Michelle Obama People Magazine cover.

After her appearance in the State of Union address in February, the cover Vogue magazine in March, bare arms in the official White House portrait, and a People Magazine interview; the upper arms of Michelle Obama, 44, are the buzz.

Michelle Obama has said she exercises in 90-minute workout three times a week with a personal trainer and told People magazine that during an average day in the White House, she and President Barack Obama get up about 5:30 a.m. and usually work out and have breakfast.

A friend Sandy Matthews, an executive at a children’s advocacy firm in Chicago who used to work out with Michelle in early morning workouts, reports that the first lady is a fan of cross-training, a mix of strength and cardio exercises usually involving weights, the treadmill, the stair-stepper or a spin bike.

In a speech in early 2008, Michelle Obama told an audience at the National Congress of Black Women in Washington:

The saddest reality is that we as black women still don’t love ourselves enough. We don’t eat right, ladies, we don’t exercise, we don’t demand healthy relationships, we wait too long to address our health care problems…So the question that we must ask ourselves as black women is, ‘Are we really ready for fundamental change?’

Michelle Obama, 44, an accelerated student who skipped second grade, worked as a high-level administrator at the University of Chicago Medical Center before she took leave to help her husband’s campaign and eventually because First Lady. Working mothers performance issues of time management and multitasking are top issues as first lady.

The arms issue isn’t without some controversy. Some say that because the State of the Union Address was formal and the season was winter, a sleeveless dress showing her arms was out of place. Reaction also ranges from “good for her for showing off her assets” to “who cares … we have much bigger problems to worry about.”

Michelle Obama: Official White House Portrait (photo)

Michelle Obama deltoids and upper arms in official White House portrait

Some helpful exercises that promote upper arm fitness and definition …

Front Raises — Anterior Deltoid exercise (standing preferred for this exercise).

Front Raises can also be done with exercise tubing, such as SPRI tubing (info from CoolFitnessGifts.com).

Lateral Raises — Middle Deltoid exercise (standing preferred for this exercise).

Lateral Raises can also be done with exercise tubing, such as SPRI Tubing (info from CoolFitnessGifts.com).

Dumbbell Lying Lateral Raise — Posterior Deltoid exercise.

For people with bad backs or a big stomach who aren’t comfortable lying face down on an incline bench there is an exercise called Posterior Raises. These are performed one arm at a time, bent over a bench. Dumbbell hangs straight down while opposite arm supports upper body (hand on low bench). Hips are bent 90 degrees, knees bent and back is about parallel with the floor and parallel with the length of the bench. The arm holding the dumbbell is lifted with an almost straight elbow — similar in action to the Dumbbell Lying Lateral Raise, but one arm at a time.

Other exercises that help develop the shoulders include …
Biceps curls, bench press, shoulder shrugs

Cardio training — running, treadmill running, treadmill walking with increased grade, elliptical training.

Vice President Dick Cheney experienced an abnormal heart rhythm and canceled his campaign event in Illinois Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Vice President Dick Cheney, knowing his own body signs, apparently experience a sensation that alerted him that he knew he had some cardiac trouble. Atrial fibrillation can cause a fluttering feeling in the upper chest or lower throat — almost like chest congestion, as if one had to clear their chest with a cough. The pulse can also show skipped beats — an observation that the heartbeats don’t occur at regular intervals.

Cheney’s press secretary Megan Mitchell said that during a visit with doctors Wednesday morning, it was a recurrence of atrial fibrillation—an abnormal rhythm involving the upper chambers (let and right atria) of his heart.

Later today, Cheney will visit George Washington University Hospital for an outpatient procedure to restore his heart to normal rhythm. The vice president is expected to be released immediately after the procedure that restores normal heart rhythm.

Atrial fibrillation often shows no signs or symptoms and is generally life-threatening, but atrial fibrillation can result in palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or congestive heart failure. Long-term atrial fibrillation, which involves more stagnant pooling of blood in the upper chambers, can increase the chance of blood clots originating from the atria of the heart. The clotting and associated risk of stroke is increased when other risk factors (advancing age, previous stroke or TIA, hypertension and diabetes) accompany the occurrence of atrial fibrillation. Clots on the move (embolisms) can also affect other organs of the body.

