Go. Do. Start. Enjoy!

I realize that these tests are designed and created to asses the general health and fitness of each child with the best of intentions. I also realize that these sorts of tests are not supposed to be highly accurate depictions of a child's actual fitness level (whatever that really means Truth be told they are pretty useless.

Here is a scan of my daughters test.

For example, all kids are asked to do push ups the same way. doesn't matter if you are really top heavy or not. A heavy kid might be a lot stronger than an thin kid but do less total push-ups (each push up for the heavy kid would be akin to placing 5 NYC phone books on the thin kids back). So the heavy kid gets a worse score even though he is a lot stronger than the thin kid.

When it came to the flexibility test my daughter scored really well. Of course, it helps to have long arms and a long torso in this sit and reach test. If your legs are long and your arms and torso are short you'll score poorly even though the child's level of flexibility is perfectly healthy - for them.

The really interesting this about this Fitness Gram are the sidebar notations.

For example, the sit and reach test which, allegedly, tests the flexibility of the child has a sidebar that reads:

This is an interesting statement because my daughter never ever stretches. So her almost off the charts flexibility was not achieved by an iota of stretching. It is highly unlikely that she'll need to stretch then to maintain it.

If you look at the curl ups which are really crunches, my daughter was off the charts. 22 was considered very high and she did 50. On the sidebar it says:

"Your abdominal and trunk strength are both in the Healthy Fitness Zone. To maintain your fitness abdominal and trunk strength (what is the difference really?) should be done 3 to 5 days each week."

Where is the science to support this silly idea? And besides, how did she wind up doing nearly double the very high amount when she never does trunk curls?

At the top right hand side of the paper it says:

This is not a bad idea but I have yet to see a kid who does not do some form of physical activity everyday. I know that these kids do exist, but they are rare and more than likely need emotional help rather than forcing them to go outside and play.

There is little if any scientific evidence to support this common idea. Body composition is not affected when kids are placed into aerobic exercise programs unless diet is accounted for.

As for the heart, aerobic exercise does next to nothing especially in children. Aerobic exercise increases the amount of mitochondria (cellular powerhouses) within the muscle (as does weight lifting). The heart merely goes along for the ride.

While it is true that strength exercises are good for your muscles and joints, flexibility exercises are not. In other words, there is little if any scientific evidence to support the idea that stretching exercises are beneficial especially for children.

If we are going to create tests to help keep our children healthy and strong it would be helpful if we stuck to science rather than fitness lore. We owe our children at least this much don't you think?

Many thanks!

I got a really good belly laugh out of this.

If you ate no cholesterol at all you wouldn't live very well or very long. And if you were a child, you'd never full develop and perhaps suffer from learning disorders and a poorly functioning immune system.

Every cell in your body need cholesterol to reproduce and function optimally. What your body makes on it's own is not enough. That's why it's present in so many foods!

Needless to say, I won't be frequenting this establishment.

My friend Bill tipped me off via email to this unbelievable story. (Tongue deeply inserted into cheek.) Here's what Bill wrote to me in the email:

"Lovely." I replied.

This was found to be especially true for children. For my book Strong Kids Healthy Kids I scoured the research and, lo and behold, I could not find a single study that supported inactivity as a cause for adolescent obesity. In fact, research revealed that obese kids were just as active as lean kids.

Said Boyd A. Swinburn, a professor at the health faculty of Australia's Deakin University:

"Among children, the tests yielded a 100 percent match, leading researchers to conclude that changes in physical activity had had no impact whatsoever on America's children growing fatter."

Thank you Dr. Swinburne.

If you all recall, Bob Greene (Oprah's trainer) argued this point with me  Clearly Bob had not read any of the research. Bob insisted that research clearly shows that physical activity is necessary for kids to lose fat and inactivity is one of the main causes of the alarming rate of fat gain in kids today. 'Fraid not.

The researchers found that American adults actually weighed less than could be expected from their diet. Swinburn remarked:

"Which means that if anything over that period of time the adults had been increasing their physical activity, not decreasing."

