The 5 exercises every fitness model does

...Not a secret at all. You can take your hamstring curls and ab rollouts and shove 'em. Any trainer or knowledgeable body-builder worth a drop of sweat knows that there are 5 basic lifts, that, when done properly, are guaranteed to make your body aesthetically pleasing (look good). This applies to both men and women equally. Every other exercise is just a variation on these five, designed to decrease monotony, increase balance and stability, and perhaps add an element of functionality. Keep in mind, athletes, whose sport demands strength through all dimensions (unilateral, linear & and rotational) won't adhere to just these exercises strictly, but you can bet these are part of their foundational strength workout.

http://www.bottomlinefitness.com/2013/05/26/how-to-get-killer-abs-cooking-with-coconut-oil/

While heavier weights with low reps should be safely built up to, EVERYONE should lift heavy if their goal is aesthetics. What dictates your results, based on your goals, is how much you eat. There is a simple maxim in lifting:

You want to be big? Lift heavy and eat lots.

It's not rocket science. But guess what? As lifting heavy burns more calories (7-9 rep range) than light lifting at 15 reps (the common conception of how to "stay lean"). If you eat less and eat clean, you will burn fat, but also maintain muscle tone. That's not to say you won't burn muscle as well, that is unavoidable when at a calorie deficit, but you will maintain a baseline of muscle tone if you eat properly.

If you are trying to gain mass, eat plenty of lean protein, plenty of veggies, and plenty of grain and nut based carbs. You will need to eat at least 1000 more calories than you burn in a day to add noticeable muscle. (The carbs are vital, because carbs are your primary energy source. If the body burns through all of your carbs, it moves on to protein as a secondary macro-nutrient energy source (ie. burns your muscle as energy).

If you are trying to get lean, eat lean proteins as well, but consume most of your carbohydrates as veggies. You can incorporate grains and nuts as well, but to lean out, you will need to run a calorie deficit each day. Consider a deficit of 1000 calories to be a safe goal, depending on how quickly you want to cut weight (remembering that 3500 calories burnt is roughly equal to a pound of fat).

Without further ado, here are the Big 5 exercises...the only ones you need to do to look like a beach hero: Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Seated Row, Military Shoulder Press

1) Squats

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/07/08/why-you-need-squats-in-your-workout-and-how-to-do-them-right/

2) Deadlifts

http://fitness.makeupandbeauty.com/every-girl-needs-to-learn-to-dead-lift/

3) Bench Press

http://www.homeexercise.co/power-lifting/204/

4) Seated Rows

http://www.myfreckledlife.com/2013/10/03/bicep-blues/

5) Military Shoulder Press

http://fitfinity.net/2010/09/20/exercise-essentials-part-4-overhead-press/

Boom. That's it. 100 years of body building knowledge summed up into what every body builder already knows. If you are mindful of precise form, always actively engage your core in every exercise, and go until failure with heavy weight, you will get the results you want...guaranteed. Perform 4 sets of each, 7-9 reps, 4 days per week with one day of rest in between. You can even superset them for time-efficiency (Squats with Rows, Deadlifts with Bench, Military with Abs -- if you really want to -- although it's not necessary to isolate abs if you are doing the lifts right). Abs are a reflection of diet and form. If you absolutely must do cardio, do high intensity interval training. You will get far better results and a bigger bang for your buck then a standard jog.

So there it is...the secret is out! So you can continue to buy your body building and curve magazines and do those exercises (they are good to mix things up), but if you have the drive and commitment and don't easily get bored, the big 5 will get you the beach body you want.

Why you should be running naked (everyone is doing it!)

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/body-confidence

Less is more

When selecting your footwear, there are a lot of variables to think about (and you thought running was simple). For a long time, running shoes have been designed to offer extra arch support, added heel cushioning, and corrective shaping for issues like pronation. At a time when more is better, there is a movement gaining traction based on less. It is known as minimalist or barefoot running, and there is plenty of science to support its validity.
 

