Browsing through magazines...

You bet, I absolutely adore wandering through the periodicals and browsing the fitness/health magazines. I love reading the articles on how to "lose that last 10lbs" and in the men's magazines how to "add inches to your biceps". (haha yup, I will also read the guy magazines. If you need a giggle ladies, pick one up and look at the ads!) Unfortunately, I don't always agree with their recommendations.

Over the last year or so the mainstream women's magazines have started to pick up on the new trends in fitness. They are incorporating more multii-joint exercises and recommending tougher and shorter workouts. I commend this nod to progression! One particular magazine this month had a workout system that looked pretty good and real...the exercises included a deadlift with push press! So I was impressed at first. THEN I looked at the weight and rep suggestions. It said "use an 8-20 lb bar or weight".
Um...
Do they mean per hand? No! Total! Who is it that they're trying to firm up with that suggestion?

Okay, before I go nuts I'll say that I realize that the company may want to avoid legal issues from all the somebodies out there that don't really know what they're doing and that could get hurt. That's fine. But that's not an excuse to me when next to this mag that's playing it safe you have the men's mag that's saying go as heavy as possible! This just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Okay, yes there are people out there that this recommendation is a real work out for. That's GREAT if they do this then. But my point is that this magazine says it is geared towards women that are living the fit life. So maybe they should also gear the workouts they suggest to the women that are living the fit life? Just maybe!

They often will have the cardio workouts scaled for beginner up to more fit. They should especially do that for workouts where they're suggesting weights. That way women out there that use these magazines as they're primary source of connection to the world of health and fitness aren't deluded into thinking that a 20lb deadlift is difficult or as heavy as you should ever go. Worse would be having women out there buying this magazine, doing the workouts as prescribed, not seeing results, then getting frustrated and depressed not knowing what else to do. THAT is giving the wrong impression that fitness is only for "other people".

If you see an exercise in a magazine that you'd like to try out and aren't sure how to perform it correctly or what weight YOU should be using, contact me and we'll get you set up right!