“We live in a time of extraordinary change—change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet, our place in the world.” – President Barack Obama during the State of the Union Address on January 12, 2016
President Obama’s words from early last year ring especially true for the health and fitness industry, which has experienced massive growth during the past decade.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the worldwide “fitness industry” was worth $1.2 trillion in 2015 when combining the “Fitness & Mind-Body” subcategory with the “Healthy Eating, Nutrition, & Weight Loss” category.
(When you add in the other eight subcategories, that value jumps to $3.7 trillion!)
Sounds good, right? But before we start popping leftover bottles of New Year’s champagne to celebrate, we have to remember a basic truth regarding human nature:
When there’s money to be made (in this case, trillions of dollars), morals go out the window as every involved party scrambles for the biggest piece of the pie they can get.
Snake oil salesmen first popped up in a similar financial boom when Americans rushed west to work on the Transcontinental Railroad back in 1863.
More than 150 years later, snake oil salesmen are still commonplace particularly in the fitness industry, selling “get fit quick” schemes and bogus supplements that promise miraculous results.
With the new year upon us, let’s turn a skeptical eye towards the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) top 10 fitness trends for 2017 to see who’s peddling snake oil and who’s got the magical elixir.
1. Wearable Technology
The hottest trend in fitness right now is wearable fitness trackers that monitor your heart rate, count your movements, map your location via GPS, and even assess your sleep.
With Christmas in the rearview mirror, companies like Fitbit, Garmin, Misfit, and Moov raked in billions of dollars as workout warriors and fitness newbies alike hopped on this trend.
Why It’s Snake Oil
As much as I’m a fan of measuring data, this trend is more snake oil than magical elixir.
The problem is that wearable tech has become more about making a fashion statement than tracking your exercise. Like a new gym membership in January, Fitbits and other wearables symbolize a fleeting excitement about fitness that fades before Valentine’s Day arrives.
After all, data is useless unless you do something with it.
Rather than buying a fitness tracker as a way to motivate yourself to workout, try the reverse: Commit to working out for 60 days, and if you make it that far, reward yourself with some wearable tech.
Sadly, by itself, a fancy new fitness tracker won’t motivate you to get in shape.
2. Body Weight Training
The allure of body weight training is that it’s a back-to-basics form of exercise. Instead of using fancy equipment, you simply use your body weight for resistance training.
Push-ups and pull-ups jump to mind, but fitness centers and YouTube workout warriors have designed a whole slew of body weight training exercises.
By using minimal equipment, body weight training is also more affordable.
Why It’s Snake Oil
I hate calling this trend snake oil when other trends on the list are way worse, but at the end of the day, body weight training alone is not the most efficient way to get you a shredded physique.
The entire Hack Your Fitness program is built on the foundation of progressive overload, which means lifting more weight or doing more reps each time you perform a lift.
Progressive overload via added reps will eventually peak out when you use your same body weight repeatedly.
Save yourself time and go hit the squat rack instead of messing around with body weight training.
3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
If you have friends who work out, chances are one or more of them do high-intensity interval training, which is one of the hottest forms of exercise right now.
HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by a short period of rest and recovery. These workouts are usually performed in less than 30 minutes.
Advocates like to say no other exercise can match HIIT when it comes to the afterburn effect, or the various processes your body undertakes to recover after a strenuous workout.
Why It’s Snake Oil
If you haven’t read this blog before, you should know that I hate cardio.
You don’t need HIIT or any sort of cardio to get lean, and if you’re looking for the best afterburn effect, compound lifts beat HIIT and everything else by a country mile.
Having said that, I know some of you out there are going to ignore my advice and do cardio anyway. If that’s you, HIIT is in fact the best type of cardio you can do.
HIIT is short, efficient, and has a higher afterburn effect than other forms of cardio.
4. Educated and Experienced Fitness “Professionals”
More national fitness organizations are offering certifications for aspiring fitness coaches and personal trainers. The allure of these professionals is that they offer personalized workout plans along with accountability to get you in the gym and encouragement while you’re there.
Why It’s Snake Oil
Have you ever walked into a gym and seen an overweight trainer?
My first thought is always, “How the hell does that person make money looking like that?”
For as many trainers that are out there that do not practice what they preach, there are just as many unqualified trainers who make money because they’ve received a meaningless certification.
The bar is so low now that anyone can walk into a course over the weekend and walk out as a “certified fitness professional.” Those certifications aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.
A lot of these “professionals” don’t know what they’re talking about. They might have book knowledge, but when it comes to in-the-gym coaching experience, they’re clueless.