That's one way to look at it. However, there are almost no studies that support the idea that increasing physical activity will result in weight loss. The ACSM and the American Heart Association had this to say in the 2007 updated recommendations for physical activity and public health Aha exercise recs 2007:

“It is reasonable to assume that persons with relatively high daily energy expenditures would be less likely to  gain weight over time, compared with those who have  low energy expenditures. So far, data to support this hypothesis are not particularly compelling.”

   

My guess is that Americans have NOT increased their physical activity a jot. Rather, an increase in carbohydrate consumption is the cause of the added fat gain despite the total calories not adding up. We know from recent research that isocaloric diets of different carbohydrate amounts yield different gains in adiposity. In other words, people gain more fat on non-reduced, isocaloric diets that are higher in carbohydrates. Put simply carbs make you fatter than calories from fat and protein. In other, other, words, a calorie is not a calorie.

And we know that carbohydrate intake has increased dramatically from the recent NHANES figures. In fact since 1971, carb intake is up in men and women by a whopping 23% and 38% respectively.


I am tickeld thin by this recent study and perhaps now we'll be able to get somewhere in the fight against obesity especially for kids.

Let's ride into the sunset of health in the direction science says the horse is going.

(As an aside, I posted my feelings about this on my Facebook site and many friends were quick to snap me out of it. It's nice to know you've got pals who've got your back.)

Tim Ferris, the author of the blockbuster, runaway bestseller The 4-Hour Work Week popped into my gym the other day and we had an impromptu dinner. He's a man of many talents and skills and will be helping me to lean how to use the web to generate better awareness for the Nutrition and Metabolism Society
and for my new book Strong Kids Healthy Kids. He's definitely a friend who's got your back. 

Speaking of which, my friend Keith Ferrazzi has just written a new book called Who's Got Your Back. Keith will be doing a special series on Good Morning America where he helps 5 people overcome their weaknesses in improving the quality of their lives helping them to move forward from where they are now both personally and professionally which Keith so rightly points out go hand in hand. I highly recommend it.

Gary Taubes, author of the NY Times bestseller Good Calories Bad Calories gave a fantastic lecture in Phoenix Arizona this past weekend at Dr. Ben Bocchicchio's gym. Dr. Ben as many of you know was the originator of slow, controlled training back in the early 1970's which he now calls the SMaRT system.

(Below left to right: Fred Hahn, Dr. Ben Bocchicchio, Gary Taubes)

More to come!

In other words, we are not tied to a way of training for the sake of sticking to a set and previously accepted training paradigm. No - we are all instead tied to obeying well done research and, when we discover new training territory - even if it disagrees with what we are currently doing for clients (and even if the evidence is purely anecdotal), we strongly consider it.

Case in point, I  just received this email from one of our instructors:

“Fred - Update: I weighed 154 pounds in November."

(Note: he was training 1-2X a week for many months and gained well, but was topped out at 160lbs. He asked me what to do and I said add a training day and see what happens. He is NOT a 'genetic freak' meaning, he is not someone who has the genetics for super-man like muscles.) 

"I started training 3x a week in January. When I started, I weighed 160. 13.6% body fat.

Today is 3 months of 3x week training and eating more. I weigh 167 and my body fat is 11.5%. I have put on a little under 10 pounds of muscle.

Woohooo!”

Woohoo indeed. Now to make further gains I feel he'll need to up his fat/protein intake a tad more and perhaps add a tad more volume to each session.Bear in mind that he is trying to maximize his muscle mass. Most people are not interested in doing this. One or better still two weekly strength training sessions are more than enough to halt and reverse sarcopenia (age related muscle loss) so long as you are eating enough protein. If you do not eat enough protein you will lose lean tissue at an accelerated rate. And that's bad!

If the key to productive training is recovery from the training (and it most certainly is), then logically we need to boost recovery if we are not seeing the gains we wish to see. To boost recovery, we need to eat enough fat and protein and keep carbohydrate low to moderate. But the timing of the protein intake is CRITICAL.

This is something I had not fully considered for the past 20 years. Now, due to some very good research, I hold a different view.

