In a culture where diet and exercise fads come and go, what do you need to do to be healthy? Renowned fitness expert Vinnie Tortorich offers three key behaviors that must be repeated to get and stay in shape. Anyone can do it.
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Transcript:
People always want to know: “How do I get fit?”
My answer is, “fit to be what?”
A powerlifter? A marathon runner? Or maybe you want to look good, feel good, or just know everything works.
I’ve been a personal trainer for 40 years. I’ve trained Hollywood celebrities, captains of industry, stay-at-home moms, and ultra-athletes. I’ve trained post-surgical clients, overweight children, and obese adults.
I’ve seen health, diet, and exercise fads come and go.
But three things endure. Three behaviors that must be repeated—day after day—to get fit, stay healthy, and earn a spot in what I like to call the fitness middle class.
What is the fitness middle class?
Look at a picture from Woodstock, 1969. I challenge you to find 10 overweight people or 10 bodybuilders. The extremes just aren’t there. Everyone looks… trim. That is—or was—the fitness middle class. And that’s what America has lost.
So, how can we get it back? And how can you be part of it?
First: Move every day.
There are two types of exercise: aerobic and anaerobic.
The goal of aerobic exercise is to strengthen your heart and your lungs. This may include walking, running, swimming, climbing stairs, or jumping rope. If you’re really out of shape, start with a walk to the mailbox. Tomorrow, maybe walk to the end of the block. Before long, you’ll be walking around the block. You get the idea.
Anaerobic exercise, on the other hand, builds muscle mass. Muscle wasting starts around 35. It’s a medical condition called Sarcopenia. That’s why people shrink as they get older. If you lose one pound of muscle per year, between your 35th and 80th birthdays, you’ll effectively lose half your muscle mass. Many doctors will tell you there’s nothing you can do about this. They’re wrong.
When President Ronald Reagan was wounded by an assassin’s bullet at age 70, doctors put him on a weightlifting routine as part of his recovery. He added so much muscle, his tailors had to make new suits.
What kind of muscle training should you do?
If you go to a gym every day and do squats and bench press, great; but if that’s not you, at a minimum:
You have a floor. Do push ups.
You have a doorway. Do pull ups.
Dumbbells are great, and very convenient. Yard work is great exercise too. Cleaning your house even counts.
Second: Cut back on sugars, grains, carbohydrates, and processed foods.
Here’s the sad truth: America is fat. But you don’t have to be.
Here’s the best way to lose weight: no sugars, no grains. Remember it this way: NSNG. Okay, you’re not going to be perfect about this. You’re human. But the closer you get to it, the better.
If you’re going to eat carbs, stick to veggies and some fruit. Avoid crackers, chips, fries, and anything you’d find at a state fair.
Meat, fish, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, walnuts, pecans, and cheese are all your friends.
Avoid anything processed. Bread is processed. You can’t walk into a wheat field and eat wheat off the stalk. Sugar is processed. Seed oils are processed. Just about everything that comes in a package is processed.
Here’s another fact: exercise is a poor way to lose weight. Washboard abs? You get those in the kitchen, not the gym.
But I can hear you say, “this is great advice for people who shop at Whole Foods. But I’m not that person.”
I get it.
So, here’s the solution: spend less on fast food and more on good food. You’ll save money in the long run.
Here’s what you cannot afford—poor health, and the medical bills that will come from being obese.
Third: Get some sunlight.
Vitamin D is your friend.
Growing up in Louisiana, I was outside in the sun for hours a day, every day. So was every human for all time until five minutes ago.
At some point, Americans became scared of the big yellow orb in the sky. Today, we slather our kids in three layers of sunscreen every 15 minutes.
Vitamin D helps your immune system, bones, muscles, and connective tissue. There’s a good chance the last time you saw your doctor, he prescribed vitamin D supplements. But the best solution is all-natural. Do something outside.
Let’s review.
Move every day.
No sugars, no grains.
Get some sunlight.
That’s it. Reaching the fitness middle class isn’t complicated. Anyone can do it.
Let me add this: A little is better than nothing. More is better than a little.
I’m not a fitness scrooge. I care more about what you do between New Year’s and Christmas than between Christmas and New Year’s.
On your birthday, enjoy the cake. On Thanksgiving, eat the stuffing.
