Ten Things A Personal Trainer Should Never Do

Rather than provide another list of qualities to look for in a personal trainer, here’s a list of things a trainer should never do during a session. Almost 20 years ago I was taught that there’s a right way and a wrong way to treat clients and I still abide by these guidelines today. I insist that the trainers who work in my facility do the same.

A personal trainer should never…

1) Ask a client, “Have you ever done this exercise before?”

This question reveals that the trainer is not familiar with a client and/or hasn’t kept proper records tracking their client’s sessions.

2) Ask a client, “How much weight do you use with this exercise?”

As in the above, asking this question also reveals a lack of attention to detail and a lack of professionalism by the trainer. If your trainer ever asks either or – god forbid – both of these questions it’s time to look for another trainer. Asking either of these questions is a Cardinal Sin.

3) Leave a client alone during a session and let them continue to exercise.

There are always emergency situations that could result in a trainer being called away during a session, and in these rare instances the client should never be left alone to exercise. But the reality is that trainers do leave clients alone while they are in the middle of a session and rarely because of an emergency. This is unacceptable trainer behavior.

4) Not keep a detailed record of every training session.

Keeping an accurate account of all workouts for each client is one of the trainer’s most important responsibilities and avoids them having to ask the two dreaded questions mentioned above. Furthermore, keeping detailed records allows a trainer to track a client’s progress and can help determine – or rule out - the cause of soreness or other post-workout discomfort.

5) Use mostly equipment during a training session.

Using machines in a session is a sign of laziness on the part of the trainer. Since training on equipment is inferior to working out with free weights you really aren’t getting what you paid for. Anybody can move from machine to machine and do 3 sets of 10 repetitions at each stop. You don’t need to pay someone to watch you workout.

6) Sit down during a session while the client is working out.

A trainer who sits down while a client exercises is a sign of laziness and disrespect. It’s one thing to sit down with your client during a rest period while carrying on a conversation, and I sometimes sit or kneel on the floor while coaching or correcting a client during certain lifts like the squat or lunge. But flat out sitting on a bench or other piece of equipment to rest while a client works is a no-no.

7) Talk to another person – or turn away from a client - while a client is exercising.

The client deserves undivided attention while performing an exercise and needs to be under the watchful eyes of their trainer. During rest periods there’s nothing wrong with speaking to another client or trainer, and frankly I’ve had clients who weren’t interested in talking while they rested. But during exercise, a trainer should always be watching their client.

8) Do the same exact workout with every client.

When you aren’t working with your trainer, watch their sessions with other people. If they are doing the same exercises in the same order with everyone then you aren’t getting the most out of your sessions and certainly aren’t getting what you paid for. People, no matter how similar they seem, require different programs. No two people are alike, and a trainer’s sessions should reflect this reality.

9) Answer their cell phone during a session.

This sounds ridiculous, but I’ve actually seen this happen and it’s the ultimate sign of disrespect and unprofessional behavior. There are rare exceptions to this rule, but not many. Obviously, if your trainer should be paying attention to you and not be talking to other people during your session, they certainly shouldn’t be talking on the cell phones. This is just a sign of the times. 15 years ago it was the beeper, and now it’s cell phones. If it’s time for your trainer to answer their cell during your session, it’s time for you to get a new trainer.

10) Eating during the session.

Another sign of disrespect and laziness, there’s no reason for a trainer to eat during a session in front of a client. I know from the days of having 8 people straight through that the schedule is no excuse for this behavior. The proper way for a trainer to handle this situation is to take 5 minutes before a session starts and explain to their client that they’ve had 4 or 5 straight sessions and that they need to grab an energy bar or a fruit. Even now if I’m booked solid and if I need to grab a fruit, I’ll do so when my client needs to get water or is on a 3-minute break.

This list focuses on “big picture” issues with regard to a trainer’s behavior and quite frankly, frequently trainers who act in any or all of these unprofessional manners haven’t received proper training. In many cases personal trainers are freelancers who answer only to themselves. However, whether a trainer works for a facility or is an independent contractor there is no excuse for them to not treat their clients in a professional manner.

If you run across any of these behaviors, perhaps you can suggest to your trainer that he/she not do whatever it is that is violation of my “rules” and see how they react. Give them the benefit of the doubt. They may apologize and agree that they shouldn’t have done whatever it was. But if they get annoyed or blow you off, you may want to consider looking for another trainer.

Remember, you’re the client. You paid to have someone work with you exclusively for a session. Don’t be afraid to make sure your personal trainer gives you what you’re paying for and for what they are obligated to provide.

Sledgehammer Training With Tabata Intervals

Whether you are a personal trainer looking for something new for clients or a person who trains alone, sledgehammer training is a viable alternative to traditional strength training methods, and a great fitness tip to include into your training program.

Sledgehammer training is a fantastic alternative to the sometime humdrum routine of traditional strength training. All you need to take advantage of this unique style of training is an 8 or 10-pound sledgehammer and either a tree stump, log or old tire. Of course all three together are also great. And safety glasses, you’ll want to get a pair as you don’t want any chips of wood shooting up into your eye. Personal trainers and people who workout on their own should take advantage of the strength benefits offered by sledgehammer training.

Training with a sledgehammer is strength training with a twist, allows you to take advantage of the great outdoors and will push your fitness level to a new and higher level. There is also very little cost associated with this kind of strength training. A good 8 or 10 pound sledgehammer will only set you back about 20-25 bucks and you should be able to score a log or tire for free if you ask around.

So what are Tabata Intervals? Tabata Intervals, or a Tabata Workout, consist of 20 seconds of high-intensity work followed by 10 seconds of rest, and this cycle is repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. Without getting too deep into the science of this program, Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team of researchers provided proof that following this program for 6 weeks can dramatically increase a person’s anaerobic capacity and maximum oxygen consumption.

What was particularly startling about Dr. Tabata’s findings is that this training effect was observed in highly conditioned athletes rather than untrained members of the general population. Untrained people usually exhibit a positive, sometimes drastic, response to training over a short period of time because they have absolutely no training history and conditioning level. Tabata Intervals will push even the fittest of the fit even further into the Fit Zone. Wow, that’s bad; the Fit Zone…geez.

The great thing about Tabata Intervals is that you can use them with just about any exercise imaginable. Sprinting, the stationary bike, squat thrusts, jumping rope, squats, hang cleans, kettlebell swings, you name it and you can Tabata it .

Which brings us back to the sledge and Tabata Intervals.

The key thing to keep in mind is that you have to work all out during the 20-second intervals. And by “all-out” I mean as hard as you can, dare I say “balls-to-the-wall, pedal-to-the-metal.” Sorry girls…

To perform a Tabata workout you cannot just putter along at a relaxed pace for 20 ticks of the clock, you must work as hard as you can. To give you an idea as to the level of intensity that we’re talking about here, if you’ve been pounding away with the sledgehammer and are used to using it, you should be getting 15-18 swings in with the 8 or 10-pounder in a 20-second period.

To paraphrase Billy Shakespeare, let discretion be the better part of valor and caution be preferable to rash bravery. Just do one Tabata circuit the first time that you try this kind of workout and see how you feel during and after. Don’t get all gung-ho and overdo it the first time out. Slow and steady will win the race, especially if you’re working all out.

You can also mix and match in a Tabata-based workout. For instance you can do one, 4-minute Tabata Interval circuit with your trusty sledgehammer and then follow that up with a squat thrust circuit and finish it off with a kettlebell swing circuit. To do all of this you just need 20-minutes. And in this 20-minutes you will kick your own butt.

But for now, try the Tabata Interval program and go through just one circuit while making sure that you are working as hard as possible. Be patient and I guarantee that you will see results.

The Healthy Skeptic: Stay Away From Gimmicks Like Whole Body Vibration Machines

Over the past several years the gimmicky gadget known as the Whole Body Vibration platform has come on the scene. This expensive piece of equipment has been advertised as offering people a revolutionary way to get into shape, when in effect WBV machines offer nothing more than a new way to separate people from a lot of their hard earned money.

The big marketing push surrounding WBV revolves around some research that was allegedly done by the old USSR space program and work done by NASA that studied the effects of WBV to combat the effects of weightlessness. Cosmonauts, astronauts and mice were studied and there were some very preliminary results – results that didn’t include observations of subjects in a weightless environment – to indicate that WBV could provide an effective treatment for those who spent time in space.


The fact that studies had yet to be conducted in a zero-gravity environment didn’t stop WBVers from advertising the efficacy of WBV based on these yet to be conducted studies. To read the advertising materials from some of these companies a person would have thought that NASA had rows and rows of astronauts standing on WBV platforms humming along and rebuilding bone strength. The reality is that the state of the research was that these studies were actually proposals and hadn’t been done.


