Although I created the Global Fast Fit routine,  I don’t have the best form when doing it. Far from it. (People from 26 countries around the world have performed the routine; generally speaking the best form has come from Indonesia and China.)  In fact, a routine I performed in Bangkok earlier this year was disqualified due to poor form on my leg lifts.  Everyone who does Global Fast Fit has to meet our standards for form for the routine to be certified.

But does that mean that those who don’t use perfect form are wasting their time or, worse, potentially going to get injured? No.  About 30% of the routines are not certified, generally due to poor form, although its also possible to be disqualified if the measurement of the running can’t be verified, or you don’t do the full number of reps required by any given routine. But we’ve never had someone who has done the routine encounter any muscular or skeletal problems as a result of doing global fast fit, even when the form has been poor.  This is important, to distinguish GFF from other exercises I discussed on this post, such as deadlifting and squats, where poor form can very easily lead to serious injury.

The 4 exercises that comprise Global Fast Fit; plank leg lifts, pushups, squats, and running were chosen in part because they’re simple and, in combination, they work the entire body.  But also because they’re safe, even if not done perfectly.  Assuming that you’re fit enough to do any sort of intense exercise, and that you’ve followed the normal exercise protocol for warming up, not eating right before exercising, etc, you’re unlikely to injure yourself doing this routine. Sometimes I don’t keep my legs straight when doing the leg lifts; other people don’t go low enough on the squats or pushups. But even in those cases, you’re likely to get a good workout doing global fast fit.  But even better if you follow our guidelines for proper form.

Greg recently made a post talking about form, and I want to address that.  First of all, I wholeheartedly agree that almost any movement is better than no movement at all.  The macro problem today in society across the globe is that people have almost universally adopted sedentary lifestyles with far too little movement. 

For exercising, form is important, but "perfect form" is a vague and often meaningless phrase.  First of all, everyone's body is somewhat different, and to a small degree how you do an exercise depends on your particular situation.  For instance, as an older man, when doing a bench press, I don't bring the bar all the way to touch my chest, which would be regarded as a violation of "perfect form" by most people who understand "proper" bench press form.  My modified bench press, bringing the bar down so my upper arms don't pass a 90 degree angle with my forearm, is designed to save my anterior deltoid, the front part of my shoulder.  Men like myself who have been doing shoulder exercises they're entire life are very likely to develop bone spurs in their shoulder, as I have; in fact, there is a phrase for this, "weightlifter's shoulder". 

Even though I never had surgery to repair this, I no longer have shoulder problems.  I solved this by not doing any exercise that brings my elbow behind my shoulder, so dips are out.  I also modify my pushups so that I don't break that my chest doesn't go below my shoulders, or at least not too much below. Its also important to build opposing muscles, like the posterior deltoids, by doing rows, but that alone won’t solve the shoulder issue.

Beyond the fact that certain exercises need to be modified for personal situations, there is also debate about what actually is perfect form for any given exercise.  As usual, you can find many different points of view when doing an online search.  To return to the bench press, there are different types of guidance given about where you should hold your hands, but this is really more a matter of personal preference and what muscles you are trying to work than a hard and fast rule.  (Holding your hands closer together will focus on your triceps; further apart will focus more on your chest, although in each case you’ll be working both muscles.)

There are some good general rules to keep in mind for form.  You want to be in control, no matter what exercise you are doing.  If your body, or a barbell, is jerking wildly, that’s usually not a good sign. When lifting weights, slower is generally better, particularly on the negative part of the movement, which, if done correctly, actually builds more muscle than the primary movement.  For instance, when doing an arm curl, the negative part of the movement is returning the bar from the curled position back to the hanging position.  Do it slowly and you'll see how difficult the movement becomes.  For building muscle mass, a controlled slow movement with a lighter weight is always better than a fast, jerky movement with a heavy weight. 

Note that everything I say pertains to building general health and fitness, which is the objective of Global Fast Fit.  When playing sports, explosive movement can actually be very important, and that involves a different kind of form.  But to build muscles and strong tendons and joints, you want a slow steady, consistent, controlled movement when lifting weights.

