Joe De Sena spreads the word on fitness

Dr. Fred Bisci, Joe De Sena and Jason Jaksetic at this morning’s AdWeek panel

Spartan Race’s globe-trotting founder appeared in New York for an AdWeek panel to promote the Spartan brand and the healthy living that comes with it. The panel was introduced by Spartan’s Lifestyle Brand Manager Jason Jaksetic, whom you may recognize from those daily fitness e-mails – this morning’s inbox had him urging readers to do plyometric push-ups.

Along with Joe was Dr. Fred Bisci, who heads the Spartan Nutrition Board. Bisci was an early adopter of the raw food diet and advocates using a radical approach to nutrition as a way to promote health and longevity. Given that he just short of ninety years old and looks healthier than many half that age, he may be on to something. You can get more of Dr. Bisci in this interview with De Sena.

There were no major announcements today, but De Sena used the opportunity to expound on Spartan as a lifestyle and a lifestyle brand. In addition to his goal of ripping 100 million people off their couches, he wants to spread his philosophy. Along the way, he shared some stories about the transformative effect that exercise can have, beyond just simple weight-loss goals. And since he is living somewhat nomadically (last year: Japan. This year: Canada) he had the opportunity to compare cultures with how they treat his habit of carrying a 20kg kettle-bell everywhere he goes.

Because this was a Spartan event, there were burpees at the finish, with Jaksetic demonstrating his ideal burpee format. Luckily for the audience, there was only so much room for us to try to copy his form. In the past year, Spartan has had 230 races in 30 countries, and if Joe has his way, many more people around the globe will be doing more burpees.

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Christopher Stephens

Christopher is an attorney, a middle-of-the-pack triathlete, a marathoner, an open water swimmer, and a recovering Jeopardy contestant. A native New Yorker, he trains in the rugged wilderness of Central Park and can sometimes be found swimming in the Hudson. He also bakes pies. Delicious pies.

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