Vice President Dick Cheney experienced a similar incident in November 2007.

The previous heart history of Vice President Dick Cheney is noted below:

JUN 29 2002 — Vice President Dick Cheney served as Acting President of the United States under the terms of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. President Bush was undergoing a colonoscopy. Cheney acted as President from 11:09 UTC that day until Bush resumed control at 13:24 UTC.

Emergency Cardiac Catheterization
MAR 06 2001 — Vice President Dick Cheney underwent emergency cardiac catheterization late Monday afternoon to open a coronary artery that might be blocked. The vice president had experienced two brief episodes of pain and discomfort. The first episode occurred Saturday when Cheney was working out in the gym at the vice president’s official residence, according to information obtained from a conference call with Cheney’s senior advisors.

Heart Attack #4
NOV 22 2000 0300 — Cheney awoke with chest and shoulder discomfort. Confirmed as small heart attack after ruling out unstable angina. Cheney treated with a coronary artery stent.

NOV 07 2000 — George W. Bush and Dick Cheney win the United States presidential election, 2000

AUG 07 2000 — Time Magazine reports Dick Cheney exercises 30 minutes on a treadmill “several days a week.” The article Can Cheney Take the Heat was a lead up to election day in November 2000 and also reported a Dick Cheney 40-pound weight gain since 1993.

JULY 2000 — Cheney had had a normal exercise stress test in July 2000.

Selected as Vice Presidential Candidate for George W. Bush
JUL 25 2000 — Early 2000 while serving as the CEO of Halliburton, Cheney headed George W. Bush’s vice-presidential search committee. On July 25, after reviewing Cheney’s findings, Bush surprised some political pundits by asking Cheney to join the Republican ticket.

BMI, Height and Weight from Driver’s License Information
1997 — Cheney’s height and weight listed on his driver’s license issued was 5 feet 10 inches and 210 pounds, which calculates to a BMI value of 30.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute BMI Categories:
Underweight ( > 18.5 )
Normal weight ( 18.5 – 24.9 )
Overweight ( 25 – 29.9 )
Obese ( 30 + )

FitnessMath.com BMI Calculator — Calculate your BMI …

Served as United States Secretary of Defense
1989-1993 — Dick Cheney served as United States Secretary of Defense under the George H.W. Bush administration and during the Persian Gulf War. Heart history minimal and stable during this period.

Released from Hospital after Quadruple Bypass Surgery
AUG 27 1988 — House Republican leader Dick Cheney released from hospital after quadruple bypass surgery.

Quadruple Bypass Surgery
AUG 19 1988 — Dick Cheney underwent surgery of four vessels with blocked blood circulation to his heart. Blood flow was restored when doctors grafted unblocked vessels from other parts of the body to replace the blocked vessels.

Quadruple Bypass Surgery Decision
AUG 11 1988 — Dick Cheney decides to undergo optional coronary artery bypass surgery Friday after the Republican convention.

Heart Attack #3
Mild heart attack in August, 1988 

Coronary arteriography
Cardiac catheterization showed an increased extent of coronary heart disease.

Heart Attack #2
1984. Serving as U.S. Representative for the state of Wyoming.

Quit Smoking
1978 — Dick Cheney quit a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit.

Heart Attack #1

No information available on Dick Cheney’s exercise program or workouts.

SEE ALSO …
Wikipedia: atrial fibrillation
PubMed.gov: atrial fibrillation
StopAfib.org — stopafib.org

SOURCES:
CNN: Cheney released from hospital – March 5 2001

Keywords: Richard Cheney dickcheney, richardcheney, Dick Cheny

Governor Sarah Palin running Mendenhall Glacier, near Juneau.

To work off the stress of the job, Sarah Palin attributes physical activity as a big factor in helping her stay strong and effective.

“I have always been real active in sports,” said Sarah Palin in a video segment on Greta Van Susteren’s ON THE RECORD ‘An American Woman’ — and exclusive documentary on the rise of Governor Sarah Palin that was broadcast September 6 and repeated on September 7, 2008 on FOXNEWS.

