$40 Million Skechers Settlement Just a Drop in the Bucket

The Federal Trade Commission announced that Skechers, Inc. has agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges that the company deceived consumers by making unfounded claims that Shape-ups would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs and abdominal muscles.

Besides Shape-ups, Skechers also made deceptive claims about its Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes, the FTC alleged.

Consumers who bought these “toning” shoes will be eligible for refunds either directly from the FTC or through a court-approved class action lawsuit.

“Skechers’ unfounded claims went beyond stronger and more toned muscles

The company even made claims about weight loss and cardiovascular health,” said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims.”

The settlement with the Manhattan Beach, California-based Skechers is part of the FTC’s ongoing effort to stop overhyped advertising claims, and follows a similar settlement with Reebok International Ltd. last year.

The Skechers advertisements challenged by the FTC include:

A Shape-ups ad telling consumers to “Shape Up While You Walk,” and “Get in Shape without Setting Foot in a Gym,” and claiming that the shoes are designed to promote weight loss and tone muscles.

The FTC alleges that Skechers made unsupported claims that Shape-ups would provide more weight loss, and more muscle toning and strengthening than regular fitness shoes.

Shape-ups ads with an endorsement from a chiropractor named Dr. Steven Gautreau, who recommended the product based on the results of an “independent” clinical study he conducted that tested the shoes’ benefits compared to those provided by regular fitness shoes.

The FTC alleges that this study did not produce the results claimed in the ad, that Skechers failed to disclose that Dr. Gautreau is married to a Skechers marketing executive, and that Skechers paid Dr. Gautreau to conduct the study.

Shape-ups ads featuring celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke.

Airing during the 2011 Super Bowl, the Kardashian ad showed her dumping her personal trainer for a pair of Shape-ups.

The Burke ad told consumers that the newest way to burn calories and tone and strengthen muscles was to tie their Shape-ups shoe laces. 

An ad that claims consumers who wear Resistance Runner shoes will increase “muscle activation” by up to 85 percent for posture-related muscles, 71 percent for one of the muscles in the buttocks, and 68 percent for calf muscles, compared to wearing regular running shoes.

The FTC alleges that in citing the study that claimed to back this up, Skechers cherry-picked results and failed to substantiate its ad claims.

Television personality Brooke Burke appeared in a Shape-ups commercial touting the shoes' beneficial effects on fitness and appearance.

Skechers was the market leader in the toning footwear category.

Industry shoe sales peaked in 2010, with sales close to $1 billion.

Shape-up fitness shoes, which Skechers introduced in April 2009, cost consumers about $100 a pair.

Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups became available in mid-2010, and retailed for $60 to $100 a pair.

The FTC complaint charges that Skechers violated federal law by making deceptive advertising claims, including falsely representing that clinical studies backed up the claims. Under the FTC’s settlement,

Skechers is barred from making any of the following claims for its toning shoes unless they are true and backed by scientific evidence:

• claims about strengthening;
• claims about weight loss; and
• claims about any other health or fitness-related benefits from toning shoes, including claims regarding
  • caloric expenditure
  • calorie burn
  • blood circulation
  • aerobic conditioning
  • muscle tone
  • muscle activation.

 

The settlement also bars Skechers from misrepresenting any tests, studies, or research results regarding toning shoes.

www.ftc.gov/skechers gives consumers the basic facts about the Skechers settlement and directs them to file for a refund if they are eligible.

SOCIAL CHATS: FTC staff will answer the public's questions about the settlement online May 16, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET @FTC on Twitter and ask questions using the hashtag #FTCbcp.

Questions can also be posted to the FTC's Facebook page.

Lose Belly Fat and Improve Performance by Developing Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers

High intensity strength and power training is an excellent way to recruit and develop fast twitch muscle fiber units (type IIA muscle fibers). For many sports, an abundance of fast twitch muscle fiber units is thought to be a crucial component of performance.

