Three fitness trends I am happy to leave in the past

I do my best to maintain a positive mood, but I do get frustrated sometimes. One of my biggest sources of frustration in the health and fitness world is people misleading the public with harmful lies and tricks.

Achieving your fitness goals takes time, effort, and persistence. It’s a lifelong endeavor, and anyone who says otherwise is full of it.

influencer culture

I have a theory that TikTok (a very popular video sharing app partly owned by the Chinese government) is actually a psychological weapon of mass destruction. into a capricious dancing clown that craves attention above all else, leading to the cultural, intellectual and economic collapse of modern society.

Of course I’m joking… but only partially. How else can you explain the growing popularity of so-called influencers? Why are social media followers of fitness pros today more influential than their actual knowledge and experience? When did all of us in the fitness industry collectively decide that participating in viral challenges was more important than actually working with people in the gym? Are you profiting?

Earlier this year, I approached a publishing company with an idea for a fitness book. First and foremost, I was told that I needed to get more followers on social media. This is the unfortunate state of the world we have created. Expertise no longer matters, it’s all about images and algorithms. Unfortunately, it’s the people who need it most who pay the price. Instead of finding quality coaching, well-intentioned people are being tricked into following misguided hacking advice. Most of them are old enough to vote.

liver king

Lest I be accused of harboring a crusty old Clint Eastwood-esque grudge against “kids these days,” one of the most popular fitness influencers in the entire world pretends to be a caveman. It should be pointed out that I am a middle-aged bodybuilder who does a lot of things on the internet.

Yes, I’m talking about Brian Johnson, the self-proclaimed Liver King, and BS’s most shameless huckster not named Donald Trump. Using his Paleolithic lifestyle and carnivore diet, he has gained millions of followers and earned millions of dollars. Want a shredded superhero body? Stop wearing shoes and start eating raw meat. In a nutshell, that is the message of King Kim.

He may represent everything I despise, but I don’t blame Brian Johnson for profiting. We are a society obsessed with quick fixes and superficial results. Never mind that the guy pushing this nonsense apparently uses every performance-enhancing drug known to science. Steroids are Paleo, right?

all high tech

I received my Apple Watch in July. This was not what I wanted. I tried Fitbit years ago and found it so annoying that I gave up after a week. However, the watch was a gift, so I thought I’d give it a try and see what progress the wearable fitness tracker market has made.

I was impressed enough at first. The watch is durable and looks great. Not only does it track your steps and calories, it also tells you when you’ve been sitting for too long and reminds you to spend at least 20 seconds whenever you wash your hands. Noisy environment. Pretty cool stuff, but I can’t shake the feeling that all this information is largely irrelevant.

The fitness market is flooded with gadgets of all kinds. Whether it’s interactive wall-mounted mirrors displaying digital personal trainers or ridiculously expensive treadmills trying to recreate the feel of group fitness, our obsession with technology is spiraling out of control. I saw an ad for a “smart” water bottle the other day. Apparently, this thing tracks how many you drink on your way to your daily “hydration goal.”

As my father says, the mind is really fuzzy.

Paul Landini is a personal trainer and health educator in Kitchener, Ontario.

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