getting back in shape, please consult your physician before embarking on any exercise program.

This shows the decline of fitness since the 1950's. Advances in theory do not stop the 5BX program from working! The problem is that the average 1990s body is in such poor shape, compared to the 1950s, that the 5BX program is dangerous.

No, the above is just wrong, and dangerously so. The 5BX program had the right motivations, but poor kinesiology/physiology. Just don't do it, you risk injury. What is true is that you can get a lot of benefit from simple exercises without equipment, or with simple equipment.

5BX is online at http://www.auspistol.com.au/coaching/fitness/default.htm and http://www.flwd.com/5bx/book/ (both of these links appear to be unavailable)

5BX is now available at www.statesa.com/gettingfit -- ChrisGurney?

People buy equipment to sublimate their desire to exercise.

Even if the equipment is used, it typically has a negative effect. Hiking boots are a good example. They atrophy ankles, and slow you down.

[Please nobody go hiking without suitable footwear that gives ankle support. If you're stuck up a mountain with a sprained ankle and no way to get down then atrophy is the least of your problems.]

I read the Superslow pages and then switched my weights workouts to superslow speeds (10 seconds out and 5 seconds in). I really like it much better, even on regular equipment or standard nautilus equipment. The reason I like it is that there is no way to cheat or slide through the exercise at superslow speeds. I dropped from 12 chinups down to 6 when I did them superslow, and had to drop all my weights 20% on the machines. (The superslow web pages, on the other hand, are mostly chest puffing and mindless jabs at competitors. Shows the quality of the writing does not correlate with the quality of the content.) -- AlistairCockburn

All of the people listed above believe very strongly in what they're saying (to say the least). Without exception, though, they have all done so much progressive scientific work, that it's worth slogging through the rhetoric to find the facts.

I first tried super-slow training about 6 years ago (before it reached it's current dazzling level of popularity), and really liked the results (i.e. friends thought I started taking steroids!) I started doing it again about a year ago. I think I've adopted it permanently this time. Also, I think you'll find that you will recover the 20% you dropped in only a few workouts. -- AnthonyLander

For a beginner like myself (weight training: 6 months; super-slow: just starting), the HIT FAQ (e.g. http://www.sover.net/~timw/faq07.htm, or search google for "hit.faq") provides a good S/N-ratio. -- FalkBruegmann

My father has just turned 86. He recently went through an open-heart surgery/value replacement operation (not lifestyle related). He was back playing golf three times a week, within just over four months. The days he doesn't play golf he walks a couple of miles. He doesn't do 5bx any more, he doesn't need to! He did this 5bx thing all of his working life though, and swears by it, he even said he found it really easy to keep doing (he is about the most self disciplined man I've ever met though). It's either the 5BX keeping him in shape or the fact that my mother is 23 years younger! Which ever it is I've promised myself I'm going to give it a go. I'm going to try out your bookstore links, as he wouldn't give me his copy! Wish me luck! -- Ed Fraser UK (P.S. Found some used copies through www.amazon.co.uk but they're not cheap.)

Try these links for PDFs of the 5BX program. They are color scans of the original booklets.

a 1960 edition - http://www.esimplified.net/fitness/5bx.zip

        36 single pages - some see through

a 1975 edition - http://www.esimplified.net/fitness/5bx_plan.zip

        18 double pages - opaque paper

Both are from this web page -- http://www.statesa.com/gettingfit/5bx.php

There are other free fitness programs on -- http://www.statesa.com/gettingfit

You don't need a guru. Just BikeToWork.

Agreed. In college, I lived about 5 miles from the campus, and biked in during the day (parking was terrible). Just that 10 miles/day had me in the best shape of my life, and I did not need to schedule time for exercise. Basically, make exercise part of something else, so you don't need to schedule it, and can't avoid it.

CategoryHealth