Even as a “pregnant lady” she had to work off the stress. She reflected about a workout the day before the interview during her pregnancy with Trig …

I had to get to the gym
I had to sweat
I had to workout

Sarah Palin says she either jogs or lifts weights. Her parents were high school track and cross-country coaches that ran marathons. Palin says in a Wall Street Journal Magazine article Saturday September 6 that “running was a family affair” and that, “thankfully, I’ve never tired of it.” She added that “conventional running is my sanity.” Post partum she is striving to get back to a routine of running 7 to 10 miles almost every day. For cardio work she switched to aerobics classes at her gym when she was pregnant. Currently she is running three miles every other day — about five months after the birth of son Trig (her fifth child) on April 18, 2008.

In summer when the sun doesn’t set, Sarah Palin sometimes runs at midnight. In winter, when it is dark all day, she might run in mid-afternoon or get on the treadmill after work at home or at the gym.

Sarah Palin attributes most of her arm strength to controlling heavy and powerful snowmobiles through hundreds of pounds of powdered snow. She does keep some dumbbells at home.

Gov. Palin would like to run on a hot dusty road in just running shorts and a high-tech top that wicks away sweat, according to the WSJ Magazine article by Jen Murphy. However, Alaska’s cold temperatures have her wearing layers of fleece. Lately she’s been running in Nike Air Structure Triax.

File photos of Nike Air Structure Triax from Amazon

Search Amazon.com for Nike Air Structure Triax …

Palin says she writes her best speeches and letters during ‘inspired time’ while she is running.

Nutritional info is a little scarce. We learned from the WSJ article that Sarah pretty much skips breakfast, except for white-chocolate mocha, and she doesn’t fuel up with a post-workout meal or supplement — just water.

Palin reports that otherwise she eats a healthy diet of wild Alaskan seafood, moose, caribou and fresh fruit.

Check here for details on the nutrition of caribou meat, cooked and roasted:
A 340-gram piece of meat resulting from cooking 1 pound of raw meat yields the following:
Total calories: 568
Total fat: 15g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 371 mg (VERY HIGH!)
Sodium: 204 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 0g
Protein 101g

The amino acid score is 118 (An Amino Acid Score of 100 or higher indicates a complete or high-quality protein.)

The Inflammation Factor Rating is (-406) A negative number is an unfavorable number. Levels of certain chemicals in your blood are known to increase with increased levels of inflammation. One of these chemical markers for inflammation is a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is often measured in conjunction with other blood tests, and normal values are well established. From a clinical standpoint, a CRP level of less than 5 milligrams per liter of blood is considered normal. “Normal” may not be optimal, though. Many medical researchers believe that even slight elevations of CRP are tied to increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and many other diseases.

Roasted moose meat is less inflammatory with less total fat and less cholesterol.

The body creates both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory chemicals, called “prostaglandins” from nutrients in the food that are eaten. Imbalances in diet can lead to the creation of excessive amounts of inflammatory prostaglandins, which activate your body’s inflammatory response. To counter negative effects,the consumption of certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, allows the body to produce more anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, which it uses to reduce inflammation.

Many experts recommend consuming a diet that results in a diet of Inflammation Factor Rating of +50 or greater. Governor Palin reported that her diet includes wild Alaskan seafood, which could included salmon. Salmon, generally has a favorable score for the Inflammation Factor Rating. Many fruits have a slightly unfavorable rating for the Inflammation Factor Rating, probably due to the estimated glycemic load of sugars in fruit.

See NutritionData information on Caribou and Moose Meat
Search “caribou“
Search “moose“

Sources:
FOXNEWS ON THE RECORD ‘An American Woman’
WSJ Magazine ‘Running Alaska’

Wall Street Journal reporter writes Senator McCain cannot lift weights due to injuries he suffered as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. (Note: There are probably some resistance exercises he could do that would work around his shoulder injury — especially leg exercises).

He hikes whenever he can find the time, according to John D. Eckstein, an internist in Scottsdale, Ariz., who treats Sen. McCain and walked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in August 2006. At 165 pounds, McCain’s weight is slightly above average for a 5-foot-7-inch frame.