You can live a little… and be healthy at the same time.
I’m Vinnie Tortorich, host of the Fitness Confidential podcast, for Prager University.
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It's refreshing to hear a trainer discuss what it means to be fit and healthy. Expensive fitness classes that actually work, or having a personal trainer, not everyone can always afford. It just becomes more stress. As far as all the diet fads out there? We can say what we want, but we can all agree that the foods and drinks made from refined carbs and oils, are unhealthy. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to go that route, but continue to complain about being sick, fat, or skeptical, because of growing up skinny eating anything without gaining weight.
Fit to be a consumer
No grains?! Although this is a really good video, the “no grains” part is baloney! Organic, sprouted, non-GMO grains, along with all minimally processed natural foods are great for you! In fact, there are studies that if people just eat, the least processed most natural foods, including grains, and starches and carbohydrates that it has the same beneficial effects of a low carb diet.
Jesus even called himself the “Bread” of life! The extreme anti-carb diet is not where it’s at either. It’s about eating whole, natural, and the least processed foods we can. Grinding up some grain and putting it in the oven with some good quality oil does not make something horrible for us.
I've also noticed that in other countries people who are overweight look still so much better then the US but mostly just cause the US puts a lot into their food.
Great info thanks…
My problem is that I don't eat enough. I've gained just fat because of it. I'm super active, but forced to work a very sedentary job. I go the gym, complete 5 miles within an hour's worth of weights each day. My diet consists of only complex carbohydrates of fruits and vegetables- almost no grain (such as rice) at all and the proteins are very lean. I've been at this for 8 years. I haven't been able to eat more than 1,400 calories for such a long time. Heck, I'm even 6'6" and I should be as healthy as ever, said my doctor who found zero problems from many, extensive tests. I miss cheesecake.
nice, thanks
I’m middle class fit. Born in 1966, would fit perfectly in Woodstock. My weight has never changed much since I was 16. I love eating Indian basmati brown rice. It’s a grain. But it doesn’t make me gain weight. I can eat pretty much anything without gaining an ounce. I’ve tried. I went on a cake binge once and didn’t gain a pound. But I eat healthy, lots of leafy greens, good amount of protein, and stick to just brunch and dinner. Two meals work for my digestion as I get older. But I love my grains. I guess cutting out grains is easier to lose weight for those who need to.
Calories in calories out baybee
I'm am blessed to be an extremely fit 65 year old. Did I hit the genetic lottery? Am I gifted with extraordinary self-discipline? Nope and nope. It's a daily, conscious battle to reject the basic desire to gratify myself with comfort. Why do I persist? Because the end result is true freedom. The key to getting your body fit is to pursue a healthy soul.
That sun screen is highly likely responsible for skin cancer as well.
Carbs are not the enemy.
I’m always stuck what foods to avoid when it comes to not wanting to put on so much. It seems like the most logical sounding experts are telling us to cut out carbs, grains and sugar, but than you hear again from animal activists that every single animal product is the main and worst enemy for your health. But I’ve been growing specious lately that these vegan activists have only done cherry picking research just to get the answer they want to hear and that way it spread on over when really all they care about it saving their beloved animals. The doctors who support them have taken their info seriously just to make their money. That said, vegan activists don’t care about your health! I know it all the way down to my bones and I’ve seen plenty of evidence that they’d rather end the human race. As a matter of fact, I’m worried that of those people are going to debunk mock this vid like so many other well done Prageru videos have 😧 What I would love to have around is a replicator! Than we won’t have to use agricultural for food at all anymore plant or animal 😀
No sugars and no grains is totally impractical. Just a fad idea.
Acknowledging someone fat is now a microaggression so more people get fat.
Amen! I think the main reason we're told to accept obesity, stay out of the sun, avoid red meat and consume whole grains, etc. is that Big Pharma knows all these things will make us sick and financially dependent on Big Pharma. Take good care of yourselves people, watch your back and God Bless!
Only 1% of Americans work out so it’s more like the fitness elite, not the “fitness middle class.”
What’s wrong with whole grains?
Humorous that a ostensibly Conservative channel points to the average Woodstock attendant as a semi-model for the average American
Lol I saw a Dominoes Pizza commercial on this video🍕.