When I was in high school I got a pair of gloves to wear for lifting weights. I'm not totally sure what my primary motivation was; there were several factors involved. At the time I thought they looked cool and since I had just gotten into working out, I wanted to have all the gear. I was probably concerned about preventing callouses too, but like most… Continue reading

Rants and Raves

My long-anticipated fitness book, We're Working Out: A Zen Approach to Everyday Fitness, will be available on June 30, 2010. Some of you have asked to have a peek. Here's a little of the introduction (the first line may look a bit familiar). I was a tall, scrawny kid growing up in Brooklyn and I didn’t want to get my ass kicked, so once I was thirteen I decided… Continue reading

Rants and Raves

I'm not into having a bunch of fancy, high-tech running accessories these days; however, I am into staying hydrated. With the mercury rising as summer approaches, training runs that last over an hour can be dangerous if you aren't taking in fluids along the way. That's why I decided to try wearing a FuelBelt during some of my training runs for the Brooklyn half marathon. The… Continue reading

Rants and Raves, Running

You don't need fancy sneakers to run long distance. This past Saturday I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon in my beat up, old Vans and it was a great experience. Finishing the race with a time of 1:53:33 (8:40 per mile) felt pretty good, too. I started my day before the sun came up, making my way to Prospect Park just in time to line up for the… Continue reading

Rants and Raves, Running

This is a guest post by personal trainer and fitness expert Eric Bergmann. I’ve long been a fan of a dangerous and irritating word: “why.” I’m fond of applying it when people tell me about their new “fitness” quests. Outside of making me a social pariah, questioning people’s motives has led me to an interesting discovery: Many people build their fitness goals around a skill, not around exercise. I’ll explain what… Continue reading

Rants and Raves

As part of my minimalist approach to running, I've been experimenting with various types of footwear. I've tried running barefoot at the beach and even at the track, but with all the things that you could cut yourself on in the streets of NYC, I've been looking for the next closest thing. A lot of people have suggested that I try running in Vibram Five Fingers… Continue reading

Rants and Raves, Running

Which is the most universal human characteristic, fear or laziness? This is one of many thought provoking questions asked in Waking Life, one of my all-time favorite movies. Its relevance to the world of fitness occurred to me during a recent conversation that I had with one of my clients about the risks of over-training. While over-training can be a real concern to elite athletes in competition training, it… Continue reading

Rants and Raves

As much as I love working out at home or my local park, gyms are a key piece in the fitness puzzle. While you can get a thorough workout with no equipment, there are some things you simply cannot do without the gym. Weight training requires weights and if you live in a small apartment like most New Yorkers, you probably don't have room at home… Continue reading

Rants and Raves

Editors Note: This is a guest post by Amy Shigo. After seeing my recent blog entry on gym etiquette, Amy thought a post on race etiquette would be a great way to kick off the 2010 racing season. The popularity of triathlons and road races has exploded in the last decade (Ironman and marathon distances especially) and the chance of encountering “newbies” or unschooled, yet accomplished renegades increases… Continue reading

Rants and Raves, Running

I was conducting a personal training session at the park recently when my client and I were approached by a shirtless, overweight fellow who had been exercising nearby. Our new friend proceeded to dole out some advice on how to get fit. I listened politely, thanked him (somewhat sarcastically) for the advice and then carried on with my session. I'd encountered this sort of thing… Continue reading

Rants and Raves