Glad to be here!

Hello!

I would like to begin by thanking John Balik – Publisher of Iron Man Magazine – for the opportunity to do a blog on the Iron Man website.  Iron Man Magazine is truly one of the best fitness publications on the market, and I say that because they are dedicated to the pursuit of truth in fitness.  Most of the other fitness publications are more interested in being “commercial”, even at the expense of truth.  So I feel very honored to have been accepted as a team member by Iron Man Magazine.

I would also like to thank Steve Holman, for his support and for the excellent job he does as Editor in Chief of IM.  But I would like to give special thanks to my long-time friend, Lonnie Teper.  He was the main force behind the encouragement of me promoting my knowledge by way of writing.  Lonnie, as many of you know, has been a contributing author for Iron Man Magazine for many years.  He is an award-winning author, and also a university teacher, a bodybuilding show emcee, and the person responsible for the launch of the careers of many bodybuilders.  Those who know Lonnie, know he’s a real character – funny, crazy, at times difficult, expressive – and always a good person.  He has seen me at my best and at my worst – and has been a friend through all of it.

I have been analyzing and studying the mechanics of exercise, since I was 14 years old, and – over the past 35 years –  have come to certain realizations about the mechanics and the physiology of exercise, that are compelling.  I think you’ll enjoy, and benefit from, these observations.  I enthusiastically invite conversation on these subjects, so feel free to ask questions or make comments.  I will address them as best I can.

By definition, a blog should be kept relatively brief.  However, I hate the thought that I might leave out an important part of an explanation.  So I hereby apologize in advance, because some of my articles will be rather lengthy.  However, I will try to be as brief and succinct as possible.  This may force me to leave out, at least in part, some of the explanation.  Nevertheless, I will always strive to be as clear as possible here, despite the required brevity.

I have written an article entitled “The Case Against Overhead Presses”, which will be published in an upcoming edition (printed version) of IM – probably February 2010.

I am also in the process of writing a piece called “DYS-Functional Exercise”, which I will post here, probably within a week.  It explains why some, if not most, so-called “functional exercise” (e.g., exercises performed while standing on one leg, or sitting on a ball, etc.) are less productive than we’re lead to believe.

I hope you enjoy reading my stuff, as much as I enjoy writing about it.