I write the column “In-Your-Face Fitness” for the LA Times. These articles frequently show up in other Tribune newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, the Orlando Sun, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. My column has received international media attention and covered by Us magazine, People magazine, CBS News, Yahoo, and both major newspaper chains across Canada, plus a bunch of other media I’ve never heard of in countries I’ve never been to.
Dumbbells can make you brainy – February 13, 2012
Actor Jesse Eisenberg’s character in the movie “Zombieland“ extolled the virtues of “cardio” as an apocalyptic survival tool. It probably didn’t cross his mind it was making him a more scrumptious target for the walking dead. Read more…
Is there a right way for women to get ripped abs? January 30, 2012
There is something surreal about a former champion bodybuilder lifting up her shirt to show you her abs in the middle of a coffee shop. Read more…
Go ahead, run into old age – January 16, 2012
Every time some post-middle-age person tells me he or she had to give up their running habit, I fear a little bit for my future. Read more…
All you need is love – January 2, 2012
There is a word in fitness/health/weight loss marketing that is toxic. Sometimes it is blatant, other times implied. I hate this word. The word is “only.” Read more…
The joys of a home gym – December 19, 2011
My wife is worried I’m going to become a shut-in surrounded by a dozen or so cats — though in my case the cats would have names like Schwarzenegger and Thor. Read more…
SoulCycle’s mix of cycling and upper-body workouts raises concerns – November 28, 2011
I’m an outdoorsy type, and you won’t get me on a stationary bike unless there are a few inches of snow on the ground. But I’ve pedaled my way through enough indoor-cycling classes to know that instructors need to be engaging and entertaining to keep you coming back. Read more…
Crank up the rebellion – November 14, 2011
My grandmothers always called me Jamie. Everyone did, until I insisted that we switch to the name on my birth certificate. This happened around the same time I attempted to grow my first mustache.
Regardless, there is a history of me using the name Jamie. I tell you this because I want you to join Jamie Fell’s Fitness Rebellion. Read more…
The pull to exercise outdoors – October 31, 2011
On a recent beautiful and sunny day, I strolled into my local gym to lift some weights. The gym is near Nose Hill Park, which is one of the largest municipal parks in North America. It has majestic views of the city of Calgary and the Rocky Mountains, which can be seen from endless miles of paths and trails. Read more…
Friend through thick and thin? – October 17, 2011
Dear Friend:
You drew me to your website with promises of rapid muscle gain and even faster fat loss. I know we’re friends because that’s the first thing I saw at the top of your home page: “Dear Friend.” That makes it official, doesn’t it? Read more…
A few dents in those cellulite theories – October 3, 2011
In July 2010, there was an end-of-days-type hailstorm in Calgary, and my little Acura got hammered. Now I drive a car that looks like it has cellulite. Read more…
How to build come-hither biceps – September 19, 2011
I am not a jealous man, so my blood pressure did not skyrocket the other day when my wife told me this: “There was this one guy in high school who used to wear T-shirts that showed off his pipes and I drooled over him.” Read more…
High-intensity training burns more calories – September 5, 2011
Welcome to another exciting installment of Fun With Math! Read more…
Vanity can be a healthy asset – August 22, 2011
You’re so vain. You probably think this column is about you.
Carly Simon may be down on vanity, but I’m cool with it, so long as you don’t go off the deep end. (I’m talking to you, Heidi Montag.) The desire to look good can be a powerful motivator for achieving health and fitness. Read more…
Use exercise to squash killer stress – August 8, 2011
Do you ever feel like making a voodoo doll in the image of your boss, stabbing it full of pins, twisting its head off, then setting it on fire?
I remember those days. Read more…
FEATURE: Drummer Neil Peart’s body is a finely tuned instrument – July 25, 2011
Cue Simpsons-Comic-Book-Store-Guy voice: Best. Band. Ever!
If you’re a good drummer, it’s a physically demanding job. To be the greatest, you must follow a training regimen that goes beyond the lighted stage. Read more…
An injured ACL isn’t a death knell for athletes anymore – July 11, 2011
Most athletic types would rather spend a month watching “Teletubbies” while reading Snooki’s blog than suffer an injury. And when it comes to getting hurt, the knee is one of the worst things you can damage. Read more…
Want a superhero physique? Here’s how– June 27, 2011
Perhaps you’ve been to the multiplex to see Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern save the universe from the evil Parallax or to witness Chris Hemsworth’s Thor hurl his magical hammer at invading Frost Giants.