Additionally, some studies suggest that a lack of type IIA muscle fiber leads to accumulation of body fat and a decrease in connective tissue strength.

In this new Boot Camp FX workout with Curtis Ludlow you'll lose belly fat, improve performance and slow down the aging process by increasing your ratio of fast-twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers.

Type IIA Workout Protocol

Perform a Dynamic Warm-Up for 5-10 Minutes

Exercise #1 - 6X Toe Touch Push Ups

Exercise #2 - 6X Bounding Tuck Jumps with Push Up

Perform 4 - 6 Sets

Perform both exercises back-to-back. No rest between exercises. To target your fast twitch muscle units rest for 15-20 minutes between sets. For a metabolic conditioning or fast loss effect take 30 seconds rest between sets.

Cool down with static stretching and self-myofascial release for 5-10 minutes.

Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. The instructions and advice presented in this program are not a substitute for medical counseling. Any exercise has some risk of injury. Stop if you feel any discomfort, pain, or other symptoms, and seek medical advice. You assume the risk of injury resulting from your use of the fitness and exercise tips contained in this program. The creators, producers, participants and distributors of this program make no warranty, express or implied, regarding your individual results.

LA Big 5K 2012

7 Secret Push Up Exercise Variations

Fullerton, California - In this new Boot Camp FX workout video with Curtis Ludlow you'll discover 7 top secret push up variations.

Push ups are most commonly used to increase upper body strength and endurance.

However, they're also a great exercise for improving abdominal strength and core stability.

In this video you'll see a demonstration of a basic push up followed by 7 of my favorite push up variations.

If you're interested in upper body strength a great way to test yourself is with push ups.

Here's how:

Get a beach towel and roll it up so that it's approximately 2 inches in diameter.

Place it under your chest.

When your chest touches the towel in the down position immediately push yourself back up until your elbows lock out.

Perform as many basic full range push ups as possible in one minute. Record your number.

Test again in 4-weeks.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #1

Shoulders positioned over hands.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #2

Shift weight forward to upper body.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #3

Thrust feet back into push up position.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #4

Descend into push up. Chest touches ground.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #5

Push yourself back up and thrust both knees in toward your chest in one motion.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #6

Jump into the air.

Push Up with 360 Jump - Step #7

Attempt to complete a full revolution. Land softly and immediately descend into your next repetition upon landing.

Corliss Push Up - Step #1

Chest to the ground.

Corliss Push Up - Step #2

Push yourself up into the air explosively.

Corliss Push Up - Step #3

Hands reach for knees while in the air. Land softly. Do not attempt unless you can do 50 consecutive basic push ups or 20 military push ups.

Dive Bomber Push Up - Step #1

Start with hips high. Knees locked. Arms straight and in line with spine.

Dive Bomber Push Up - Step #2

Descend into push up position while attmpting to maintain angle between hip and spine, keeping hips high.

Dive Bomber Push Up - Step #3

Push yourself up. Keep abs tight. Don't allow hips to sag.

Girly Push Up - Step #1

Start with chest, knees and feet on the ground.

Girly Push Up - Step #2

Push chest off the ground. Attempt to move from the top of your head to your hip as one segment.

Renegade Push Up - Step #1

Push ups while holding kettlebells or dumbbells.

Renegade Push Up - Step #2

Descend as low as possible while keeping hips in line with head and feet.

Renegade Push Up - Step #3

Keep abs tight and hips high and then push yourself back up into your starting position.

Renegade Push Up - Step #4

At top of your range of motion lift one of the weights off of the ground. Repeat on the other side.

Staggered Push Ups - Step #1

Staggered Push Ups - Step #2

Staggered Push Ups - Step #3

Staggered Push Ups - Step #4

T-Rotation Push Ups - Step #1

Descend into the starting position of your push up. Chest on the ground. Abs tight.