Senator McCain is said to have a weakness for Butterfinger candy bars, jelly beans, and coffee and doughnuts from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Barack Obama sinks a three-point jump shot in a Kuwait gym while meeting with U.S. military forces in July 2008.

According to Sen. Obama’s Chicago physician David Scheiner, Obama works out regularly, jogs up to three miles a day when possible, and has “no excess body fat.”

Chubbier as a child, Obama slimmed down when he played basketball regularly in high school.

He avoids junk food and snacks on MET-Rx chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and drinks Black Forest Berry Honest Tea. Obama is a former smoker who admits that he occasionally regresses to a few cigarettes in stressful times.

During a campaign trip to South Florida in October 2008, Barack Obama was spotted at a Planet Fitness in a strip mall in Palm Beach Gardens walking on a treadmill and then lifting weights (dumbbell work and some leg presses). Obama paid the full day-rate ($10) for his 30-minute workout — about one hour before a campaign speech at Palm Beach Community College.

Senator Obama learned in July 2008 after he made three stops to local Chicago gyms in one day, for a total of 188 minutes, that the press would pick up on the amount of time spent working out. An Associated Press article titled “Obama Becomes a Gym Rat” reported, “Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Barack Obama is running for president of the United States or Mr. Universe.”

In Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign ad that compares Obama to a celebrity, Rick Davis, campaign manager, wrote “Only celebrities like Barack Obama go to the gym three times a day.”

LATEST UPDATES
Election day November 4, 2008 & November 5, 2008 …
Obama played a traditional Election Day basketball game at Attack Athletics on the Chicago’s West Side — a 65,000 sq. ft. facility with four NBA-sized basketball courts, seating for 1,000 people, a 10,000 sq. ft. weight room, and four locker rooms. Obama plays ball with Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan, who was rumored as a contender for Obama’s Education Secretary. He followed up with another de-stressing workout first thing in the morning after a late night celebrating the presidential victory.

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During the 2008 campaign …
“Most of my workouts have to come before my day starts. There’s always a tradeoff between sleep and working out. Usually I get in about 45 minutes, 6 days a week. I’ll lift one day and do cardio the next.”
— Barack Obama

STRONG & FIT: A few character strength tips from Barack Obama …
(featured in Men’s Health Magazine)
Show others the way to common ground.
If you want to avoid disappointing others, don’t disappoint yourself.
Don’t let ‘em see you sweat.

Top 25 “Fittest Guys” Rating by Men’s Fitness Magazine
In May 2008, Barack Obama was rated “one of the nation’s fittest guys.” The article credited him for his stamina of enduring months of 16-hour days, playing basketball daily, and starting every day with a morning workout. Not the most scientific definition of fittest, but a good credit nonetheless. The winner of the Men’s Fitness “The 25 Fittest Guys in America” was Tiger Woods. Men’s Fitness editors reported that the world’s premier PGA golfer was selected ‘because of his commitment to being the best and setting the bar, not just for other golfers, but for all athletes.

Others on the ‘25 fittest guys list’ included athletes Dana White (UFC), Ed Donner (triathlete), Brady Quinn, Chase Utley, and Dwight Howard; rappers Romeo Miller and Flo Rida; actors Will Smith, Daniel Craig, and Shemar Moore; and television host Mark Steines.

YouTube search results for Attack Athletics Chicago …

Sources:
Bill’s Show Diary (blogspot)
Jose Lambiet’s PAGE 2 Live (page2live.com)

Representative Jane Harman (D) works out at the Georgetown’s Four Seasons fitness center (one-time initiation fee of $6,000, monthly fee of $250 and a membership list capped at 250 people with a six- to eight-month waiting list).

Mr. Huckabee’s health goals began in 2003, when he received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, which can be controlled by diet and exercise. He weighed almost 300 pounds. He believes lifestyle revolution can happen. With the help of doctors from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, he went on a strict diet and exercise program.

In March 2005, he completed the Little Rock Marathon in 3 hours 38 minutes.

He avoids eating at banquets and receptions and keeps a cooler of food in his car.

He wrote a book titled Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork.

