5 Names to Follow In Health and Fitness
I’ve written a little bit before about some things to keep in mind when you seek advice from influencers and public figures. I watched this TED Talk with EC Synkowski recently. She opens the talk with this quote that put it all into perspective for me.
“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.” - Ralph Emerson.
It made me realize that the people I was most interested in following all had a common thread. Beyond teaching their own methods, they preached and taught fundamentals. And it occurred to me that the biggest problem with 9 / 10 influencers we find online is that they preach their methods as gospel.
But as I’ve pointed out before, there’s no guarantee that what works for someone else will work for you. In fact, it’s highly unlikely it will for an endless number of reasons (goals, experience, access) that I won’t get into here.
But if you can grasp the principles, then you can start to figure out your methods.
With that in mind I thought it would be helpful to share the short list of instructors and teachers that I’ve been following and learning a lot from.
Ben Bruno is a personal trainer who’s clientele includes professional athletes and actors/actresses. But he is in no way a Hollywood trainer. He trains all of his clients out of his garage which is no bigger than a living room. The exercises and workouts he shares are mostly variations of the same core movements. He believes that proper training really comes down to mastering the same basic exercises. A few months ago he put out two workouts, both of which I’ve purchased and used multiple times. They are really thorough, and unique. I’ve incorporated a lot of what I learned from him into my normal routine. This podcast episode is a great way to get to know him a little bit better.
EC Synkowski - As far as nutritionists go, I usually gloss over anytime I read or listen to what they have to say. Most nutritionists, like most experts, get caught up in the weeds and in proving their worth by making things complex. EC Synkowski is the opposite. Her mission is to make nutrition as simple as possible. She preaches achieving maximum results through a proper, healthy, and balanced diet. She also provides actionable ways on how to achieve that. Her #800 gram challenge is one such method, which I first discovered in the book Built to Move. Applying the 800 gram challenge to my life has been a game changer for me. Her weekly newsletter and podcast are also great resources to learn more about nutrition, supplementation, exercise, sleep and more.
Beth Lewis is a movement specialist. She is constantly sharing unique ways to move your body and stay fit. She’s a big believer in building strength and proper technique from the ground up. And for her a lot of that starts with foot strength. She also puts on a lot of online classes that will teach you how to move or stretch, and other non-conventional ways of increasing strength and mobility. To get a glimpse into what she believes, check out this great podcast episode with Peter Attia, MD.
Meghan Callaway is no frills. She teaches unique ways to strengthen your overall body, with a lot of focus on core and glute strength, as well as hip mobility. She is always sharing exercises I’ve never seen before and could’ve never dreamt up in my life. Her work is great because most exercises can be done at home with a resistance band, the couch, or a kettlebell. I’ve incorporated a lot of her exercises into my workouts. She’s also published a handful of detailed workouts programs, such as how to perform the perfect pull-up. Her content is real and I really enjoy seeing her work. She also shares a weekly newsletter packed with the exercises she’s working on.
Levels Health - Not a person, but a company. I’ve found their newsletter and blog to be very valuable. Their content is direct, actionable, and informative. It’s the reason I chose them when doing my continuous glucose monitor experiment. Everything they publish is well researched and well written. Metabolic health has become a big thing recently and as far as I can see they are leading this revolution in how we think about our health.