When Does 1+1=3?

I read a great story this morning about how helping people out makes us all better.

From The Education of an Accidental CEO, by David Novak.

Back in 1991, when Novak was the president (I think) of Pepsi, he had a meeting with Magic Johnson.

Novak writes:

I asked Magic if he had always been a superstar, if he was always that much better than everyone else growing up.

"You know," Magic said, "I learned a lot back when I was in the junior leagues. My team would win, like, eighty to twenty every time, and I would score maybe seventy of those points. But at the end of the game, everyone was always angry. Not just the other team, but my teammates and their parents. I monopolized the ball so much that nobody else got to shoot, so no one was having any fun.

"I realized that I was going to have to get more people involved or no one was ever going to like me. That was when I decided I was going to learn how to become a great passer. We still won eighty to twenty, bt I'd only score maybe twenty points and the rest of the team would score the rest. The parents liked me, my teammates were happy, everyone was working together. I had learned how to go from 'me' to 'we.'

"Later," Magic continued, "when I got to the Lakers, I told my teammate Byron Scott that I was going to help take him to another level, that he was going to make the All-star team, and he did. I told Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that he was going to score more points than anyone in NBA history because I was going to throw him the passes that would get him there. When Kareem broke the record...the first thing he did was come over and give me a hug and tell me, 'I owe this to you.'"

That really drove home tho me this whole idea of synergy, of one plus one equaling three. If everyone knew his role and fulfilled it to the best of his abilities, than the whole would invariably be greater than the sum of its parts.

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Here's to all of you in the MDB health and fitness community who are helping to make the other guys all-stars, too!

Kevin

Eating for Two: Not Just for Pregnancy Anymore!

New news from the US Census Bureau today. It sheds a bright light on Americans' habits, behaviors...and out waistlines.

Every year since 1878, the bureau publishes its Statistical Abstract of the United States. It is almost 1000 pages of facts and figures that gives a yearly snapshot of the "social, political and economic organization of the United States." They say numbers don't lie and these numbers dig deeply into the ways that Americans live. (They also say something about "lies, damn lies, and statistics" but that doesn't help my case. In fact I shouldn't even have written that. Strike it from the record!)

Here's a statistic that has nothing to do with anything:
"The average human has one breast and one testicle." ~Des McHale

Just thought I'd add that 'cuz it is true.

Back to the thought at hand.

This year's report contains this excellent morsel: In 2004, the average American consumed 3900 calories per day! This is up 22% from the 3200 average daily intake in the 1970's.

3900 calories per day. Is that a lot? You bet your wide ride it is! If the average American (the one with one breast and one testicle) was 5'9 and weighed 200 pounds, and he wanted simply to maintain his weight, he should take in no more than 2200 calories per day. If he were a she, she should take in no more than 1900 calories! We are eating about twice our caloric needs every day! Honestly, I'm stunned that we are not much fatter as a country.

It is clear that we are quickly getting to the point where the support under America will give way and we'll create the world's largest sinkhole. Canada is going to have to throw us a giant rope and pull like heck to get us all out!

Instead of being so concerned about global warming, the weak dollar, and the national deficit it is time to address global super-sizing, weak will-power, and creation of a calorie deficit! I hereby call for the first Kyoto Summit on Portion Control! The Fit Doc for president!! (Sorry, got a little carried away there.)

I'll leave you today with another quote about statistics. It has nothing to do with the above, but it made me smile.

"I always find that statistics are hard to swallow and impossible to digest. The only one I can ever remember is that if all the people who go to sleep in church were laid end to end they would be a lot more comfortable." ~Mrs. Robert A. Taft

Use it or lose it.

Get off your couch and into the garden


Here's one from ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2007) — Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, UK, have found a direct link between levels of physical activity in middle age and physical ability later in life.

They followed 10,000 people aged 50 to 69 over 6 years looking at activity levels and later disabilities.

