Top 10 Health and Fitness Documentaries
I would definitely define myself as a health and fitness addict. And as an addict, I love watching health and fitness documentaries. Below are 10 of my favorite documentaries in no particular order.
1. Bigger, Faster, Stronger – Do Americans try to win at any cost? This documentary looks at steroids use and how it relates to the American Dream. I love one of the question posed by the documentary. Do you cheat to win if that is what everyone else is doing?
2. Food Inc – This is the first documentary I watched about the food industry. Some people I’ve talked to about this movie have said that this movie made them want to be vegetarians. It didn’t have that effect on me. Instead it made me more committed to only buying free-range, grass-fed meat. It has made me want to support the local, farmers who do it the “right way.” Check out U.S. Wellness Meats.
3. Pumping Iron – It’s a film about Arnold Schwarzenegger and the “golden age” of bodybuilding. What’s not to love? haha
4. Fat Head – I hesitated to watch this movie as I heard it was about losing weight while eating fast food. BUT it is probably my FAVORITE documentary about food and health! It talks about how fast food, and fatty foods, aren’t the problem, but that vegetable oils and carbs are. It makes you question conventional wisdom, which means this documentary gets a BIG THUMBS UP from me!!!!
5. Super Size Me – While I now see lots of flaws in this documentary, it is still definitely worth watching. This documentary reveals a lot about the fast food industry and even shows how the industry may be encouraging poor nutrition for its own profit. And the fact that McDonald’s food doesn’t rot after being left out for a month is a bit gross.
Again with the food stuffed in the mouth.
6. I Want to Look Like that Guy – If you are always working to get perfect six-pack abs, you should watch this. Stuart shows you what it really takes to look like a fitness model/bodybuilder.
7. The Future of Food – What is your opinion about genetically engineered crops? Are they the answer to the world food crisis? Watch this movie. Then let me know what you think.
8. King Corn – Almost everything we eat contains corn. (Uhmm….I think this fact is VERY disturbing!!!!) All this corn that we are growing provides cheap food for our population…it may also be killing us….
9. Heavy – So this isn’t a documentary. It is actually a show on A&E. I was surprised that I liked this show since I don’t like Biggest Loser. I don’t like that show, and others like it, because I don’t think they help people make lifestyle changes. They just simply help people lose weight. BUT Heavy helps people change their lifestyle. They provide obese people with the tools they need to turn their lives around. I LOVE THIS SHOW!
10. ESPN 30 for 30 – Into the Wind – 30 for 30 is more of a documentary series on ESPN, but I love the “Into the Wind” episode. I have only one word to say about this episode – motivational.
Want more health and fitness information? Check out Redefining Strength!
Slow Carb Diet Update
So I’ve now done just under 4 weeks of the slow carb diet prescribed by the 4 hour body. As I said before, I put a primal twist on the meals during the week and didn’t indulge in beans, but instead ate nuts.
I’ve definitely seen results. I’ve lost about an inch off my waist and everything is looking leaner. A LOT leaner. I’ve overall felt pretty good and have really enjoy having the one day to binge. It makes the very restricted diet during the week easier to tolerate.
Of course during my vacation next week, I won’t be following the diet AT ALL, BUT I do plan to go back on it as soon as I get back. In the 4 hour body, he gives tips to minimize the damage you do on cheat days. I may try to use some of them during the vacation. We will see though.
The only downside to this diet for me was the little bit of “low carb flu” that I’ve felt on and off on Fridays. This was the first week that I really didn’t feel it at all (which is good because today I’m not indulging in my usual binge since the vacation is so close!)
I definitely recommend this diet if you are looking to get off the last little bit of fat!
Man Bicep Form Bible – Deadlifting and Benching
So today during our workout, we took a couple of videos to show our form.
The first video is of one of our favorite exercises – deadlifts. This is during my warm up round.
1. I set my feet and my hands. My feet are a little wider than shoulder width apart and my hands are right outside my shins.
2. I sink low, putting my weight in my heels.
3. I put tension on the bar by pulling up as I raise my head and chest. (You always want your head and chest up instead of sagging toward the floor. This will keep your back from rounding. I sometimes even like to raise my chin right before I settle in to remind myself to keep my chest up. And you can also look at the ceiling to remind yourself not to round. Don’t pull your whole head up. Just pick a place with your eyes.)
4. I pull up on the bar by pushing through my heels, keeping my butt down. (Don’t let your butt come up too fast or you will put more strain on your back.)
