Candace's Favorite Things

Saturday, June 9, 2012

TRAINING TIPS: "Home From The UK and Fit Flops - FLOP"

Well, I'm back from the UK and working our way around the Queen and Her Jubilee was harrowing and thrilling all at the same time. BUT AS MUCH FUN AS IT WAS, I'M GLAD TO BE BACK HOME....for today that is, but not for long.
I just finished our first ever 'online facebook LIVE CHAT' session. All my jet lagged brain has to say about that is...' GREAT QUESTIONS' but I'm now near brain dead and it feels pretty darn GOOD...who knew?
 Next time, it  will be a Webinar and or Skype no doubt.
I have many observations from my trip abroad and I have been in London before. I ran the London marathon in 1998....GULP! WOW, I'm getting up there and ya know what? I'm loving every minute of it...I really am. While my symptoms and conditions are increasing, my love and enthusiasm for life are ramping up just as fast. THANKS BE TO OUR AMAZINGLY "BENEVOLENT AND GRACIOUS GOD"- Amen.


SO as I mentioned before heading off to London. Without a laptop, posting would be hard if not impossible and I was correct. In addition, I continue on now for the second 2/3rds of my vacation and will be posting for now ...the BEST - O - Candace.
Now that summer has finally arrived. I am re - posting an article that I wrote about the "FIT FLOP" craze and other throngs of  supposed  "Butt and Thigh Toning" sneakers and foot gear that are marketed especially for the summer months when we need our gams to be looking their best. HOLD OFF HOWEVER - until you read my post and then what happened right after it was published that profoundly proved our point! It was absolutely jaw dropping!!
So enjoy this, one of my favorites and a fan favorite blog post as well. Sit back with a cool glass of cucumber water and give the repeat a quick read. You'll save some money when it comes to expensive foot wear that just can't live up to it's promises and maybe catch up on a few afternoon summer Z's - after you've finished reading of course....
Until next time,
It's from Cheers to Aloha and back,
Candace


Originally posted summer of 2011 by Candace Grasso;

SO, you want a tight little set of buns? Who doesn’t? Well the formula is pretty straight forward. Do your cardio, eat lean and clean and work your glutes, quads and hamstrings until they cry uncle, RIGHT? Well, apparently that scenario just didn't sit well with most, so wanting an easier way out, these folks were more than happy to hitch their star to the nearest wagon rolling by,  pushing the promise of ANYTHING EASIER that would get the job done. S0, a few years ago, a debate was born and its illegitimate child ? A pair of shoes that come with a promise. If you wear them, they'll do the workout for you!

The manufacturers who create all kinds of contraptions and concepts that promise unrealistic and far fetched results,will often go as far as using made up words and terms in an attempt to wow their audience into believing that what they are promising could actually be true! While they work their Voodoo,"backing up" their claims, they also work to chip away at and discredit the proven scientific equation that by eating less (responsibly reducing one's caloric intake) and moving more (increasing  one's daily exercise ..fierce enough to make you sweat and sustainable for at least 30 minutes) you can and will achieve your desired results. They do so by saying this approach is not only outdated but down right archaic AND more importantly , results show us, it just DOESN'T WORK! They pander to our past experiences with failed attempts at responsible weight loss and exercise and tease our desire for quick fixes that are fun, super fast and easy.

 Well if that's the case, I sure wish someone would tell my body and all the bodies that I've trained for these past 21 years now... because darn it, we just keep on responding to a combination of consistent clean eating and down and dirty exercise; both of which must be properly planned and specific to each person's needs.   If I could just have us all, oh...lets say - pull on a pair of magical sneakers and click our heels together three times and be there, why we could stop all this silly hard core sweating workout stuff  and be loving all of our beautiful bodies RIGHT NOW! I mean really...it's hard and sometimes I just don't feel like it. (And that's how they get ya)!