Minimalist Running

Before you get too excited, minimalist running is not the latest and greatest exercise fad from the nudist community. Minimalist or barefoot running embraces the natural mechanics of the body and is focused around footwear that offers the most minimal support possible (or none at all), allowing for maximal movement in the feet. The average running shoe has a sole thickness of around 24.0mm like the Nike Lunaracer, in contrast, the minimalist shoe, Vibram Five Fingers Speed model, has a sole thickness of 4.0mm at the heel. Critically, this extra 20.0mm of cushion prevents foot muscles from acting in a natural mobile fashion when exposed to a force (the ground). Inhibition of foot muscle movement is one point of contention in the conventional runners versus minimalist debate. The other point of debate is centred around heel drop, that is, the tendency of conventional running shoes to force a heel strike method of running because the heel is elevated from the ball of the foot by extra cushioning (often by a difference of 8mm or greater)[1]. 

http://demo.thexcartstore.com/xgear/Vibram-FiveFingers-KomodoSport-Multisport-Shoes-Men-s.html

 

A 2012 study using Harvard University runners found that those who "habitually rearfoot strike had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than individuals who habitually forefoot strike”[2]. Of note, the footwear worn by research subjects actually dictated their running style in most cases. When presented with thicker soled runners, subjects used the traditional heel-strike method (landing each forward stride on your heel first), however, without any prompting, when test subjects were outfitted with minimalist shoes or were asked to run barefoot, they almost immediately assumed a more mechanically proper (and less impactful) landing that was on the ball of their foot (front of the foot). This achieves two things: 1) Landing on the ball of one’s foot dissipates foot strike forces throughout the leg muscles rather than focusing them in the knees 2) More calories are burnt by landing on the ball or your foot than using the heel-strike method[3]. If fitness and weight loss is your goal, calorie expenditure is paramount! 

A word of wisdom from personal experience, even to those who have been running for years: If you are going to try minimalist running, start at a distance no longer than 1km and work your way up. You will find some initial calf stiffness and/or soreness from the extra work they are getting.

I'm sorry there was no nudity in this article, you might say my title was misleading...

@BrendanRolfe

Works Cited

1http://lowerextremityreview.com/article/effects-of-minimalist-shoes-on-running-gait 

2http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/pdfs/2010a.pdf

3http://www.umass.edu/locomotion/pdfs/jap-2013.pdf

Dangerous gym exercises: Is the juice worth the squeeze?

[1]

                                                          

I am a firm believer that variety in the gym is the key to longevity. But I have been noticing, more and more, trainers and gym goers doing exercises that are extremely dangerous, and outside of a fun youtube video, offer little more than the opportunity for severe injury.

Any sport comes with an inherent level of risk. Anyone who has played contact sports knows that concussions at some point in their career are a virtual certainty. Even non-contact sports like basketball, soccer and baseball carry with them the possibility of a torn ligament from sudden change of direction, or joint risks, such as subluxation or torn labral tissues; from the application off-balance forces. Many athletes play the sports they love, accepting these risks for the chance to win a championship or graduate to the professional ranks.

But where does that leave exercisers who are trying to lose weight or add muscle tone (the two most common goals of the average personal training client)? What purpose does a stability ball, barbell, back-squat serve[3]? It is virtually impossible to spot and adds uneeded complexity to an exercise that a minutiae of the population actually does flawlessly (the squat) on solid ground. You risk your client's health and well-being for something that looks impressive, but actually serves little to no purpose. I would not give this exercise to any of my athletes or clients because it has no application in sport or the real world. I also question the wisdom of introducing Jill or Joe Average to the Olympic lifts (unless they request it from you or show interest of their own volition). The clean, the snatch, and the clean and jerk are beautiful lifts when done properly. But these lifts are restricted to power sport athletes for good reason: 1) The average exerciser doesn't really the NEED power that these offer, 2) Power training for Joe Blow can be done under less technical and more controlled circumstances (dumbbells, kettlebells, body-weight, etc.), 3) This usually involves a lot of weight if you are seriously training for power. If they haven't MASTERED perfect form in the foundational lifts (Squat and Deadlift), then there is no way I am going to risk their spine, shoulders and knees, on lifts that are super technical and not applicable to their goals. It just doesn't make sense.

[2]                                                                                                                                                 [3]

                         

                                                     

I am all for changing up a routine and touching on as many of the foundational pillars of fitness as possible...but not all in one exercise. Resistance training, cardio training, balance training, and flexibility training are all an essential and supplementary part of any training program, and proper periodization of a program is not to be taken lightly (ie. first time exercisers should NEVER jump in to power training before progressing through: foundational movement, endurance, hypertrophy and strength training first).