At the time these WBV manufacturers were telling people that NASA research indicated that these machines worked, the real research still hadn’t been completed. And what is even more ridiculous is that people thought that because WBV might work in a weightless environment, or combat the effects of being in a weightless environment, that this method of treatment would have any use for the 99.99999% of us who will never be exposed to zero-gravity.


This equipment has been marketed in an extremely deceptive manner in a field where deceptive tactics are all too prevalent. Units that cost thousands of dollars and hundreds of dollars have been marketed and sold to people despite a remarkably thin volume of research that, if anything, indicates that WBV will do nothing for the vast majority of the population.


In May of 2007 the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research contained the details of 4 WBV studies. In reading the details of these studies it is clear that WBV training is not an effective strategy to use for members of the general population.


The study titled, Whole Body Vibration Induced Adaptation in Knee Extensors; Consequences of Initial Joint Strength, Vibration Frequency and Joint Angle found that improvements from WBV were limited to the weakest subjects and that limited improvements were seen in the stronger participants. The researchers conclude that WBV therapy “will” be ideal for the frail and elderly, and otherwise extremely incapable people. As an aside, the fact that the researchers decided to use the word “will” instead of “is” in their conclusion speaks volumes as to the true efficacy of WBV therapy even as it pertains to a segment of the population that supposedly can benefit from its use.


When you consider the expense and likelihood that there are other less expensive, effective methods that can serve as an alternative, this conclusion does not mean that WBV is the ideal therapy for these people. All this study shows us is that WBV treatment is suited for the infirm, not even that it’s the best treatment for the infirm.


The research certainly doesn’t show that WBV is appropriate for members of the general population and people should steer clear of these gadgets and absolutely should not spend money on any WBV machine.

The Worst Training Program Ever

The cover story for the May 2007 edition of Muscle & Fitness magazine features Albert Pujols' training program. This program is without a doubt the worst possible kind of training program that any athlete could follow, regardless of the sport or capability level.

This is a body building, high-volume, low-intensity split routine. There is only one compound movement included in this routine - dumbbell sumo squats - and almost one-third of the program is made up of arm exercises. Pujols' trainer incorporates Smith Machine squats in this program, an exercise that is not recommended for anyone, especially an elite athlete.

When you look at this program it is no wonder that last season Pujols suffered a pretty severe oblique injury, had a hamstring issue and was bothered by a chronic elbow injury.

Pujols is the best baseball player on the planet, but he follows the worst training program possible.

Xenical Closer To Attaining OTC Status

On Tuesday January 24, 2006 federal health advisors to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted to recommend that Xenical - a drug prescribed for weight loss - be made available to the public in an over-the-counter dose. Final approval still has to be given by the FDA before GlaxoSmithKline can sell this non-prescription version.

Over a year later, we're thisclose to seeing Xenical available in an over-the-counter dose.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Xenical (generically know as orlistat), this is a drug that blocks the absorption of fat into the bloodstream, therefore reducing the amount of calories a person gets from a meal. The prescription dosage of Xenical decreases the amount of fat by about one-third and, when combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise, can help promote weight loss. The benefits delivered by Xenical stop as soon as you stop taking the drug.

Approved by the FDA in 1999, this drug hasn't been as popular as anticipated, in large part because of a wide range of gastrointestinal side-effects, most of which are extremely unpleasant, even though they are not dangerous. Well maybe dangerous to your clothing or people in close proximity, but I'll get to that in a moment.

Here is the list of side-effects - and it's a doozy - that you could encounter during your first year on Xenical: abdominal discomfort or pain, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, diarrhea, dizziness, earache, fatigue, fatty or oily stools, fecal urgency or incontinence, flu, gas with fecal discharge, gum problems, headache, increased defecation, menstrual problems, muscle pain, nausea, oily discharge, rectal discomfort or pain, respiratory tract infections, skin rash, sleep problems, tooth problems, urinary tract infections, vaginal inflammation, vomiting.

There's more, as depression, leg pain, swollen feet and tendonitis are side-effects that can crop up after one year of usage. By the way, my bookie can tell you that if you're always soiling yourself, of course you are going to be depressed.

Now my point is not that somehow this drug is dangerous or shouldn't be approved for over-the-counter sale. But I am saying - warning - that given the nature of what this drug is used for and knowing human nature, this is a drug that has a very high likelihood of being misused and abused. And the resulting shit storm - pun intended - will be quite severe.

And I want to be quite clear on this...I am blaming - in advance - the people who will misuse the drug and NOT the companies that develop, produce and market this drug. I have no faith in my fellow man when it comes to this kind of thing.

For it is obvious that if used correctly - and that's a big "IF" considering that we're talking about a weight loss drug - Xenical is safe and effective. But the potential for abuse here is tremendous. As is the potential for soiled garments of all kinds.

The prescription dosage of Xenical is one 120-milligram capsule three times per day with each meal containing fat. The proposed over-the-counter dose of Xenical - called Alli - is a 60-milligram capsule. So do the math and a person could very easily take the prescription level of Xenical by doubling up on the Alli. I don't think that's too much of a problem.

The problems will come when people give in to the inevitable "more is better" philosophy that too often comes into play. These problems will be compounded when people figure that they can double up on that dosage and be able to go on a KFC binge. The term "the Alli Shuffle" will take on a whole new meaning as a result of the misuse of this orlistat stuff.

And anyone who doesn't think that this will happen hasn't been paying too much attention to their fellow beings.

By looking at the information with regards to side-effects - anecdotal and otherwise - it's clear that the most common side effects are the good old fatty/oily stools, gas with fecal discharge, fecal urgency, increased defecation and oily discharge. And just for the record, I know the fourteen-year-old that resides deep inside all of us - and that goes for you girls out there as well - is laughing his/her ass at the comedic possibilities that spring to mind. Actually, my inner fourteen-year-old is dangerously close to the surface ... but I digress.

These symptoms - ladies and gentlemen - represent a veritable Hiroshima of eliminative horrors, and it's no wonder that sales for this drug are in the crapper. But seriously folks, who wants to be sitting on the subway next to an anxious, dizzy person who is suffering from gas with fecal discharge and the concomitant fecal urgency? It's no wonder that people using Xenical are anxious. They know that they may "you-know-what" at any moment, and that any "knock at the backdoor" could turn ugly in a hurry. "Hey Bill, you look anxious today. What gives?"

Ok, I've veered perilously close to the dark side of silliness so - in closing - I will now attempt to regain a modicum of credibility by veering back towards the light of seriousness.

After being approved for over-the-counter sale, Xenical will go on to become one of the most misused and abused drugs ever sold to the American public. And while dry cleaners and purveyors of undergarments and associated "foul weather gear" may rejoice in the newfound need for these goods and services, there will be a lot of unhappy Alli users out there. Lawsuits will follow.

And I'll be here making sophomoric jokes while saying, "I told you so!"

The Government Fines Bayer, TrimSpa, CortiSlim and Xenadrine for False Advertising

The FTC tells supplement hucksters that anecdotal evidence isn’t a substitute for science, and takes $25 mil from them.

Last week the Federal and Trade Commission announced that they were fining several diet supplement marketers and manufacturers -- including German drug titan Bayer -- a total of $25 million for making false and misleading claims in the advertising of their products. In a perfect world these products would be banned -- after all the government has banned trans fat -- so that people could be truly protected from predatory business practices of the unscrupulous.

The most important thing that consumers should learn from this case is that the FTC has ruled, “Testimonials from individuals are not a substitute for science.” Deborah Platt Majoras Chairman of the FTC has been clear on this point and went on to say that “the marketers are required to back up their claims with science, and if they can’t do that they can’t make the claim.”

I’ve been railing about this for years, so it’s good to see that the government is using their power in an appropriate manner.

What this means is that anecdotal evidence provided by consumers who have enjoyed positive results cannot be used in advertisements as the basis to make claims of a product’s efficacy. In other words, just because Jane Doe says she lost 30 pounds in 8 weeks doesn’t mean that a company can say that YOU will do the same, small print disclaimer or not.

There’s that little thing called science that companies will need to use in order to back up their claims.

The biggest offender -- at least judging by the size of the fines -- is RTC Research & Development, marketers of the ersatz weight loss product Xenadrine EFX. RTC will pay anywhere from $9 million and $12.8 million. The company that manufacturers Xenadrine, Nutriquest, is owned by Robert Chinery who also owns RTC.

Nutriquest used to be known as Cytodyne Technologies and has been in bankruptcy proceedings as a result of a massive suit filed by those who were damaged or killed by Xenadrine’s herbal, ephedra-based formula a few years ago. Baltimore Oriole pitcher Steve Bechler died in 2003 and Xenadrine was blamed as being partially responsible; his death served as the tipping point in the debate to ban ephedra and helped to launch this lawsuit.

Nutriquest was in bankruptcy from paying an $18 million judgment from this class-action suit, and the 140 plaintiffs will also split almost $35 million that comes from Nutriquest’s bankruptcy settlement.