In doing the big 3 powerlifting movements you do have to be very careful about form, as the squat, bench press, and deadlift tax the whole body and often involve very heavy weights. But even here I disagree with the perfect form argument. First of all, let me just state the obvious; if you’re lifting heavy weights on the bench press without a spotter you’re making a mistake; potentially a life threatening mistake.

But even if we can agree on what constitutes perfect form for these 3 exercises – which I doubt – its almost impossible to maintain when going for that last rep on a hard set, or a personal record.  The squat used to be one of my best lifts, as I have strong legs, and I did a 435 pound free weight squat when I was young and a 600 pound Smith machine squat in 2019.  But I rarely do squats now, and when I do I keep the weights low and go very slowly and carefully.  The risk of back injury for both heavy squats and deadlifts is just too high, in my opinion, to justify.  I know there are many who disagree with this, and regard squats and deadlifts as absolutely fundamental, and safe if using “perfect form”.   Again, I disagree.   And I’ve been lifting weights for 50 years without a serious injury, while still maintaining high degrees of workout intensity.

Form in the Global Fast Fit routine? That’s a whole other post.

Articles like this one about electrolytes are a perfect example of why nutrition is such a confusing subject.  I grew up hearing how bad salt is for your health, and how it should be limited.  Certainly not the case from reading this article, which talks about all the benefits of sodium.  Its probably all a question of getting the right amount, which the article does not address. It also doesn't distinguish between hydration without salt and hydration with salt, or how much of each you need.  

Does an average active person's diet typically not contain enough sodium? Or too much?  You won't find out by reading the article, even if you're convinced of the value of electrolytes.  And adding salt to your meals doesn't seem like a terribly sensible suggestion. 

One of the real challenges with health and nutrition is figuring out what labels really mean.  I'll  use a very simple example: let's take a simple gentle face wash, say La Roche-Posay's Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Wash.  Should be super simple, because its a common, supposedly gentler alternative to using conventional soap. 

Let's start with the company; its really a brand, not a company, as its now owned by L'oreal, the biggest cosmetics company in the world, with 36 different brands. Given how huge the company is, the name "La Roche-Posay" doesn't provide any real useful info to consumers; its simply fills a space that L'oreal deems appropriate among its vast array of brands. 

Not hard to find a list of ingredients: 
 AQUA / WATER / EAU (LA ROCHE-POSAY PREBIOTIC THERMAL WATER) • GLYCERIN • PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAETHYLHEXANOATE • PROPYLENE GLYCOL• AMMONIUM POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE • POLYSORBATE 60 • CERAMIDE NP • NIACINAMIDE • SODIUM CHLORIDE • COCO-BETAINE • DISODIUM EDTA • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • PANTHENOL • T-BUTYL ALCOHOL • TOCOPHEROL

But very difficult to figure out what any of those actually means.  Google gives a useful AI overview of pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate:
Pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate is a colorless, oil-soluble liquid that is used in many cosmetics and skin care products. It is also known by the trade names DUB PTO, SALACOS 5408, and SOLDOC VF 4/8. 

Pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate has many benefits, including:

Hydration: Helps the skin trap moisture, which can make it appear smooth and plump

Texture: Thickens and improves the texture of a formula, giving it a silky, non-greasy feel

Protection: Creates a protective barrier that seals in moisture, making it a good choice for dry or dehydrated skin

Application: Improves the spreadability and absorption of cosmetic products, which can lead to a smoother application and a velvety finish 

Pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate is used in cosmetics and skin care products in amounts ranging from 0.06% to 50%. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has deemed it safe for use in these products. 

But that's for just one listed ingredient.  One would have to search each of the 14 different chemicals listed to understand the product. The bigger challenge is that what really matters is not chemical composition in isolation, but the way in which this particular set of 14 compounds interacts. And that interaction is going to be further complicated by the uniqueness, including unique skin composition of each individual (There's a reason why fingerprints are different for every person)

So answering a seemingly simple questions like "Is this face wash safe" or "effective" is actually incredibly complex.  But we'll attempt to do that sort of thing on the new health studies section of global fast fit.