About a year ago, my beautiful wife started using an app on her phone called "Pinterest". If you haven't heard of it, it's basically a pictorial index of this, that, and the other. There are many categories on there, one being health and fitness. Me, wanting to know what all the hype is about got the app for my phone and started looking at what it's all about.
I found all sorts of pictures that read like covers of women's gossip and "fitness" magazines:
And each caption went with a picture of a pencil-thin girl who supposedly does the workout or miracle diet being written about. When you click on the picture it sends you to the (usually) sad, sorry workout that you might find near the checkout line at Walgreens.
There aren't too many industries out there that can claim false and foolish information baked in with the good stuff like the fitness industry. The most unfortunate thing as that the falsehoods often rise to the top as being the go-to for change because they become the most popular due to television, magazines, Pinterest, and other media outlets.
I have a theory on why these things circulate so much: because they are EASY
Crunches and curls and downward facing dog aren't going to do a thing to change body composition, but they are easy enough for the average and even below average person to cling to for 3 weeks until the next vine of kegels, leg lifts, and kickbacks swings by. And then this person says "I've been working out for 8 weeks now lifting weights, running the treadmill, and eating the whole-wheat cleanse and I think I'm getting worse than I started! Just forget it, I'll stay the way I am."
The truth is this:
The hours of cardio will indeed burn lots of calories. The problem is that this kind of training puts your body in catabolism, which means it is going to break down muscle tissues to use for energy. When you lose muscle and fat at the same time, you just get a smaller version of yourself with a diminished ability to expend calories due to loss of muscle. No only that, the "toned" look, that is muscles appearing hard at a relaxed state, is lost completely because muscles under the skin (and fat) are now even smaller. If you don't believe me, look up marathon runners on Google images. Even most of the Olympic caliber athletes look like bags of skin with bones bouncing around in them! If that is the look you are going for, you know what to do. I am in no way saying that high endurance events are not athletic in nature, I am simply stating that not many people are look for a physique like this:
The Yoga, the Pilates, the 5-pound curls and inner/outer thigh machine are all non-intimidating fitness venues that women (yeah, I said it!) feel comfortable doing. These things can be quite challenging in the beginning stages as well. I don't think there is anything wrong with any of that, but to bank body composition change and physical wellness solely on these sorts of things would be leaving much on the table. To think that a neoprene dumbbell the size of a cell phone will create a training effect greater than using the hair dryer or washing dishes daily or even standing up from a chair is mind blowing to me, and yet women's magazines will tell you all you need is some high kicks, a few 4-pound shoulder raises 8 minutes per day and the fat will drip off you so fast that you'll have to buy a whole new wardrobe by the next week. And yet there is a new "end-all" routine that comes out the next month??? If it works so well, why must they put out a new one? Exercise must be progress. Our bodies have been created with the amazing ability to adapt to change, and for a new training response to occur, the stress that produces change must be increased. If you started with 5-pound squats in January, there should be a 50-pound dumbbell in your basement by December and hopefully much, much sooner!
Even the right exercises aren't enough unless the proper nutrition is in place. Imagine a house being built. The builders are your exercises. Good exercises make skillful, productive workers. Poor exercises (or no exercises) make lazy, haphazard workers. Nutrition is the supplies that are being dropped off. Good nutrition brings the right kind of supplies in the right amount. Poor nutrition brings whatever. The builders are still there working as always, so what are you bringing them to work with? Is your house a finely sculpted home, efficiently built and working or is it looking more like a hotel or a slum? Get your nutrition in order as well as your exercise.
Sit ups, crunches, side raises, and other abdominal exercises will not decrease the size of your abdomen. In bodybuilding, the key to increasing muscle size is to hammer the muscle groups with high volume work, that is lots of sets and lots of reps. This bombardment causes the muscle fibers and tendons to break down and grow back larger to handle the new stress. The abdominals and obliques are muscles that respond just like any other so doing 500 crunches or whatever else contrived just creates bigger abdominal muscles which creates a larger waist (albeit a stronger more muscular one). This is really good news if your body fat percentage is low and that 8-pack is showing up. If you are not though then you are just working yourself into a larger midsection.
