National Fitness Hall of Fame inductee to speak about his 50 years of clinical observations and studying the science of health
Hardly a week goes by when we don’t receive positive feedback from one or more people who have attended one of our Symposium for Metabolic Health conferences.
One of the expert speakers attendees frequently reference is Dr. Ben Bocchicchio, PhD, who has been a leader in the fields of health and fitness for 50 years. Attendees routinely rave about Dr. Ben’s presentations and expert knowledge, and we’ve had many tell us how much they’ve enjoyed getting the opportunity to speak with him and have their questions answered between presentations or during one of the low-carb dinners.
Dr. Ben, who was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2020, has been a speaker at every Symposium since 2018, and he is well known for his groundbreaking SMaRT™ exercise program that requires only 15 minutes, twice a week to deliver metabolic benefits not seen with any other exercise program. He is the author of the popular book, 15 Minutes to Fitness: Dr. Ben’s SMaRT Plan for Diet and Total Health.
Dr. Ben Bocchicchio will be one of the expert speakers at the 2023 Symposium for Metabolic Health – San Diego, August 17-20, 2023.
We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Ben earlier this week about the upcoming Symposium for Metabolic Health to be held in San Diego, August 17-20, 2023, and to ask him some questions about one of his favorite topics: exercise and its correlation with longevity and health.
“The San Diego Symposium, to me, is the most amazing conference,” said Dr. Ben. “You can just Google the speakers that are there every year. Out of the top 30 or 40 people in this field in the world, usually about 20 or so of them show up at this conference.”
“And compared with some of the other medical conferences where it seems as though people are going out of their way to impress each other, this conference has a different vibe. Attendees have the opportunity to ask the questions they have, because that’s what we’re here for.”
Ben has made valuable contributions to every symposium, not only with his expert presentations highlighting the power of the muscles and it’s influence on metabolic health at the cellular level, but also providing practical demonstrations of his SMaRT workout on equipment that he brings every year.
Book an appointment
Appointments are available to each and every person attending the Symposium for Metabolic Health – San Diego (check in the expo area, and book your appointment – space limited for the weekend so book early) with either Dr. Ben or the Director of the National Association of Sports Nutrition, Jeff Kotterman, who was trained by Dr Ben himself. A personal training session will allow you to feel what it’s like to get your individual muscle groups to failure, and you’ll be able to have your personal questions answered, an added value worth the price of admission in itself.
Build Muscle in just 15 minutes, twice a week
Dr. Ben told us he enjoys speaking with individuals who may not realize how much progress they can make with their resistance training goals with a relatively small time commitment.
“It honestly only takes 15 minutes, twice a week,” said Dr. Ben of the efficient system he developed for people of all ages to build and maintain muscle mass.
There are three reasons people don’t exercise, according to Dr. Ben. “People say they don’t have enough time, they’re going to get hurt, or they won’t get results. This takes 15 minutes, twice a week, so you have the time. Nobody’s ever got hurt doing this, and honestly, and I’ve been doing this now for over 50 years in practice, and we see results very quickly, within two weeks.”
Dr. Ben said he has seen dramatic results in men and women of all ages using his SMaRT™ exercise program.
Pam and Doug of Low Carb USA can attest to the rapid changes seen, and so did those close to them right after they started Dr Ben’s workout over four years ago. “I could feel the muscle building in my quad literally within two to three weeks on my right leg where I had a lot of atrophy from a knee injury,” said Pam, “and people were commenting and asking us questions about what we were doing, seeing changes in our arms and elsewher in that same short timeframe. It’s also helped strengthen my core and back from old injuries,” she added.
Doug said “I tried to do what I thought was to failure, until Dr Ben took me through a workout, and then I really knew! I am stronger now at almost 60, than I was when I was younger and working out like a demon, and running marathons.”
“To go from zero to the next level doesn’t take very much,” said Ben. “It takes some organization, just like any behavior. You set aside the time for your 15 minute workout, once you work up to it, and you have an appointment for 15 minutes on Monday and Thursday. You don’t have phone calls or other interruptions. You have that time set aside to do it.”
“Anybody can do this, from a rehab patient to a sedentary person, to a world class athlete, and each can achieve benefits. And in the beginning, anything that you do is going to be productive. But this sustains that productivity element throughout your entire life. And throughout the whole spectrum of fitness and wellness.”
The Smart Workout
A SMaRT™ workout consists of seven to 10 exercises, with each exercise taking approximately 60 to 90 seconds. The exercises are completed in order of large to small muscles, just twice a week to allow recovery.
“That’s it—twice a week, about 15 minutes, seven to 10 exercises SLOWLY,” emphasized Dr. Ben. “We work those exercises to what we call momentary failure. And then we adjust the resistance as needed so that we get to that failure within 45 to 90 seconds.”
Dr. Ben discussed some of the reasons most people are unable to sustain an exercise program.
“I think most exercise programs are limited in their efficiency and effectiveness, and many of them progressively require more and more time. The reason most people stop most programs is because they’re not getting a good bang for their buck, They ask themselves ‘Why am I banging my head against the wall?’”
Dr. Ben explained that he knows people who have been following his protocol for 30, 40 or even 50 years.
“It’s universally applicable,” said Dr.Ben, “I have 80- and 90-year-olds, but also eight year olds and 20-year-olds. It can be done at any level, and it’s something that can be sustained.”
Dr. Ben says he is often asked if he ever changes up the routine? “I say no, and when they ask why, I tell them because I have the same muscles with the same functions that I had 50 years ago.”
“People ask if I get tired of the same routine, and if my muscles need something new? And I say, by definition, if you go to failure and an exercise, it is in itself a novel new experience. Your body never gets used to going to muscle failure. If you were used to it, you wouldn’t fail.”
Strength, longevity and healthspan
“Exercise is the most critical factor in maintaining health and longevity,” said Dr. Ben. “If you are in the top third for your age and gender in muscle strength, you’re 40% less likely to die of cancer, and 40% more likely to live to be 100.”
“No other factor carries as much weight”, he said, “not diabetes, not obesity, and not even diet, though we know that is also so important.”
8th Annual Symposium for Metabolic Health – San Diego
Attendees of this year’s Symposium will have the opportunity to learn about the use of carbohydrate reduction in addressing, and even reversing, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, PCOS, CVD, epilepsy, TBI, Alzheimer’s, neurological pathologies, mental health conditions and much more.
This year’s conference will also include a very special session dedicated to presentations regarding the connection between cancer and metabolic disease, and will educate practitioners and laypersons about metabolic therapies that may improve outcomes in addition to traditional treatments, and how they may make them more effective, with less side effects.
For those looking to learn more about the overwhelming evidence supporting carbohydrate reduction as a therapeutic intervention, and how to improve one’s metabolic health through lifestyle changes, the Symposium for Metabolic Health in San Diego will be held August 17-20, 2023.
Save 15% on tickets, low-carb meals, and optional CME credits with code Summer Savings (discount expires after June 30)
