Max is Fitness Guest on Dudes-to-Dads Podcast...'Fitness Tips for Dads!'

I was a guest on the podcast 'Dudes-to-Dads' as a Fitness Pro, giving some of my personally, tried-and-true, fully vetted, fitness-tips for BUSY Dads.  I also revealed some of my Fit-Dad pitfalls and fails!  Learn from my mistakes.

In the Dudes-To-Dads podcast studio with co-hosts Jason Kreidman & Alan Bush

Host Jason Kreidman & producer, co-host Alan Bush, do a great job of prying every possible fitness tip out of me for their audience comprised of mostly new Dads (formerly known as 'Dudes' haha!) Jason Kreidman also happens to be my neighbor and I think they may be the fittest fam on our culdesac - not kidding!  And if you have a moment, check out some of their other guest line-up, as their blog and podcast program is very exciting.

Link to my episode: (Don't forget to press play and turn up your volume!) Below:

http://www.dudestodads.com/fitness-for-dads-lose-weight-get-in-shape-with-guest-fitness-pro-max-wettstein-dudes-to-dads-ep-108/

For my Pilot Friends: Travel Fitness - Raising Awareness

Recently I became a staff writer for Aero Crew News magazine.  But I thought I'd share some of my articles with my Pilot/Air Crew followers on here to, and you can also check out my website, PilotFitness.net  ~ If you're not a pilot, air crew, or frequent flyer you can tune out now if you like:)

     When most of us dreamed of becoming pilots as kids, the furthest thing from our mind was that flying might not be a physically healthy career.  We all knew there with some risks inherent to the aircraft and flying them, as far as mechanical failures and non-normals, but we soon learned that with enough training and experience, we could minimize those risks to very low levels.  Unfortunately after all our hard work and achieving our dream job of flying the line, we are exposed to many occupational health hazards.  However, we can apply our years of learning how to mitigate risk as well as our pilot discipline, to also minimize most of the health hazards we face.  The first step towards protecting our health & longevity so we can fly until age 65 and beyond, is gaining awareness of these hazards.  Here are few of the top hazards we face in no order of priority, because the significance of each hazard varies individually depending on our genetic predisposition and lifestyle, as well as our current state of health: (Not medical advice, opinion only)...

Max Wettstein is currently an Airbus 320 Captain at JetBlue Airways, former carrier-based Navy pilot & Fitness PRO

FAT for Workout Fuel? High-Fat/Ketogenic Diets: Do They Work for Power & Fast-Twitch Athletes?

Often times in this digital world of regurgitated, anecdotal social media & bro-science information-dissemination we live in, one needs to pause every now & then and break out their Exercise Physiology text book and review the basics:  Ketones are a back-up/emergency energy source.  Just a friendly reminder: Ketosis for energy production is not optimal or ideal.  Ketoacidosis, should your 'Ketogenic-Diet' (75% daily calories from Fat & very Low net-Carbs), dieting attempt go wrong, (since you're just a bro and not a Dietitian), is seriously bad for your kidneys and health.  Sure, fat for fuel is great - just as are carbohydrates...the way biology designed us.  Most times we are simultaneously using both glycogen & fat for energy production, and it is all automatic and synergistic.  Why mess with this perfect physiology, unless you have an underlying clinically-diagnosed medical issue, like insulin-resistance, type-2 diabetes, obesity, epilepsy, or perhaps are trying to take advantage of the acute fat-burning/longevity-boosting affects & benefits of a controlled fasting strategy, like Intermittent Fasting?

Max Wettstein is a Fitness Professional: Cover-model, published fitness author, supplement consultant & Trainer,  He is also a Captain for JetBlue Airways.

Table Salt vs. Sea Salt: Only 1 contains adequate Iodine!

Happened to notice 'iodized' on our cooking salt's label today..got me thinking..Many of us have switched to naturally harvested 'Sea Salt' for its texture, flavor & more trace minerals without anti-caking additives. However when we trade up from traditional (processed) Table Salt there could be a problem: goodbye IODINE. Table Salt Industry has been fortifying with Iodine in our table/cooking salt production for generations in the USA and Canada because iodine is an essential nutrient & many folks were deficient in iodine. Necessary for the thyroid gland mostly, iodine is naturally abundant in seafood and there is a trace of it in Sea Salt too, but most of us do not ingest nearly enough iodine in our normal diet. So if you have switched to only naturally harvested 'Sea Salt', then make sure you are eating enough seaweed and fish, or also cooking with Table Salt. Also, did you know, there is no such thing as being allergic to naturally-occurring iodine found in seafood?...the allergic reaction most folks blame on iodine is actually to certain proteins found in shellfish, not the iodine. Along with seafood, iodine is also found in cranberries, eggs from free-range chickens, organic yogurt/raw dairy.