Let's be honest, an effective workout program is founded on variations of 4 basic movements meant to improve strength: squat, push, pull, (vertical) press; consider it to be like a compass with each direction representing the direction of force. It takes months, if not years, to master perfect form in each discipline. Balance and coordination can then be added to variations of the exercise in a supplementary manner, but by no means should balance be done under extreme weight as stabilizer muscles are small and fatigue quickly. Exercises that are designed for power or strength, should be respected for their purpose. Instability saps power potential and will change the focus of your lift, effectively detraining the power athlete.

So before you want to do a show-stopper exercise at the gym, give a thought to the purpose of it and take a moment to weigh the risk versus the reward. Are complex olympic lifts really what your weight-loss client's program is lacking? Have you actually mastered the foundational lifts and are ready to progress to instability training under load? Are you using the exercise for its intended purpose? These are all questions you should ask yourself before going in to your next workout. Train with as much purpose as you do passion.

- Brendan Rolfe
Personal Training Specialist, Nutrition & Wellness Specialist, BA, DipA

Photo credits

1 http://www.liftingrevolution.com/dangerous-exercises-for-women-beginners-and-why-not-to-do-these/
2 http://muscle.iuhu.org/2014/01/must-watch-videos-with-hilarious-but-dangerous-things-which-gym-          newbies-do-how-not-to-perform-gym-exercises-at-various-machines/
3 http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/1c8z8t/what_is_the_funniest_workout_you_have_ever_seen/

Curvy is(n't) the new black

"Your size is not an indicator of health. It's a fact." - Tess Munster (LA based plus size model and blogger)

                                          http://theplussizelife.blogspot.ca/

                                          

I recently came across a blog by a plus size model, making a few claims about health, and needless to say I was shocked. Tess Munster may use her plus size to earn her living, and making these claims may help her build a following of similarly confused minds, but I beg you, Tess, to please refrain from passing off your own opinion as "fact", especially when people's lives are at risk. 

Here is a fact that you can share - between 2000 and 2008 the annual economic costs of obesity in Canada increased by $735 million, from $3.9 to $4.6 billion in direct and indirect costs (PHAC, 2011b)[1]. Americans have the right to be obese. Privatized healthcare gives you that right because it affects no one but you, your family, your friends, your heart, your longevity, and not to mention, your wallet. If you want to kill yourself with food, that's your choice. But in Canada and other countries that practice universal healthcare, your health is everyone's business.  

Suggesting that the body featured above is healthy, is unhealthy, and downright dangerous. Tess has 900 followers of her blog (theplussizelife.blogspot.ca), many of whom are themselves overweight. The last thing someone struggling with weight issues, or health issues related to their weight, needs to hear is the "fact" that being obese doesn't correlate to health problems. Make no mistake, it does. Visceral fat in particular (the fat that surrounds your organs -- or more commonly called a gut, a pouch, a spare tire, or a keg) can lead to cancer, stroke, heart attack, and type 2 diabetes, among other things. Any one of these can kill you, never mind the fact that you will likely end up with two or more. So, size IS an indicator of health[2]. Notice the citation? 

As a personal trainer and nutrition specialist, I am loathed to use the term "fat" as I strongly dislike the connotation towards a lazy, slovenly nature and would never call any of my clients, or anyone making efforts to improve their physical health, "fat". But by coddling a dangerous disease with euphemisms like curvy and voluptuous, the dire circumstances present are completely brushed aside. Obesity is an epidemic. We would never tell a drug-addict to love their habits and reference them as "narcotically-inclined." So let's call it what it is, people!

"P.S. Don't assume fat people don't work out. Don't assume that we eat junk food." - Tess Munster

You don't get fat from eating too much vegetables and going for a bike ride every day. FYI, "junk food" doesn't just refer to cupcakes and candy bars, it includes alcohol consumption, fast food (almost all), and eating out at most restaurants (butter and salt are the chef's go-to for taste). Many factors come into play that can make people overweight: stress, time constraints, or general lack of knowledge about what foods to eat/avoid or how to exercise, which is why Tess' "facts" are so upsetting. She is in a position to be a role model and is purveying deadly misinformation. You should be getting 60 minutes per day minimum of intentional exercise (ie. a bike ride, a brisk walk, calisthenics, etc) and the majority of each meal plate (50-60%) should consist of greens (a potato doesn't count -- it's more starch than vegetable and is not green) in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay optimally healthy.

