This morning after I got home from my personal training studio, my wife was feeding my daughter and asked me to grab something from the living room.  My wife routinely leaves the tv on because she likes having background noise and since this was around 10 in the morning, there was a daytime talk show on.

You know the type, the ones that show you a recipe that you likely won’t make, some celebrity talking about the latest gossip and often times has someone on to give workout tips.

Most of the time the workout tips are absolute garbage, and in this case, it was no different.

Of the advice that was given was some kind of lunge, where one of the hosts was wearing heels.  That one is a big no-no.

In my personal training studio, my clients are instructed to either go barefoot, wear socks or have shoes that are flat soled/minimalist.

Why?  Because overly cushy shoes or shoes with an elevated heel disrupt and train your feet to tense its muscles in loading patterns that aren’t appropriate for safe and proper movement.  You see there are all sorts of sensors in our hands, feet and pretty much all over your body that sense where we are and how we interact with the environment around us.  When we take a step, the muscles activated are specific to the movement and are there to keep us safe.

Doing lunges in stilettos are as our Spanish speaking friends would say “no Bueno” because they change what our body has spent thousands of years developing.

I don’t care if the modification of waving your arms back and forth as you do them works “both your body parts, your arms and your legs.” Yes, that was a quote that was said by today’s advice giver and last time I checked we have a whole lot more body parts than our arms and legs.  We have abdominals, shoulder stabilizers, hearts, lungs, and brains.

Well at least most of us do.

Oh and one more thing, don’t do lunges in a skirt.  Certain things should be left to the imagination.

Now the other thing that irked me, and literally as I heard it I said to myself “Now I know what to write about today”.  Here’s what she said.

“Women don’t need to lift heavy.”

Technically yes.  You don’t NEED it. You need food, water, and air.  But if you WANT to optimize the way you burn fat.  If you want to look great and be confident than I highly recommend lifting heavy, man or woman.

I don’t know why women are still being told to lift dumbbells that are lighter than their purse but that’s a rant for another day.

Speaking of today, the day I wrote this is May 4th.  May the 4th be with you.

Here’s a video of Daisy Ridley, the star of the new Starwars Episode 7 and 8 lifting heavy.  Notice here she is wearing shoes that are flat soled and she won’t be mistaken for a moon rock anytime soon.  The force is strong with her.

Would you like guidance on your journey?  Just like Luke Skywalker had Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda to guide him in the ways of the force, I’ll guide you in the ways of getting stronger, leaner, fitter and healthier.  I have a one-week trial membership available.

Eric Moss is a world record holding professional strongman, author, speaker and personal trainer. In the tradition of the strongmen during the turn of the century, he performs feats of strength such as bending steel and breaking chains as part of a show and speaks on goal achievement for corporations, nonprofits, government as well as for schools and universities. His exclusive personal training studio is in Boonton Township New Jersey with Lewandowski Chiropractic and is close to Mountain Lakes, Denville, and Parsippany New Jersey.