Do you jump right into a workout without warming up? Do you "jerk" the
weights when strength training? Do you overstretch in Yoga class because
you don't want to look like a noob? Editors from Fitness Magazine offer
some tips in this article, but I'd like to go past the obvious and get
to the real story about poor fitness habits. The worst habit of all is
working out purely for cosmetic reasons. You know what I mean: pumping
weights just to look good instead of developing core strength. Or
hanging out in
yoga class just to show off how limber your pelvis is.
I see it all the time in the weight room: guys pumping iron what
have huge upper bodies but tiny bird legs. One look tells me these
people are there just to get big biceps, not to enhance their health. I
call these type of workout guys "punks," because that's all they ever
achieve: the punk look.
If you never strength train your legs,
you'll never achieve impressive strength. A strong upper body combined
with a wimpy lower body is freakish. It's lazy. And it's not even a good
strength training strategy either, because nothing will produce more
Human Growth Hormone in your body than five sets of maxed out leg press.
So many people pump weights in the hopes of generating more HGH in their
bloodstream, but if you're not using your big muscles, you're
short-changing yourself.
Not warming up is certainly a common
problem, and so is improper form when weight lifting, but I think the
biggest issue for most people is the fact that they're working out for
all the wrong reasons. We should all be pursuing physical fitness for
the sake of whole health: body, mind and spirit. Not to have
eighteen-inch biceps that we can show off at the beach. Looking good is
the side effect of being healthy, it should never be the aim.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2010, Adams launched NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: 
Now Available from 
