Dr Mel Siff Blog

Several folk have requested that I review a few articles that Paul Chek wrote
for Testosterone magazine on “How to be Back Strong and Beltless”, as
published on the following webpages:

< http://t-mag.com/html/body_121back.html >
< http://www.t-mag.com/html/body_122back.html >

He has not submitted Part 3 of this series, so, if he is still working on it,
it will be interesting to see if my review influences what he submits. These
two article already suggest that he has taken some of our earlier criticisms
to heart, because he is now admitting in this series that breath holding does
indeed stabilise the trunk.

HOW TO BE BACK STRONG & BELTLESS

PART 1

<<Regardless of your opinion about the origin of man, if you believe in God,
you have to wonder why he didn’t provide weight belts as standard-issue
equipment. On second thought, maybe he did, and we just don’t know how to use
them correctly.>>

*** Exactly the same remark may be applied to the wearing of shoes and it is Read more…

*** Devoting 20 minutes of a workout to isolated core training entails
spending as much as 50 percent of the average efficient weightlifting
workout, something I know that no elite lifters would even vaguely consider
doing. After all, the normal movements in Weightlifting and Powerlifting
challenge one’s balance and core to an extent that is more than adequate for
their sports, so it would be redundant to prolong a workout with Pilates or
any other general methods of isolated core training.

You may recall that I submitted an entire article analysing Pilates methods
and requesting any Pilates practitioners to submit any scientific studies
that prove that Pilates methods enhance core stability and functional
sporting performance, and to validate claims that it is superior to weight
training and many other methods of physical conditioning.

Although I received a good few hostile attacks on my person, not a single
respondent was able to produce a single reference to validate the host of
anecdotal claims being made by neoPilatean practitioners. Possibly someone
on this list may be able to do so.

For those who may not have read them, my different articles on Pilates appear
on these websites:

http://www.worldfitness.org/exer0022.html
http://www.stumptuous.com/siffonpilates.html

Lest we end up discussing a host of unsubstantiated commercial or personally
biased claims about Pilates methods, please ensure that all future articles
on the topic offer analysis based upon solid scientific principles or actual
referenced studies. Does that suit everyone?

Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA

Dr Mel Siff Author of Supertraining + Facts and Fallacies of Fitness http://www.drmelsiff.com. « Dr Mel Siff on Transversus Abdominus Core Training Part 1 · Dr Mel Siff Talks TVA Drawing in Abdominals while Squatting » ...

Dr Mel Siff Talks TVA Drawing in Abdominals while Squatting. Dr Mel Siff Author of Supertraining Author of Facts and Fallacies of Fitness www.drmelsiff.com. « Dr Mel Siff on Transversus Abdominus Core Training Part 2 ...

Dr Mel Siff Author of Supertraining Author of Facts and Fallacies of Fitness www.drmelsiff.com. « Dr Mel Siff on Transversus Abdominus Core Training Part 2 · Dr Mel Siff Busts Some Stretching Myths » ...