"BACK TO FORM" FITNESS » Fitness

Mirror Muscles

Keith Scott — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:35:01 +0000

The next time you go to the local gym, watch how people train…you will learn a lot. I like to watch people workout and try to guess what they are doing and why. Most times, I think I can figure it out. Whether I agree with what they are doing or not, I have been around long enough to guess what they are trying to do.

Most people out there…(you may be one of them) love to train their “mirror muscles.” What are mirror muscles you ask? These are the muscles that you can only see in the mirror. Usually the following make the list: (more…)

Randomness……………

Keith Scott — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:50:43 +0000

I have woken up each morning, for the last week with a hangover. Tired and drained. I have been watching way too much of the Olympics. Yea, I have Olympic hangover every morning. Cannot get enough of these games. China being 12 hours ahead of the East Coast is killing me. At least the 2012 are a in London, so the time difference won’t be so bad. (more…)

Guest Blog - Why Cardio Doesn’t Work for Fat Loss - Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Keith Scott — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:12:39 +0000

Why Cardio Doesn’t Work for Fat Loss

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
http://www.turbulencetraining1.com/

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work
so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has
tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn’t add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.

British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren’t previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008). (more…)

Dara Torres

Keith Scott — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:45:31 +0000

I admit it…I am an Olympic junkie. I used to stay up late to watch the ‘84 games which were held in LA almost 25 years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. I love watching the competition and I have found myself watching even the obscure events like Fencing and Badminton. No matter what the event, the side stories of the athletes competing and the struggles that some have endured are just as fun to watch.

Dara Torres is a 41-year-old swimmer competing in her 5^th Olympic games, with her first being in 1984. Not only is it remarkable that she is going for number 5, but the fact that she is 41-years-old and is a medal favorite is the most remarkable thing. You see, when you are 40 years old, you are not supposed to be able to compete at that level. When you are over the age of 35, you are considered “old” in Olympic years. Torres seems to be getting better as she gets older and her swimming times prove this. Over the years, her competitive times are decreasing, which means she is getting better and faster. (more…)

Be Strong…….

Keith Scott — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:39:21 +0000

If you could only work on ONE factor in your fitness regiment, what would it be? This is a very tough question for some and easy for other to answer. I have heard many people, among them trainers, immediately say “flexibility,” others quickly say “cardio vascular,” and yet others will say, “Toning up, fat loss.” My answer is simple….STRENGTH.

I am a firm believer, without a doubt in my mind that the most important thing anyone and everyone can and should work on primarily is strength. You can never go wrong with being stronger. This is not to say that strength training is the only thing you should train. There are way too many trainers out there that work on strength only and never deal with any other fitness factors. (more…)

“People” At the Local Gym

Keith Scott — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:47:50 +0000

Here are some more things that I have witness at the local gym Instead of “Ranting” about them, I have creatively made up some names for the people I run into at the local gym. Feel free to comment and add to the list.

“Cell Phone Guy” - In-between each set, hell even during a set, this guy is yapping away on his phone. Sometimes taking up to 15 min to get back to work.

“Upper Body Guy” - Trains everything except his lower body. Its sad, cause he is a monster upstairs, but has nothing down below. (more…)

10 Ways to injure yourself at the gym!

Keith Scott — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:36:44 +0000

Much like my former article outlining the best ways to become a fat, physical mess, this article outlines some of the best ways to become injured while you train. Although to some the sarcastic tone of such writings is a turn off, I have found it to be a very good educational approach and one that gets the point across pretty well. (by the way, this is a sacastic article, however, I see things like this happen everyday…in other words, I didn’t make any of this up!)

So if you really want to injure yourself while training or working out, make sure you do some or all of what is listed below. Chances are, you are doing some of these things anyway. (By the way, if you want to stay healthy, please avoid all of the list below). (more…)

Why going to the gym is more entertaining than TV any day! (and scary)

Keith Scott — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:58:07 +0000

I love the gym for many reasons, but sometimes I just like to observe the absolute nonsense that goes on with people working out and more so, with their “trainers.” The gym is better than TV if you pay attention, but it is scary to see what is going on out there sometimes.

Overheard at the gym

“I don’t trust my trainer” - Huh? You don’t necessarily have to like your trainer, but if you can’t trust your trainer and you are uncomfortable with him/her…you have problems.