"Love thyself as thy neighbour" - God

Tess does have one thing right though, the path to a healthy self image and a healthy body is through loving yourself. Not loving the self you see in the mirror, but loving the self that can't be seen. So good God, yes! Love yourself! Love everything about who you are, but don't look at yourself and say, my body image is who I identify with and who I am. Associating self-worth with body image is unhealthy on any level. The first step in loving yourself is loving who you are (not what you look like). A great start is going to see a psychologist or a counsellor. I would recommend this to everyone, healthy or not. Being able to unload a world of stress and hurt, or just your thoughts on a stranger without any risk of judgement is extremely cathartic. In my experience, weight gain can often be associated with emotional trauma (not just misinformation about food), so getting emotional support (particularly from a professional) is a great first step for anyone looking to make a change. 

Love yourself enough to make a change

So the message here is, love yourself! Love yourself enough to want to be alive for your friends, your kids, your significant other, etc.  Love yourself enough to care for yourself and to be able to do anything you want to do, go anywhere you want to go, and not allow physicality to be a limiting factor. If your weight is stopping you from doing the things you want to do, being comfortable in places you want to be, or it is negatively impacting your life in any way, then love yourself enough to become a healthier you! 70% of North America's population is overweight or obese. That number has doubled in the last 30 years[3]. So, unfortunately, Tess is right again, the "majority of women [and men]" look similar to her. The question is, do we accept that as the new norm, stating that overweight and obesity is a healthy body image for kids to look up to? We blame media and "society"-- such a loose copout term-- for skewing children's image of what is healthy (physically and psychologically), but as a sharp rise in childhood obesity will allude to, we are our children's role models. By pointing the finger at the fashion models, the toys (leave Barbie alone), the fitness and the airbrush industry, we shamefully shirk the responsibility of being a role-model ourselves. 

This is not healthy [4]

But neither is this [5]

'Healthy' does not only look one way, but I will tell you right now that it certainly does not look like Tess Munster. And being paid as a model to look glutinous is equally as concerning as being paid to look anorexic.  

My message is not for anyone to feel shame, it is not for anyone to feel sorry for themselves, and it is certainly not that anyone has the right to judge others for their outward appearance. Rather, it is that we should look inside ourselves, as outward appearance can often be a manifestation of inward turmoil. Like it or not, we are ALL role models for the younger generation and we need to judge ourselves as such. Is the legacy we want to leave the next generation one of obesity and cardiac problems? Because that is the direction we are headed. By saying curvy is the new black, we are dooming the human race to dependancy on prescription drugs, liposuction and premature cardiovascular decline. 

I really do care for everyone's health and wellness and many changes need to be made at a legislative level in our band-aid style of healthcare (a shift to preventative is critical). If you love yourself enough to make a change today, I've put together a few tips that might just help. Try doing 3 rounds of this basic at home workout and take a look at these helpful tips when it comes to meal time.

It is never too late to get healthy, inside and out.  

~Brendan
brendan_rolfe@hotmail.com

PS. If you are struggling with your weight please don't hesitate to email me for help. I would be happy to give you free advice to get you going in the right direction. Obesity is everyone's problem, not just your own :)


At home circuit workout

Brisk 5 minute walk outside, on treadmill, or even just around the house
60 second rest
20 air squats or using a chair (sit and stand)
60 second rest
20 straight leg toe touches then reach for the sky
60 second rest
20 pushups from your knees (or use stand and use the wall)
60 second rest
20 bird-dog (start on hands and knees, lift opposite limbs as high as possible)


Food Tips

-Want to lose 5lbs and be noticeably healthier within a month? Switch all of your drinks to water. No soft drinks, no alcohol, no specialty coffee (black coffee or plain tea if you need it), and no juice. All of these drinks contain mass amounts of sugar, among other things.

- This is what a healthy plate looks like                                                    [6]

If your first thought is "where is the rest of it?" then you are probably eating too much. Portion size is one of the most common mistakes of those who are overweight and obese. Your plate should be 50% (or more) vegetables and fruit, 25% grains or starch like potato, and 25% protein (meat -- if you eat meat). There is no portion size limit to veggies, although a minimum small bowl full is a good size. Your protein should be just under the size of your fist, and your grain or starch should be about a cup for men or 1/2 cup for women (cooked).

