I have decided to stop posting my training log as a blog and will rather use this space to try my hand at "witty anecdotes" about the industry I've come to loathe, er uh, I mean love! If you want to see what I'm doing for my training look over at my links list as I've provided a direct link to my online training log. Please feel free to leave feedback or even to just tell me what a jackass I am.

So, here' my first stab at fitness literary "genius"..... enjoy! BTW - I'm not the most politically correct writer so if you are easily offended you may want to skip my blog!

The Mediocrity that is the Fitness Industry.

I spend the better part of my day working as a personal trainer. I train people all day, everyday. Some people I train are hardcore athletes and some are concerned simply with general fitness and health.

Regardless of who I train they are expected to get better and work hard. We train out of my basement gym - no neon, chrome, tanning beds, gimmiks, or smoothie bar. There are no mirrors on the wall to check out the bicep pump after a set of curls. All we have is a pile of weight, some bars and some pieces of equipment I deem absolutely necessary to improve strength and function.

It burns me up when someone comes up to me and starts a conversation with "Oprah says..", YEAH that's where I go to get my fitness info. Training is basic, it's simple. Today everyone is looking for a better way to workout. I think there are a few reasons:

1. People have the attention span of a gnat. They lose interest in something after a workout or two. Notice the cyclical nature of cardio classes, spinning, kickboxing, pilates, body pump, etc.?!?! One thing is popular one week then something else takes it's place.

2. People are too influenced by what "celebrities" are doing. I don't care if freakin' Madonna is doing kabala-yoga-lates or if Demi Moore drinks Red Bull to supercharge her cardio-bar workout, or that Oprah does 300 crunches every morning because her trainer (who is published so he knows what he's talking about) tells her to. Guess what? You ain't Madonna, Demi or Oprah. You need to find what works for you and it may require a little professional help. In short - don't go to celebrities for fitness advice unless you have an entourage of trainers, cooks, nutritionists, hair and make up people and everyone else these people have kissing their pompous asses on your payroll.

3. People like to be coddled. Go into a gym today and you'll see women decked out in high flash fitness fashion, complete with fresh hair-do and make up or yuppies jabbering away on cell phones. No one likes to freakin' sweat. Guess what, if you want to make progress you have to work friggin' hard. Do yourself a favor, go rent Arnold's movie "Pumping Iron" and see what a gym is supposed to be.

4. People lack discipline - the following statement will sum this up "New Years Resolutionists". You see them every Jan 2 in the gyms and don't typically see them after Feb 1. One old-timer who works out in a fitness center I run calls them "new shoes".

5. People are too sensitive. Why do we have to be so PC? Some people need to be told that they are unmotivated, fat and going to die. Perhaps that would light a fire under their collective asses to do something about it.

I don't know why people make the process of getting into shape so difficult. There is no magic formula. It's as simple as this:

1. Lift progressively heavier weights to build muscle and strength, focusing on the big basics, like squats, pushes and pulls.

2. Get in shape - keep your bodyfat low, this doesn't mean you need to be sportin' a six-pack, but there's no excuse for becoming a fat-ass.

3. Eat right. Eat fresh, raw and whole as much as possible. Get rid of the refined and processed shit. Eat to fuel performance and build lean mass. Every now and then eat something bad - in addition to not being a fat-ass you don't need to be a tight-ass either. Lighten up and have some pizza or a snickers every now and then.

4. Don't wear lycra.

5. Don't listen to Oprah or any other self-proclaimed "gurus" on exercise.

Pretty simple right? What's your excuse?