“I know my diet sucks, but I still don’t understand why I can’t lose my fat.” - I know some people are dense, but this statement helps me understand how Bush was elected twice…people just don’t think. (more…)

“I just wanna tone up!”

Keith Scott — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:42:12 +0000

One of my biggest peeves…when people (mostly women) tell me that they only want to “tone” and they “don’t want to build muscle.” I have news for you…toning is a misnomer. Muscles grow or muscles get smaller. You get fat, or you lose fat. It is as simple as that. “Toning” refers to building enough muscle and losing enough fat so you can ‘see’ definition or as many people refer to it as “tone.” (more…)

Beat me down, until I cannot move! (please)

Keith Scott — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:20:14 +0000

The fitness world is a very interesting one. Much like the normal “American” mentality, that more is always better, many people in the fitness world believe that the more pain that they feel during a training session or workout, the better it must be. I talk to people all of the time that brag about how their trainer “kicked their butt” so badly, that they could barely walk. I have heard people talk about how their trainer made them vomit by the end of their session. These same people actually use this as a barometer in deciding whether their trainer is good or bad. Others think that if they are not sore or hurting badly the next day then their training session must not have been good. (more…)

Training in Hell

Keith Scott — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:20:53 +0000

Its going to be 99 degrees today in New Jersey, with a heat index of 106. That is pretty hot. I spent 13 years in Arizona, so I am used to heat. It doesn’t really bother me at all.

I have a full load of clients today as well. I know that by 12:00 Noon it will be close to 90 and I will start to hear the complaints that it is too hot, too humid, and too uncomfortable to train. I will get excuses that range from, “the heat is getting to me, so my workout is not going to be very good” to “I am just way to tired from the heat and humidity to train today.” I am ready for them. (more…)

When life gets in the way

Keith Scott — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:53:28 +0000

The job of a personal trainer or fitness coach is an interesting one. A full time trainer trains people all day long and watches their clients lose pounds and inches, while others get stronger and pack on muscle from adhering to your guidance and training wisdom. You write programs, trouble shoot plateaus come up with solutions to injuries, and a dozen other things that will keep your client happy and healthy.

I have been working with athletes and normal folk for over 17 years and I have witnessed just about everything, from blown knees, fractures, food poisoning, sore muscles, surgery, etc…I am very good at helping my athletes and clients get past their issues and find a way to continue on their journey. (more…)

Small changes = Small fat loss

Keith Scott — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:16:11 +0000

I just finished watching a segment on the Today Show about 4 simple things you can do to shed your unwanted fat. I was amazed at the advice that this “nutrition expert” told the public. It is no wonder people are fat and no wonder people struggle everyday to lose that weight. (more…)

23 hours a day - The Blame Game

Keith Scott — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:53:13 +0000

When you are asked to help changed people’s lives, it is a huge responsibility and one that you really need to be ready for. In this business, you will have men and women come to you asking you to make them fit. Many want to lose weight, some want to lose all of their fat and build muscle some muscle at the same time, but most just want to lose weight. Is there a difference between losing weight and losing fat and building muscle? I used to say “no” to that question. They go hand in hand. These days, however, I realize that for most people the brain washing is too far-gone and the logic of it all is gone. You see, most people are honestly concerned about the scale and the scale only. They know they have lost fat, they know that they have built muscle, and the feel better than they ever have in their lives, yet they still are upset because the scale isn’t moving. (more…)

Giving Up

Keith Scott — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:34:11 +0000

It is always sad for me to watch people give up on themselves. I get excited when I see people come into the gym with new goals and aspirations about their body and overall health…motivation is at an all time high and these people start training with a purpose. After months of hard training, goals are within reach and people are seeing results. (more…)

The Surprise Class Reunion

Keith Scott — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:25:12 +0000

I was out last night celebrating my brother’s 40^th birthday with family and friends. While celebrating, I ran into a lot of people from high school. Since I moved back “home” I see people I went to high school with often and when I least expect to. Usually we catch up on old times, and talk about what we are all doing these days.