Men: Iron Overload Awareness: Too much is TOXIC - consider donating blood to prevent excess iron accumulation!

*Men* ~ PUMP the IRON but do NOT supplement with iron: Make sure none of your supplements contain IRON. I was accidently consuming some in one of my wife's supplements. Glad I caught it: we build up iron in our tissues, (Iron Overload or Hemochromatosis if hereditary), unless we donate blood annually and too much is very toxic! I'm going to blog about it. Whole-food sources shouldn't become a problem unless you eat a lot of red meat. There are some things that help us chelate excess iron out of our blood like Green Tea (EGCG) and Tumeric. But really men should be donating blood annually. Mother Nature already takes care of the ladies:)

Pump the Iron but do NOT EVER supplement with iron if you are a MAN.

Men~ Pump the iron...jack the steel...is good. Swallowing the iron is bad.

Next posts coming up:  (processed) Table Salt vs. (natural) Sea Salt:  Only one of these provides you with adequate IODINE: An essential nutrient for the thyroid gland and human life!...

Also:  High FAT/Ketogenic diets:  Do they work?  Do they work for athletes?  Do they work for high-intensity/fast-twitch/power athletes?...hmmm...

- Max Wettstein

Movember, the Asian Squat, Wim Hoff, & random stuff...

     Been a while!  I think what is happening is that I'm becoming one of those lazy humans who only wants to do anything social media related, from my smart phone.  So that means most of my 'blogging' or posting is being done on my instagram.  Also I only seem to post organically, in-the-moment, and instagram is a better platform for that, since my phone is right there always connected, and my laptop is not.  Also instagram keeps my posts shorter & to the point, so follow me there for more consistent, organic posts @maxwettstein on insta.

     November is 'Prostate Health' awareness month and I have already posted about this numerous times, if you want to check that out.  Yes eventually every man's prostate begins to enlarge, if you live long enough, and it is natural and not the end of the world.  The finger-probe is a more reliable BPH test than the blood/PSA test.  And masturbating or ejaculating daily is healthy for the prostate gland.

Squat more, Sit less.

My version of the 'Asian Squat?'  Yes I know I look like I'm taking a dump in the woods!

     In the above photo, I'm disappointed because I'm 3 weeks into my 'Movember' mustache and you can't even see it!  But more importantly I'm doing a resting, natural deep squat I've always done, which is now becoming popular (again) in fitness circles.  I've even seen it claimed a cultural position - the 'Asian squat', because some of those cultures hang out like this...

In some cultures a proper deep squat is a way of life.  Chairs are bad for your posture, lazy American!

...because in these cultures there aren't chairs available everywhere.  (Also see my post on Sitting is Lethal.)  As a young man, I used to be play Catcher in baseball and got really good at this squat.  As a surfer, I squat like this to loosen up my lower-back while checking the surf.  What's old is new again, and even Men's Health mag recently called this Asian Squat as the one move/exercise you need to be doing each day to maintain full-range of motion - of course MH didn't call it that and claimed it as their own novel idea.  Like I said, what's old is new again.  So next time you're just sitting around, maybe opt out of the chair and for this squat instead.  You will be doing wonders for your lower back, hips and glutes.  Contrary to what one might think, deep (natural) squats are NOT bad for your knees or pateller tendon, even during weight-lifting exercise.  The proper way is heels flat on the ground and butt as low as you can get it.  You may find that over time your achilles tendon has shortened a bit, from so much sitting and this is one natural way to lengthen it back out.  Those of you who have always done Olympic-style lifting, (pulling a barbell from the floor), should have no problem with your achilles tendons, as this traditional type of lifting involves this type of deep squatting.  So this is the heart of this blog post, but read on for more updates...

Some recent photoshoot/modeling work, Summer 2016

     Sorry, I've been way behind on blogging!  So many ideas, but then I never feel like I have a free adequate block of time to properly write anymore.  I need to just sit down randomly and start typing and let it flow instead of striving to create some sort of writing masterpiece.  Upcoming posts planned on cold exposure benefits and training immersed in "hard, righteous, NATURE" that I learned primarily from studying Wim Hof, the IceMan.  Also more pilot occupational health hazard items and redeye life.  Training in "hard nature" - I have always done it, mostly with surfing, mountain biking and snow skiing - but its true - it can take you out of your confined, safe, benign, bland, gym climate and expose you to unexpected rawness, ruggedness, beauty and even some extremes - triggering primal instincts, survival hormones and amplifying sensory intake.  Nature will hold you accountable like no Trainer will.  Cold exposure is like a cardio workout in and of itself, flexing all your blood vessels and endothelial lining.  More to come and more on the power of the mind.  But for now, some recent modeling work - because the camera can also be "righteous" and hold one accountable:)  Thank you!

QOR Kit June '16 Catalog cover, photo Jed Smith