I’ve been in the Fitness industry as a consumer or a professional for most of my life. And I’ve seen more Fitness Gimmicks come and go than I can remember. The following article won’t apply to you, the educated Elitefts.com reader, but maybe you can show it to your kids, nephews, nieces or any other inexperienced person that wants to do something dumb.
I started lifting weights in my basement with the old school Weider cement filled plastic weight set and bench that came with the poster of how to lift weights.
In the 80’s.
And I bought the Weider Dynamic Muscle Builder powder that looked and tasted like wallpaper paste. And I remember when newer, better tasting powders guaranteed to make you JACKED came out. Stuff like Metabolol, remember that shit? Didn’t do anything better than eating and it tasted only slightly like wallpaper paste.
And, I remember seeing ads for Boron supplements in the back of the old muscle rags. Any other Old Timers remember this? Then they’d disappear for a year or so, then they’d come back. And people would buy them again. Either because they forgot Boron does zip, or because it was marketed better, or because new people saw it. Whatever the reason they bought it, rest assured it did nothing the label or ads promised. There were many other supplements that came and went just like this.
Classic snake oil fitness gimmick.
Supplementing with Boron, or almost anything else will do virtually nothing unless you are deficient in it. And then it won’t do much.
Yes a few things are helpful, like creatine. But that’s another article.
When I got older I saw tons of crap advertised on TV and in the magazines that was a quick fix or a gym quality piece of equipment that was actually only slightly better than crap. People bought them. And the gimmick makers got rich. And still do.
I’m talking about gimmick like ab machines, under desk treadmills, the Fitness Flyer, you name it.
Yes I understand that if someone uses some of this stuff as opposed to doing nothing it is good. They’d probably be a lot better off going for a walk, or doing some pushups but I digress.
Then I went to work for the magazine industry. I was on staff at Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness. I have written for just about every mag out there. Men’s Health, MM2000, Field & Stream, F&M and so many more that I can’t remember. Back in the day, the magazines ruled the fitness industry.
I found that most muscle rags were owned by the supplement companies. This explains why half the content was about how study “x” proved that this magic supplement built 87 pounds of lean muscle on someone in only 4 weeks. It was all bullshit designed to sell the real product. The fitness gimmicks.
Do you remember the old Muscle Tech ads for their protein.
Classic fitness gimmick.
They said that their protein increased muscle growth by something like 400% over the other brands. OK, let me get this straight. If I train hard, eat right and supplement with your competitors brand of protein and I gain 1 pound of lean muscle in an month that I’ll see a 400% improvement with yours?
So, if I use Muscle Tech protein I’ll gain 5 pounds of muscle in a month?
So after only a year of training I’d have gained 60 pounds of muscle just by using your brand?
GTFO.
Remember kids, when you read any study, see who funded it. That tells you what you need to know. Their studies were funded by them. Just like all the other supplement companies.
I tell you all not so I can impress you with my knowledge and longevity.
Rather, I tell you because so many people are duped by gimmick sellers. Snake oil salesman. I tell you this after having a looooong conversation with our 12 year old who wants to buy a fitness gimmick, I mean supplement off the internet that claims to do a bunch of shit that it chemically is incapable of doing.
As a 12 year old boy, I longed for the magic pill to turn me into a monster just like he does. As an adult I still do.
After over 42 years of training I realized some things that the old guys used to tell me back in the day.
- Stop buying all that shit and just eat food. Eat the way Arnold and Franco did.
- Lots of protein, meat, eggs, full fat dairy.
- Eat fruit and carbs.
- Use butter and olive oil.
- It’s the excess calories that make you fat, not one specific nutrient.
And in today’s world, use some protein powder if you need to get a little more in or if you have a hard time getting one gram per pound of body weight from food. Today’s protein powder is not a fitness gimmick, it’s good stuff. But it should always be food first.
And don’t be looking for the latest fitness gimmick machine or toy. Good old hard work for a few years is cheaper and works better.
If you’re a pre-teen or a teen and you are not happy with your body because maybe you have a little baby fat or are soft and not muscular, here is the fitness secrets, not fitness gimmicks that I am not supposed to share with you.
Are you paying attention?
- Put your phone down.
- Turn your computer off.
- Drink water and not sports drinks.
- Stop eating garbage and candy and chips.
- Eat real food that fell from a tree, came from the Earth or had a face and parents.
- Eat a LOT of protein.
- Sleep at least 8 hours a night.
- Exercise every day.
- Walk, run, jog, play outside.
- Do pushups, pullups, sit ups, body weight squats and jumps.
- Learn to lift weights from a parent that knows how or a coach.
- Can’t afford a coach? Watch YouTube videos from people on this site.
- Drag a sled or push a Prowler.
- Sit less, move more.
I guarantee that you’ll look and feel better and will have lost nothing by falling prey to the fitness gimmicks all around us.
And kids, remember, if you see a Test supplement or Test booster online, close your browser right away.
It’s not real, they don’t work and you don’t need them.
Work and patience are the way. Not pills, potions and fitness gimmicks.
Now stop reading this and do 10 pushups.
Did you miss last week’s log?
Read it here.
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Vincere vel mori
C.J. Murphy
November 14, 2024