Every once in a while, I find myself in the presence of a pretty big group of old high school friends and acquaintances. It is surprising to me how many people have changed over the years. Some have lost some hair, others have gained or lost weight, and some are exactly the same as they were in high school. (more…)

The scale DOES lie……….(again)

Keith Scott — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:52:03 +0000

I ran this blog last year in April. With summer coming up and the usual objections about weight loss coming up, I thought it is important to run it again.______________________________________________

The number one, biggest “complaint” I get from all of my weight loss clients, goes something like this:

“Keith, how come the scale has not moved very much in 3 weeks?” “I mean, my clothes are looser, and I can tell that I have lost size around my waist and butt, but the scale says I have not lost any weight!” “What is wrong?” (more…)

Advantages of being FAT

Keith Scott — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:27:41 +0000

Last week I found out that I would have to attend a funeral in Tucson. I lived in Tucson for 13 very good years before I moved back to the great state of New Jersey, so going back to Tucson this time, would be a bittersweet trip for me.

After I got my tickets online, I realized that I did not have a suit or sports jacket that fit me anymore. It had been years since I wore a sports jacket anywhere and the one I had was excessively tight around my upper back and shoulders. I immediately ran out to a store that specialized in suits and sports jacket thinking that I would be able to get a nice suit or jacket in no time. (more…)

Training Lessons, Cali, and Eddie Vedder

Keith Scott — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:32:15 +0000

I was fortunate to travel to Los Angeles this past weekend to see a couple of Eddie Vedder concerts. (If you have never seen Eddie or Pearl Jam in concert, I highly recommend it.) I met up with my good friend Jason Ferruggia of Muscle Gaining Secrets fame. If you don’t know of Jay or his work, check out his site and products, they are top notch. More on that later. (more…)

Summertime, Summertime

Keith Scott — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:01:00 +0000

“school is out and it’s a sort of a buzz
a back then I didn’t really know what it was
but now I see what have of this
the way that people respond to summer madness
the weather is hot and girls are dressing less
and checking out the fellas to tell ‘em who’s best”

Spring is in the air, and that means one thing to me…summer is not too far behind. Personally, summer has always been my favorite time of the year. Like many people, I love the beach and ocean. I love to be outside when it’s warm. I love to swim, wear shorts, sleep with the windows open, etc… OK, before this starts sounding like a cheesy biography (I just re-read what I wrote…it already does,) I do have a point. Summer is the time when most people like being outside doing summer things. Wearing fewer clothes than normal and having opportunities to bear their bodies to the public. I asked this question a month or so ago and I ask it again…are you ready? (more…)

Pushing your Physical Limits

Keith Scott — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:56:16 +0000

How hard should you push when training? How much can the human body take before it gives out? Are you pushing too hard? Not pushing hard enough?

I am old school when it comes to training. Not all of the education in the world means a whole lot when dealing with the human spirit. As a fitness coach I can monitor heart rate, and breaths per minute and measure someone’s estimated anaerobic threshold, and all of the other “physiological markers” and it really doesn’t tell me much in the grand scheme of things. The majority of people out there will quit mentally way before their body gets to a point of any real danger. I have taken people to their own personal limits, only to discover that there are entire new boundaries that can be and need to be pushed through with a little more work and a lot more mental training. In fact, I have not trained many people that have come close to the real physical breaking point. Some people have suffered muscle cramps, asthma attacks, dizziness, etc…but in the end, all of these people were fine physically and in almost every case, it was other factors that caused these scenarios and not the actual training that was taking place. This is not to say that these people were not trying, or consciously gave up. Rather, these people have yet to learn how to push through the barriers that have caused them to stop. It’s a tricky problem for most. Each time you push through a new barrier, you become more resistant to “quitting” the next time out, while training at that same level. (more…)

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK - Incline Dumbbell Rows

Keith Scott — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:34:13 +0000

If you want to put some real muscle on your upper back, you know the kind that looks good in a tank top, or for the women out there, in a dress or bathing suit, you need to work on “pulling” exercises more often.

One of my favorite exercises for building that ‘upper back’, effectively and efficiently is the Incline Dumbbell Row. (more…)

Kelly Ripa

Keith Scott — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:35:34 +0000

I graduated high school with Kelly Ripa. I guess that is my claim to fame. Well, not really. However, Kelly and I were in three classes together throughout our senior year. I was even her dance partner during P.E. class for a semester.