Nutriquest wasn’t named in the FTC complaint, and Chinery and other parties involved in the sale of Xenadrine haven’t admitted to any wrongdoing in this case, but settled “to avoid the uncertainties and costs of litigation.”

However, it’s important to remember that this FTC complaint deals with the advertisements for the new Xenadrine formulation that is ephedra-free and not the old ephedra-laden Xenadrine. Would you buy any supplement made and marketed by this guy?

The bottom line with Xenadrine is to stay away from it.

The seven companies involved with the sale and marketing of CortiSlim and CortiStress will have to pony up at least $12 million in cash and assets for making ludicrous claims about their products. These people reached new lows with their marketing tactics for their products and not only made false weight-loss claims about CortiSlim but also claimed that CortiStress could reduce everything from the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s to preventing cancer.

Since CortiSlim was the best selling diet supplement on the market for years the CortiSlim creeps have been at this game for quite a long time and surely must be laughing their way to the bank, as $12 million spread out over seven companies is a drop in the bucket compared to how much money they have raked in during the past 5 years.

Goen Technologies, the company that makes TrimSpa, the weight-loss supplement made famous by Anna Nicole Smith, was fined $1.5 million for claims made in the advertisements in which she was featured.

Goen exhibited the type of humility that you would expect from a company that makes false and unsubstantiated claims, and blamed the media for their problems. According to Goen TrimSpa was “put under the microscope after Anna Nicole Smith’s 69-pound weight loss with TrimSpa X32 was widely reported in the media.”

Yea...apparently, according to Goen, all of this attention had nothing to do with TrimSpa’s media blitz advertising campaign and nothing to do with TrimSpa’s suspect ingredient list. Such chutzpah!

The way One-A-Day WeightSmart vitamins were marketed is what got Bayer in trouble to the tune of $3.2 million, although these big boys seems to be a bit miffed about being included in this rogue’s gallery of diet pill hucksters.

From up on their high horse Bayer dismissed this blow to their reputation in the way a supermodel might deal with an unsightly blemish. Bayer says that they “stand behind its One-A-Day WeightSmart multivitamin and fully believes that all claims made in the marketing of the product are well substantiated and supported,” and that “WeightSmart provides safe and effective nutritional support to those who are watching their weight.”

This is nonsense. If you look at the One-A-Day WeightSmart ingredient list you’ll be hard pressed to find anything that would make you think this supplement offers unique benefits to people who are trying to lose weight. And if Bayer’s advertisements had simply said their product provided “nutritional support” to people trying to lose weight they probably wouldn’t have gotten themselves into hot water.

The bottom line here is that when it comes to weight-loss supplements you just can’t trust anybody, whether it’s Bayer or one of the denizens of the underbelly of the supplement world. So keep your money in your pocket.

Are You Fit or Functionally Unfit?

I’ll probably tick some people off by saying this – so what else is new? – but there are few things that are more destructive than long-distance running. If you can stand the truth, keep reading.

The running/jogging craze was one of the major fitness phenomenons of the 20th Century, and running is still “da bomb” for tons of people as we sit here in the year 2006. The problem, as I see it, is that as the jogging generation has aged, they have become hobbled and hamstrung by overuse/over-training injuries that come from years of pounding.

As a result, running has created a whole bunch of people who are physically one-dimensional and injured.

If you don’t believe me, check out the crew at any local track. Older, healthy joggers are a rare sight. The older joggers usually look older than they really are, and run with an altered, ungainly gait brought about by the ravages of the road. And these folks are the lucky ones, as they at least are still able to run. They also look like they are in the severe need of a meal.

I have extensive experience working with people who have come to me after having done nothing but run. As a result of these experiences I have coined a phrase to describe the hard-core runner; “functionally unfit” or an “FU.”

“FU” is kind of like the term “functional illiterate.” A “functionally unfit” person is someone who has regularly participated in road races and consistently logs weekly mileage, yet has little if any flexibility in their trunk and extremities, and little strength to boot.

An “FU” gets dizzy when forced to actually exert themselves by doing something along the lines of calisthenics, or anything but jogging. When I get my hands on a jogger who, because they can complete a 5 kilometer run in less than 20 minutes, claims to be in great shape but can’t complete ten body weight squats, or labors through a sprint/speed workout I tell them “FU.”

To a runner who suffers from stress fractures, tendonitis, feet problems, back ailments, joint issues and/or shin splints, I say “FU.”

To serve as a contrast to “the runner,” I submit “the swimmer.” If you have the occasion to frequent your local Y, check out the pool. The hardcore swimmer of the same age as the hardcore jogger will look healthier, have less in the way of nagging ailments, and will be able to do what it is they do longer and better.

There are a lot of older swimmers; there are not a lot of older runners.

The swimmers that I have encountered are heartier than most regular citizens, and definitely in better shape than the runners. Swimmers have great muscle tone, posture and endurance. “Water lubbers” are lean, not gaunt and are capable and not frail. The chlorine-drenched are quick to improve when introduced to resistance training since swimmers doesn’t have the litany of nagging ailments to deal with and work around.

With the “blame everyone else” mentality that has been responsible for spate of nonsensical legislation dealing with fast-food providers, will it be long before the anti-running movement picks up steam and we see lawsuits filed against sneaker makers? Will those people who have had joints replaced or have lost cartilage and ligaments because they ran countless miles sue Nike and Brooks and New Balance?

Will these running shoe makers be blamed for promoting an activity that undoubtedly led to countless, painful injuries? How many people have been motivated to run - and run a lot - by the Nike advertising campaigns? You may laugh and think that we are exaggerating, but stranger things have happened.

Don’t agree with me? FU!

Does the "Hoodia Patch" Really Work?

The hoodia patch represents a new trick in the book of supplement marketers in their attempts to sell weight loss snake oil to the general public. These people want us to believe that not only is hoodia a weight loss miracle supplement, but that the patch delivery system guarantees that hoodia will deliver unprecedented weight loss benefits.

But let’s just forget about the delivery system of hoodia, and take a quick look at the supplement itself.

Hoodia gordonii – commonly referred to as hoodia – is the latest in a long line of weight loss panaceas that have been foisted upon the general public by dietary supplement hucksters. And just like all of hoodia’s forerunners, there really isn’t much scientific evidence to support the use of hoodia as a weight loss supplement.As a matter of fact, hoodia has the flimsiest pedigree of any of these other weight loss snake oils.Hoodia comes from cactus found in South Africa and Namibia. The parts of the cactus that contain the hoodia are ground down into powder which is in turn manufactured into whatever form the supplement manufacturers deem necessary. There are two major problems with hoodia. The first problem is that there is no independent research to verify the claims that hoodia can aid in weight loss or act as an appetite suppressant.

The “research” touted on the Internet is nothing of the legitimate kind, as most of these hoodia sites are nothing more than advertisements that have been set up by supplement marketers.Another telling sign that hoodia doesn’t work is that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer started development of a hoodia based drug, but has since turned over the development rights to another company. If hoodia showed any promise, it’s doubtful that Pfizer would have abandoned their project and given the opportunity to another pharmaceutical company.

The “proof” that hoodia works is purely anecdotal There are stories that for thousands of years the Bushmen of the Kalahari desert have eaten parts of these cacti in an attempt to ward off hunger on long hunting trips. Okay. That’s just silly.

That isn’t proof, it’s folklore.

A while ago CBS’s 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl testified to the appetite suppressing qualities of hoodia. Ms. Stahl traveled to Africa and had a local aboriginal Bushmen take her to where this cactus grows. Ms. Stahl ate the raw hoodia right from the cactus and stated that because she didn’t feel hungry all day, the hoodia must work as an appetite suppressant. This is the worst kind of journalism.

Despite Ms. Stahl’s credentials as a serious journalist, her testimonial is meaningless. However, hoodia hucksters seized upon the credibility of Ms. Stahl to sell their product to hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting consumers. How many millions of dollars did these supplement sellers make thanks to Ms. Stahl’s irresponsible words? But that’s a different story for another time.

Which brings up another important issue.

What Ms. Stahl ingested was “fresh picked” cactus giving her raw hoodia, not the processed hoodia powder which is contained in all hoodia supplements. From what we know about trying to extract nutrients from other “real sources” of nutrients – garlic and fruit extracts for instance - these extracted powders or pills do not offer any of the benefits provided by the real thing. So even if raw hoodia does provide some benefits, powdered hoodia most likely cannot.

On the web site for the hoodia patch not only do we get the recycled Leslie Stahl story we’re also told that a BBC reporter named Tom Mangold spoke to a doctor who told him that hoodia basically kills your appetite by tricking the brain into thinking that you’re full.

