Few people can probably talk about health as accurately as Michael Applebaum. In addition to being a medical doctor, he is a certified fitness trainer, a certified endurance fitness trainer, and a certified specialist in performance nutrition, among other things. Applebaum also is an example of an individual who actually follows his own advice; the fiftysomething fitness maven ( who said that he did not start honing his body until around late 2000 ) is in better physical condition than most people three decades his junior.
Windy City Times recently spoke with the outgoing Applebaum about a couple of the many health regimens he oversees ( which can be read at www.fitnessmed.com ) as well as his own philosophies regarding exercise and diet.
Windy City Times: What's the biggest misconception about fitness?
Michael Applebaum: There are many misconceptions, but what I try to do is demystify the path to fitness. It is my humble opinion that many people who are making big money are [ putting out ] 'mis- and disinformation.' It may be that they don't understand or know the science ... but the notion that people, for example, have to undergo huge lifestyle changes or that there is a minimalist approach just isn't true. What are involved are principles. People forget that there are principles; they're immutable and the kinds of things you can't skirt around. So I think the greatest misconception about fitness is that there's a mystery to it. And perhaps another misconception that's as great is thinking that you can [ get fit ] by avoiding what works.
WCT: How are people avoiding?
MA: What happens, for example, is that people will strike out on a belief and pursue a system that is sold as 'eat all the fat you want,' for [ instance ] . Or you can go on a 'very rich, heavy cream, and frozen dairy confectionary diet,' for example, and lose all the weight in the world. People get misled by these sorts of things.
The biology of humans is something that doesn't change. People think that they can [ get fit ] on the cheap. They think that there's some little secret out there and if they follow the gurus out there, that it's going to happen. But who are the gurus? [ For example, ] you have a psychologist who, by his own admission, is just shy of obese as well as 'infotainers' and you can't tell if [ their advice ] is real data or entertainment. The problem is that it's the sell of a lie—and people seem to be sold on it.
WCT: Let's talk about [ the program ] Be Your Own Personal Trainer ( BYOPT ) .
MA: When I take on a client at FitnessMed, I take on a client who wants to understand what they're doing. I want them to be able to be fit ... and to be able to participate fully in life if I walk out the door and get hit by a car. I'm not interested in anybody becoming reliant upon me for their fitness or their well-being. That, in my opinion, is a criminal outcome.
BYOPT is a course where, in my own office, I spend five hours with people with diagrams. I teach the basic principles of fitness and then cut them loose.
Most people who see personal trainers do not graduate from college. Most trainers are paid $40-75 per hour to take care of smart people who are not sick to stand around and ... do what? If you think that you're going to have an injury prevented, it's my humble opinion that it won't happen unless it's under the most extreme circumstances—and by 'extreme,' I mean lucky. Any trainer who says that he's going to prevent injuries doesn't know what he's talking about.
[ Also, ] people don't need to do 100 exercises—unless you're going to be in the show. However, for us common folk ... what do you need a trainer for? If you have some sort of disability, I can understand; you might need someone to set something up for you. But to create a routine, you don't need the fancy exercises. Most of the people who I've seen get injured have done so by doing things I see more and more trainers doing these days, such as putting people on unstable surfaces and giving them weights. The purpose is to give people the knowledge and tools to do the work. People can do this on their own if they understand and get the focus. I think that most people are bright enough to get it if you tell them the principles.
WCT: Now what about Be Your Own Diet Guru ( BYODG ) ?
MA: BYODG is for those people who don't have a great interest in exercise and it's generally for weight loss. However, there is that other extreme where people want to get bigger and add some muscle. So BYODG is the diet component [ of BYOPT ] , but is more intense.
WCT: I want to talk about you specifically. What, in a typical day, is your exercise regimen like?
MA: My exercise regimen averages 29 minutes per day.
WCT: Why 29?
MA: It's what it worked out to be. That's how long it takes me to do my exercise routine.
WCT: Does it involve weights and cardio?
MA: Sure. I believe in the core. There's what I believe is core fitness and there is your hobby fitness—yoga, Pilates, feldenkrais. Those are great—but they don't actually tap into the principles of fitness. Fitness is what you get from resistance training ( strength ) , cardiovascular training ( endurance ) , and eating properly.
I do cardiovascular training and resistance training three times a week each. But I do them right, in my opinion. I choose exercises that I know actually work.
Applebaum's office is located at 845 N. Michigan, Suite 935E; his number is ( 312 ) 337-0732. His web site is www.fitnessmed.com .
Applebaum will be teaching a BYOPT class at The Latin School of Chicago on May 4, 6:30-9. The cost is $35. For more information, visit www.latinschool.org .
State House Defeats, Passes AIDS Bills
House Bill 255, which included requisite HIV testing for inmates among its offerings, was soundly defeated in the Illinois House of Representatives April 13. The vote was 17-90-9 ( meaning 17 voted for it, 90 voted against it, and 9 voted 'present' ) .
The bill, which Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, sponsored, would have created the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program for Department of Corrections Offenders, Significant Others, and Family Act. Among other things, it would have provided printed information about sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, in waiting rooms of prisons and detention facilities.
However, it was House Amendment No. 1 that sounded alarm bells for many. Part of the amendment ' [ p ] rovides that a person, upon admission to a Department of Corrections facility and prior to release from that facility, shall receive a physical examination, including a test for HIV infection.' According to an e-mailed message from gay-rights advocacy group Equality Illinois, 'experts agree that mandated/forced testing is bad public health policy. Forced testing does not address the behaviors that spread HIV/AIDS and may discourage individuals from seeking AIDS-related prevention and care services in the future.'
The final vote thrilled many HIV/AIDS activists, especially those who pleaded with legislators for a more compassionate prison policy. On its Web site, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago personally thanked every lawmaker who voted against the measure.
However, there was better news for advocates of another bill. House Bill 2578, which creates the African American AIDS Response Act, passed unanimously ( 116-0-0 ) April 14. Sponsored by State Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, the bill would require state agencies to work with local health groups to provide rapid-response HIV testing. The initiative would also require the state Department of Corrections as well as county jails to provide the option of HIV testing upon the arrival and release of inmates. The bill would also provide for culturally sensitive information, counseling, and treatment. Several legislators took the floor to speak on behalf of the measure, including Rep. David Miller, D-Dolton, and Rep. Robert Molaro, D-Chicago.
The bill, which will now move to the Illinois Senate, is supported by several organizations, including the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Illinois Conference of Churches.