What does that fact have to do with fitness, and more so this blog? Nothing directly, but there is a point (or 3) to be made in this post. (more…)

Training for Life

Keith Scott — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:39:00 +0000

As people get older and start to drift away from that active “athlete” they once were, many have no reason to workout. Some cannot get motivated to do what they must or need to do. Others will read a blog like this and tell me that I am out of my mind if I think they will do any of this stuff…what for? There is nothing to train for anymore. (more…)

Observations from a day at the local Gym

Keith Scott — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:58:58 +0000

If you are one of the many people out there that have a gym membership, you have without a doubt witnessed many strange things. I know I do every single time I step foot in any fitness facility. I thought I would list some of the things I have seen and continue to see. (more…)

“Fit Yummy Mummy” Review

Keith Scott — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:52:54 +0000

I get many requests from women for products or training programs specifically tailored for the female. I have written reviews in the past on fat burning, abdominal sculpting, and strength and muscle gain. While each of those products can and have been used by women with much success, there are a lot of women out there that want something that fits their own needs, needs that only women know and share. (more…)

Are you a Physical mess?

Keith Scott — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:18:33 +0000

As I get older (and no, I am not THAT old) I hear more and more from friends and acquaintances how screwed up their bodies are. “I can’t turn my neck to the left”, “My back is killing me”, “I screwed up my knee, so I can’t go skiing”, “I would love to work out more, but my shoulder always hurts when I do stuff”. Etc…

Why are we so messed up at such a fairly young age? I recently spent some time at a birthday party for my 92-year-old grandfather and was amazed at how well he moved, and was more amazed at the things he was able to do. (more…)

Check me out on Naked Nutrition Radio!

Keith Scott — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:05:57 +0000

This past weekend, I was interviewed by Mike Roussell on Naked Nutrition Radio. NNR is a pod cast where Mike interviews some of the best fitness professionals in the business. Mike packs each pod cast with tons of great fitness, and nutrition information. (more…)

Emotional Training

Keith Scott — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:38:49 +0000

Emotions fuel everything you do. At least that is my belief. Learning to use your emotions in a constructive way can fuel your own fire and help you do things you never thought possible before. In my own life, recognizing that I am angry or sad, or even excited about something can help me covert that particular emotion into needed energy and produce an action that breaks down walls, sets new records or achieves more than I ever thought possible. This was the case for one client that I had a few months ago. (more…)

My Smartest Client is my Dog!

Keith Scott — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:48:39 +0000

When I was a kid playing sports, I would, like most kids, have endless excuses to why I didn’t perform well, or why I lost on a particular day. Kids want to impress their parents, coaches and friends all of the time, so the natural defense mechanism is to make up excuses. “My arm hurt,” “I feel sick,” “I am tired,” “it was the other guy’s fault,” “it was my coaches fault,” etc… Interestingly enough, these are pretty much the same type of excuses I hear from fitness members, clients and other people I deal with that are trying to ‘get fit.’ Excuses come out constantly and they are much like the ones I used (and most other kids) as a child. (more…)

What’s your inspiration?

Keith Scott — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:57:13 +0000

I found mine when I was 10 years old, I think. Every time I hear the music, I drift into a memory of me, in my basement, doing 100s of sit-ups, push-ups and shoulder raises. I would follow those up with 20 minutes of jump roping and then off to hit my speed bag. I trained with fury and I was destined to become as great as I could. No, I was not training for boxing, and although I was a wrestler, I did this in the summer when wrestling was over. So, why would the theme music of the movie Rocky inspire me to train as hard as I could, in my basement every night, when other kids were playing games, or watching TV? To this day, I am not sure why. I do know this however, that movie inspired me and caused me to take action. (more…)

The “Six-Pack”

Keith Scott — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:59:19 +0000

Who doesn’t want a six-pack? (Abs, not beer…) Maybe not all of you, some people like to just get a “flat stomach” and not six-pack, rock hard abs. Whatever you desire, we can probably agree that most people reading this want a firm, flat stomach of some sort, and if you can get some abs showing, all the better.

(more…)

Commitment

Keith Scott — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:31:47 +0000

Are you committed?