Here’s how these hucksters sum up their hoodia product.
That's it! That's the MIRACLE OF HOODIA!! It tricks the brain into thinking you've eaten a three course meal. While you are wearing the patch, you're simply NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE! You'll still eat – but you'll EAT A LOT LESS!!

Hmm, wouldn’t this result in people starving to death because they think that they are full and never want to eat? If hoodia in fact does trick the brain into thinking that you’re full how can you still eat, why would you still eat?

Please people, exercise some common sense and stay away from any product that makes this kind of wildly contradictory statement.

And of course on the hoodia patch web site there are no references whatsoever to actual scientific studies, the results of which would support the use of hoodia.The other major problem with hoodia is that even if hoodia did work as advertised, there is no guarantee that there is actual hoodia in the hoodia supplements. There have been stories that up to two-thirds of all the hoodia supplements sold in the United States are counterfeit. An independent lab analysis of seventeen different hoodia products found that only six of these products actually contained any hoodia.

Hoodia gordonii has been on a list of protected/endangered species since 2004 and that means that all genuine hoodia exported from South Africa needs to have a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permit. Unscrupulous hoodia brokers are counterfeiting these licenses in order to sell who-knows-what as 100% hoodia.

And even if the hoodia is legally obtained - and is actual hoodia - the hoodia powder is frequently cut with fillers so as to allow suppliers to sell more "hoodia." This means that there is less hoodia in the supplement than the buyer is led to believe. In the case of hoodia, less of something that doesn’t do anything for you anyway.

Spending your money on any weight loss supplement is a bad idea, but spending on hoodia in any form is the worst “investment” that anyone can make.

The "Research" Behind the Hypergravity Whole Body Vibration Platform

The Power Plate people aren’t the only crew out there trying to bamboozle the public into thinking that Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training offers a viable alternative to real exercise, as the folks at Hypergravity are hyperventilating over their vibrating platform.

Here’s a look at the Hypergravity website and the studies they offer as proof that their product does what they say it does.

As I mentioned in my previous piece on this gadget, the home page of the Hypergravity site tells us “Vibration technology is based on Russian research and development. It reached its peak when Russian cosmonauts were able to regain bone mass (which was lost due to lack of gravity in space) using advanced vibration technology. Today NASA is working with similar technology: Whole Body Vibration (WBV) to stop and possibly reverse the loss of bone density.”

But we’re never given any details about this “research.”

The “research” the Hypergravity people provide that is supposed to show us that NASA has unlocked the secrets of WBV is nothing but some old articles about proposed WBV studies.

The Hypergravity website has a “Researches” (sic) section that provides us with links to studies that – in the Hypergravity people’s world – are supposed to prove WBV training works.

Let’s go right to the “Researches” section of the Hypergravity website to see what kind of “researches” there is to support the claims of the Hypergravity folks.

When clicking on the link titled, Acute whole body vibration training increases vertical jump and flexibility performance in elite female field hockey players, we’re taken to a summary of a study on the Pubmed.gov site. This summary tells us that 18 female field hockey players were studied and those who trained with a protocol that included WBV were able to increase their vertical jump and flexibility.

This summary doesn’t use precise language to quantify these increases, but employs the phrase, “there was a positive interaction effect on vertical jump and flexibility parameters following WBV.” This statement is just nonsense as we aren’t told exactly what these “increases” are and what the “parameters” are. This summary concludes with the statement that says muscles that are less exposed to this vibration don’t receive any performance enhancing benefits. So much for a person’s upper body.

And perhaps the Hypergravity people don’t want you to know a study done at Appalachian State titled Acute Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Muscle Activity, Strength and Power and published in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found WBV training only increased vertical jump by a paltry .7%. That’s point-seven percent, not seven percent. That’s like buying something for $100 and someone saying, “Hey, let me knock seventy cents off for you.” Gee thanks, Dude!

In this study, the researchers posited this minute improvement in vertical jump could have been due to other, non-WBV training related factors.

Also, the Appalachian State study found that WBV training did not increase any other performance variable. And while the Hypergravity folks didn't site this study, this lukewarm-at-best news didn’t prevent the Power Plate people from using this Appalachian State Study as “proof” that WBV can improve athletic performance.

Let’s move on to the next piece of “research” provided for us on the Hypergravity site, a little piece titled Vibrations and their applications in sport. A review. This is nothing more than a paragraph that summarizes the concept of WBV, makes no mention at all about any sports applications of WBV, and the summary is authored by the person who conducted most of the research he was summarizing.

The best line in this summary is the conclusion, in which the author writes, “The intensity and duration of vibration used in Vibration Training dramatically exceed the standards for occupational vibration established by the International Organization for Standardization.” The IOS is the world’s largest developer of standards.

This means the intensity of the vibrations used in this kind of “training” would not be recommended in the workplace. So one could make the case that even if WBV training did do something, to get these purported benefits a person would have to be exposed to potentially dangerous/injurious levels of vibration. Sounds great to me!

Now onto the link titled, Will WBV training help increase the range of motion of the hamstring? Of course, the author of this study concludes WBV should be recommended to athletes who want to increase their range of motion, but if you look at the study there are some glaring inconsistencies.

Question: What is a WBV training study that includes glaring inconsistencies and design flaws? If you’re a WBV huckster, the answer is “Part of our marketing materials!” Anyway, back to our show.

The problem with this study is that while both groups studied engaged in an active form of flexibility training -- the contract-release method -- the WBV training group, immediately before performing each stretching exercise, assumed a 90 degree squat on the vibration platform for 30 seconds while the control group did nothing.

A properly designed study would have four groups -- a group that squats on the platform prior to each stretch, a group that does nothing prior to each stretch, a group that assumes a static 90 degree squat on a non-vibrating surface, and a group that performs some type of low-intensity dynamic movement such as jumping jacks or body weight squats on a non-vibrating surface for 30 seconds.

Without including some kind of active movement for at least one group in this study, the conclusion can’t be made that WBV training itself is responsible for any improvements in ROM. A group active while stretching is always going to show greater gains in flexibility when compared to a group performing only flexibility exercises.

The giveaway that this study is a set up from the design standpoint is the author concludes “on the basis of the findings from this study, athletes who want to gain ROM in the hamstrings should use WBV training in combination with contract-release stretching.” The author of this study never discusses the possibility of increased ROM in the WBV group could be attributed to the fact that this group was placed in a position where the hamstrings were engaged/working and as a result would be more receptive to the flexibility exercise.

In light of the exorbitant price of these vibration platforms, you would think a responsible researcher would have conducted a more thorough investigation before making the leap that WBV alone can increase hamstring ROM better than other more traditional and “cost less” options.

This study -- and the conclusion reached by the researcher -- serves as a great example of studies designed so a positive outcome is guaranteed.

The fourth study served up on the “Researches” page is titled Effect of whole-body vibration exercise on lumbar bone mineral density, bone turnover, and chronic back pain in post-menopausal osteoporotic women treated with alendronate. This is yet another great example of how a study is designed to arrive at a predetermined, and positive, outcome.

This study involved fifty post-menopausal women suffering from osteoporosis and lower back pain, between the ages of 55-88. These women were all taking the drug alendronate, also known as Fosomax, which is used to treat and prevent osteoporosis. Right here you have the classic ploys of studying the elderly – sorry all of you 50 and 60 year olds! – and the chronically impaired. This kind of data just doesn’t translate to the rest of the population.

The fifty women were split into two groups, both of which were taking alendronate; one group did nothing and the other group stood on a vibration platform once a week for 4 minutes, for a year. The study found the only difference between the two groups after the 12 months was that the group using the platform experienced less back pain. There are no details as to how this “less back pain” was defined or quantified.

Most noticeably, there was no difference in the bone density measurements between the two groups.

The flaws in the design of this study are obvious, including how these 50 women were grouped, and what these groups did. Actually, what they DIDN’T do. Just as in the above mentioned hamstring study, there aren’t enough groups in this study. In addition to the women taking the drug and the women taking the drug and standing on the vibration platform, there needed to be a group performing some other type of low-intensity exercise. The inclusion of this third group would have allowed the researchers to determine if WBV training alone could be responsible for reducing back pain and/or how WBV compared to traditional modes of exercise in reducing back pain.

Additionally, since this study didn’t see any WBV-induced increases in bone mass, if my proposed third group were included in this study the researchers also could have looked at how medicated exercise compared to medicated inactivity and medicated WBV training with regard to developing bone mass. But then again, this detail would have forced the WBV industry to come to grips with the fact WBV doesn’t offer anything special.

Incredibly, these studies are being offered up as proof WBV training offers benefits. The only reason I can think of as to why this research is even being done is these WBV platform makers are trying to make the case to the rehabilitation industry that these gadgets somehow have a place in legit settings.

The Hypergravity site offers up this dreck as their top 5 reasons to buy their equipment, so how can we hope that any of these other studies will offer up anything better?