5. As I pull up, I keep the bar close to my legs. (Usually my pants or shins are scrapped up from the bar after a deadlifting workout!)
6. At the top I lock out by squeezing my glutes and pressing my hips forward.
The other main lift we did today was bench. After a push up/pull up pyramid yesterday it wasn’t easy. Candy rocked it out though. Below is one of her sets.
1. Set your hands about shoulder width apart.
2. Tuck your elbows in slightly as you lower the bar. (Your upper arms actually shouldn’t be at a 90 degree angle to your torso because this puts more pressure on your shoulders.)
3. Lower the bar all the way to your chest/upper abs.
4. Press back up, locking out your elbows. Always push back toward the rack.
5. Throughout the movement try not to arch and keep your feet on the ground.
Now go out and lift!! Work on those Man Biceps! 🙂
Is lifting form important?
Why doesn’t there ever seem to be a simple yes or no answer when it comes to exercise?
I constantly worry about my form and I always cringe when I see people (mostly men…yes you men who think you know everything about lifting) lifting heavy weights with improper form. You CAN hurt yourself if you are lifting heavy weights with incorrect form!!!! Your back shouldn’t be rounded when you do a deadlift!
Poor back!!!
If you are just starting to lift or even an experienced lifter, it is always good to have your form checked and to learn correct movement patterns. It will help prevent injuries from occurring. Also, when you use correct form, you will be engaging the correct muscles which will help you lift more!
BUT…yes there always seems to be a BUT…
But while form is important there are going to be times when you need to push through those last couple reps even though your form has broken down. Pushing through those last awful reps is what is going to make you stronger.
As a trainer, I allow some clients to have less than perfect form when they are starting out. I’ll spend part of our session working on their form, which will help them as they get stronger. I want them to develop good movement patterns so that they can prevent injury.
BUT (again with the buts!) I also do sometimes just push them to move even if their form breaks down a little bit. If your client wants to lose weight, they need to move. Plus excess weight could be distorting his or her movement patterns. SO sometimes letting someone work up a sweat is more important than focusing every second on proper form. BUT don’t let them go too heavy if their movement patterns need some work.
I guess a rule that I go by is that it is ok for form to break down when:
A. You are performing the last couple reps of a set. (This means you used a challenging weight!)
B. You are performing a max rep.
C. You are overweight and trying to learn form, but also just starting to become active. (Add weight slowly as your form improves. Using heavy weights with bad form for more than a few reps will put you at risk for injuries.)
Let me know what you think! Is form important?
Man Biceps at Work – Judy
Below is a testimonial for the Man Bicep way from Judy! Thank you Judy!!!! We love your biceps!
When I’m lifting, I love looking in the mirror and seeing the definition of my toned, strong muscles. I’m really not narcissistic; I just like seeing the payoff of all my hard work.
Oh yea! Definitely Man Bicep worthy!
And yes, it is hard work…all those sweat-filled hours on the gym floor lifting heavy stuff, ridiculous rounds of plyometrics, lots of heart-pumping cardio, etc. But never has something made me feel so good about myself, so alive.
I used to be totally intimidated by the “scene” on the weight room floor.
Now, I feel like I belong there and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t give myself high-fives when I compare what I’m doing on the floor compared to others, many of them guys.
It’s not always easy (nothing good ever is), and yes, there are many days I totally beat myself up over a less than perfect workout (sometimes those weights just feel too heavy), but in the end, all those heavy weights and pools of sweat pools on the gym floor have made me so happy with myself….and that is the best reward.
Plus, my “awesome arms”, “compliment-demanding calves” and quads that get used as the basis for pick-up lines by other cyclists are an added bonus!
She even has energy to spare after riding the PMC!
Prevent injuries by working out!
Do you have back pain from being inactive? Do you have knee problems from running all the time?
Lift weights and prevent injuries!!! Increasing your strength makes you less prone to injuries!
If you lift weights, you can correct the postural and muscular imbalances that can lead to injuries. Repetitive workouts, repetitive movements and/or inactivity (aka being a couch potato) can cause certain muscles to become over or underdeveloped and can cause bad posture. Hunching over a computer screen, which most of us do for most of the day, can cause certain muscles to be tight while others are over stretched. Weight training can help correct your posture and the pain you may feel in your back, neck and shoulders from hunching over!
You can also strengthen the muscles around your joints to make them more stable! Strengthening your bones, cartilage, tendons and ligaments by performing weight-bearing exercises can help sustain overall health. Some exercises will even help increase range of motion (ROM) and increase your flexibility, which will help prevent injury and will lead to a more functional life.
