Soldiers need to be able to move quickly under load, to be mobile under load, with your body armor, your weapons and your helmet, in a stressful situation,” said Frank Palkoska, head of the Army’s Fitness School at Fort Jackson, which has worked several years on overhauling the regime.
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We geared all of our calisthenics, all of our running movements, all of our warrior skills, so soldiers can become stronger, more powerful and more speed driven,” Palkoska said. The exercises are part of the first major overhaul in Army basic fitness training since men and women began training together in 1980, he said.
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The new training also uses “more calisthenics to build core body power, strength and agility. Over the 10 weeks of basic, a strict schedule of exercises is done on a varied sequence of days so muscles rest, recover and strengthen.
Part of the reason for this program re-design is the current physical fitness level of new Army recruits.
Many recruits didn’t have physical education in elementary, middle or high school and therefore tend to lack bone and muscle strength. When they ditch diets replete with soda and fast food for healthier meals and physical training, they drop excess weight and build stronger muscles and denser bones, Palkoska said.
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Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, the three-star general in charge of revamping all aspects of initial training, said his overall goal is to drop outmoded drills and focus on what soldiers need today and in the future.
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So, does that mean that the chubby 40-somethings doing “bootcamp” in my neighborhood park need to re-design their program as well?
Michelle Obama and her war against childhood obesity is in the news again.
In the article that she has written an article for this week’s edition of Newsweek, the First Lady outlines her plan to transform America’s youth from fat to fit within the span of a single generation.
And while I personally believe that big social programs such as these are more effective at spending money than affecting any sort of meaningful change, I want to know what you think.
And I made it easy with this handy-dandy Poll Daddy poll.
So, make your selection and then send send this link to all of your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, etc…
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(I have also included the entire article in the post – see below)
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Michelle on a Mission
How we can empower parents, schools, and the community to battle childhood obesity.
By Michelle Obama | NEWSWEEK
Published Mar 14, 2010
From the magazine issue dated Mar 22, 2010
For years, we’ve known about the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. We’ve heard the statistics—how one third of all kids in this country are either overweight or obese. We’ve seen the effects on how our kids feel, and how they feel about themselves. And we know the risks to their health and to our economy—the billions of dollars we spend each year treating obesity-related conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
But we also know that it wasn’t always like this. Back when many of us were growing up, we led lives that kept most of us at a pretty healthy weight. We walked to school every day, ran around at recess and gym and for hours before dinner, and ate home-cooked meals that always seemed to have a vegetable on the plate.
For many kids today, those walks to school have been replaced by car and bus rides. Afternoons playing outside have been replaced with afternoons inside with TV, videogames, and the Internet. And with many parents working longer hours, or multiple jobs, they don’t have time for family meals around the table anymore.
It’s now clear that between the pressures of today’s economy and the breakneck pace of modern life, the well-being of our kids has too often gotten lost in the shuffle.
And let’s be honest with ourselves: our kids didn’t do this to themselves. Our kids don’t decide what’s served in the school cafeteria or whether there’s time for gym class or recess. Our kids don’t choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in supersize portions, and then have those products marketed to them everywhere they turn. And no matter how much they beg for fast food and candy, our kids shouldn’t be the ones calling the shots at dinnertime. We’re in charge. We make these decisions.
That’s actually the good news—that we can decide to solve this problem. That’s why we started Let’s Move, a nationwide campaign with a single goal: to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
Let’s Move is not about trying to turn back the clock to when we were kids, or cooking five-course meals from scratch every night. No one has time for that. And it’s not about saying no to everything either. There’s a place for cookies and ice cream, burgers and fries—that’s part of the fun of childhood.
Instead, Let’s Move is about families making manageable changes that fit with their schedules, their budgets, and their needs and tastes. It’s about giving parents the tools they need to keep their families healthy and fit, and getting more nutritious food—more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and less sugar, fat, and salt—into our nation’s schools. It’s about helping grocery stores serve communities that don’t have access to fresh foods, and finding new ways to help our kids stay physically active in school and at home.
Achieving all this won’t be easy. This isn’t something we can fix with a bill in Congress or an executive order from the president. I’ve spoken with many experts about this issue, and not a single one has said that the solution to childhood obesity is to have the government tell people what to do.
Instead, it’s about what all of us can do to help our kids lead active, healthy lives: parents making healthier choices for their families; mayors and governors doing their part to build healthier cities and states; and the private sector doing its part as well—from food manufacturers offering healthier options to retailers understanding that what’s good for kids and families can be good for businesses too.