5. Strength Training
Taking it back to the old school, strength training is comprised of well-known lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press that are performed with a barbell.
These lifts are more technical than other forms of exercise and faded in popularity when resistance training (Nautilus) machines rose to prominence in the 1970s.
Why It’s a Magical Elixir
Whatever your fitness goals, strength training is the most efficient way to reach them.
No other exercise burns more fat, increases your bone density and muscle strength, and improves your cardiovascular system more than strength training.
For decades, men and women alike saw the weight room as the place where the meatheads hung out. It was much less intimidating to hop on a Nautilus machine.
Strength training has returned to the limelight now due to trends like CrossFit and YouTube videos about barbell training. This is an encouraging sign of where fitness is headed.
6. Group Training
If you’re used to working out solo, 2017 might be the year that changes.
Group training is designed to make daunting workouts, like spin class or fitness boot camp, more bearable thanks to the group camaraderie that develops.
If you need that extra push to work out, group training also provides accountability.
Why It’s (Potentially) a Magical Elixir
While the Hack Your Fitness program is designed for lone wolves, I see tremendous benefit in group exercise because, when it comes down to it, fitness is all about accountability.
If you’re struggling with accountability and not getting your lifts in consistently on your own, then by all means, join a group that will keep you on track.
I’ve never heard of gyms offering group training for compound lifts (not CrossFit, just the basic compound lifts), but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there.
If your local gym doesn’t offer one, you could always ask about getting one started.
7. Exercise is Medicine
This is a global health initiative that encourages healthcare providers to include exercise when designing treatment plans for patients and referring their patients to exercise professionals.
Why It’s a Magical Elixir
Most of us know that besides quitting smoking, exercise is the single best thing you can do for your body.
But here are a few of the not-so-obvious benefits of regular exercise:
- High achievers say exercise is their #1 productivity hack.
- There’s a direct link between physicality and improved brain function.
- Studies show that a commitment to fitness equals more success in life.
Whether you’re recovering from surgery or illness, or just trying to improve your overall health, the best medicine for your body, and your life, is regular exercise.
8. Yoga
Based on ancient tradition, yoga utilizes a set of specific bodily postures (called asanas) combined with breathing techniques to promote health and relaxation.
Advocates claim benefits including decreased anxiety and stress, improved sleep quality, better digestion and circulation, and increased flexibility.
Why It’s Snake Oil
I know some people swear by yoga, but I think it’s a waste of time.
I’m admittedly showing some bias here, but if you’re like me and want the most efficient way to get six-pack abs and single digit body fat, yoga is not the answer.
If you’re all about yoga, go for it, but I view it along the same lines as having a massage or going to the spa—it’s a nice but nonessential element of any hacker’s fitness.
9. Personal Training
This trend is a little different from #4 in that focuses more on the increase in students who are majoring in physical fitness and sports medicine to prepare for a personal training career.
Why It’s Snake Oil
We’ve already covered why fitness certifications are essentially useless, so I’ll reiterate here that you don’t need a personal trainer in order to get fit.
All you need is discipline and a squat rack.
I’ve watched friends spend thousands dollars on personal training to no avail.
Rather than wasting your money on someone who may or may not be qualified to train you, learn the simple science behind exercise and smart nutrition and get to work yourself.
You’ll save time, money, and see much better results this way.
10. Exercise and Weight Loss
While it’s easy to snicker about something as obvious as exercise and weight loss being a fitness “trend” for 2017, the larger point the ACSM is trying to make is that exercise is a key component to weight loss (with proper nutrition being the largest factor).
Why It’s a Magical Elixir
If more people exercise to lose weight in 2017 as a result of this “trend,” that’s a win in my books.
Jump on the bandwagon this year by joining the Hack Your Fitness movement and achieve your fitness goals in the most efficient way possible.
Looking Ahead
The health and fitness industry is in a precarious place.
On the one hand, you have fitness icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger working to get kids off the streets and into the gym after school. He’s using fitness as a tool for positive change.
Also, the internet has democratized access to top-notch fitness resources, which is amazing. You don’t have to pay for a personal trainer or join a fitness class when you have YouTube.
And finally, the internet has made it cool to be fit, which is a hugely encouraging trend.
On the other hand, this $1.2 trillion cash cow has attracted tons of snake oil salesmen who will exploit your insecurities to get at your wallet. You have to tread carefully.
As you survey the fitness landscape, I would advise cautious optimism. While things most certainly aren’t perfect, the future for fitness is looking increasingly bright.