I was pulling out of the gym where I train the other day and I see a very large, obese man walking to his car. He is carrying a bag with a salad in it from the Salad Works store, which is on the far distant side of the plaza. This man parked his car in the very last spot of the entire parking lot about as far away from the salad works as you can possibly get. The interesting part is that the parking lot was not full whatsoever, it was pretty empty. There were spots everywhere, including many in front of the Salad Works, which looked about a ¼ mile away. It seemed that this man, who was visibly overweight, CHOSE to park at the other end of the plaza, walk to the salad place, buy a healthy lunch and walk back. Maybe I read the situation wrong, but it appeared to me that his commitment was outstanding in his quest to lose weight. If he did this each day, or each time he parked somewhere, he would increase his general exercise by a ton, burn more and ultimately lose more weight. Now some would say that he should have been in that gym, on the treadmill, or lifting weights…that is real commitment. I do not agree. He was an extremely large man, who was obese. Just that walking was a full workout for him. He didn’t NEED to do it, but he chose to. I thought his commitment was obvious and pretty cool. (more…)

Getting Started (on the fitness journey…)

Keith Scott — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:02:03 +0000

One of the biggest problems that people have with fitness is getting started. For some it has been months and others years since they did anything remotely fitness related. Diets have become routines, filled with convenience only, and no nutrition or conscious thought into what a person eats comes into play anymore. Exercise is almost non-existent unless people count taking the trash out, the 5 minutes of sexual activity that occurs with their spouse and chasing kids around. (more…)

Healthy Hips - Part III

Keith Scott — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:56:37 +0000

In this installment, I am going to list very simple, basic exercises that anyone can do to help keep the hips healthy. This article will briefly cover strength training for and around the hip complex. Plug these exercises into your routine to help keep strong, healthy hips. These exercises are meant to be simple and things that you can do at home, even if you do not have a lot of equipment.

Remember, this is a basic list. There are plenty of other exercises that you can do too. Start with these and move up from there. (more…)

Healthy Hips - Part II

Keith Scott — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:13:19 +0000

In the last article I talked about how to identify three common hip issues. Hopefully these tests helped many readers better examine their own problem areas around the hip. In this installment, I am going to give you a few “fixes” for those common hip problems and also some preventive exercises as well. (more…)

Healthy Hips - Part I

Keith Scott — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:45:06 +0000

The hip complex is one of the most important and under-trained areas on the body. With that said, it is one of the most important areas for everyone to train. Low back problems and knee problems are the biggest areas of pain and dysfunction that I have dealt with in most of my years working with injured people.

Tight, and/or underdeveloped hips will cause knee problems along the way. Low back problems usually find their roots with bad hips. Most people have tight hip flexors, weak glutes, and under developed lateral hip muscles….not to mention horrible rotation in the hip joint. All of these issues will surely cause major imbalances in the rest of the body, especially the lower extremity. (more…)

Out of control - Lessons on FAT

Keith Scott — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:37:22 +0000

As I was driving back to work from my lunch break a few days ago, I noticed something about three blocks ahead of me, in the distance, in the middle of the road. As I got closer, I saw an extremely large, obese man attempting to cross the street. Naturally, I slowed down so I would not hit the man, but as I did and the other cars were approaching, it became painfully obvious that this man had no ability to “hustle” up to possibly save his own life. You see, this road is a busy road with three lanes of traffic. Yet, this man in his attempt the cross the street could only hope that people would see him and slow down enough so he would be able to make it across safely. As the other cars were approaching, he looked desperate to get to the other side and more desperate that he would survive the walk. I stopped in the road in hopes that other cars would follow my lead and at the very least, slow down. Some cars did, and other cars did not. Two cars came extremely close to hitting the man, but still, he did not, and could not move any faster to get out of harms way. Lucky for him the cars were able to stop at the last second to avoid smashing into him. The man easily weighed over 400 pounds and he had obvious physical limitations because of his weight, yet he did not look a day over 30. (more…)

15 ways to become disgustingly fat, unfit, unhealthy and a physical mess

Keith Scott — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:41:06 +0000

“We are a product of our habits, and all of mine are bad!”- K.M.

I spend way too much time telling people what they should eat, what they should do in the gyn, and too much time telling people how they should take care of their body. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing it…after all, it’s what I do. I get flooded with those questions daily from everyone…family members, friends, and even total strangers.

Some of these people get it, and actually do what I tell them. They see results, feel better and look great. Most however, ignore the advice and go back to their old ways.

Sometimes I think it may be easier to tell people what not to do and maybe that will get the message across a little better. (more…)

In The Media: MEN’S FITNESS EXPERT, Keith Scott

Keith Scott — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:08:36 +0000

Check out the March issue of Men’s Fitness (on newsstands now) for my latest feature article. In this edition, I expose the absolute best ways to build a rock solid “core.” Turn to page 94 entitled “The Ultimate Core Workout” to read all about how to build your core without having to do 100s of crunches. I also have a “Lifting Q and A” in the back of the magazine where I answer questions about training your back for maximum results.

