Loading ...
Wisdom & Wisecracks
List of posts in Articles by Alan Aragon
Well fellas, it appears that one of my favorite nutritional writers and researchers, Alan Aragon, has finally started a blog.
I was first introduced to Alan’s writing through Lyle McDonald’s books, but after reading Alan’s Girth Control, I knew that this guy knew his stuff, and, most importantly, was able to get it across to the lay person.
I’ll warn you that if you pick up Girth Control, skim through the first chapter unless you’re planning on going into the diet and fitness field or have a strong background in biology and physiology. Nevertheless, I can guarantee that you’ll be presented with information that you’ve probably never read or heard of before since this guy is on the cutting edge of the research out there on fat loss.
Not only is Alan a thorough researcher, but he appears to be a pretty cool guy who also trains! We’ve chatted a couple of times through email, and he seems down to earth “nerd” just like Lyle … 
I thought you’d get a kick out of this list of wisdom and wisecracks that Alan’s oh so known for.
Let me know what you guys think …
* * *
Wisdom & wisecracks
www.alanaragonblog.com
The following is a collection of things I’ve blabbered off in message boards and elsewhere. I got the idea of posting this from the illustrious Emma-Leigh, a fellow moderator at bodybuilding.com who stuck a similar collection of my quotes at the top of the female bodybuilding forum. If you’re easily offended, please stop reading right here. If not, enjoy the tidbits…
- The majority of health nuts will spend $100’s a month on useless supplements, but won’t spend a dime on actually educating themselves on the facts about the body.
- I love it when I hear folks say that human adults weren’t meant to consume milk, much less the milk derived from a different animal species. Are you kidding me? So who gets to decide which parts of the cow we should consume? Let me get this straight–we can eat the cow’s muscles, but not the milk that laid the foundation for the growth of those same muscles? Huh? The logic is just too rock-solid for me.
- Folks who carry the torch against milk consumption typically will have some degree of allergy or digestive intolerance to it, and they take the liberty to project their personal problems onto the world around them. Go frolick in an organic wheatgrass field and spare us your self-righteous noise.
- Keep your eyes on YOU. It’s fine to get inspired by others’ physiques, but you have to set your own personal standards. People tend to fixate on their weaknesses, while at the same time obsess over the strengths of others. That’s a surefire way to stay eternally frustrated. It’s a healthier approach to acknowledge your own strengths, and use them as benchmarks by which to bring up your weaknesses. Learn to give yourself a pat on the back for the improvements you make. Keep your eyes on YOU, don’t let the achievements of others dictate your obsessions.
- March to your own beat. Everyone has advice to give, and it’s important to listen, but ultimately, you have to adapt and mold all advice to your own sensibilities. Although it’s not always easy, I try not to be inflexibly dogmatic about what I teach. In many cases, what’s known pales in comparison to the sprawling expanse of the unknown. Over time, you’ll get to know your body better than anyone else, and what some might sell as natural laws should really only be ideas or options to consider.
- Training and nutritional programs pulled from the “experts” shouldn’t always be followed to the letter, especially for advanced trainees. Beginners without a clue may need to follow a script with zero deviation, since the alternative might be tripping over their own feet. But with more advanced trainees who have a more highly developed sense of individual response, there should always be a margin for personal intervention and adjustment. The best programs out there are at best good guidelines from which to morph better stuff for the individual situation.
- Question fitness advice given to you by others. “Why” is one of the most powerful words you can put in your vocabulary. Investigating the reasoning behind the advice will often reveal that the answer is “just because”, rendering the advice anywhere from helpful, to dangerous, to just a plain waste of time and resources. I encourage my clients, students, and colleagues to question everyone’s advice, including mine. I firmly believe that the better you can sharpen your thinking, the better you can continue to sharpen your physique.
- Scientific research is not bias-free. It’s not free of financial interests. It’s not free of study design flaws, and it’s not perfect. However, it’s the best tool that we have for getting closer to understanding the way the body works, the way that nature works. As imperfect as research is, it beats the hell out of hearsay and gym dogma.
- Many folks into fitness & bodybuilding have this unproductive tendency to think in black & white extremes. They’ll scapegoat certain foods, while glorifying the magic bullets. They rarely see the integration of the various components that comprise the big picture.
- Maintenance of a given level of progress is indeed a legitimate goal. In fact, people should consciously build plateau phases into their programs. Everyone hates to hear this, but the plateau phases should get progressively longer. When you step back and think about it, isn’t the ultimate goal a plateau of sorts? It makes good sense to give your body regular practice at maintaining. Everyone is so hell-bent on perpetually pressing forward with their goals, that it actually holds them back.
Related Posts:
804 views Pages: 1 2
6 Responses to “Wisdom & Wisecracks”
Leave a Reply
December 21st, 2009 at 6:53 am
I love it!!!!!
He tells it like it is, I am sure glad I don’t have good Genetics.
Merry Christmas to all!
A Cowboy from Texas
Reply
December 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Agreed Bill. Great post. Merry Christmas to you too.
The last point is the one that hit me the most. Kinda going through that phase right now. But I’m so mentally tough right now, I not fustrated at all. And that point is reaffirming.
Reply
December 24th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
“The majority of health nuts will spend $100’s a month on useless supplements, but won’t spend a dime on actually educating themselves on the facts about the body.” – I laughed at this one when I saw it.
People are always seeking for fast results without education, such as fast weight loss or fast muscle gain. They buy products that promise fast results
Reply
Muata Reply:
January 5th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Kai, what’s really funny is that skinny guys who want to build muscle and obese guys who want to lose weight, share so many of the same impatient and misguided attitudes and fall for the same marketing lies and hype. Thanks for leaving your comment.
Reply
December 27th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Your right about the plateau. So many people seem to think that there are only two types of existence – improvement or regression. Goal setting is important, but setting a maintenance goal is just as important. Great post!
Reply
Muata Reply:
January 5th, 2010 at 8:36 am
I hear you Mike, and that’s the problem with all or nothing thinking. I often ask guys, what they are going to do once they reach their target weight? It’s funny that very few actually have a maintenance plan mapped out because they’ve been so focused on reaching their goal instead of what to do after they’ve reached it …
Reply