Fitness Resources

When you need information, you can't help but love the Internet. Instant Gratification is the name of its game, providing thousands upon millions of resources after just one Google search of a term or question.

Some of these resources are expert and reputable, others are questionable and exist only to take advantage of your mindset in some way, shape or form. You must be weary of these sources, but they're not always obvious. And you must especially be weary of these resources when it comes to your health and fitness. Not everyone is a doctor, personal trainer or nutritionist—but they can certainly masquerade as one with the right know-how.

I'm telling you all of this, of course, hoping you'll understand that I'm not a liar—rest assured, I am a certified personal trainer. And as a healthy living blogger, I promise to deliver content that doesn't lie, cheat or steal. Everything I write is based on my experience, my professional training and my research.

Speaking of research, while I do use the Internet, I prefer to get information the traditional way—in a book, magazine or newspaper at the library or in a bookstore. If you know me, you are completely aware of my addiction to reading (and chips, salsa and guacamole). Most recently, I've had the following resources on my coffee table. (Is it still a coffee table if you don't drink coffee at it?)

Oh, wait...I guess that last one belongs to Hannah. She is a member of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which means she gets a free book every month until she turns five. If you have kids, you should see if there's a "library" in your area. Back to my reading material, which I hope will interest Hannah someday (and you, too).

OnFitness is a great magazine—with little to no advertisements. It's pure content, which is all relevant to living the fit life. For example, I've learned the following:

"Millions of children go to bed hungry every night. In America, millions of children go to bed full every night, and that's the problem."

"You are born with as many fat cells as you'll ever have. They increase in size, not quantity."

"For those who'd rather not work the whole body in a single session, they have a smart option: a split program as long as it's not over-run with isolation exercises."

"Compound exercises recruit abdominal muscle, but this is not why compound exercises will contribute to getting a six-pack. It's because compound exercises (when done right!) produce a powerful fat burning effect that will strip fat off your belly like a hot knife slashing through butter!"

"If you can do textbook body weight dips more than 10 times, it's time to place a weight plate on your lap."

Speaking of plates, let's talk about Real Food. I've been chipping away at this book for a few weeks now and am absolutely loving it. It's not one of those books you have to read from start to finish to understand. Every chapter helps you grasp a different aspect of "what to eat and why." For example, the first chapter introduces you to the concept of real food—what it is, why the author eats it and why you should, too. And I quote:

"Industrial food is the opposite of real food. Real food is old and traditional, while industrial food is recent and synthetic. The impersonation of real food by industrial food, by the way, is neither accident nor hidden."

"Real food is fundamentally conservative; it doesn't change, while industrial food, by contrast, is under great pressure to be novel."

Chapter two discusses "real milk, butter and cheese" and leads to other chapters about things like "the truth about fish farming" and "the abominable egg white omelet." Every page is quite eye-opening. And entertaining. Nina Planck writes in a way that grabs you, unlike a lot of diet and food-based authors (in my opinion).

So check out the above if you haven't already. And once more, be cautious of the information you find online. Always make sure you're relying on reputable, honest sources. Especially when it comes to your health.

(Oh, hey...did you enter my giveaway yet?)

Question: What are your go-to fitness resources?