SHENANIGANS, FADS and GIMMICKS

 More 0530 shenanigans… This time, the fabled “pornstache”. Part Urban Cowboy, Part Magnum P.I., proudly displayed like some kind of macho hairy, 70’s disco ball for the face! We’ve been seeing a few REAL pornstaches and some not so real, showing up in our gym lately… and it makes you wonder, fad, gimmick or here to stay?  Only time will tell.

 On a side note, conversations about fitness and nutrition fads and gimmicks have occurred in the gym, pretty much since we started. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask about a new “fitness” device, or “program” or a “new diet” or  supplement that guarantees to magically transform your fitness, health or appearance. Our stance, more often than not, is to declare BULLSHIT.  The following is a great write up by CrossFit Invictus which pretty much sums it up…

 "Gymnastics? Not a gimmick. 
Olympic Weight-Lifting? Not a gimmick. 
Barbell Training? Not a gimmick. 
Running and rowing? Not a gimmick.
 All these elements mixed together? Gut Check. 

Brilliant. This is exactly what separates us from the rest of the fitness world. We’re cutting away the crap gimmicks and shortcuts. There is no 8-second Abs machine or ridiculous hula chair that will make you fit while you watch T.V. If you walk into any CrossFit affiliate worth it’s salt, you’re going to be expected to work hard. You’ll be provided tools to achieve your fitness goals quicker than you might with other training protocols, and you’ll be given a lot of support from the coaches and crew, but nobody is going to promise you fitness without effort.

Now ask yourself (if you haven’t already) if you’re nutrition plan follows these same principles. Our first and best recommendation comes straight from World-Class Fitness in 100 Words – “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, less starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” No gimmick there either. Meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit have been staples of our diet since we started walking upright.

Seems simple right? Then stop buying the crap gimmicks. If someone promises that a supplement will help you pack on muscle or drop a lot of weight quickly, it’s a gimmick. If someone promises you can eat whatever you want as long as you take the pill they’re offering, it’s a gimmick. If it has a label with a laundry list of ingredients, it is a chemistry experiment masquerading as food. If you heard about the product on a commercial, it shouldn’t be eaten.

Keep it simple. Apples, walnuts, fish, turkey and asparagus don’t require nutrition labels, ingredient lists, potential side effect warnings, and marketing campaigns. These are good wholesome foods that have been around forever. They are nutrient-rich and pretty darn tasty once you cleanse your taste buds of the massive quantities of sugar and salt found in most packaged foods.

Stay the course with good clean eating, stay away from the crap gimmicks, and you will find that your body is optimally fueled for the gimmick-free workouts that we’re throwing at you."

 

Comments

[Free Weights]

Great post! We are SO drowned in shenanigans, fads and gimmicks! They sure are easy to get sucked into. I only wish I lived nearby so I could join in with you guys!