The "Research" Behind the Hypergravity Whole Body Vibration Platform

The Power Plate people aren’t the only crew out there trying to bamboozle the public into thinking that Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training offers a viable alternative to real exercise, as the folks at Hypergravity are hyperventilating over their vibrating platform.

Here’s a look at the Hypergravity website and the studies they offer as proof that their product does what they say it does.

As I mentioned in my previous piece on this gadget, the home page of the Hypergravity site tells us “Vibration technology is based on Russian research and development. It reached its peak when Russian cosmonauts were able to regain bone mass (which was lost due to lack of gravity in space) using advanced vibration technology. Today NASA is working with similar technology: Whole Body Vibration (WBV) to stop and possibly reverse the loss of bone density.”

But we’re never given any details about this “research.”

The “research” the Hypergravity people provide that is supposed to show us that NASA has unlocked the secrets of WBV is nothing but some old articles about proposed WBV studies.

The Hypergravity website has a “Researches” (sic) section that provides us with links to studies that – in the Hypergravity people’s world – are supposed to prove WBV training works.

Let’s go right to the “Researches” section of the Hypergravity website to see what kind of “researches” there is to support the claims of the Hypergravity folks.

When clicking on the link titled, Acute whole body vibration training increases vertical jump and flexibility performance in elite female field hockey players, we’re taken to a summary of a study on the Pubmed.gov site. This summary tells us that 18 female field hockey players were studied and those who trained with a protocol that included WBV were able to increase their vertical jump and flexibility.

This summary doesn’t use precise language to quantify these increases, but employs the phrase, “there was a positive interaction effect on vertical jump and flexibility parameters following WBV.” This statement is just nonsense as we aren’t told exactly what these “increases” are and what the “parameters” are. This summary concludes with the statement that says muscles that are less exposed to this vibration don’t receive any performance enhancing benefits. So much for a person’s upper body.

And perhaps the Hypergravity people don’t want you to know a study done at Appalachian State titled Acute Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Muscle Activity, Strength and Power and published in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found WBV training only increased vertical jump by a paltry .7%. That’s point-seven percent, not seven percent. That’s like buying something for $100 and someone saying, “Hey, let me knock seventy cents off for you.” Gee thanks, Dude!

In this study, the researchers posited this minute improvement in vertical jump could have been due to other, non-WBV training related factors.

Also, the Appalachian State study found that WBV training did not increase any other performance variable. And while the Hypergravity folks didn't site this study, this lukewarm-at-best news didn’t prevent the Power Plate people from using this Appalachian State Study as “proof” that WBV can improve athletic performance.

Let’s move on to the next piece of “research” provided for us on the Hypergravity site, a little piece titled Vibrations and their applications in sport. A review. This is nothing more than a paragraph that summarizes the concept of WBV, makes no mention at all about any sports applications of WBV, and the summary is authored by the person who conducted most of the research he was summarizing.

The best line in this summary is the conclusion, in which the author writes, “The intensity and duration of vibration used in Vibration Training dramatically exceed the standards for occupational vibration established by the International Organization for Standardization.” The IOS is the world’s largest developer of standards.

This means the intensity of the vibrations used in this kind of “training” would not be recommended in the workplace. So one could make the case that even if WBV training did do something, to get these purported benefits a person would have to be exposed to potentially dangerous/injurious levels of vibration. Sounds great to me!

Now onto the link titled, Will WBV training help increase the range of motion of the hamstring? Of course, the author of this study concludes WBV should be recommended to athletes who want to increase their range of motion, but if you look at the study there are some glaring inconsistencies.

Question: What is a WBV training study that includes glaring inconsistencies and design flaws? If you’re a WBV huckster, the answer is “Part of our marketing materials!” Anyway, back to our show.

The problem with this study is that while both groups studied engaged in an active form of flexibility training -- the contract-release method -- the WBV training group, immediately before performing each stretching exercise, assumed a 90 degree squat on the vibration platform for 30 seconds while the control group did nothing.

A properly designed study would have four groups -- a group that squats on the platform prior to each stretch, a group that does nothing prior to each stretch, a group that assumes a static 90 degree squat on a non-vibrating surface, and a group that performs some type of low-intensity dynamic movement such as jumping jacks or body weight squats on a non-vibrating surface for 30 seconds.

Without including some kind of active movement for at least one group in this study, the conclusion can’t be made that WBV training itself is responsible for any improvements in ROM. A group active while stretching is always going to show greater gains in flexibility when compared to a group performing only flexibility exercises.

The giveaway that this study is a set up from the design standpoint is the author concludes “on the basis of the findings from this study, athletes who want to gain ROM in the hamstrings should use WBV training in combination with contract-release stretching.” The author of this study never discusses the possibility of increased ROM in the WBV group could be attributed to the fact that this group was placed in a position where the hamstrings were engaged/working and as a result would be more receptive to the flexibility exercise.

In light of the exorbitant price of these vibration platforms, you would think a responsible researcher would have conducted a more thorough investigation before making the leap that WBV alone can increase hamstring ROM better than other more traditional and “cost less” options.

This study -- and the conclusion reached by the researcher -- serves as a great example of studies designed so a positive outcome is guaranteed.

The fourth study served up on the “Researches” page is titled Effect of whole-body vibration exercise on lumbar bone mineral density, bone turnover, and chronic back pain in post-menopausal osteoporotic women treated with alendronate. This is yet another great example of how a study is designed to arrive at a predetermined, and positive, outcome.

This study involved fifty post-menopausal women suffering from osteoporosis and lower back pain, between the ages of 55-88. These women were all taking the drug alendronate, also known as Fosomax, which is used to treat and prevent osteoporosis. Right here you have the classic ploys of studying the elderly – sorry all of you 50 and 60 year olds! – and the chronically impaired. This kind of data just doesn’t translate to the rest of the population.

The fifty women were split into two groups, both of which were taking alendronate; one group did nothing and the other group stood on a vibration platform once a week for 4 minutes, for a year. The study found the only difference between the two groups after the 12 months was that the group using the platform experienced less back pain. There are no details as to how this “less back pain” was defined or quantified.

Most noticeably, there was no difference in the bone density measurements between the two groups.

The flaws in the design of this study are obvious, including how these 50 women were grouped, and what these groups did. Actually, what they DIDN’T do. Just as in the above mentioned hamstring study, there aren’t enough groups in this study. In addition to the women taking the drug and the women taking the drug and standing on the vibration platform, there needed to be a group performing some other type of low-intensity exercise. The inclusion of this third group would have allowed the researchers to determine if WBV training alone could be responsible for reducing back pain and/or how WBV compared to traditional modes of exercise in reducing back pain.

Additionally, since this study didn’t see any WBV-induced increases in bone mass, if my proposed third group were included in this study the researchers also could have looked at how medicated exercise compared to medicated inactivity and medicated WBV training with regard to developing bone mass. But then again, this detail would have forced the WBV industry to come to grips with the fact WBV doesn’t offer anything special.

Incredibly, these studies are being offered up as proof WBV training offers benefits. The only reason I can think of as to why this research is even being done is these WBV platform makers are trying to make the case to the rehabilitation industry that these gadgets somehow have a place in legit settings.

The Hypergravity site offers up this dreck as their top 5 reasons to buy their equipment, so how can we hope that any of these other studies will offer up anything better?

Debunking the Myth of Whole Body Vibration Training and the Hypergravity Platform

Whole Body Vibration (WBV) training is a recent fad that has been foisted upon the public by fitness marketing types. In recent years several different types of these vibrating platform contraptions have hit the market.

About a month ago I wrote a critical review of something called the Power Plate that was getting press because the aging pop star Madonna had purchased one and was supposedly singing its praises. I kicked off a firestorm among the WBV crowd because I actually read the studies used by the Power Plate people, and pointed out that the emperor had no clothes.

In my research on the Power Plate I came across the Hypergravity website, a manufacturer of another of these WBV platforms.

Over several installments over the next month or so I will provide a detailed look at each study that the marketers of the Hypergravity platform use to support the claims that they make about their product, and show how the data from these studies is severely lacking.

It bears mentioning that the numerous spelling and grammatical errors that are present on almost every page of the site are indicative of an intellectual laziness that permeates the Hypergravity people's approach to everything, including the science that they allege backs up their claims. This lack of attention to detail speaks volumes about how these people act in their efforts to try and sell their ersatz, high-tech snake oil.

To kick this whole thing off I’ll address the claims coming from the WBV hucksters that NASA has studied this mode of training, and as a result has determined that WBV is valid and its benefits can be derived by astronauts and earth-lubbers alike.

On the home page of the Hypergravity site we’re told that “Vibration technology is based on Russian research and development. It reached its peak when Russian cosmonauts were able to regain bone mass (which was lost due to lack of gravity in space) using advanced vibration technology. Today NASA is working with similar technology: Whole Body Vibration (WBV) to stop and possibly reverse the loss of bone density.”

