Matt Furey
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Matt Furey is an American fitness entrepreneur, promoting DVDs and books for "Politically Incorrect Fitness, Fighting & Maximum Success Instruction."
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[edit] Products and Exercises
Furey's book Combat Conditioning teaches "bodyweight calisthenics." The core exercises are called the "Royal Court", based on conditioning exercises used by ancient Indian wrestlers. Exercises include Hindu squats, Hindu pushups, and the wrestler's bridge.
[edit] Qualifications
[edit] Wrestling
In his college years, Furey was a national champion wrestler. A transfer from Iowa, he won the 1985 NCAA Division II National Championship at 167 pounds, and also earned All-American honors in 1986 with a fifth-place finish at Division II nationals. Won 39 matches in 1984-85, the third best single season total in Edinboro history. His 63 victories for 1984-86 ranked fifth all-time at Edinboro when he graduated. He was inducted into the Edinboro University athletic Hall of Fame on April 25, 1998. He states that he honed his physical abilities using "ancient Hindu wrestler training secrets" from former UWF team trainer Karl Gotch, and also from him the breathing exercises of the late Farmer Burns.
[edit] Kung fu
After wrestling in high school and college, he gained further martial arts knowledge while traveling through China. [citation needed] According to the United States Shuai-chiao Association, Furey is a 1st degree (9th Teng) black belt (membership number 10126). He claims to be the first North American to win a Kung fu championship in a Chinese tournament
[edit] Criticism
[edit] Unsupported bias against weight lifting
Furey has been an outspoken critic of free-weight lifting in his print materials, on his web site, and via his e-mail listserv. Advocates of free-weight training have in turn questioned several of Furey's claims about the benefits of bodyweight-only calisthenics.
Furey claims that free-weight lifting frequently causes muscle, joint, and ligament injuries, and argues that calisthenics provide a safer workout and better promote overall fitness. He testifies that he gained many injuries through free-weight lifting, though none of them permanent or critical.
Advocates of free-weight lifting argue that weight training is safe when done properly, and there is nothing inherently safer or more beneficial about bodyweight calisthenics. A black and white view of exercises' stresses on the body like this may lead people to ignore the risks of bodyweight exercises.
This criticism is further expanded in that bodyweight itself is not unique and possesses no special properties. There is no reason to believe that the body responds any differently to lifting the weight of the body rather than that of a barbell or dumbbell. By limiting oneself to bodyweight exercise, one forgoes the safer progressive resistance of weight lifting, as well as limits the variety of exercises able to be performed to increase fitness. One excellent example of this is the weighted squat, often considered the most beneficial exercise available.
In defense of bodyweight exercises, they require no special equipment, so they are accessible to everyone without money spent for equipment, or gym fees, or transportation to the gym with the equipment. Thus, one can even do bodyweight exercises on vacation no problem. Also, bodyweight exercises potentially load more muscle groups simultaneously, allowing well rounded "functional" development of muscles, that may not look as beautiful as muscles developed by weight training or exercise machines, but are of more practical use for athetic movement.
[edit] Impossible claims
Furey claims that his high-repetition, low-intensity exercises such as Hindu squats, will build strength. This is contrary to conventional training wisdom, scientific understanding, and empirical knowledge: that high repetition exercises will build muscular (and with larger muscle groups, also cardiovascular) endurance rather than strength (except in the case of entirely untrained individuals, who could not do many repetitions in the first place). This is due to the fact that they employ progressive overload and volume, as opposed to progressive resistance (more weight).
While they do leave muscles feeling "pumped" and "burning", these are temporary conditions due to lactic acid buildup which do not cause increases in muscle strength or size. Progressive resistance is more measurably (and thus safely) attainable when including external training devices such as free weights or machines. They also build endurance in addition to strength, at an equal or superior capacity when employing tactics such as drop sets.
Followers of Matt Furey mistakenly use terms like "high intensity" to refer to his workouts. While difficult and strenuous, they are not intense. The universal aspect of intensity: That which is intense is also that which can't be tolerated in great amounts (hot-sauce, attitude, Arctic weather, or exercise). Furey's high-volume system is the antitheses of intense, as it can be tolerated in great amounts. Conversely, Arthur Jones has used the termprior claim to the term "high intensity" to refer to low-rep heavy-weight lifting.
Furey frequently makes fraudelent claims that his regime will cause 'spot reduction' of fat, e.g., that his abdominal exercises will burn fat specifically from the abdomen, or that hindu squats specifically eliminate fat from the legs or rear end. Spot reduction is a myth lacking any supporting evidence, supporting it reflects the scientific knowledge of its advocates. Fat loss from exercise is experienced evenly over the body. Furey also makes fraudulent claims that his exercises will turn fat into muscle, an impossible process to those who understand biochemistry.
[edit] Dangerous Exercises
Furey's critics believe that his Hindu squats and Hindu pushups may damage the tendons or ligaments of the knees and rotator cuffs respectively due to putting the joints under extreme pressures that they cannot adapt to. His supporters believe instead that these exercises build strength in the joints which help prevent shoulder and knee injuries and help people recover from such injuries.