That’s why I’ve been traveling the country, speaking to groups ranging from PTAs to food manufacturers, to elected officials, to school food-service employees, asking all of them to be a part of Let’s Move. And since this campaign began, several major school suppliers have already agreed to improve the quality of their food, doubling the amount of fresh produce they serve to our children. The nation’s largest beverage companies have agreed to provide clearly visible information about calories on the front of their products, as well as on vending machines and soda fountains. The American Academy of Pediatrics has begun urging its members to screen children for obesity and to actually write out prescriptions for parents detailing how to address it. And we’ve started a Web site—LetsMove.gov—with tips on eating well and staying fit.
Changes like these are only the beginning—and we’ve got a long way to go to reach our goals. But I’m confident that if we each do our part, and all work together, we can ensure that our kids have not just the opportunities they need to succeed, but the strength and endurance to seize those opportunities: to excel in school, pursue the careers of their dreams, keep up with their own kids, and live to see their grandkids grow up—maybe even their great-grandkids too. That is the goal of Let’s Move, and that is my mission as first lady.
1 [Latin gluttonicidium, from glutton- + -cidium -cide] : the act or an instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally by means of habitual eating to excess
. 2: one that commits or attempts gluttonicide
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I discovered this amazing new word while skimming some new studies online.
You are not going to believe the research I am going to share with you tomorrow.
Over the past couple of years, Boot Camp style workouts have been chipping away at health club profits.
And for good reason.
They generally cost less than health clubs
Unlike health clubs, they don’t require a 12 month commitment
The high intensity workouts burn a ton of calories
In good weather, exercising outdoors is awesome.
Group fitness is fun
Group fitness participants are more consistent with their exercise routine
Consistency improves the odds of achieving your goals
And, when you consider that two of the major issues facing our society are…
the economy – recession, unemployment, etc
systemic obesity and related diseases like diabetes and heart disease
…boot camp workouts seem like a sure bet for the fitness industry.
The problem is…
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Most boot camp workouts kinda suck.
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Strong words, I know. But not without reason.
You see, over the past few months, I tried out a variety of boot camp workouts up here in Toronto….and they all sucked.
Some more than others, but none of them were great.
And here’s my problem with boot camps workouts.
They are a “one size fits all” type of workout. Regardless of experience, weight, injuries, strength, endurance, flexibility,etc…everybody is doing the exact same workout. If I did that with my personal training clients, I would be out of business.
They are great at helping beginner trainees progress to an intermediate level of fitness, but that’s it. There is no progression.
Today, there are a lot of angry healthcare, health insurance and drug company executives.
They’re angry because America’s investment guru, Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha himself, appeared on CNBC yesterday and eviscerated the current American healthcare system.
Without using any of the political rhetoric being thrown around Washington, Buffett noted that:
Out of control health care costs are like a tapeworm eating at our economic body
The current U.S. health care system eats up 17 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, at a time when many other countries pay only nine or 10 percent of GDP but have more doctors, nurses and hospital beds per capita.
While Mr. Buffett said he would support overhaul legislation proposed by the U.S. Senate, he would prefer existing proposals be scrapped in favour of a new one that attacks costs.
“If it was a choice today between Plan A, which is what we’ve got, or Plan B, which is the Senate bill, I would vote for the Senate bill,” he said. “But I would much rather see a Plan C that really attacks costs, and I think that’s what the American public wants to see.”
Instead of paying for procedures, American healthcare consumers should be paying for results
So, does that mean that America’s financial guru has gone socialist?
Not exactly.
Like the great investor he is, Buffett sees U.S. healthcare in black & red.
Too much red (costs equal to 17% GDP crippling the U.S. economy, inadequate medical coverage resulting in bankruptcies, American businesses at a global disadvantage due to their healthcare burden, etc…)
Not enough black (budget surplus, healthy nation, increased business profits, higher wages, etc…)
And in keeping with his investment strategy, Buffett doesn’t claim to have all the answers to solving the healthcare riddle. (unlike the geniuses on Capital Hill)
He would rather assemble all of the biggest healthcare brains in the country and listen to what they have to say.
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Garlin was on the show to flog his new book, My Footprint.
The book is all about Garlin’s attempt to reduce both his physical and environmental footprints….and I almost choked from laughing so hard.
Who knew food addiction and morbid obesity could be so damn funny?
Apparently Jeff Garlin did…
Even his interview with 20/20 was pretty funny.
…except for that part about the stroke. .
So, maybe food addiction and morbid obesity isn’t 100% funny.
Heck, even Jeff Garlin finally took it seriously…dropping down from 300+ pounds to around 260 (and still losing). .
I haven’t read the book yet, so I can’t give you a review, but I love the idea of this weight loss book because it’s…
Written by an actual fat person
Who is still struggling with the process
And has a wicked sense of humor
If anyone has read the book, shoot me a mini review in the comments.
No more…
circuit training