It's just so FUN AND EASY! They claim that they have the answers and rarely, do we have to get off our back sides for long or put in much effort for the results of a lifetime. Don't believe me? Next time you find you can't sleep, turn on the TV and start flipping the channels. I do this often, and on purpose... just to see what new stuff is being pushed out there and you'll see infomercial after infomercial of Creatively Marketed Crapola....that you too can buy for only 4 easy payments of 19.95!!!
Of course there are some very good, legitimate programs offered  by true fitness professionals. Today, we're not talking about those.  Personally I've been waging a vendetta on my own backside for 21 straight years now and I've literally worked my "BUTT and THIGHS" with a workout so severe, some might consider it a suitable new torture treatment for use by our military. A punishment sure to get the enemy to Cough up the GOODS! For me however, the idea...was just to keep gravity from dragging me down. This year, as I round the corner to celebrating my 50th birthday..on Christmas day no less, (nothing like a cheap attempt to have you all remember my birthday, huh?), the one thing I know I'm not going to do is ask for, a pair of Fit Flops, Reebok EasyTone Shoes, Sketchers Shape Ups or New Balance's True Balance Toning Shoe!!

As I began my research for this post, I promise you my friends...I ran the gamut and left no stone unturned. I looked into everything from the products, to their commercials. I even sacrificed myself and went deeper into the abyss by reading and researching the shoe companies ridiculous, absurd and towards the end ....even slightly nauseating claims. But before I was finished I went all the way and treaded through their complicated, eye crossing, sleep inducing shoe designs themselves!

YOU'RE WELCOME!!

After I felt satisfied that I had adequately researched this topic by doing what can only be described as subjecting myself to mountains of mind numbing, ridiculous twaddle... I came to an interesting conclusion. Nothing I read from the different companies who carry these shoes seemed to be in the least bit unique. While they used different terms for their "so called "Brilliant, Rocket Science type technology" when it came to the shoe assembly itself , when the dust settled, they all very unimaginatively claimed to do the same exact thing, using the same exact concept.

They claim to tone your buns, hips and thighs by creating a shoe that has a "slight instability" in the shoe's support system. Reebok sums it up this way and I quote, "The shoe comes with an air pocket that pushes air between toe and heel to make it feel as though you're walking on sand, which engages more muscles than walking on a plain surface"!!!! Specifically, this was said to be used to make it feel a touch unstable when striking the ground. Oh, GIVE ME A BREAK! I have done my share of strolling along the beach, jogging even and all it does for me is make me more prone to spraining my ankles!!! But one thing's for sure, it never gave me a Brazilian Butt lift!!!

As is my custom, I also read many articles to complete my research.

Here too, there was ABSOLUTELY NO VARIANCE OF OPINION WHEN DISCUSSING THESE PRODUCTS..(And I don't care which ones you'd want to choose to talk about here), their conclusions matched mine.

From columnists, to contributors for major publications , to out right fitness experts who either wrote articles or who just chose to chime in with their two cents worth to help their fellow truth-Sayers proclaim this one UNANIMOUS CONCLUSION WITHOUT EXCEPTION...THESE SHOE'S CLAIMS ARE JUST PLAIN HORSE FEATHERS!! (We can all Thank my Oklahoma born and bred daddy for that one)!

From articles by Vin Miller;

"Don't Let Rebook Fool you -SHOES WON'T TONE YOUR BUTT" ;

To Melissa Dahl - CSNBC.COM'S Health Editor's piece simply titled;

"Does It Work"! etc. etc. And Etcetera!!!

SO, considering we have an unwavering conclusive agreement amongst those possessing a brain, I say ... enough said.

Tonight I hold true to my promise to keep as many posts as possible... short, sweet and to the point.

Last week, a reporter asked me how we can tell when alternatives to the norm have merit or if they're just snake oil.

Well, it's always been true and it always will be, if it sounds too good to be true, IT IS! Yet Reebok has found that their "Easy Tone Shoes" (their brand of this ridiculous product) to be among one of their best sellers over the past five years.

People...stop believing there's a fast short cut out there for getting in shape. Let's face it. IF THESE SHOES WORKED.... America would be nothing but a bevy of beautiful booties...I think not! For me, I'll just keep kicking my butt with weights, serious cardio and kick boxing my way into the best set of gams and booty this 50 year old can have! If you need some help, go to my YouTube video ...the Health and Fitness Diva- Candace Grasso' "legs and shoulders" mini workout. Now that'll do it for ya.

SO Wise up - stop buying snake oil and just get moving!

Candace

For more articles from Candace go to www.CandaceGrasso.BlogSpot.com  or for booking Candace for
your next convention and or for a list of her services and products go to www.FitIsItCardio.com 

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