Hindu Squats place the knees far past the toes and closer to the ground, a movement criticized by some weight trainers on grounds that it places stress on the ligaments of the knee. Lifting the heels off the ground makes for a less stable position, and makes it likely that the knees will wobble during the exercise, putting shearing forces on the knee. These problems are exacerbated by the extremely high repetitions Furey prescribes. Furey states that Hindu Squats are healthy for the knees and build knee strength.
[edit] Inefficient Exercises
[edit] Hindu pushup vs dive bomber
Critics claim that the 'Dive Bomber' pushup is a more complete muscular exercise than Furey's Hindu Pushupbecause of its increased difficulty.
Furey says the Hindu pushups, which involve flowing between two positions of the 'Good Morning' yoga Asana in high repetitions, are designed to allow the exerciser to establish a better breathing rhythm, resulting in a workout that builds superior cardiovascular conditioning, speed and muscular endurance. This has not been supported by evidence, since the Dive Bomber can also be done to a set rythm, and as it requires more triceps and shoulder strength and endurance to perform, is actually more difficult. Hindu pushups, at the most, are simply a good alternative that can be performed for higher repetitions without getting tired.
[edit] Hindu squat vs bodyweight squat
The Hindu squat, due to the shifting of the knees forward, has the centre of gravity directly above the hip joint. This deemphasizes the incorporation of the hip flexor, which is normally used in pulling the torso (and weight) towards the thighs in an effort to keep balance when bending the legs. The benefits to the Hindu squat are that it shifts more of the load (bodyweight) to the calf muscles (not pushing primarily through the heel as most squats) and works the stabilizer muscles of the ankle and ball of the foot better than a flat-footed standard bodyweight squat. The reversed breathing pattern may produce a different effect on the respiratory system than the standard concentric exhalation of most exercises.
[edit] Aggressive marketing
Furey has been criticized by some and praised by others for his aggressive internet marketing strategy. He has created his own updated version of the "Farmer Burns" physical culture course that was originally popular during the early 1900s. Some trainers criticise Furey's Farmer Burns course because it is based on the original course which is now available for free. Furey supporters have dismissed such criticism, arguing that almost all contemporary fitness programs share some individual exercises with other, earlier sources, and that Furey created a unique presentation of the original Burns course. It is riposted that regardless of any enhancements he has made, he does not reference that the book is public domain or direct his customers toward the classic version, which helps boost the sale of his own version of Farmer Burns' material.
[edit] Karl Gotch
Furey claimed that he had been tutored extensively by Karl Gotch, who taught him the 'Combat Conditioning' exercises among other things. Karl Gotch wrote an open letter denying Furey's claims, saying, "He hung around me for about 5 months not over two years as he states". He also called Furey "a disgrace to wrestling", a "fat slob" and said that he "has no honor at all."<ref name="GotchLetter">http://www.scientificwrestling.com/public/93.cfm?sd=2</ref>
[edit] Marketing partners
Matt Furey has referred to (or vice versa) several people with unusual fitness or medical opinions, such as Alex Chiu, whose 'immortality rings' Furey endorsed in his e-mail newsletter. These often seem like advertisements, which are not unusual as many take part in affiliate programs. Some may view this as a biased reference which may be given with motivation to receive it in return. Some mention purchasing his products or attending his seminars with positive reviews, or have co-hosting a seminar with him.
[edit] Personal example
Critics often note that for a self-proclaimed fitness guru, Furey himself has a rather poor physique, with high levels of body fat and little visible muscle. His physique belies his claims of the importance of calisthenic exercise, power breathing, and good diet as a means of lowering fat while increasing muscle mass. Despite his claims that his exercises 'melt off body fat', it has not melted off him.
He does not compete in any competitive athletic endeavours in which he might display athletic prowess, nor does he provide any evidence of the efficacy of his methods.
In marketing his program, Furey heavily advertises a picture of himself in his best physical condition, standing before a waterfall in China. The picture itself, however, is over ten years old, and is no longer representative of his current physical condition. This photograph was taken at a time when Furey was still a weightlifter, to which his physique is attributed. This is similar to the deception practised by Charles Atlas, for which he was later sued by the Federal Trade Commission.
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
[edit] Supporting
- Matt Furey's main website
- Clarence Bass demonstrates and argues for the 'Royal Court'
- Bodybuilding.com Article by Mike Mahler - experienced weight trainer attempts and demonstrates Furey's Combat Conditioning movements
- Furey's explanation of "Hindu Squats," etc
[edit] Criticizing
- Handwritten letter signed by Karl Gotch, criticizing Furey in many ways and dismissing his claims of their ties
- Peedee Shaolin, Bullshido author, ruthlessly chides Furey on his fat contradicting his advertisements
- Fitness Book Reviewer looks at 'Combat Conditioning' product
- Fitness Book Reviewer looks at 'Martial Art of Wrestling' product
