The Fun Fit Blog

MUSCLETECH, Killer Protein - Research & Read the Fine Print!

Recently I ordered some protein powder and I received a free sample of MUSCLETECH triple chocolate protein milkshake.

I like to know what I eat, so I'm always reading the fine print.

Their product states:

• MUSCLETECH Research and Development
• Science Proves You Gain up to 8.4 lbs. of lean muscle in just 14 days!
• University Researched, Tested, and Proven
• Multimillion Dollar Research Budget

But when you read the fine print, you see:

• Warning: Taking this product without adequate fluid may cause it to swell and block your throat or esophagus and may cause choking.  If you experience chest pain...seek immediate medical attention. 
• In one 28 day study, 1 Nitro-Tech Hardcore extraordinary subject gained 8.4 lbs. of muscle in just 14 days.

My thoughts on MUSCLETECH Nitro-Tech Hardcore:

1. I've never seen a protein powder with a warning like this before. Protein is suppose to be healthy and should not cause hospitalization!
2. As I've state before, I'm a pharmacist and I have over 7 years of experience with clinical research trials. To make a product claim based on only 1 subject, no matter how "extraordinary" is plain wrong and is not science. What about all the other subjects in the study? Did any of them gain muscle? You would think with MUSCLETECH's "mulitmillion dollar budget", that they could tell us how the other subjects did!

For most people, plain old protein powder is good enough. Myself, I prefer Optimum's protein powders. They won't choke you or cause chest pain. Just because a product claims to be "scientific" and has a research budget, doesn't mean that it will work better the regular stuff. Don't be fooled by marketing gimmicks. Take control of what you eat by reading the fine print.

Have Fun, Be Fit!
"Functional Marc"

What's Wrong with the Ab Lounge?

Today I want to discuss the Ab Lounge. This popular ab equipment claims to be "the ultimate abdominal machine". So how good is the Ab Lounge anyway? I've had one for about 2 years now and I'll share my thoughts with you.

First, it is very easy for a novice to make the mistake of using their arms and legs with the Ab Lounge instead of their abs. So, assuming you have a strong core and good form, the Ab Lounge does work your abs.

But is the Ab Lounge better than regular crunches? A typical ab crunch consists of 2 parts, 1) curling of your upper body and lower body together and 2) returning to the start position. To perform an ab crunch properly, your abs should be working for both parts of the ab exercise.

However, there is a problem with the Ab Lounge. It's kind of a big problem. The Ab Lounge works fine for the curling part of the exercise, but once your body is "curled", it's kind of stuck there. The Ab Lounge locks into an upright sitting position and you can't easily return to the start position using just your abs. No matter what I try, I find that my arms and legs end up doing most of the return part of the exercise, not my abs.

So to recap, regular ab crunches on the floor or with a ball or BOSU work the abs for both parts of the exercise, but the Ab Lounge works the abs for only 1 part of the exercise.

Look at any type of ab equipment in your local gym and you'll find that none of them lock in the sitting position like the Ab Lounge. I'm sure that the reason the Ab Lounge locks up at the sitting position is to make the ab exercise easier.

So, who is the Ab Lounge for? I would have to say the Ab Lounge is for someone that is a beginner who can't do standard ab exercises and wants to work up to performing standard crunches on the floor or with a ball or BOSU. So if you can do regular crunches, stick with that and avoid the Ab Lounge. The Ab Lounge isn't bad, it's just half of an ab crunch. Plus it's easy to cheat and not use your abs on this equipment.

During the week, I do a variety of ab exercises. I'll typically use the Ab Lounge about once a month for some extra variety for my ab exercises. But that's it.

The next time you see an easy-to-use fitness product remember, there is no easy way to fitness. You have to constantly work at it and most importantly, make it fun for you!

"Have Fun, Be Fit!"
Functional Marc

Make the Most Out of Your Legs and Your Home Gym Power Cage

It's been almost a year since I reviewed the Powertec Power Cage. I love having a power cage in my home gym.  The power cage allows me to perform a variety of exercises without the need for a spotter. One of my favorite exercises is the squat exercise. I bought my power cage just so I could safely perform squat exercises in my home gym.

However, the biggest difficulty that I've had with my power cage is performing squat exercises.  Proper form for a squat exercise can be challenging and requires coordination with several muscle groups. Doing a squat correctly in an open space is challenging enough. But performing squats in a tight space like a power cage can become almost impossible.

After many months of using my power cage, I discovered that a small change can make a huge difference when it comes to working out in a power cage. And I realized that there's a way to make the most of the power cage interior space.

My Power Cage Mistake:

Originally, I had been facing towards the back of the power cage when I unracked the barbell. Next, I took 1 or 2 step backwards with the weight and then performed the exercise. This turned out to be a terrible idea. My form really suffered from this start position in the cage. My workout space seemed really constrained and I didn't know how far away the barbell and my body were from accidentally hitting the cage bars behind me. No matter what I tried, my squats just didn't feel right.

My Power Cage Fix:

Then I got an idea. What if I faced towards the front of the cage instead? This time I stood in the back of the cage, I faced the front of the cage and unracked the weight. Next I moved forward walking as close to the front of the cage as I could without hitting the cage bars with my barbell. From this position, I was able to perform the exercise with proper form. The whole exercise finally felt right!

Part of the benefit with this position is psychological, but the other benefit is that workout space becomes slightly greater. Because I was able to see outside of the cage this position gave me a feeling of working out in a larger space. Also, I could better judge where to position myself for the maximum amount of workout area.

This change in position might seem obvious but sometimes the obvious is not so obvious and sometimes a slight change can make a big difference when it comes to exercising.

Have Fun, Be Fit!

"Functional Marc"