Before I go anywhere with this post, I just want to ask one simple question:​ what is the deal with the "Harlem Shake?"

I like to think that I appreciate internet humor as much as the next person....but, where did it come from?  Why for 30 long seconds does everything get really, really weird?​  And, more importantly, is this something we have to worry about for much longer?

If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, here are the members of the Miami Heat performing their own version (my favorite character being the "horse-tronaut" in the background)​:

In any profession, I think it'sfair to say that only about 10% are truly great at their jobs. While it's probably pretty tough to spot them, you can usually tellpretty quickly which of your coworkers "get it" and which ones are merelypunching the clock.

The same is true in personal training and thefitness industry.  Yet, the mistakes that some of the not-so-greattrainers make are often remembered much more than the successes of others. For instance, most of my clients have worked with personal trainersbefore, and several of them have horror stories about how they were hurt froman improper exercise, or now have a convoluted notion about what it actuallytakes to "get in shape."

One question I tend to hear somewhat regularly is that if you're looking to lose weight, should you cut back on your fruit intake?

While you can probably guess my answer from the title above, it's important to clarify that this question is based on the notion that all sugar is handled by the body in the same way.  If that were true, wouldn't eating a strawberry be the same as a gummy bear?

Hello there.  My name is Alex and I'd like to share a secret with you: I'm hypermobile.

Surprised? That's because our usual stereotype of guys - especially those that like to lift heavy things - is being so tight and bound up that they'd make the Tin Man seem like a supple leopard.  My hypermobility has made me a bit of an anomaly in that regard, and it's also what made me so good at throwing a baseball.

Wait a second, who am I kidding?  By "good" I really mean, "halfway decent."  After all, I played baseball at Vassar - where half the males of the entire school made up the baseball team.  The other 23 guys wore skinny jeans, rode fixed gear bikes, spoke about bands that didn't exist, and argued the merits of the prison abolition movement while drinking PBR.

True story.

This past Christmasbreak, I spent a ton of time watching my niece and nephew.  And besidesreveling in their infinite cuteness, trying to decipher their words, andavoiding diaper changes, I learned a lot about how they move.  I know, itmay sound odd, but there’s a heck of a lot we can learn from watching toddlersplay around. 

Before I move on, I urge you to keep an open mind. Also, let’s collectively take a second to put down all the dumbbells,kettlebells, and, for the love of all things holy, please swear to me thatyou’ll never again touch a bosu ball.