Here's what they found:
Middle-aged people who kept up a reasonable level of physical activity were more likely be able to walk distances, climb stairs, maintain their sense of balance, stand from a seated position with their arms folded, or sustain their hand grip as they get older. Of sedentary people, 24% developed one of these disabilities over the 6 year peoriod! That's huge! Difficulty standing up and climbing stairs. Come on! What kind of quality of life will you have if you have trouble doing these? 24% developed problems in just 6 years! Think about what else you won't be able to do. Let's see.... how about.... everything!

The active group had half the disability rate. How active were these people? Elite athletes? Marathon runners? Fitness freaks? No. They did stuff like gardening, sports, physically active job, or heavy housework 3 times a week.

A little activity goes a long way.

So roll off your couch and move, people!! You'll get out of your chair by yourself to thank me in six years!

read full article

Look Great in 2008: The Fit Doc's home workout prescription

These are the best home exercise programs on the planet! Pick one to make this New Year's Resolution the one that changes your life!


If you are looking to workout at home, here are the programs I recommend. They all work great, so pick the one that looks best to you. Start with me January 1st. I'll be doing Power 90!

To order any of these programs, click the "as seen on TV" button below.









Tony Horton from Power 90 is trainer to Sean Connery, Billy Idol, Annie Lennox, and Tom Petty. He's a goof, but gets results. It is a solid, fun, well rounded program that is finished in 35 - 45 minutes a day. Great mix of resistance and cardio training.


Slim in 6 combines cardio and light resistance. It uses simple moves to work everything in 45 min to 1 hour. It really works the legs and thighs!


Turbo Jam is a super high-energy cardio-kick boxing workout that can be done in 20-45 minutes a day. Its so much fun you won't even know you are sweating.


I've actually tried a couple of HHA workouts. I don't mean to brag, but for a 40 year old guy I can still bust a move. (Actually I'm sure I looked hilarious. It was a lot of fun, though. If you want to tear up the dancefloor by the next Christmas party, pick this one.) 25-45 minutes.


To buy any of these videos, click the "as seen on TV" logo below to go to the Million Dollar Body store.
(When they ask for your coach, put Kevin Kane or my screen-name, TheFitDoc.)

Speed up your workout!

This is Hilarious!

You may have heard of "Power Half Hour" or "6-Minute Abs." This shows how to to a complete full body workout in less than seven minutes. Incredible!

Hint: FF to the one minute mark for the music to kick in!

Finally, some GOOD news!

Story after story has been written about how Americans are big and unhealthy. Finally we have some good news for a change!

It seems the message about healthy living is getting out. I'm pretty sure it is due to the far reaching effects of this blog and my 3 readers!

CDC report finds more American adults engage in physical activity.

WebMD (11/22) reported, "More U.S. adults are making fitness a habit, according to the CDC," whose data indicate "that the percentage of U.S. adults reporting regular exercise or physical activity jumped nearly nine percent from 2001 to 2005." The agency surveyed "more than 205,000 adults in 2001, and more than 356,000 adults in 2005." The data also show that "African-American men and women made the largest gains in their physical activity and exercise statistics." This is "a step in the right direction," the CDC said. Still, "fewer than half of U.S. adults meet the government's minimum standards for physical activity."

If you are looking for some ideas on how you can get more active and join the masses so WebMD will write about YOU, check TheFitDoc.com or send me an email. I'm always happy to hear from any of my three readers.

Pillsbury Doughboy's fitness secret!

BBD: a novel way to track fitness or hot new boy band?

I used to have a great way to follow my body fat. It is called the BBD test. I made it up myself. Periodically, I would stuff a pencil in my belly button (important safety tip: use the eraser side) and then record the depth. It went down from like 24mm to 16mm over the course of the p90x fitness program. A side effect of the test is that it kind-of tickles. Otherwise it worked great. BBD may be more accurate for guys 'cuz we tend to carry more of our flubber in the spare tire and less in the boo-tay. But it is worth a try for anyone!

Watch for my paper on "The Relationship between Body Mass Index and BBD: a longitudinal cross-sectional regressional meta-analysis" coming soon to a respected medical journal near you.

(If you are an outie you are SOL.)