Silly Fitness Trends
There’s a funny Seinfeld episode where George Costanza eats his Snickers bar with a knife and fork on a plate. He insists it’s because high class people do it.
Eventually others around the city follow suit and a new trend is born. Next thing you know just about everyone is eating their hand-held desserts – candy bars and cookies – on a plate with a knife and fork. Elaine is the only one who sees the idiocy of this.
This isn’t all too uncommon in fitness. Someone will start a new fitness trend and next thing you know it’ll catch like wildfire. Soon everyone and their grandma is doing it. They don’t know why, nor do they care, but because everyone else is doing it they assume it much be good.
I have no problem with fitness trends. As long as it gets people to move I’m all for them. And fitness trends are sometimes the only exposure someone might have to exercise.
Problem is they don’t stick. Most of the people who do follow trends get bored after a short while then look for the newest thing. This is as true in fitness as in anything else.
Also, trend followers aren’t so much doing something for the results, but rather just for the sake of being in style. When this happens, they’re not so much interested in the ends as much as the means.
Ergo, people quit because usually trendy stuff has a very short shelf life. Even it is legitimately good, if it’s not “in” then it’s “out.”
Thus, it’s always best is to go with exercises that have stood the test of time. Tried and true, real exercises that gymnasts and other athletes have been doing for decades because they’ve been proven to work. No trends here.
Just solid, real world strength and conditioning for the leanest, meanest body around that’ll last a lifetime.
All the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. I actually do like eating a dessert like a candy bar with a knife and fork. It slows me down so I don’t shove my face. More importantly it helps me to not take myself so seriously. I think we could all use a little absurdity in our lives.
