For Fat and Thin People

[skorpionuk]

How can the same cause have two directly opposite effects? Don't you know the fable of the Indian who was so astonished to see the European blow warm and cold with the same mouth, first when his fingers were cold and then when the soup was too hot

Comments

[so_hat_yi]

>Working the muscles which are situated directly below the layers of fat

Sadly a myth... "Spot burning" does not exist, one of the great fallacies of fitness. Sure you can build up muscle under the fat, but exercising an area will not reduce fat in that particular area I'm afraid.

[skorpionuk]

You're right, of course: spot reduction is a fallacy, just as "converting fat into muscle" is.

I don't know whether I read the sentence the same way, though: you could interpret it as saying, by increasing muscle mass, you burn more calories since your metabolism goes up, which in turn will help reduce your fat stores. I will read the rest of the booklet and see whether he says any more on this.

[psychokatuk]

I'm reading through it at the moment (no work to do!), and while it has some interesting ideas, some sound quite bad for the health! For example, the idea of sun-bathing every day... no mention of skin cancer! But I shall read on (and I confess to doing deep breathing exercises as I read!)

[skorpionuk]

Well, as it turns out now, the risks of skin cancer from the sun have less of a detrimental effect than the lack of vitamin D, which affects vast amounts of people. The former can be avoided by not burning to a crisp, the latter require frequent full-body exposure and/or supplements.

[philipstorry]

Ah, old fashioned writing. I am simply delighted when I read this kind of stuff.

The Victorians/Edwardians/Georgians knew how to sell you something with words. When they were on form with their flim-flam, it flowed like nothing else on earth.

This immediately put me in mind of the Charles Atlas body-building course. I found that in a jumble sale, and it's superb. A great combination of conversational tone, outgoing friendliness yet also a slightly stilted reflection of the social boundaries of the time.
Plus, of course, it cannot help but promise the earth whilst politely reminding you that if you don't work at it, this promise cannot be fulfilled.

Even if the exercises are total bunk, I doubt you can waste your time reading something like this...

[psychokatuk]

OK, I'm being childish and giggling at the exercise photographs!