Veggies - The greener the better   Meats - The leaner the better    Starch & Grains - The browner the better

- Restaurants are tricky and can be calorie traps. The problem is that you just don' t know what is in your food. Chef's love to cook with butter (fat - which is good, but not in excess) and salts because they make things taste good. Even salads, which seem like a great option, can have way more calories than you think because of the dressings. So, here is a few general rules for eating out: 

1) If it has a drive-thru, don't eat there 

2) If the menu doesn't denote healthy options, don't eat there 

3) Get your dressings and sauces on the side and use sparingly 

4) Always opt for lean meats like turkey or chicken, or go for fish. If you are dying for a steak, get a small portion.

5) Don't be afraid to leave a little food on your plate...restaurants often give way too much food that is well-beyond proper portion sizes.

Finally, try not to eat out more than twice per week (for any meal, not just dinner). Try your best to eat at home as much as possible, and always opt for fresh foods over processed or pre-packaged.

References  

1 http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483991/k.34A8/Statistics.htm#references
2 http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/303/5/E635.full-text.pdf+html
3 http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-trends/obesity-rates-worldwide/
4 http://blogs.longwood.edu/strongisskinny/2013/05/30/whats-wrong-with-being-twiggy/
5 http://theplussizelife.blogspot.ca/
6 http://www.healthykidsplate.com/2011/12/dinner-on-plate/

5 Ways to BRO your workout

You just bought your brand new Lulus or your ultra low cut tank top and can't wait to show it off to the babes who always check you out at the gym. Sure, you never catch them actually looking at you, but you know they do. Here's how to be seen getting your workout on, without the risk of messing up your hair.

1) HANG ON BRO - There's at least one babe on the treadmill at all times. No matter how many open machines there are at the end of the gym, be sure to pick the one right beside her. Crank the incline up as high as it will go (that's right -- it's SHOWTIME baby!) and set it to a walking pace (don't run...you'll burn too much muscle). The speed doesn't matter anyways, as everyone will only be looking on in awe at the incline you have set. Be sure to hold on to the handles with a kung-fu grip and lean back so the front of your legs don't get that uncomfortable burning feeling. When the babe gets off, you are done too...obviously.

2) MORE IS MORE BRO - On to weights. If there is a babe in weights section, go on the bench right beside her. If not, choose a bench beside the least fit person in the section (they'll make you look even better, if that's possible). It's chest and biceps day today (back and triceps were yesterday and legs are... never) you are going to need a lot of weights. If you usually use 30's, you'd better get 35's and 40's too (just in case you are feeling your protein today, bro), also, get the 25's and 20's in case you feel like getting your swell on with a drop-set. FYI, legs are a waste of time, but maybe you could do some calf-raises though, or not...whatever. That time could have been spent doing biceps (curls for girls).

3) NOT TOO DEEP BRO - First, find a runt who is doing light weights and make eye contact. When they look at you, quickly glance down at their weights and give them a smirk that says 'your workout is my warmup'...because it is. Walk down to the end of the weight rack, glancing (staring) at the babe who's finishing her 14th set of hip lifts and drop the heaviest weights in the gym from the rack to the floor. Make sure to roll them back to your bench, everyone will stop their sets and move to let the big dog through (you don't want to waste energy carrying them). You don't even have to look at the babe on your way back, there's no question she was checking you out this time, after all, you've got the biggest weights in the gym, and chicks dig the alpha male. When you get back to your bench, take a break and grab a gulp from your milk jug full of aminos. The whole gym will be watching you this set, so you have to bring your "A" game. After you get the weight above you, only lower them 2 to 3 inches before hulking them back up like a hero. Also, if you are doing an exercise like deadlifts, bounce the weights off the ground to get a rebound effect. It doesn't matter how the weights get up, as long as they get there.

4) EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW IT WAS HARD BRO - When you lean back and kick the weights up above you, be sure to grunt, yell "up!", "light weight!", or some facsimile thereof. While most people are already watching you, it is possible that someone is getting water or something and they should know the show is about to begin. Stick to 5 reps or less (everyone knows that doing more than that will make you weak and will burn more calories than you can afford to give). At this point, you can either count your reps out loud or grunt. I like to do both at the same time, and then around rep 4 or 5, I recommend dropping a masculine F-bomb. After the fifth rep, just drop them. Don't waste energy and risk possible injury lowering them slowly. Everyone should respect your weights and clear out while you are doing your set, so don't hesitate to toss them aside. Also, when you are done your set, don't put your weights away, that's what the staff is for. More than that, the next person who uses your bench should know that you max out the weights here and that this gym can't contain you. A special note: if you are doing deadlifts to work out your lower back (some wannabe trainer tried to tell me it's a leg exercise, get real), make sure you bounce the weights off the floor in between reps. It's easier, so you can lift more weight, but more importantly, it makes a loud crashing noise so everybody will be intimidated and/or turned on.

