A few days ago, Bluestreak/Roger from the JSF Forums made a journal post about Danny Bonaduce, former child star from The Partidge Family. Bonaduce appears in the September 2005 issue of Muscle and Fitness magazine on pages 41-42.

In the brief interview, he discusses his newfound obsession with fitness and diet, his part ownership of a gym, and his recently-acquired personal training certification.

He also declares that he will not give up smoking despite all of the above.

M&F: “Seems like you’re also obsessed with smoking. Any plans to quit?”

Bonaduce: “No. I’ve quit so many other things! I have a stair-stepper at home with an ashtray welded to it, and my gym has a smoking section.”

M&F: “So it’s safe to say you’re not working out for your health?”

Bonaduce: “I have the desire to appear healthy. I want somebody to go, “Nice ass,” not “Nice lungs.”

Far be it for me to knock someone for wanting to improve the visible parts of his body, but you have to keep the important things in mind, too.

The youngest of my paternal uncles, the father of three sons and grandfather of the cutest little boy imaginable was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. He has been in spotty health for the past few years and had some bouts with depression that have left him looking much older than his three older brothers, including my own father. All of the brothers except for Uncle Steve (who has other issues related to weight and diabetes) have smoked since their teen years in Taiwan when having a cigarette dangling from one’s hand was thought to convey some patina of toughness or glamour. Uncle Jack’s recent cancer diagnosis is a frightening reminder that smoking is anything but glamorous.

He is the second member of my father’s family to develop lung cancer related to smoking. My grandfather died of it when I was in fifth grade. He spent the last few months of his life with a tracheotomy incision in his throat and a nurse aide by his bedside in my parents’ house. He smoked right up until his last week of life.

My parents drove up to Gainesville the weekend of my CPR certification to speak to my uncle at the request of my aunt and cousins. Uncle Jack was refusing treatment for his cancer. My father went up there to convince him to give treatment a try. When I spoke with my mother, she said that my uncle’s mind had been changed.

My own father, who goes to the gym regularly to lift weights, still smokes several cigarettes a day. Like most of the family, he doesn’t like cardio much, but unlike yours truly, he refuses to get over his lack of enthusiasm and do it anyway, so I worry about his cardiovascular health. His gym habit has kept most health problems at bay except for a bout of high blood pressure a few years ago, but changes in my parents’ diet instigated by my mother as well as some medication for treating high bp have taken care of of that.

I just hope that his youngest brother’s health issues will convince him to quit smoking again and make it stick this time. Cigarettes obviously don’t agree with the Wang genetics.

As admirable is it may be to have a healthy looking exterior, I am sure Uncle Jack would take a set of boring old “Nice lungs” in lieu of ripped abs or a 16″ biceps in a heartbeat.

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Nutrition: SGX Non-Training Day Menu
(Details omitted by request of trainer)

Daily Supplements: multivitamin with iron, calcium 500 + D, 1 T. flaxseed oil or natural peanut butter, 1 t. GNC Creastack
Water: 16 cups minimum

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Workout:
8:00 PM HIIT Cardio - Run (20 minutes)
8:20 PM LISS Cardio - Walk (3.5 mph / 10% incline / 25 minutes)

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The Awful Truth:
1. Did not do planned Kenpo workout; went to bed early instead to get back on a normal sleep schedule.

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Brownie Points:
1. Used new Danskin bench and Powerblock dumbbells for upper body workout. Two thumbs up all around!
2. Cooked a ton of broccoli and cauliflower in oyster sauce.
3. Did the dishes.

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Short-term Goals:
1. Schedule hair cut.
2. File papers on drafting table.
3. Schedule eye exam.
4. Rearrange living room into efficient home mini-gym.
5. Get through next three chapters of NASM manual.
6. Work on paper doll body templates.
7. Vacuum the apartment.
8. Make appointment for oil/filter change, tire balance and rotation, and belt replacement for trusty Honda.
9. Clean bathroom.