Those that know me well know that swimming is one of my favorite pastimes. In addition to it being a a great, great overall body exercise, swimming is also fun and enjoyable to do. It's good for overweight people, it's good for toddlers, and it's great for the average person looking to get in some exercise. Cannot say enough good things about swimming.

Anyway, swimming reminds me of something I thought I should share with you. There was a guy at the pool I swim at who used to participate in bodybuilding competitions. And when I say bodybuilding, I mean it - he looked every bit the part. Gigantic muscles popping out in all directions, an unnaturally slim waist, the flared lats; you get the photo. Now to his credit, this guy was learning how to swim - one of the best things you can do - and being that I used to hare up and down the pool at a pretty decent clip completing my laps, he'd come up to me at times and ask me for pointers on how to improve his technique, breathing style, etc etc.

Now, while I'm certainly no expert on swimming, I helped him out the best I could with what I knew and some tips that I thought would improve his swimming. And while doing so, we started to chat, and got around to talking about exercise routines.

And this brought up the topic of bodybuilding, and what this guy did full time for many years before taking to the pool. And it aint pretty - think 8 hours of pumping iron (not kidding you - 8 full hours pumping iron daily), making sure he got enough food in him, and of course, the anabolic steriods which is pretty much a must - do if your anyone of any repute in the bodybuilding field.

"Well, at least you must have built up a considerable amount of strength with all that weight training", I told him.

And his response was this: "Yes, to a degree - but whats the point? My muscles hurt when I swim with any regularity, and I've already had TWO heart attacks. My wife fears the third one could be the last, so I quit professional bodybuilding at that point".

So, how old was this guy? The answer may shock you - he was 30.

That's right - THIRTY years of age, bloated muscles and all - and TWO heart attacks already!

Now, I bring this up not to point fingers at this guy and give him a lecture on how bodybuilding is BAD for him - he's done that better than I ever could by changing what he does, and hats off to him for that. But, his routine is about par for most modern day bodybuilder, and that sort of routine is best AVOIDED. The trouble is though, that all those fake muscles get folks thinking that they're the "real deal" - and they start to ape the bodybuilder routines - and thats when the problems start.

Think about it - doing all sorts of exercises for 8 hours a day daily - and eating next to nothing except protein shakes and eggs - and bloated muscles that don't work worth a darn in the real world. Is it worth it? I can just begin to imagine how that guy would do if I asked him to rep out 5 pull-ups in good form.  .  .

Two heart attacks before the age of 30 and virtually no stamina/endurance left. Is it worth it?

Only you can answer those questions for yourself, but I know what my answer is.

And lest you think this type of thing is limited to bodybuilders, think again."Professional" wrestling (not the real deal) is rife with cases of folks dying of drug overdoses, and movie stars routinely use drugs to maintain their "perfect" bodies.

Now, if you've made it to this point, and still believe that bodybuilding is the best thing you can do for yourself, well, no further arguments from me. It's your choice - and not really my business - so have at.

But, for those of you that choose to do things differently - and naturally - grab a copy of Fast and Furious Fitness today. 15-30 minute workouts that get you in the best shape of your life, and looking great as well - as compared to hours of slaving away at the gym - you can't beat that. Most of all, you'll be using your body NATURALLY - the way Mother Nature meant you to use it; and your body will thank you in heaps for it as well. 

So, my friend, there's the wisdom for the day. Give it a serious though, and let me know what you think.

Best regards,

Rahul

PS: Though my book doesn't talk about swimming, swimming is one of the best things you can do for your health; so if you have access to a clean pool, and know how to swim - incorporate it into your routine at the earliest!

PS#2: No pool, no problem - all the tough workouts you need are mentioned right HERE.