The Hypergravity people do not provide us with any details in regard to this “Russian research.” There are no mentions of any specific studies, no passages from studies, no dates to give us an idea as to when this research and development was performed. There is nothing about this “Russian research” anywhere on the Hypergravity site.

Was this data culled back in the days of Sputnik or during the time when Rocky IV was being made? Your guess is as good as mine.

The fallacy of Whole Body Vibration training’s suitability for the general public is revealed by the nature of NASA’s research on the subject. For as much as the purveyors of these vibration platforms want to convince you that this method of training is equal to - or even superior to - conventional training, the research being done by NASA in no way supports this position.

According to the WBV industry, NASA is studying the effects of WBV training as a way to combat bone loss that results from astronauts existing in a zero gravity environment for long periods of time. A zero gravity environment is an extreme condition that no person on earth will ever deal with no matter how couch potato-ish they are, so to apply these theories or the results of these very preliminary studies to any members of our earth-bound population is ridiculous.

Even the most sedentary and/or infirm individuals are subjected to the forces of gravity. Standing, walking, climbing stairs or getting up from a seated position place demands on the body’s muscular-skeletal and nervous systems that don’t occur in a weightless environment.

To study the response of a person who is either in a weightless environment or who has been subjected to a weightless environment is meaningless when applying the data from these studies to people who will never be exposed to a weightless environment.

Walking can load the hip and knee joints with forces anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 times body weight ("Hip Contact Forces and Gait Patterns From Routine Activities", Bergmann, Deurerzbacher, et. al.) and these loads are even greater when a person runs, climbs stairs or gets up out of a chair.

Wolff’s Law basically states that a bone gets stronger when a sufficient load is placed upon it, and this same bone will lose strength in the absence of this load. Without the force of gravity no load is applied to bone, and bone loses strength much quicker and doesn’t respond to any exercises that can be performed in this weightless environment. This is why NASA has been trying to find a form of exercise that can combat the detrimental effects of weightlessness while astronauts are in this environment.

There are links to two stories on the Hypergravity site under the heading of “What NASA Has to Say About Good Vibrations?” [sic]. Ostensibly these stories are supposed to prove that since NASA is studying WBV as a possible aid to astronauts, that this method is somehow useful to the rest of us.

The first link, titled A new treatment under study by NASA-funded doctors could reverse bone loss experienced by astronauts in space, takes you to an article that was written in 2001.

Here is a passage from this article: “Whether astronauts would benefit from a vibration-plate regimen is a question that can only be fully answered by conducting experiments in space. Such tests have been proposed, but none are scheduled yet [my emphasis].”

Here’s another interesting passage: “According to this thinking, the remedy for bone loss in space should be exercises that duplicate stresses on our muscles and skeletons experienced during a daily and active life on Earth. Unfortunately, without the pull of gravity it is very difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate loads routinely experienced by our muscles and bones on Earth.”

And finally, Dr. Clinton Rubin, a professor of biomedical engineering at SUNY-Stony Brook, “hopes that future experiments will reveal not only whether vibration therapy works, but also why [my emphasis].”

Since this article first appeared in 2001 and the Hypergravity people don’t provide us with any additional updates from this story, we can conclude that the jury is still VERY much out on whether or not WBV works for astronauts. And there is no way anyone can conclude that WBV will do anything for us non-astronauts. The head researcher himself doesn’t even assert that WBV works.

The second link is titled Shaken Not Stirred: Mixing Vibrations With Genetics May Help Reduce Bone Loss for Astronauts, and takes you to a NASA site and an article very similar to the first article. This item was posted in 2002 and features the research being performed by SUNY-Stony Brook’s Dr. Rubin.

Here’s the most interesting passage of this article: “These results (animal and preliminary studies featuring postmenopausal women and children with cerebral palsy), while still preliminary, show that the platform may be an effective counter-measure in space. Astronauts could stand on the platform a few minutes a day, even performing other tasks at the same time because the stimulus is so minimal [my emphasis].”

What this means is that researchers proposed in 2002 that the astronauts would use WBV in a weightless environment to combat the effects of weightlessness. Even these researchers weren’t proposing that the astronauts would use WBV once they arrived back on Earth as part of a rehabilitation program. And these studies were not conducted, they were just proposed.

Just like in the first article highlighted by the Hypergravity people, there is no recent update to this story. There is no reason to believe that any of this has ever gotten off the drawing board.

What all of this means is that there is no data from NASA that indicates that Whole Body Vibration is a valid method of exercise or treatment for astronauts or members of the general population.

In the next installment of debunking the myth of WBV training I will review the first six studies on the Hypergravity website’s “Researches [sic]” page that are provided to somehow prove the efficacy of WBV.

Are Athletes Using Experimental Drugs To Help Them Recover Faster From Major Surgery?

I've written a piece that's posted on blogcritics.com that discusses the possibility that athletes are using experimental drugs in order to recover quicker from major surgery.

Here is a piece I posted on my old website way back in the fall of 2004.


The October 2004 edition of Muscle and Fitness features another puff piece detailing the “revolutionary” training regimen of a professional athlete. Read why Terrill Owens’ routine is nonsense.

Despite what “Team TO” says at the end of this article, they have not helped to create “an otherworldly brand of athlete.” This “team” as been able to attach itself to Owens - a genetic freak - and they have been allowed to affect him with their own brand of nonsense. They will no doubt enrich themselves as a result.

Here’s the case.

Terrill Owens is an All-Pro Football player thanks to his genetics, or what some people call “God-given ability.” There isn’t a workout program or trainer that can make him “more All-Pro,” more dominating or more ANYTHING.

He was 6’ 1” 175 pounds as a freshman in high school. He got a full football scholarship to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, was All-Southern Conference three years and walked-on and played three years on the UTC basketball team.

He ran a 4.6 second, 40-yard dash during his first year at college.

He is 6’ 3”, 226 pounds with 6% body fat.

“T.O.” was picked by the San Francisco 49’ers in the third round - the 89th overall pick - in the 1996 NFL draft. He has been one of the best receivers in the NFL for the better part of a decade.

Plain and simple, this is the resume of a genetically gifted, elite athlete. Owens certainly is not a product of his recent training regimen.

But here we have Muscle and Fitness telling us that Owens’ has embarked on a training regimen to make him even better. We’re told that this “Star Wars” training program, that seems simple to the uninitiated, is going to make Owens even better. But to the initiated, this program is ridiculous.

And while it’s nice that T.O. is going to bat for his trainer, there’s nothing in this program that has anything to do with Owens being, or staying, a dominant receiver. If anything, this article – once again – just serves to reinforce my position that elite athletes are born and not made.

The cornerstone for this program seems to be “taxing pelvic contractions” that “represents the latest advance in core training.” Don’t believe that pelvic contractions are going to help a guy on the football field. To paraphrase Oscar Madison, “Taxing pelvic contractions, without brute strength will leave a lot of cleat marks on the back of your head.”


When we read the following the fraud alarm really goes off,

“Owens typically lifts four days a week, employing exercises and rep ranges clearly influenced by his trainer’s background in bodybuilding (my emphasis).”

Most absurd is that TO’s trainer comes from a body building background. Just in case any of you are newcomers, I’ll repeat my mantra that body builders do not belong anywhere near real athletes, especially when program design is involved. Nothing can be further from real athletes and real athletics than body builders and their “sport.”

Let’s skip all the other garbage in this article and go right to the sidebar where we get the details of the program, under the heading “The Making of TO.”

Monday: Abs, Back Triceps
Decline sit-up
Hanging leg raise
Hammer-Strength pull down
One-arm dumbbell row
Low-back extension
Cable press down
Seated dip machine
Hammer-Strength chest press

Tuesday: Abs, Chest, Biceps
Decline oblique crunch
Lying alternating leg raise
Flat-bench dumbbell press
Incline dumbbell press
Standing straight-bar curl
Hammer curl
Seated dumbbell curl

Thursday: Abs, Quads, Shoulders
Decline sit-up
Hanging leg raise
Leg press
Hack squat machine
Leg extension
Seated shoulder press
Seated lateral raise
Angled lat pull down

Friday: Abs, Hamstrings, Calves
Decline oblique crunch
Lying alternating leg raise
Standing leg curl
Dumbbell stiff-legged dead lift
Lying leg curl
Standing calf raise
Seated calf raise

That’s it. No compound movements, no ground based movements, no explosive movements. No squats. No lunges. Mostly machine-based exercises. Three different kinds of biceps curls. This is a joke.

As a matter of fact, this isn’t just a joke it is a scam. I’ll go one step further and say that if this is in fact the actual workout, Owens runs the risk of injury by following this program. The leg press, hack squat machine (!), leg extension and leg curls are demonstrably counter-productive and should be avoided by athletes and no-athletes alike.