So all you marathon runners and long distance cyclists…start weight training! It will help your performance!
And if you are a couch potato who suffers from back pain…try some weight training! Rest isn’t the only thing you need to do to rehab an injury!
Thanks to Brian Castellucci for help with this post! 🙂
Man Bicep Mom
My mom is the ultimate testament as to why women should lift weights. I’ll let her prove it to you…with a few of my comments under some of the photos!
Below is the first post by the Man Bicep Mom!
My hot mama! Using my bowflex dumbbells haha
I read recently that fashion experts recommended that older women select fashions that show off their best feature.
I do that. I show off my arms and shoulders.
Showing off the man bicep!
During the summer I take great delight in wearing sleeveless outfits so that I can showcase my sculpted shoulders and arms. And I get compliments, too!
I’m 61 years old and people admire my arms and shoulders! I’m Cori’s mom and I’ve been lifting weights for over 20 years.
I have never bulked up or been accused of looking manly. I’m thin, very stylish and very feminine looking. In fact, I probably have weights to thank for that. I look good in clothes because I still have a firm, sculpted middle and a tight butt.
No muffin tops for me; no baby bump tummy; no sagging butt; and definitely no jiggly arms!
You’re probably thinking I’m deluded and very full of myself. She has muscles and she still looks good in her clothes, right!
Here are my stories.
I was trying on a linen suit at Talbots. The suit was unstructured but cinched in at the waist with a tie belt. I stepped out of the dressing room to look at myself in the three-way mirror. Another customer looked at me and said, “That suit looks wonderful on you! You have to buy it!” When I was paying for the suit, the saleswoman thanked me and said, ” I think you sold another one of these for us. The woman who admired you is trying it on right now.” See, muscles and all I look good in clothes.
I have another story.
I was at Anthropologie trying on a slinky, sleeveless dress with horizontal stripes. Again I came out to look at myself in the three-way mirror and another customer complimented the way I looked in the dress. She turned to the saleswoman and asked if she could find the dress for her. This woman was thin with a nice figure, but she didn’t have my muscle definition. She tried the dress on and said, “It looks good on me but looks better on you.”
The other woman was right...she looks damn fine in the dress!
Now the reason I tell you this is that, either because of my muscles, or maybe in spite of my muscles, I look good in my clothes. At the very least, my sculpted muscles have not detracted from the way I look in my clothes. I would venture to say that because of my muscles I look good in my clothes.
And isn’t that what we all want?
I am also going to suggest that I think women like the way muscles look on other women. Here are my stories.
A long time ago, probably a year or so into my weight workout regimen, I was at a dinner auction for my children’s school. I was wearing a long dress with thin, little shoulder straps. After dinner one of the teachers came up to me and said that she had been sitting at a table of teachers and that they had decided that I had the best dress. “We also love your shoulders. Do you work out?”
Just last week, I was meeting this woman for the first time. I was wearing a sleeveless dress. We were introduced and then she immediately reached out and touched my arms saying, “I love your arms. They are so sculpted.”
One more story. I was looking at pictures of female runners with a group of women. Except for me, none of the women lifted weights. A couple of the women ran. I can tell you that the women ooohed and ahhhhed over the pictures of women with defined muscles. They loved the women with shredded arms and shoulders, abs and legs. They commented on how beautiful they looked.
And so now I ask the million dollar question – why do women refuse to add weights to their workouts?
The only con I have ever heard is that they are afraid they will bulk up and that just won’t happen. You have to have testosterone to bulk up. I have girlfriends who workout and are in great cardiovascular shape. They know I use weights and love my muscle definition, but still they don’t add weights to their workout.
Why ladies, why?
It is a proven medical fact that weight training helps prevent osteoporosis and osteopenia. It is also a proven fact that it helps prevent sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass and function. We start losing muscle in our 40s and continue losing at a more rapid rate in our 50s. Losing muscle mass causes us to become weak and frail, less stable and surefooted. Losing muscle mass also causes us to gain weight in our 40s and 50s. Muscles are active tissue that burn more calories than fat. So it follows that as you lose muscle, you burn fewer calories and, unless you drastically change your eating habits, begin to gain weight.
So ladies, add weights to your workouts.
There is no downside to lifting weights. You will help prevent osteoporosis and sarcopenia and will feel strong and active and look beautiful.
Weights will also make your workouts more interesting, adding variety to the same old cardiovascular activities. I look forward to my weight workout days.
By the way, weight workouts come in a lot of “varieties and sizes”.