Diets don't work; behavioral changes do. If you interrupt a steady diet of cheeseburgers and cream puffs with a month of fish, water, and salad you will definitely see changes. The problem comes when you realize that you can't eat only those things for the rest of your life. A behavioral change is what is needed for lasting results. I suggest to list your top 10 worst eating habits and eliminate them one by one over the course of a few months. We know that in order to eliminate a bad habit, a good habit must be put in it's place so it is also necessary to replace bad foods with good ones.
As a side note, our camera is broken so I haven't been able to film any at-home workouts in quite awhile. I am sorry for the inconvenience!
I found all sorts of pictures that read like covers of women's gossip and "fitness" magazines:
"Tone butt, legs, abs, and arms with these 5 muscle-sculpting yoga moves!"
"Lose 10 pounds with these 50 diet and workout tips! Imagine if you did one of these each week"
"Kiss love handles goodbye with this sexy-abs routine from (fill in the blank)
"Lift and tone buns in 3 easy movements"
"8 moves that melt fat"
"She lost 25 pounds in 4 weeks using this detox diet"
And each caption went with a picture of a pencil-thin girl who supposedly does the workout or miracle diet being written about. When you click on the picture it sends you to the (usually) sad, sorry workout that you might find near the checkout line at Walgreens.
There aren't too many industries out there that can claim false and foolish information baked in with the good stuff like the fitness industry. The most unfortunate thing as that the falsehoods often rise to the top as being the go-to for change because they become the most popular due to television, magazines, Pinterest, and other media outlets.
I have a theory on why these things circulate so much: because they are EASY
Crunches and curls and downward facing dog aren't going to do a thing to change body composition, but they are easy enough for the average and even below average person to cling to for 3 weeks until the next vine of kegels, leg lifts, and kickbacks swings by. And then this person says "I've been working out for 8 weeks now lifting weights, running the treadmill, and eating the whole-wheat cleanse and I think I'm getting worse than I started! Just forget it, I'll stay the way I am."
The truth is this:
The hours of cardio will indeed burn lots of calories. The problem is that this kind of training puts your body in catabolism, which means it is going to break down muscle tissues to use for energy. When you lose muscle and fat at the same time, you just get a smaller version of yourself with a diminished ability to expend calories due to loss of muscle. No only that, the "toned" look, that is muscles appearing hard at a relaxed state, is lost completely because muscles under the skin (and fat) are now even smaller. If you don't believe me, look up marathon runners on Google images. Even most of the Olympic caliber athletes look like bags of skin with bones bouncing around in them! If that is the look you are going for, you know what to do. I am in no way saying that high endurance events are not athletic in nature, I am simply stating that not many people are look for a physique like this:
If you enjoy running and the challenge of going the distance, then by all means run! If you are looking for changes in body composition though, there are better methods available.
Even the right exercises aren't enough unless the proper nutrition is in place. Imagine a house being built. The builders are your exercises. Good exercises make skillful, productive workers. Poor exercises (or no exercises) make lazy, haphazard workers. Nutrition is the supplies that are being dropped off. Good nutrition brings the right kind of supplies in the right amount. Poor nutrition brings whatever. The builders are still there working as always, so what are you bringing them to work with? Is your house a finely sculpted home, efficiently built and working or is it looking more like a hotel or a slum? Get your nutrition in order as well as your exercise.
Sit ups, crunches, side raises, and other abdominal exercises will not decrease the size of your abdomen. In bodybuilding, the key to increasing muscle size is to hammer the muscle groups with high volume work, that is lots of sets and lots of reps. This bombardment causes the muscle fibers and tendons to break down and grow back larger to handle the new stress. The abdominals and obliques are muscles that respond just like any other so doing 500 crunches or whatever else contrived just creates bigger abdominal muscles which creates a larger waist (albeit a stronger more muscular one). This is really good news if your body fat percentage is low and that 8-pack is showing up. If you are not though then you are just working yourself into a larger midsection.
Diets don't work; behavioral changes do. If you interrupt a steady diet of cheeseburgers and cream puffs with a month of fish, water, and salad you will definitely see changes. The problem comes when you realize that you can't eat only those things for the rest of your life. A behavioral change is what is needed for lasting results. I suggest to list your top 10 worst eating habits and eliminate them one by one over the course of a few months. We know that in order to eliminate a bad habit, a good habit must be put in it's place so it is also necessary to replace bad foods with good ones.
As a side note, our camera is broken so I haven't been able to film any at-home workouts in quite awhile. I am sorry for the inconvenience!
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