Recently a reader of this blog asked me to comment about those in the industry that are known primarily as internet marketers.  While most in the strength training and fitness industries talk about these people with disdain, I’m not sure I totally feel the same in all cases. 

I suppose the biggest issue that some people have with the internet guru who doesn’t work with someone in person is that they can’t possibly know anything about how things work in the real world.  To this I say bullshit.  My good friend Erik Ledin works primarily with bodybuilders and fitness competitors online and many of them are very successful.  Maybe you don’t want to be doing rehab online, but I’m not about to discredit anyone who is doing something or selling something that works regardless of whether or not they’re currently in contact with people.

Guys like John Berardi, Alan Aragon, and Lyle McDonald all come to mind when talking about making money online and I have no doubts that they’re all putting out good content.  As long as the content is good and it works for those who purchase it, I could care less who you’re working with.  There are a LOT of shitty trainers who actually work with people so I’m not sure how this suddenly became the criteria we use to determine whose products are worth buying and whose aren’t.

 
It seems to me that with many trainers and coaches if you’re making a lot of money online you’ve sold out and you’re not given the respect you might otherwise deserve.  To some trainers it appears that there is some sort of nobility to working endless hours until you’re burnt out and making minimal dollars until you reach the top.  To me, if you’ve created a fat loss product and it works (and it isn’t full of typos and plagiarism – you know who you people are) you deserve every cent you make whether you’re working with a single person or not.

On the other hand, the people that piss me off are those with huge lists who become affiliates of everyone on the planet who has a product launch and endorse them without any concern about whether or not the new product is a giant pile of dog turd.  These people, even if they have good products themselves, go on my blacklist because I have no respect for anyone who sells junk strictly for the sake of money.

 
Good products for money = Respect.  Bad products for money = Blacklist.

 
And for the record, none of this is meant to discredit any of the guys killing it in the trenches and still putting out great products.  You know who you are and these are always the top products on my list.

 
What are your thoughts on internet marketing and fitness products?

Gladwell

Several weeks ago I finished reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.  If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that I love his stuff and this is no exception.  I’m just finishing up his newest book What the Dog Saw which is a collection of shorter articles that he’s written for the New Yorker over the years.

 
Most interesting was an article which talked about the fact that women in North America have about 400 periods in a lifetime whereas women in some tribal cultures have as few as 100.  In other words, the average number in a year is 7, but women have been lead to believe that they need to have one per month to be healthy.  You might guess that the birth control pill has something to do with this, but it is interesting to see how religion also plays a role and how all of these changes may have to do with the incidence of breast Cancer. 

 
Gladwell also has an article on homelessness, the Enron scandal, why people choke in pressure situations, and many more.  Of course, if you read Gladwell you know that the subject of the story is usually only a tool to illustrate a point.  The more I read the more I enjoy his stuff.  I’d highly recommend you check it out as many of his points apply to fitness, nutrition, and life in general.

Sahrmann

If you’re a regular reader you’ll also probably know that I’m a Shirley Sahrmann junkie and her book Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes is one of my top 3 books. If you’re in the same boat you’ll be excited to discover that she has a brand new book coming out called Movement Impairment Syndromes of the Extremities, Cervical and Thoracic Spine and Soft Tissues. Apparently if you preorder you can save a few bucks.

Buchberger

I recently had a chance to review the Buchberger 12 by a bright guy named Dale Buchberger.  In essence, the Buchberger 12 is a series of exercises to be performed (6 per day on alternate days) to prevent or eliminate pain in the shoulder.  What I liked was that the exercises were clear and that the muscles targeted by each were thoroughly explained.  The downside, to me at least, was that it was pretty much a shotgun approach to shoulder health with no means to assess and determine which exercises were best for a given condition.  There were also no regressions for those in pain or much in the way of progressions for those moving forward.

In Buchberger’s defence, I’ve seen him speak in person and he’s a really smart guy.  He knows more about the shoulder than I’ll probably ever know.  He also mentions several times on the DVD that you should consult with your treatment professional to ensure you’re doing the right exercises.  Unfortunately, if you ARE the professional, you’re not going to get a lot of information about what to use and when.  If you are an individual in pain, doing the 12 movements may work, but it certainly isn’t the most time efficient way of treating or preventing issues.

Even though I’ve yet to watch it, I am far more apt to consider Eric and Mike’s Optimal Shoulder Performance DVD on the basis that they talk about how to determine what should be done and when.  To me, this is the most critical element.  Moreover, the fact that they provide progressions, regressions, AND how to maintain a training effect while injured is worth its weight in gold.

Z Health

I also recently had the opportunity to check out the Z Health R Phase DVDs and book.  While the book provided a description of what the Z Health drills would do for me and the DVD had incredibly detailed instructions on how to do all of the specific drills there was no way to determine which of the drills would be most useful for me.  Granted, this is an entry level product, and I’m sure there is something to be said for mastering all of the movements involved before moving to specifics, but I’m not a fan of using the shotgun approach for anything as I’m much too busy for this (as I’m sure most people are).  I want to do only the movements that I absolutely need to do and get back to my life.

Perhaps the higher level Z Health products teach these self assessments (or maybe not), but having to purchase a product to see if you’re going to get what you’re hoping for is not exactly my cup of tea.  I’m inherently a sceptic so it isn’t easy with me to part with money with blind faith.

 
I know that there are a few Z practitioners who read this blog (and possibly a few who have purchased these products as well) so it would be cool to hear your input so you can straighten me out.  Maybe I can even get Dr Cobb on here.  What do you think?

NOTE

If there is an affiliate link to a product on this (or any) page on my website it is because I think the product is worth investing your hard earned money on.  I strongly detest those who link to products solely in the interest of dollars.  Moreover, if you choose not to use the link I provide and just buy the product direct from the seller I certainly won’t be offended.