I just returned from the 2009 Eastern Regional Obesity Conference hosted by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians which included the Nutrition and Metabolism Symposium in Charleston South Carolina. One of the speakers, Dr. Douglass Paddon-Jones, presented some extremely well done research indicating that if one is not getting at least 30 grams of protein per meal and especially at breakfast, muscle loss is accelerated. And you can't make up for it by eating 60 grams (even if you could) at lunch. If you miss the window, you miss it. This is especially important for seniors who usually shun protein because of the fat content which they have wrongfully been told is bad for their health. The 'lipophobes' (fat haters) are everywhere in the medical community and it is causing our seniors a slow and painful demise. Sad indeed.

So, even though more frequent strength training sessions seems to maximize lean mass gains a bit better (so long as adequate protein is ingested), it is still very apparent that 30-40 minutes of training twice per week is sufficient for good gains. BUT again, the frequency and timing of the protein intake is a major player.

There is a good deal of research which indicates that people have a wide variety of recovery times. But in these studies, the researchers fail to address diet. The fact is that some people eat a lot better than others for anabolism (lean growth) even though they are not consciously trying.  

As the saying goes: Eat, train, grow.

My twist to this is:

Eat enough, train enough, grow better.

Check it out on Dr. Ben Bocchicchio's website! (The website says the 8th but it's the 2nd).

Please attend if you can! I will be there to take questions as well.

Jennifer wrote back to me the next day. Again, I hope this information can help some of you who read this blog:

Hey Fred,

I really appreciate you getting back to me. I must say that I was surprised and thrilled that you were the one that actually emailed me back.

I work for a lady who practices alternative nutritionally health through contact reflex analysis. I’m not sure if you have heard of that. She sells Standard Process whole food supplements of which I have been taking for about three years now. I used to take about 7 different prescription medications and have gotten off of all of them. Sandy, my boss, had the book Protein Power by the Eads in the office and I read their book and that’s how I found out about you and the Slow Burn technique. All of us in the office have read your book and recommend the Slow Burn method to all of

Sandy

The following is an example of my daily meals. Breakfast consists of a protein shake (protein powder that I get from Sandy), made with almond milk, two to three raw eggs, honey and a tablespoon of organic raw chocolate powder. I also have three pieces of bacon. On the days that I work, which is only two days a week, I usually take a salad with organic cheddar cheese, mushrooms, two boiled eggs, ham, and topped with sunflower seeds. The days that I don’t work, I usually have my protein shake later in the morning so I don’t always eat “lunch.” Sometimes I will just have a protein bar (Standard Process). For dinner, I have steak, chicken thighs, turkey kielbasa or some other type of meat with a side, such as a baked sweet potato, broccoli sautéed in butter, green beans, etc. I have given up rice, white potatoes, bread (even Ezekiel bread), and pasta.

I used to be a very active, athletic girl and have taken weight training classes in college. I had to retrain myself on how to eat after years of dieting that taught me to eat margarine and lowfat foods. I am now having to retrain myself on how I approach exercise. I felt guilty last week for only working out two days instead of the three that I usually work out. I know what you said in your book about aerobic exercise, like the elliptical, but I am still struggling with that one. I almost went and tried out for the Biggest Loser show a few weeks ago, and I realized that I would never be able to conform to their methods of eating and exercising. I found it interesting that you said that I should do the elliptical machine after I do the Slow Burn on the weight machines because I know that I would not be able to go 30 minutes. My legs are usually shaking after I finish doing the Slow Burn. I will make sure that if I continue to do the elliptical machine that I will do it last.

Once again, I appreciate you answering my email. It was very encouraging. I decided to take my measurements so that I may be able to track my progress in a better way. I know that my body is changing. Even my boss told me that she can tell my shape is changing, and I can actually see my triceps a little bit. I will keep you updated on my progress, and who knows, I may be the first person to lose 200 lbs only exercising two days a week.

 Jennifer

And my reply:

Morning Jennifer –

I’m more than happy to personally help anyone interested in getting themselves back to, well, themselves. My pleasure.

The fact that you have finally gotten off the grains whole or processed is a HUGE benefit to your fat loss goals. If you really stay off them, you’ll see much faster fat loss results. But still, you must be patient. I am convinced that this is why you only lost 7 pounds in 3 months. You could have lost more like 12-20 in that same time on a very low carb diet. Still, 7 is not that bad! :) ‘Nothing to shake a stick at’ as they say! And don’t forget (or I’ll get sore) that you are on a fat loss program not a weight loss program. The scale records both fat loss AND muscle gains. Don’t forget now!