More red flags of nonsense are raised when the discussion turns to the “team” of people that takes care of Owens and helps him to deal with the stresses of playing in the NFL.

Owens employs a chiropractor that is also a biomechanics export. Chiropractors should never play a prominent role in the program design and implementation of an athlete at any level. Chiropractors can certainly offer relief in some cases, but if you need a biomechanics expert, get an MD.

More sketchiness is evident when we’re told that Owens employs Hank Sloan, ND (?) who prescribes Owens’ hyperbaric therapy (click here if you want to read about it http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/HBOT/hm01.html) and administers “natural, non-steroidal injections to help re-grow tendons and ligaments in injured areas.”

Um, there are no known, legal substances that can re-grow tendons and ligaments. The stuff doesn’t exist. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t people out there trying to sell what’s known as prolotherapy as a valid form of “treatment.” Click here for some background http://www.aetna.com/cpb/data/CPBA0207.html.

This is plain and simple just garbage, the whole kit and caboodle.

I’ll say it again in case it sinks in: Terrill Owens is a star because of his genetics and because he apparently practices clean living, but this training routine has nothing to do with his success or his talent.

Let me know if you disagree.


Here was a person who disagreed, none other than Dr. Hank Sloan himself, a member of Owens’ team of “experts.” This is the exact email that I received.

Wow,
I just came across your editorial piece and read this rediculous piece of bias nonsence. I am the Doctor ( trained in Europe and yes sports medicine) that works with T.O. for 2.5 years now. I currently work with 12 NFL teams and Biotech companies and we are healing tissues, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, etc, without surgery. And yes they are mostly natural ingredients. Why do you take an attitude of opposition about things you have no idea about. I will attatch some research to this email just to prove the results of IFG-! injections repairing tissue. We are on the same team. My goal is to help everyone overcome their injuries. You have no idea about TO and his injuries and what our team has dome for him. Have you read his MRI's and x-rays. How did he come back so fast last year after completely braking his clacicle and having surgery? And as far as his core training is concerned, that part of his training is specifically for a groin injury, which you have no idea about. No matter how much genetic potential you have, NFL players will get hurt and our job is rehab. I am an honest, dependable scientist and physician who has helped thousands of people in pain. We are proponants for training and you take the attitude that for some reason we are against you. Next time, give me a call and we can discuss there things before you put information out there for others to see. Your comments on "Um, there are no known, legal substances that can re-grow tendons and ligaments". Are you a doctor or just printing thoughts with out doing one shread of research. So I guess you think TO is stupid for having his team around. Dont you think a player of his caliber will have the best. And by the way, who are you?
Dr Sloan. MD, NMD, MD(AM0, NMT FICAM

Below is you lack of knowledge abou things you have no idea.
"Um, there are no known, legal substances that can re-grow tendons and ligaments. The stuff doesn't exist. However, this doesn't mean that there aren't people out there trying to sell what's known as prolotherapy as a valid form of "treatment." Click here for some background.
This is plain and simple just garbage, the whole kit and caboodle.
We'll say it again in case it sinks in: Terrill Owens is a star because of his genetics and because he apparently practices clean living, but this training routine has nothing to do with his success or his talent. "
Attached to this rambling email were abstracts of certain studies – all of which were done on animals or in laboratory settings - that this Dr. Sloan thought constituted proof that IGF-1 was suitable for use in humans, and that there were in fact substances that could be used to re-grow tendons and ligaments.

Here is the response I sent to Dr. Sloan.

Dr. Sloan:
Thanks for taking the time and effort to respond to my item.

I read through all of the abstracts you forwarded. None of them suggest that any of these growth factors are effective in a living, breathing human. Sure, they demonstrate some efficacy in vitro, in murine species, equines, and in other culture media, but none of the studies you forwarded suggest any activity in the human body. Also of importance, most of the abstracts that included in vivo experimentation were done in Japan, Switzerland, and China.

Sure the guys at Cornell demonstrated an effect when human-horse IFG-1 was injected into young horses, but they killed them to determine whether it actually worked.

The bottom line is these abstracts suggest this stuff might work in rats, horses, and in some lab dishes. However, none of these abstracts studied the effect in a human. Where are the studies that suggest this works in humans? Even if these growth factors are effective at repairing human tissues, how will the effect be measured?

Certainly scientists are not going to kill people to determine whether ligaments, tendons, and/or cartilage was repaired. Furthermore, how do you account for the studies that may have been done that may suggest that this stuff does not work?

Although promising, I find it hard to believe that someone would inject growth factors into a living, breathing human such as Mr Owens at this stage of research. Talk about a high risk experiment. Typically, and as you surely are aware of, phase I/II human trials are conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of a therapy, but in most cases All-Pro athletes don't volunteer for such research. Subjects are most often people looking to earn a quick buck, and research firms maintain databases of thousands of such individuals.

So what does your cocktail include? In the M&F article it states "natural," but in your email you state "mostly natural," which is it? Are you injecting Mr Owens with IGF-1 and/or HGH?

Additionally, are you saying that what you injected into Mr. Owens helped his clavicle heal quicker, and therefore is promoting faster bone growth as well?

You also mention you work with biotech firms as well as other NFL teams, but the you have not provided specifics of this in either your email or in the M&F item.

Regarding Mr Owens' training routine, if you really had any knowledge on this subject you would keep a body builder who uses a body building routine far away from a real, professional athlete. Body builders know so little about performance-based training it boggles the mind that anyone would permit Mr Owens to waste his time with such nonsense.

Core training is a nice little catch-all phrase, and it may help to rehab an injury but it is hardly revolutionary and certainly isn't the key to Mr Owens success. The same holds true for the ludicrous assertion that the workout under the heading of "The Making of T.O." is responsible in any way, shape or form for Mr Owens success, and is a tribute to the kind of ignorance of performance training that is the hallmark of body builders.

Finally, the "how dare you, who are you" tone that permeates your email is hardly the stuff one would expect coming from a man of letters, such as yourself. Your thin skin is curious.

All the best,
Sal Marinello, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA)
USA Weightlifting Certified Coach
Head Strength Coach, Chatham High School (NJ)
President, Millburn-Short Hills Athletic Club
Publisher, OnlineAthleticClub.com

THIS IS THE ACTUAL EMAIL RESPONSE FROM DR SLOAN WITH MY BOLD TYPE ADDED.

Dear Sal,
You would find that I would be much more responsive if you were not so confrontive. Please ease up a little. I sent you a few research studies that you are basing my entire therapy on. Being trained by different doctors around the world, my view of injury and rehab. is much broader than the typical Orthopedic training. We use many different injection techniques and substances. IGF-1 is extremely beneficial and works very well for healing ligament, tendon and cartilage. I just recently healed a 60% tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in a Pro Baseball Player using a combination of GH, IGF-1, and prolotherpy. We have the team MRI, pre and post, to prove it. Also, I have healed a couple of anterior meniscus tears without surgery. There are others as well. I am a clinician and I am also helping with human trial studies at this time. There is NO unwanted side effects of anything I use. SO, we either get great results or mediocre results. But we get results. A great practitioner not only knows what is wrong, but what to use to fix the problem. IGF-1 is not extremely experimental, its not even dangerous, used properly. I'm very cautious and use almost all natural agents, seeing that I am trying to heal tissue, not band aid injury. IFG-1 is used sparingly and in very specific protocols.
There are other companies and other research, too much to mention. I'm not sure why you have taken such interest in this topic. You know I cant mention any treatment regarding TO, and I probably shouldn't have to explain myself in any fashion. The proof is in the pudding, I always say to my patients. What matters is if people get better. I'm sure you take a similar philosophy. I take my life's work very seriously and I don't have time to defend myself in emails from people around the world who are curious about the next great future step in medicine. Please don't take that offensively. Exciting advances are coming soon.
Sincerely, Dr.M. Hank Sloan


HERE IS AN EMAIL THAT I SENT TO TERCICA, THE COMPANY THAT HOLDS THE LICENSE TO CONDUCT TRIALS WITH IGF-1.

Ms. Kraemer:
A man who claims to be NFL player Terrill Owens' doctor has written me and said that he is using IGF-1 as a therapy to regrow/heal injured tendons and ligaments. I have included a copy of his latest email.

I publish a fitness-based website that deals with, among other things, frauds and illegal activities perpetrated on the public in the name of health and fitness. One of my items was critical of the claims of this doctor, Hank Sloan, that he had a regimen of injections that could regrow tendons and ligaments.

During my research I have been in contact with clinicians, scientists, doctors and researchers and they all say the IGF-1 has not been approved for use in humans, and that the research that is being done is in the area of endocrine related disorders.

Being that your company holds the patent on IGF-1 I wanted to make you aware of this Dr Sloan and his claims, and to find out if what he is doing is proper.