5) REST BRO - You always see these monkeys running around the gym doing multiple exercises in a row (I think it's something Mr. Crossfit invented). What a waste of energy. Instead, do your set, grab a swig from your 4-litre, then take a well deserved break, sitting on the machine you just used (you don't want anyone else to steal it). Go on your phone to update your status ("If the bar ain't bendin', you're just pretendin'"), check out the latest Lulu bums or 6-pack hard bodies on Instagram, take a selfie (#strongisthenewskinny) or go flex in the mirror (bro, my six pack is comin' in real good, and my triceps are bangin'!). After two more gulps of aminos and about 5 minutes has rolled by, it's time for another set. If the babe in the abs section just took off her headphones to stretch though, take this time to go over and ask her if she's training for a fitness show or say you recognize her from somewhere (they eat that stuff up). *Make sure you are flexing the whole time, but change poses frequently so she gets the full effect.

6) STRETCHING...WTF BRO? - If you have a "Y" chromosome, the only time you need to go in the stretching section is if there's a babe in there and you want to lay your mac down. Otherwise, stretching is for yoga loving vegans and those guys who wear toe shoes. So this is for the ladies: First and foremost, if you can do the splits, do them. Do them forwards, do them backwards, sideways, and upside down. Every man, woman, and child should know that you are the most flexible person in the gym. Really, the only important muscles are on the back of your legs (glutes, hamstrings and inner thighs), so just stretch those. Your upper body doesn't need to stretched because the only thing you work on in the gym is legs, in addition to the 6 hours you put in on the stair-stepper.

Really, this fitness thing is pretty simple. Go to the gym, stand by some weights, flex lots, go party on the weekends. Because you workout, you can eat and drink whatever you want, it's all just going to turn in to chest and bicep muscles on monday anyways bro.

The Shermanation of Sport

                                          Image courtesy Richard Sherman/Instagram

In case you have been under a rock for the last week or are unfamiliar with the NFL world, Seattle Seahawks Pro-Bowl cornerback, Richard Sherman, had a post-game rant for the ages. In a nutshell, he questioned the talent of Michael Crabtree (a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, whom he was covering) and called himself the best in the game. In fairness, this rant is in response to a feud between the two players, likely in-game trash talking, and post game antics which featured a stiff-arm to the face of Sherman when he attempted to shake hands with Crabtree following the final whistle of the game where Sherman's Seahawks defeated the 49ers to advance to the Superbowl.

It is distracting, sends out negative vibes in the clubhouse, it is damaging to team moral, and worst of all...it sells tickets

My knee-jerk reaction, like most of North America, was to condemn the actions of an athlete who was clearly an egotistical, self-centred pre-madonna. Having played elite level sports of various kinds, I have had the pleasure (?) of playing with athletes who thought they were the second coming of Jesus, and let me tell you, it's not fun. It is distracting, sends out negative vibes in the clubhouse, it is damaging to team moral, and worst of all...it sells tickets. Who wants to see a self-rightous, cocky bully get smashed in the mouth with Karma? I do. And very likely, so do you.

Sport is war

Before delving deeper into what I will call the Shermanation of sport (for current relevance - though others of much greater stature have come before; Muhammed Ali, Gary Peyton, even Ty Cobb), I want to illustrate what kind of people both Michael Crabtree and Richard Sherman are: they are both educated, hard-working (you can't be a top athlete at the professional ranks without hard work), well-liked by teammates, active in their communities (both have charities in their names), and both give 100% on the field. By all accounts, they are stand-up human-beings, phenomenal athletes, and role-model material. But nobody wants to see nice-guys be nice. Sport is war. More specifically, football is war; quite literally. Two sides, wearing different uniforms, generals on the sidelines, plans of attack, hell, there's even trenches (the offensive and defensive lines). As an observer, it is not only incumbent upon you to pick a side, it's engrained in you. We are, in the end, pack animals that want to win, because our survival depends on it; thus, we follow the strongest leaders - who we hope is our home team! And if there is anything we have learned from being animals (or more likely from watching the nature channel, now that we are all soft and dulled of sense from centuries of loafing), it is that the biggest, baddest, loudest and most robust alpha usually wins.