Cori enjoys power lifting twice a week mixed with circuit training on the other days while I have spent the last 20 years doing circuit training workouts from The Firm in the comfort of my home. I have a collection of 3, 5, 8 and 10 pound weights, and I do weight workouts three to four times a week. I love them!
I will take this opportunity to give kudos to The Firm. Throughout the years they have kept their workouts interesting and have always kept up with the latest advances in exercise physiology. I have The Firm to thank for the muscles and body that I have today.
But the real reason that I mention The Firm is to show that there are lots of different kinds of weight workouts. Experiment and find what you enjoy. Weight workouts are fun!
So, ladies of all ages, I implore you, lift weights! Stay healthy! Stay strong! Stay young! LOOK BEAUTIFUL!
Just do it! 😉
No grimace even though I made her hold the push up for awhile while I found a good angle!
Show Us Your Man Bicep!
Our wonderful new shirts courtesy of Candy! And Alyson thank you for snapping the photos of us! 🙂
Man Bicep Sisters!
Me being...me....
Me being me again and Candy is clearly wondering what the heck I'm doing.
The Beast, Beast Original and Beast Junior.
Heck ya we'll show you ours!
Oh ya! The man biceps!
Show us your man biceps!!!! 🙂
Dieting – Cheating and when to let go
I found an interesting post on The Great Fitness Experiment about cheat days and whether or not they work. In my opinion, there isn’t a simple “yes” or “no” answer to this. It just depends on the person.
I think the most important part of any diet is just to follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time you should maintain a healthy diet. 20% of the time you should indulge. However you choose to break it down just make sure you stick to the 80/20 rule.
Here are the two most common ways people follow this rule:
1. Daily mini cheats. 80% of the food you eat each day is healthy while 20% is an indulgence. This works if you can be satisfied (and make yourself stop eating) after one cookie for dessert. Portion control is key here.
2. Cheat days. During the average week, you eat well for 6 days with 1 day where you eat anything and everything in sight. This works if you are like me and seem to have no shut off mechanism once you start eating bad food. (Even feeling like I’m going to barf sometimes doesn’t stop me from stuffing more food in my mouth.)
Either way you choose to do it, daily mini cheats or once a week binges, just make sure that 80% of the time you are sticking to a healthy diet!!!
Another dieting dilemma…when do you just say screw it to your diet and enjoy life?
There is also no easy answer to this question. It all depends. I’m sure that answer makes you so happy! HA!
For me, vacations, holidays and other big celebrations are all times to just forget about my diet and eat whatever I want. BUT that is only IF I’m going to be stressed out about trying to eat well OR I’m going to be missing out on something I only can get at that specific time or place.
Like when we go to California for Ryan’s bday. I’m going to eat whatever I want the entire time I’m there. We just don’t have the wonderful Mexican food that they have in Southern California here in Boston. AND I’m going to also eat a HUGE cinnamon roll from this diner in Cali since it is the best cinnamon roll in the ENTIRE WORLD!
Warm ooey gooey-ness!
BUT since I know that in about two weeks I will be eating bad food for 4 days, I had to make a tough decision about this weekend when my mom visits. (YAY! For a visit from Mom) I had to decide whether or not I was going to stick to my routine of only one cheat day per week. And I decided that yes, I will.
There are so many good restaurants here that I can easily eat Primally at…so I really have no excuse to not eat well every day but Saturday. Anytime I can stick to my diet without spending too much time stressing out or feeling like I’m missing out, I will.
Living life doesn’t always have to mean cheating on your diet. BUT there are also times when you do just need to say screw it and enjoy!
Ouchies
I love being sore. I don’t love being sore and then having to teach 2 hours of spinning. I don’t love being sore and teaching 2 hours of spin after waking up at 4:30 a.m.
BUT I practice what I preach. I make people workout even when they are sore and tired. I make clients stick to a routine because developing a routine is essential for those new to exercise. A routine will create a habit and if you make a habit of exercising, you will keep yourself healthy!!!
I may not be new to exercise, but I do have a routine. And my Thursday routine includes waking up at 4:30 a.m. and teaching two hours of spin. I’m grumpy, but I’m happy deep down that I did it!
On a happier note…Candy made Man Bicep shirts for all of us (me, Brian and herself). They are awesome!!! I’ll try to snap a picture tomorrow, but for tonight a description will have to work.
Front of shirt: Show me yours
Back of shirt: I’ll show you mine. (And then below a picture of the man bicep I have up on the blog!)
Show me your biceps weight lifting women!!!
Man Bicep 