Product Review: “Turbulence Training”

Keith Scott — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:00:56 +0000

The first thing I noticed when I first received my Turbulence Training package was just how much I got for that price. It was loaded! Beyond that, and most important, was the quality of information provided in the book.

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Turning 40

Keith Scott — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:49:56 +0000

Middle-Age-itis

I am not turning 40…just wanted to clear that up. I am a few years off that number, but I have many friends that turn the big “4-0″ this year. I have some other friends that are turning or have recently turned 50 as well. Whether you see middle age as 40 or 50…or any age, it really does not matter. Middle age is not a physical condition (it’s not a condition at all), rather it is a mental outlook. Either way, if you are within the ages of 35-50 you probably are feeling a bit different about your fitness than you did when you were in your twenty’s and early thirty’s.

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Super Bowl Lessons

Keith Scott — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:00:28 +0000

5 things learned from the Super Bowl

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High Intensity Interval Training HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training…Explained

Keith Scott — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:06:16 +0000

What is H.I.I.T.??

Without getting deep into the exercise physiology of the thing, I will do a little back log into the WHAT, HOW and WHY of HIIT.

High Intensity Interval Training is just what it says it is, performing very high intensity, intervals for a short period of time. Why is it effective? To answer this question we need to backtrack a little and look at the more traditional type of training and the one that most people out there still do; Low Intensity Cardio training. (more…)

Too much “Unstable” Training

Keith Scott — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:18:43 +0000

Unstable training came from the ‘rehab’ zone. Back in the 80’s rehab really took off. Physical therapy was becoming more popular, sports teams were hiring Certified athletic trainers, and sports medicine doctors were popping up on every corner. If you had a physical problem, you went to rehab. Therapy became first-rate and research was being done in alarming numbers. Soon enough, the “functional training” era was born. Therapists started introducing new techniques that would change the industry forever. The industry started paying attention and new rehab toys were produced that made rehabilitation not only more effective, but fun too. Balance discs, Bosu Balls, foam pads, etc… were found in every PT clinic and Athletic Training room across Northern America. Soon functional training took on a different identity and was full of activities that encouraged unstable training. (more…)

Accepting that your age = problems

Keith Scott — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:02:52 +0000

There is a really bad attitude out there that has people just accepting that with age, comes pain, dysfunction and lack of real progress. I hear it all of the time…things like “At my age, I am just lucky if I maintain some of my strength.” Or “I am not looking to improve much at my age, I just want to keep my strength up so I can live out the rest of my life more comfortably!” Those are real quotes from people I have worked with. Age does not mean that you cannot progress. I work with Eight year old kids all the way up to eighty-six year old trainees. Some of my greatest success stories have been with my “older” clients. (more…)

Product Review: “Muscle Gaining Secrets”

Keith Scott — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:43:25 +0000

Jason Ferruggia’s “MUSCLE GAINING SECRETS”

When it comes down to really understanding how to get bigger, how to get stronger, and how to get better, there is no one better-qualified in the business than Jason Ferruggia. In my 17 plus years in this field, I have never met anyone that has better practical experience in changing people’s bodies as Jay does. Whether an athlete, fitness model, average Joe, whatever…Jay can get you where you want to go better than anyone. Bottom line, Jason gets results!

(more…)

Everyday is New Year’s Day

Keith Scott — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:27:24 +0000

New Years has come and gone already. We are just about a month out and I would bet that most people have either strayed away from their resolutions, haven’t started them yet, or totally forgot that they made them. New Year’s has become a joke in the fitness world, because year in and year out people make empty promises that are rarely kept. (more…)

The Kinetic Chain - Why your back, hips, knees, lower legs, ankles and feet hurt

Keith Scott — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:10:38 +0000

You are only as strong as your weakest link. Our body is connected in more ways than most know. When there is a long standing orthopedic problem somewhere in your body, chances are the problem is connected in some way to another area of your body. If your ankles or knees hurt just from walking, I would guess that you may have some issues with your feet. Even if your feet are hurting, there may be an issue with your calves. Tight calves can lead to problems in your knees, hips and lower back. This in turn can cause problems in your upper back, shoulders, neck and even head. You see, everything is connected, a kinetic chain. When a part of this chain is weak or damaged, it will affect other parts of the chain. Those parts affect other parts and so on. (more…)