Perhaps you’ve wondered how those actors achieved the chiseled abdominals, powerful pecs and bulging biceps — and whether you could manage to get them yourself without their superhero powers. Read more…
Well, about that 10K goal… – June 13, 2011.
I picked a bad race for a personal best attempt.
Only one person out of 796 racers completed the June 4 Calgary Underwear Affair 10K in less than 40 minutes to claim first place, and it wasn’t me. Read more…
The weary road to a 10K milestone – May 30, 2011
This is all Jack LaLanne’s fault.
He was the epitome of pushing your body to the limit, and he inspired many to find out what they were physically capable of regardless of age. Jack’s example got me thinking about testing my middle-aged body, and I’ve come to realize that striving to achieve a personal best hurts. So prepare for some whining. Read more…
The myth of ripped muscles and calorie burns – May 16, 2011
Whenever I hear about some amazing way to boost resting metabolism, my male-bovine-droppings detector goes berserk. Take the perennially popular one stating that 1 pound of muscle burns an extra 50 calories a day while at rest — so if you gain 10 pounds of muscle, your resting metabolic rate (RMR) soars by an extra 500 calories each day. Read more…
Not motivated? Sign up for a race – May 2, 2011
Forrest Gump discovered his passion for running on the spur of the moment, when a bunch of Alabama bullies were chasing him and his leg braces broke off. But for most of us, developing a commitment to running, cycling or some other form of exercise requires dedication, planning and intention.
If you find yourself in need of these essential ingredients, I have a suggestion: Sign up for a bike-a-thon. Or register for a fitness competition. Or, ahem, make a public declaration that you intend to complete a 10-K race in under 40 minutes.
I have taken the latter approach. Read more…
Kettlebells work for Daniel Baldwin, but are they right for you? – April 18, 2011
For the past few weeks, I’ve been sporting big yellow bruises on my forearms. I blame actor Daniel Baldwin and his enthusiasm for kettlebells.
As you may know, Baldwin has had issues with weight, alcohol and drugs. He’s been on both “Celebrity Fit Club” and “Celebrity Rehab.” But things have turned around for Baldwin, and he gives a lot of credit to the kettlebell. Read more…
For best exercise, don’t be lonely or late - April 4, 2011
Thinking about starting an exercise program to help lose weight? If you find some activity that allows you to regularly work out early in the day with the same group of people — and it’s something you like — then you’re well on your way.
Conversely, if you plan to exercise at the end of the day at home, alone, on some machine you bought from an infomercial, prepare to continue being fat. Read more…
Giving interval training a shot - March 14, 2011
It gets cold where I live. But even when the forecast is for “hideous below zero” — as some Canadians are fond of saying — I’d still rather go outside than run on a treadmill.
That should give you an idea of how much I dislike this particular piece of workout equipment. Nevertheless, in the past week I’ve found myself doing the hamster imitation because I find treadmills good for one thing: high-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short. Read more…
Another look at high-intensity interval training - February 28, 2011
Turn your body into a high-powered fat-burning machine!
If you see those words on a weight-loss website — especially if the site offers “secrets,” “tricks,” “simple rules” or other gimmicks that promise to make your fat melt away — you should be very skeptical. Read more…
Weightlifting can be helpful for obese kids - February 14, 2011
It goes without saying that children who are obese would benefit from aerobic exercise. However, they’re likely to find the idea of going for a jog or spending half an hour on a treadmill about as appealing as watching Congress debate the fine points of tax policy on C-SPAN.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative form of exercise that plays to the strengths of plus-sized kids: weightlifting. Read more…
Jack LaLanne was a healthy show-off to the very end - January 31, 2011
Jack LaLanne was an incredible showoff, and with good reason.
If you can do 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes at the “over-the-hill” age of 42, then by all means show yourself off. If you can swim more than a mile through the strong currents of Long Beach Harbor while towing 70 people in 70 rowboats on your 70th birthday, then you’ve earned the right to show off — especially if you do this while handcuffed and shackled.
Jack lived his life completing implausible feats of strength and endurance, seemingly as a challenge to a world that said, “Let’s see you do that!” Read more…
Kids can lift weights – January 10, 2011
My son is 12 years old, and he’s going through a lot of changes in his life, most of which he’d rather not see published in this column. However, there is one change I have permission to relay: He’s started lifting weights under my supervision.