As far as your meals go, the only things that I saw that you might want to avoid (for now at least) are the sweet potatoes. And check to see how many carbs there are in the almond milk – it might be a lot. I’m just not sure. If so, use water and a couple of table spoons of organic whole cream instead in your shake. It’ll still be tasty and have zero carbs.  You want ample fat in your protein shakes and ZERO carbs.

Don’t feel guilty about exercising less. Remember – exercise should stimulate a positive response as in doing your strength workout. Your body needs time to respond to the stimulus and provide you with more muscle fibers, bone, etc. Too much exercise gets in the way of that process. Burning calories via exercise is a total and complete myth. It is a bogus concept and does not work. You are better off taking a nap or doing something better with that time like learning a foreign language or a stress relieving exercise.

Funny about the biggest loser – they have rejected me numerous times even though one of my clients has serious influence over the casting. And why was I rejected? My take is they know that I will destroy the other trainer’s results-wise with a low carb diet and 2X a week of 20 minutes of strength training. The reason why so few people reach their goals on TBL is because what Jillian Michaels and the other trainer are doing is FAR too much exercise and incorrect eating. I feel SOOOOO sorry for those people whenever I hesitatingly watch the show. Really sad. PLEASE do not go on that show.

You will indeed lose the 200 pounds with only 1 hour of exercise per week. Please don’t forget – fat loss is all about eating in a way that allows fat stores to be released and not stored. The best way to do this is to keep the hormone insulin low. The best way by far to do this is to eat a low carb diet. This oversimplifies it a bit, but it is essentially correct.

Exercise must be about positive tissue adaptation. The very best way to achieve this is by weight lifting (strength training) and allowing for adequate recovery.

Please keep me posted Jennifer as to your progress and I’ll help you every step of the way.

To you,

Fred

There are tens of thousands of folks like Jennifer all over this fine country who are tortured by shows like The Biggest Loser and led astray by well-meaning but horribly misinformed registered dietitians and doctors. I and many other folks aim to change this.

Fat loss is not a numbers game (calories in vs. calories out). It is a hormonal game that is best won by low carb and strength training.

Let's cheer Jennifer on!

An online Slow Burn advocate sent this letter to me today. I though that her issues might be similar to many of yours so, I figured sharing it might be of help to some of you.

Her email:

Dear Mr. Hahn,

I am a 44-year-old white female. I started the Slow Burn workout about a month and a half ago. I have just in the past week cut all grains out of my diet. Prior to that, I was only eating whole organic grains.

Back in January when I started working out, I weighed 380 lbs. I have only lost 7 pounds since January. I am extremely frustrated because I workout three days a week. I do the elliptical machine for 30 minutes and then do the Slow Burn technique on the weight machines. I was just wondering when I will start seeing some results with the weight loss. My clothes are definitely looser, and I am starting to see muscle tone in my arms again. However, at some point because of how much I weigh, I would think that I would see drastic results on the scales. Do you have any suggestions or comments?? Thanks.

Jennifer P

Here's my reply:

Hi Jennifer –

Great that you started the workout. Let me get right to the point and say that exercise is not the answer to fat loss. Not even close. While I commend you for the effort you are putting in, what you eat is the answer, not exercise. Since you just cut out all grains last week, you will soon see dramatic changes pretty quickly so long as you don’t go crazy with fruit as fruit, like all grains, are carbohydrate. Give me a sample of your daily food intake so I can see if you are on the right track.

 Also, you are exercising a bit too much. Just do the SB workout twice a week (you don’t need the elliptical either but if you want to do it do it AFTER the SB workout) and follow my book as closely as you can.

Make sure to eat a protein rich, low to no carb meal (or better a shake) immediately after your workouts. Don’t skip breakfast on your training days (or ever for that matter).

Drink a gallon of cool water a day and get at least 8 hours of sound sleep.

And remember, you are building muscle too. If you weigh 370 pounds and after a month lose 5 pounds of fat but gain five pounds of muscle, you’ll weigh the same – right? Right. But your in much better shape.

Stay the low carb course and you’ll see much faster results real soon. Just remember that what you eat is 99% of the fat loss equation. Strength training adds muscle which contributes.

 All the best,

Fred