                                                       Image courtesy twinking.net
My initial reaction to Richard Sherman was dislike. I didn't know much about the man, other than he was a good cornerback in the NFL (the greatest, actually, so he tells me) and that he played for as close to a home team as we can get in the NFL, living in Vancouver, Canada . I was even cheering for his team to win, so one would think my first reaction would be to defend his actions. After thinking before writing (this blog is 5 days after the fact), I have come to the conclusion that Richard Sherman is not to blame. He is a victim of emotion and circumstance, and while he makes no apologies for his actions, I have since forgiven him (I'm sure that will come as a great relief to Richard). The truth is that I am Richard Sherman and so are you. As fans, we have shaped these players over decades of competition to entertain us. Sure, they entertain us with astonishing feats of physicality, but also entertain us with character and the antics that are sure to follow. Boxers and mixed martial artists often get paid a percentage of gate (attendance) sales as part of their compensation, thus, it has always been a prerogative to "sell the fight", ie. create speculative interest in the event with the intent of driving ticket sales. Muhammed Ali was one of the pioneers (and the most poetic and impressive on this writers list). At the time, he was the target of ample amounts of ire; not only was he a black athlete in a time of serious racial tension, but he was confident, strong, good-looking, and eloquent. He was everything white America feared and easy to dislike if you weren't in his corner. He refused to back down and refused to apologize for who he was (sound familiar?). In the beginning, while Ali had fans who bought tickets to support him, even more people bought tickets to root against him. It didn't even matter who he was fighting, he was the rival and it was worth the price of admission if one got the chance to see him lose.

Rivalries permeate today's games as well. But how does a rivalry form? They say familiarity breeds contempt. I would argue that familiarity builds fondness and that contempt is manufactured.

All the world's a stage,

       And all the men and women merely players;         

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts

                              - William Shakespeare

To source past "trash talkers"of recent memory, one need not look outside the scope of NFL football. Receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco would both be described by most fans (who aren't Dallas Cowboys fans) as entertaining and talented. Both are known for extravagant touchdown celebrations that are fun to watch, fine worthy, and, if you are cheering for the team opposing theirs, infuriating. Let's be perfectly honest, if the NFL wanted to stop this excessive celebrating, they would have given him more than a $7,500 fine and a 15 yard penalty (0.09% of his $8,000,000 salary for the year), but they didn't. Why? Because it is entertaining and it sells tickets. So does Richard Sherman. So when these athletes present a larger than life on-field persona, it is all too easy to get caught up in the hype of professional sports and cast judgement in the hopes of making your enemy a pariah.

If you don't like the man he is on the field and in interviews, that's too bad, because it is your fault that he is that guy

There have been reports of public and social media name calling, a myriad of judgement being passed and overt racism in reference to Sherman (let's be honest, the racists will always find an excuse). My initial response was to jump on the judgement jeep and criticize Sherman like I was appalled at the person he is, or thought he was. But in truth, Richard Sherman isn't even Richard Sherman. Richard Sherman the Seahawk is a brash, cocky, antagonist. He's good and he knows it. Moreover, he knows that you know it, and if you don't, he'll tell you. The reality is that only his friends and family know the real Richard Sherman, and it is only those who know him best who can be the real judge of his character. If you don't like the man he is on the field and in interviews, that's too bad, because it is your fault that he is that guy. You buy the tickets to yell at him, to see him lose and watch him fail, but you are still buying the ticket that is the foundation of his paycheque. 

Society needs to understand that everything presented to them is to be taken with a grain of salt. Medical advice, TV news, the radio, advertising, sports are all there for three things 1) To entertain you, 2) To get your money, and 3) To get your money. Sports is entertainment. The reason professional athletes get away with taking performance enhancing drugs (and they do on a mass scale), the reason trash talking goes unpunished, and the reason they are paid millions of dollars to play a game is because you support them by watching games on TV, buying tickets and buying merchandise. So before you judge the next athlete who goes on a rant about being the greatest, know that you made them that way. And before you send a hate-tweet or slam them at the office water cooler, ask yourself if you have been entertained. If the answer is yes (and it is yes, because you are still talking about it), then know that he has done his job and that it doesn't concern him one bit what you think...because it's your problem, not his.