I can already hear the protestations of physicians and parents. “Blasphemy!” they cry. “It’s not safe!” Read more…
Holistic nutrition is weak on science, strong on selling supplements - December 20, 2010
“Holistic nutrition.” You may not know the term, but you’ve surely heard its claims. Among other things, holistic nutritionists (or HNs, as they call themselves) may teach that fluoride and pesticides are lethal, that most diseases and detrimental behaviors are diet-related and that many people would benefit from taking numerous supplements. I’ve read plenty of articles by HNs in which they assert that they are disparaged by mainstream medicine and warn you not to trust modern medicine. Read more…
A Twinkie diet? It comes down to calories - December 6, 2010
When I tell people I’m on a high-carbohydrate diet, they give me a highly skeptical look, as if I just told them the moon landing was faked.
From a pure weight-loss perspective, I could eat nothing but bacon-wrapped sticks of butter topped with chocolate-covered Froot Loops, and as long as I maintained a caloric deficit I would lose weight. This concept has been proved time and again, most recently by the Twinkie Guy. Read more…
Dear Oprah: Those health guests may not be so healthful – November 22, 2010
Dear Ms. Winfrey:
I get it.
I understand why you have so many guests on your show offering advice about health. I’m not a fan of alternative medicine, but I know sensationalism sells. Stuff that stands up to scientific scrutiny often lacks the pizazz that makes for scintillating television. Read more…
The six-pack pursuit gets ripped - November 8, 2010
Poor Gerard Butler.
Ever since his rippling Spartan abdomen graced the silver screen in “300,” the gossip sites have been merciless. If he gains a few pounds and then has the audacity to go shirtless on a beach, the paparazzi snap a photo and make out like he just swallowed Rush Limbaugh. Read more…
Your braun on pot – October 25, 2010
Dude, put down the bong and the microwave burrito and groove to what I’m putting down. If a hot-looking, healthy and high-performance body sounds righteous, then realize that the weed is harshing up your ability to snag that prize.
I’m not going to be a downer on anyone’s choice of, you know, lifestyle. And being that I’m in Canada, I have no personal stake in the outcome of California’s Proposition 19, the ballot measure that would make pot legal (though subject to some restrictions). I just want to relay some facts about how marijuana and a healthy lifestyle — and especially weight loss and weight maintenance — can be mutually exclusive. Read more…
Ring the kettlebell, school’s back in - October 11, 2010
I don’t know much about proper kettle bell techniques. Neither does Jillian Michaels.
I have an internationally respected fitness certification and 17 years’ experience with free weights, yet I lack the audacity to pretend I am qualified to teach kettle bells.
Jillian Michaels, on the other hand, is lacking in shame. At least that’s what I thought until I realized Michaels is not actually a real fitness trainer — she’s an actress playing the role of fitness trainer on TV and in a line of popular DVDs. Read more…
Rethinking protein powder - September 27, 2010
When it comes to misguided efforts of average people wishing to pack on muscle, protein supplements are way up there. A 2004 study of exercisers at a Long Island commercial gym that was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition revealed that more than 40% of regular exercisers take protein supplements more than five times a week.
For people looking to get as huge as professional bodybuilders, protein powders do make sense. But for us regular folks who merely want to look good for the beach, bar or bed partner, these probably are unnecessary. Read more…
For that fabulous sculpted body, the Bowflex makes a good coat rack - September 13, 2010
The people in the Bowflex commercials sure are pretty.
If you have any doubt that these models did not get their muscularly sculpted hairless physiques using a Bowflex and its patented Power Something Technology, then Google “Bowflex casting” and you’ll find talent agencies looking for ultra-lean gym rats with colored contact lenses to hock this soon-to-be coat rack for three easy payments of way too much money. Read more…
When to choose cosmetic surgery, and when not to - August 30, 2010
I don’t have anything against cosmetic surgery.
No amount of running or iron pumping was going to do anything about the genetically programmed dark circles under my eyes, so I got those things zapped with a nuclear-powered laser that made me twitch and fidget in the chair like a spider monkey coming off a meth bender. Read more…
This magazine cover is not a health guide - August 2, 2010
If, perchance, you are a fan of magazines prominently displayed in grocery checkout lines, please accept my apologies for any shattering of delusions that may be about to take place.
A few days ago, I was in one of these lines, my eyes wandering over the various magazines, one revealing a bikini-clad and heavily Photoshopped Kim Kardashian, something about someone videotaping something they shouldn’t have, some allegedly famous guy cheating on some girl of equally dubious fame — and cupcakes. Read more…