T-Rotation Push Ups - Step #2

While keeping alignment between head, hips, and feet push yourself back up

T-Rotation Push Ups - Step #3

At top of your range of motion raise one arm into the air. Then rotate to one side. Hold for a two count. Then reverse the motion and repeat on the other side.

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{Fullerton Boot Camp FX is for All Fitness & Ability Levels}

Red Meat Consumption, Mortality & Bad Science

Boston, MA -- A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers has found that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. The results also showed that substituting other healthy protein sources, such as fish, poultry, nuts, and legumes, was associated with a lower risk of mortality.

The study will be published online in Archives of Internal Medicine on March 12, 2012.
“Our study adds more evidence to the health risks of eating high amounts of red meat, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers in other studies,” said lead author An Pan, research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH.

The researchers, including senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, and colleagues, prospectively observed 37,698 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for up to 22 years and 83,644 women in the Nurses’ Health Study for up to 28 years who were free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer at baseline. Diets were assessed through questionnaires every four years.

A combined 23,926 deaths were documented in the two studies, of which 5,910 were from CVD and 9,464 from cancer. Regular consumption of red meat, particularly processed red meat, was associated with increased mortality risk. One daily serving of unprocessed red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) was associated with a 13% increased risk of mortality, and one daily serving of processed red meat (one hot dog or two slices of bacon) was associated with a 20% increased risk.

Among specific causes, the corresponding increases in risk were 18% and 21% for cardiovascular mortality, and 10% and 16% for cancer mortality. These analyses took into account chronic disease risk factors such as age, body mass index, physical activity, family history of heart disease, or major cancers.

Red meat, especially processed meat, contains ingredients that have been linked to increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. These include heme iron, saturated fat, sodium, nitrites, and certain carcinogens that are formed during cooking.

Replacing one serving of total red meat with one serving of a healthy protein source was associated with a lower mortality risk: 7% for fish, 14% for poultry, 19% for nuts, 10% for legumes, 10% for low-fat dairy products, and 14% for whole grains. The researchers estimated that 9.3% of deaths in men and 7.6% in women could have been prevented at the end of the follow-up if all the participants had consumed less than 0.5 servings per day of red meat.

“This study provides clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death,” said Hu. “On the other hand, choosing more healthful sources of protein in place of red meat can confer significant health benefits by reducing chronic disease morbidity and mortality.”

Support for the study was provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute.

"This study can at best suggest an observed relationship, or association. To make allegations about causation and risk is ignorant and erroneous.

The numbers are very small. The overall risk of dying was not even one person in a hundred over a 28 year study. If the death rate is very small, a possible slightly higher death rate in certain circumstances is still very small.

It does not warrant a scare-tactic, 13% greater risk of dying headline – this is ‘science’ at its worst ...more info>>>

Zoe HarcombeAuthor of Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight: The Harcombe Diet

Hardcore Ripped Body Workout

Fullerton, California - This new workout from Curtis Ludlow you will release fatty acids from adipose tissue (a.k.a. fat burning). It will also improve muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness. The workout below is a hardcore workout for intermediate to advanced exercisers. It's for people who have some exercise experience and want to have their butt kicked.

If that's you, enjoy.

{Fullerton Boot Camp FX is for All Fitness & Ability Levels}

2 Simple Ways to Protect Your Heart

This is a Boot Camp FX special report with Curtis Ludlow. The Centers for Disease Control recently released a report on life expectancy and the top 10 causes of death in the United States. According to the report, life expectancy continues to rise. A baby born today is expected to live 78.7 years.

BIGGEST MISTAKE in Fat Loss

In this new episode of Boot Camp FX television with Curtis Ludlow you'll discover the BIG mistake that people make when trying to lose fat.

3 Fat Burning Exercises: Plus a Simple Tip to Burn Fat

Press play and watch this great new workout video with Curtis Ludlow. In it you'll discover three challenging exercises that are part of a Boot Camp FX workout routine designed to burn fat fast.