Stop the Presses

Got the December issue of IRON MAN in the mail today. HOT shot of cover model Jennifer Nicole Lee. Of course, there’s a hot interview with this married with children fitness celebrity, by yours truly, inside the mag. She steals the show with her Ab Circle Pro….you must have been hiding under a rock the past six months if you haven’t caught JNL’s infomercial on the tube yet.

There’s also a very kind letter from Doug Brignole (Reader’s Write), regarding my in-depth interview with him that appeared in the October issue. As Doug points out, knowing him for more than 25 years made the piece “much more personal that it might have otherwise been.”

Also noticed, right next to Brignole’s letter, a correspondence from Bill Stinson of Jacksonville, Florida. Bill says he’s happy Doug’s doing well, but that Brignole is far from well in his claims that overhead presses and dips are extremely high-risk exercises. Stinson, in fact, claims that dips are the only chest exercise he can do in complete comfort—and with 60 pounds tied to his waist.

I told Doug about the memo, and the former Mr. Universe sped to the computer. Soon, “The Case Against Overhead Presses” was completed, and forwarded to Editor-in-Chief Steve Holman “to explain my rationale.” Steve liked the enlightenment so well that he’s using it in a future issue of this publication.

I’m glad my interview with Doug has stirred up some emotions; he told me he’s heard from dignitaries he hasn’t corresponded with in decades, including the likes of Tom Platz, since the piece hit the streets. I’m also glad the article stirred up some emotion from folks like Stinson; trying to figure out what is real and what is Memorex is, many times, like wiping your fanny with a hula-hoop. You go round and round and end up in the same place.

I’ve always enjoyed chewing the fat (and I carried most of it) with Doug over the years about the do’s and don’ts of exercise protocol, and I’ve encouraged him to start blogging on our site. Say, why not press on with the meat and potatoes of that “Stop the Presses” effort. Dougie?