Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

When I realized that we were going to have a home gym with free weights, I kind of panicked. If there was one thing that I learned in my weight training class, it was never lift weights without a spotter. That fear eventually was updated to never lift weights over your head without a spotter when I realized that some exercises are completely safe to do alone. Which are which, though?

I got The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Body Sculpting for just that reason. Each exercise has detailed lists for Preparation, Movement and Precautions. Here are the precautions from the Bench Press:

“Do not do this exercise without a spotter. It may seem funny on TV when someone gets stuck under a bar, but you definitely won’t be laughing if it happens to you.”

“Do not let the bar ‘bounce’ off your chest. Some competetive lifters do this to get the bar moving upward, but it is really dangerous. Your chest is not a trampoline.”

“Keep your back flat on the bench. Arching your back while pushing the bar up can strain your lower back muscles and cause injury.”

Fortunately, there are MANY exercises that don’t need a spotter, so if you are a lone weight trainer, you can tailor a workout for you that will make you strong and keep you safe.

Mars Candy Company is trying to sell you a chocolate bar and tell you it’s healthy and will even “promote a healthy heart.”

• Happy News – Candy makers cater to the health-conscious – by Elliott Minor with Associated Press

They say that they “believe” it will increase blood flow, but they have no proof:

”We believe … there can be a significant benefit around blood pressure, but we have not conclusively proven that,” said Mars’ chief scientist Harold Schmitz.

Make them prove it with peer reviewed, double-blind tests before you shell out one penny for their over-priced candy bars. Until they are able to prove it, they are still just selling junk food.

This year, Mardi Gras has gotten a lot of attention because of Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans. Mardi Gras is a wild celebration with the idea of eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow starts Lent.

For those of the Catholic Faith, Lent starts today. For some, Lent involves much stricter (and maybe even healthier) living. Lent is the practice of giving up a food or activity that represents a sin that is particularly difficult for you to conquer. There is also an element of fasting in the tradition of Lent, whether it be meat (for the entire forty days or just on Fridays) or, for the truly devote, fasting entirely for one day a week.

Forty days is long enough to develop a new habit. You don’t need to be Catholic to give up something for Lent. Use this time to re-devote yourself to your personal health and fitness. Choose something to give up, or, even better, choose something positive to add to your life everyday. You can use this religious time for your own means and have a healthy habit in a month and a half.

For more information about Lent, see Belief.net:

Lent–Christian season of repentance and reflection before Easter–Beliefnet.com