He also has promoted polices to help others in his state, including incentives such as exercise breaks for state employees, expansion of state insurance coverage to cover obesity treatment.  Arkansas is one of a minority of states with nutritional guidelines for school lunches that are stricter than the federal requirements.

He advocated restricting access to vending machines for high school students and replacing the sugary sodas in them with juice and water, but it was Herschel W. Cleveland, then the Arkansas House speaker, who introduced a bill in the spring of 2003 to remove vending machines from elementary schools and introduce  body mass index report cards. The bill passed easily, but with strong objections from parents claiming government intrusion and possible harm to fragile young egos.

President George W. Bush had his annual physical August 1st … and with that news comes a lot of editorialized news from the press. It seems people are a in little bit of a tizzy over a little weight gain — 5 pounds to be exact.

Story continues below advertisement …

For example, from REDORBIT ‘our universe online’ there’s a report from Alex Cukan stating that

Only problem is that she’s got to be reporting his body fat percentage, not Body Mass Index or BMI. Alex then continues with what seems to be an accurate report:

She continues …

But then Alex messes up that BMI figure again and says, “I, for one, am motivated. I do 10 to 15 miles on a stationary bicycle five days a week, and I can only dream of a BMI of 17.”  For the record to prevent misleading the public, an individual with a BMI under 19 may be at risk for osteoporosis and malnutrition.  A 17% body fat percentage for woman is enviable.  Women tend to have a higher body fat percentage than men … 17% puts a woman in an athletic body composition category.

So what is the president’s BMI? Well, it actually is 26, putting him in the lower range of the overweight category. He weighs 196 pounds, gaining 5 pounds since last year and his percentage of body fat has increased from 15.65% to 16.8%. That is still a very respectable body fat percentage for a male.

ABC News ran an online headline that read: ‘How Much Is Too Much: Is the President Too Chunky? His Body Mass Index Puts Him in Overweight Territory, but What Does That Mean?‘  Bottom line is that many of us, men especially, have extra muscle mass, which makes the BMI inaccurate. BMI is a good screening test. Also known as the Quetelet’s Index, BMI was found to be an accurate indicator of obesity in women in a 1985 study by Garrow and Webster. But if you really want to know your body composition, check out your body fat percentage with underwater weighing, skin calipers or a bioimpedance device.

It is important to note that as BMI increases, there is more stress on joints whether that extra body weight is due to fat or muscle.  Muscle coordination, muscle balance and neuromuscular efficiency become especially important when an individual is bulked up with muscle and performing in sports involving high force levels.

Also, in elderly women with low BMI, lifelong physical activity may protect the women from fractures.

You might want to check these two helpful articles from Exercise-Reports.com:
Size and Shape — Performance and Health
Obesity Overview

SOURCES:
Caregiving: Bush’s Physical an Eye-Opener on redorbit.com

Garrow JS, Webster J. Quetelet’s Index (W/H^2) as a measure of fatness. Int J Obestiy. 1985; 9: 147-153

Korpelainen R, Korpelainen J, Heikkinen J, Vaananen K, Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi S.  Lifelong risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures in elderly women with low body mass index–a population-based study.
Bone. 2006 Aug;39(2):385-91.

How Much Is Too Much: Is the President Too Chunky? His Body Mass Index Puts Him in Overweight Territory, but What Does That Mean? on abcnews.go.com

Laura Bush regularly participates in fast-paced walks for about 45 minutes. She also works out in the White House gym. Laura Bush reports she’ll lift 3-5 pound weights, and at the very most, 8 pound weights. She doesn’t lift the heavy weights, just ‘the little ones.’

She reports that she notices a difference when you do the weight lifting for a while. She thinks that ffour years of lifting made a difference in her physique.

SOURCE:
Barbara Harrison report for nbc4.com
Washington D.C. affiliate

Who has more pressure of social responsibilities and time commitments than politicians? They are subject to all sorts of ridicule and criticism, including having too much free time to workout on ‘the people’s’ time. Nevertheless, leaders know the benefits of stress reduction and performance enhancement that results from regular exercise.

Politicians may use fitness as an expression of their readiness to handle daily rigors and use it as a leadership quality to motivate others to do the same.