email to a friend
printer-friendly version| If it sounds good to be true.... Don't forget to check out the "Rants, Raves and What's New Archive." by Earl R. Curry I learned a new exercise term the other day, while watching an info commercial of all things. I?ve been around a few decades and have never heard the phrase before, so it kind of caught my attention. It was VAR or Variable Assisted Resistance and of course it would ?build your core muscles stronger and faster than you ever thought possible in only 7 minutes a day! Not only will you chisel lean, sculpted muscle, you will lose inches in your waist, hips, buns and thighs!? Yeah, right. What I really liked was every 8.5 minutes or so, a disclaimer would flash on the bottom of the screen stating something to the effect of ?Results not typical. Results when used in combination with the Flex Cardio and Nutrition Success guide.? It was really quick, but that was the basic message. So basically, if you diet and do your cardio every day AND use their little gadget for 7 minutes a day you will look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie. I wonder what kind of results you would get without using the gadget for those extra 7 minutes using the ?patented Variable Assisted Resistance?? As a plus, you would save yourself $ 59.99 plus Shipping and Handling. Do you know what Variable Assisted Resistance is? It?s a bungee cord to help you do a crunch or leg raise. The exact same kind of bungee cord you can buy a whole bag of, for a dollar, at the local Big Lots. You attach it to your feet and hold a handle in your hands and use it to pull yourself up into a sit up. Technically it looked like a good exercise for the lower back and hips, but not that abs. (Just a side note?I can actually see some benefit for the WLS patient that can?t do 1 simple sit-up. Any exercise is better than no exercise. But don?t pay 60.00 bucks for it.) I started watching the ?secret 7? exercises they touted as the greatest thing since plastic surgery to trim your waistline and lose fat. Sorry folks, nothing new or secret, just leg raises and crunches here. The way they are selling it is they make the exercise easier to do. I know in this day and age, easier is supposed to be more productive and efficient. I know everyone is always looking for an easier way to do their job, pay their bills or even mow the lawn. But we?re talking about exercise here folks. I?m sorry, but exercise is hard work. Here?s another secret?it?s supposed to be hard work. I saw another info commercial for a little red stool with handles on the sides for you to sit and twist in it. ?It?s so easy it?s not like exercise.? was what one woman said on the ad?BECAUSE IT?S NOT! I?ve tried all the exercise gadgets and contraptions. I have a clothes hanger that looks amazing like a Gazelle and a basement full of exercise equipment just destined to end up in my next garage sale or be chewed up and peed on by the dog. The dog will probably get more benefit from it actually. Have you seen the Ab Lounge lately?my Aunt had one back in 1969 but they sell them like it?s a new invention. It didn?t work then and it doesn?t work now. People search in desperation for that easy, quick way to lose weight and get in shape. There is no such thing as effortless exercise. It doesn?t exist. If it?s effortless?it?s not exercise. The dictionary defines Exercise as ?bodily or mental exertion? and Exertion is defined as ?vigorous action or effort?. Sorry, there are no free lunches. If you want real results, you are going to have to sweat for them. |