Thank you for your time and consideration.


HERE IS THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED FROM TERCICA.

Dear Mr. Marinello:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are reviewing the communication you forwarded. As you noted, rhIGF-1 is an experimental therapy. We are developing it for use in short stature and associated metabolic disorders. We are not studying it for use in other indications at this time.
Regards,
Kimberly Kraemer,
Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Tercica, Inc.

Needless to say I never heard from Dr. Sloan again.

The Healthy Skeptic: The Radicals At The Center For Science In The Public Interest Threaten Starbucks

Now that they have the wimps at KFC quaking in their boots, the radical Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), headed by radical vegan and bummer of a guy Michael Jacobson, is making noise about going after Starbucks. It seems that Starbucks serves drinks and foods that are high in fat. And apparently people who order coffee with caramel syrup and whipped cream, and pastries, need to be told via signs and food labels that they are killing themselves if they drink and eat Starbucks products. What's even worse is that Starbucks offers their employees unlimited coffee and leftover pastries during their shifts.


It seems that the CSPI has contacts with a group known as the IWW Starbucks Workers Union. This “union” is made up of a few baristas in three – THREE – Starbucks located in New York.

So in THREE Starbucks - out of almost 5000 nationwide - Starbucks there are a couple of shlemiel coffee jockeys tied into the CSPI, and they have “organized” so that they can complain that Starbucks offer employees free food and drink, and complain that the fact that consumers can ask in-store questions about the nutritional value of Starbucks products isn’t good enough.

By the way, the Starbucks website offers plenty of detailed and responsible information with regards to their drinks and baked goods. People aren’t dragged into a Starbucks without prior knowledge, so being able to get complete nutritional information from the Starbucks website is a much more efficient and effective way for people to learn about the stuff that they like to eat and drink.



A person quoted in this article is identified as a member of this “union,” and Reuters reports as fact this person’s baseless assertion that Starbucks employees gain weight when they work at the chain because they have access to free refreshments. Can you believe this nonsense? This is the basis for a threatened lawsuit? A handful of fat, lazy java jockies?

And for as ludicrous as this scenario is, Reuters’ decision to treat the discussion of this “union” seriously – and giving credence to this story - is even more ludicrous. By setting this scenario up and making noise about Starbucks, the CSPI is laughably pathetic. Reuters is a willing participant in this scam and should be ashamed of themselves. Somehow Starbucks is at fault because their employees make poor choices when taking advantage of the free stuff? They’re fressing and it’s the boss’s fault? Oy vey.

This Jacobson character is not only a member of the Food Police but he’s part of the No Fun Gestapo as well. He’s been quoted as saying that he would never eat a cookie, and he would have taken the coffee machine out of the CSPI offices if his employees didn’t revolt. He’s made some truly bizarre pronouncements over the years. Here are but a few:



“We can envision taxes on butter, potato chips, whole milk, cheeses and meats.”


“I’m not on the fence … about litigation [against restaurants]. I think it’s an extremely important strategy.”
- Public Health Advocacy Institute’s “Conference on Legal Approaches to the Obesity Epidemic,”, 6/21/03




“CSPI is proud about finding something wrong with practically everything.”
-Washingtonian magazine, February 1994
And he makes silly comments like this about Starbucks: "People expect foods from Dunkin' Donuts to be unhealthy, but Starbucks has more of an upper middle class, healthy, hip, politically correct facade," Jacobson said. "But the food is just as harmful to your arteries."

Perhaps it comes with the territory of being a food tyrant, but Jacobson makes comments like this that have no scientific basis. No matter what Jacobson and his fellow true believers think – and would have you think – going to Starbucks for an occasional Venti Frappa-Whatchamacallit will have no effect on your arteries, and eating a croissant once a week isn’t going to contribute to coronary artery disease.

Jacko really wants you to think that Starbucks’ legitimate community-conscious activities and contributions are just a “façade” that Starbucks puts up in order to addict fat and lazy people to their products, and the fact that people can – but may not – order regular coffee or Tazo tea is Starbucks’ fault. The CSPI wants you to view Starbucks just as you would view the neighborhood drug pusher who contributes money to the community center by day, with the money he makes from selling drugs to neighborhood kids by night.

I think that this kind of statement is – as lawyers say – actionable.

People have choice. There’s been a very important, hot-button issue that has been around for years that hinges on a woman’s right to choose. The ability to choose is what makes us truly free. People like Jacobson want to shackle us to their views. No meat, no cookies, no coffee, no fun. This despotic approach to food can -- and will -- be applied to other things if this garbage is allowed to continue and if people like Jacobson aren’t shouted down by the rest of us.

I’ve been warning this for years. You may think it’s great that smokers have been chased out of public places. But now that these oppressive meddlers have gotten their way with smoking they are moving closer and closer to YOUR habits. Smoking yesterday, fast food today, coffee tomorrow and then what? No drinking in public? Mandatory portion control? A “no doggie bag" policy?


You may laugh, but if Jacobson and his dogmatic disciples are allowed to get away with this nobody will be untouched by this lack of choice.

The CSPI cabal wants you to think that food labeling would help people make better choices. Well this week the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published the results of a study that concluded that consumers probably would not pay attention to the kind of food labels that the “CSPIdiots” are clamoring for. In the study carried out by the University of Vermont Department of Psychology researchers found that 44%-57% of people would not make use of food label information if it was provided in restaurants. Previous research has indicated that people who already have poor eating habits are unlikely to use food labels because they just don’t care. Kind of make sense doesn’t it?

Jacobson himself is on record as saying that food labels may not be enough. From a Time Magazine article, "Jacobson insists that too many people will look past the calorie, fat, carb and fiber counts on the menu. What's needed, he says, is sanity in portions". In the CSPI’s view, “sanity in portions” can only come about through government intervention.

And by the way, the Starbucks’ web site does in fact provide all the labeling information that anyone could ask for. Anybody who really cares about this kind of stuff needs to do nothing more than surf over to Starbucks.com to find every detail about every item on the Starbucks menu. Without a barista or in a crowded shop, and from the comfort of their homes.

As a person who works in the fitness business – and has almost 20 years of experience – I would love for people to live a healthier lifestyle. But I know that you can’t force people to do so. If people want to ignore my advice, that’s fine. I’m here to help those who want to be helped, and I don’t care to help everyone. Some of my closest friends are people who eat fast food, are overweight, don’t get enough exercise or sleep and drink too much booze, but I still love ‘em. And I’ll help them when they ask.

George Carlin, when he was more-funny and less-angry, said “Religion is like a lift in your shoe. If you need it and want to use it, great. Just don’t go and nail lifts to the native’s feet.” Michael Jacobson and his ilk are in the business of nailing lifts to people’s feet while telling them it’s for their own good. These people need to go away.

Major League Baseball May Have A New Drug Scandal Brewing Thanks To Jason Grimsley

Jason Grimsley of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a pitcher of little accomplishment who nonetheless has made at least $9 million over the past six seasons, has revealed to federal investigators that he’s used Human Growth Hormone, amphetamines and steroids.

It appears that Grimsley has been caught up in the third round of the Balco Labs investigation, as the same investigators working on the Balco case are working on Grimsley’s case. The lead agent in this matter is none other than I.R.S. agent Jeff Novitsky, the man who broke the Balco/Barry Bonds case.

The second round of the Balco investigation netted Patrick Arnold, a well-known Internet juice head and chemist who is based out of Illinois, who admitted to providing Victor Conte and his Balco clients with the now infamous “the clear.”

Grimsley had been cooperating with the investigation until he suddenly dummied up back in April, but not before spilling a lot of beans to the feds. In the court documents mentioned in the ESPN.com item, Grimsley’s statements included plenty of details and plenty of names of players, but these names had been blacked out.

As a result of Grimsley’s change of heart, the government asked for, was granted and executed a search warrant on Grimsley’s house on Tuesday. There’s no word as to what the agents found as a result of this search, but I’ll guarantee that there are a lot of nervous players in the Arizona clubhouse and in clubhouses all throughout the major leagues.

Even though the sizzle of the Balco case has long since died down, the impact of what the government found out as a result of this case is still being felt today, and will continue to be felt for the foreseeable future. Grimsley is exactly the kind of guy that the feds would want to get their hands on, a small timer who doesn’t want to be a patsy for the big boys.
Grimsley – who failed a drug test back in 2003 – has already given up a lot of info, and who knows what else he may decide to give up in order to save his skin. As a 38-year-old mediocre pitcher, his career is certainly done but his life isn’t. So expect Grimsley to start chirping again.

And even if Grimsley doesn’t spill, he apparently has given the feds enough to encourage them to keep on digging. I’ve said it before; once the feds get on a case they do not give up. In a high profile case like this you can bet your bottom dollar that this issue isn’t going to go away.
Stay tuned. There will certainly be more to come.