For some reason I couldn’t pull up this month’s Words of Wellness column on Grosse Pointe News’ website. But here it is in text format. What are YOUR thoughts on this situation?

Your body isn’t something to roll the dice with. Gambling with your health is not something you – or anyone – should do. For that matter, using your body to sell or pitch something can get you arrested in many states. These are my thoughts when I hear the story of Drew Manning.

You likely have heard about Manning. For the past week side-by-side photos of this personal trainer have dominated TV news casts and Internet blogs. Manning began a ludicrous regimen he calls “Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit.” His scheme is to gain as much weight as possible in six months’ time, and then take it all off to “prove” losing weight is really possible.

The problem: His game is fixed.

Over the past five months he has purposefully gained 70 pounds and continues this trend. A poll on his website asks: “Which food challenge should I revisit this week: The Fuddrucker’s Challenge of a 1 pound burger, a pound of cheese fries and a sundae, or, eat as many pancakes as I can, or, eat as many corndogs as I can?” His blog is littered with stories of gluttonous excursions to restaurants, logging them with a “look what I actually ate” sort of flair. 

I have difficulty giving this guy more publicity–his only objective. But I must call it like it is: This fame-pursuing tactic is nothing but a money-grab that I hope America sees for what it is.

Would a businessman who’s worked hard for his money, flush those earnings simply to prove that “anyone can make millions”? Or better yet, you won’t find someone launching into a drug habit for the thrill of overcoming addiction. How is Manning’s shameless and harmful self-promotion any different?

As a personal trainer I am personally and professionally appalled and offended by his actions.

People who are obese have likely found themselves there because they didn’t have the resources Manning has had. Many people struggling with weight loss do not have the diet and exercise knowledge — let alone the genetic predisposition Manning possesses — to drop the weight. This “exercise,” he claims, will give him a better understanding of what it’s like dealing with obesity.

To my eyes he’s patronizing those he claims to want to help. To gorge on food and then use his expertise to lose the pounds is disingenuous. He stacks the deck in his favor (using years of training, dedication and professional expertise to his advantage) and then throws it in America’s face. Ironically, he’ll likely make a pretty penny doing it.

Sadly, people are being so drawn to this twisted-fitness approach that he’s asked to make an appearance on the Leno Show later this week. Does society crave shock-and-awe stories of daredevils putting their lives in risk for fame? Or is it that people actually buy into what he’s selling? Judging by the advertisements on his webpage, it is apparent people have followed like sheep. (Believe it or not there are both fitness and nutrition organizations that support this guy. The question becomes: Are these companies genuinely supporting his idea or are they trying to latch on to his 15 minutes of fame?)

You must not trust all you see, and that’s especially true when it comes to health and fitness. Many individuals and companies alike are in the business of making money rather than helping lives. Yes, it’s how the system has been built; but you must ask questions of professionals about how to improve your health and do all to minimize risk to you. With open eyes and an open mind you can escape falling victim to schemes aimed at your wallet rather than your well-being. Live well.

Most people compartmentalize their approach to fitness. The common mentality is that there’s a time for cardio and there’s a time for resistance training, and for the most part, the two do not intertwine. Why not?

Many gym-goers follow this a pattern: Spend time on a cardio machine and then lift weights. Or vice-versa. Or worse yet, they completely omit one of them from their repertoire all together.

We need to break the mindset that strength, cardio, flexiblity, speed and core training are all different types that demand separate attention. Truth is, we can address each facet in one type of exercise. No longer do you need to chart out a day’s resistance exercises figuring the number of sets and reps per exercise. No longer do you have to set time aside at the end of your workout to target your abs. No longer struggle to find time to get your portion of cardiovascular exercise. It’s all possible with the right approach to exercise.

Your body works as one, take any daily physical activity as an instance; your body doesn’t view it as just a strength or just a cardio function. On the contrary, it utilizes a multitude of skills simultaneously. Why not train the same way?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place to focus more on one aspect over another (i.e. If you’re trying to mass gain, or train for a marathon). But, if you’re tired of this outdated model of fitness and are looking for a program that maximizes strength gains, calorie burning and coordination development in one package, search no more, the path has finally lead you to the new genre of fitness that is Syphus Training.

 Welcome to the movement.