Is the Fitness Industry Tearing You Apart?

As we begin personal training sessions many clients request, “I want to tone my arms, abs, or lower body.” Female clients often refer to their “muffin top,” “flabby belly,” or “thunder thighs.” Where did we learn to fragment and insult ourselves like this? Fitness magazines characterize the body with “trouble zones” and sell workouts to “sculpt” your booty or belly.  Spot reduction, or fat loss to individual areas of the body, has been repeatedly debunked. Yet ThighMaster and Ab-lounger infomercials constantly Continue reading

How to Train Oakland Style

As I walking into my neighborhood coffee shop on Sunday morning I summon writing stamina. The vegan barista massages her repetitive strain injury while describing the gluten-free options. A heavy-set, disheveled woman limps in with a cane, interrupts, and rants about the injustice of $3.00 coffee. The commotion distracts everyone from the sleep-deprived mom attempting to maneuver a stroller through the door. The croissants sing their buttery siren song as I read the elaborate coffee menu. I opt for the Continue reading