There is a ton going on in the world of fitness right now. CrossFit, zumba, orange theory fitness, and even planet fitness. Hell, I’d like to take a second to acknowledge that Planet Fitness in all of it’s glory, will even give you pizza for showing up (mmm pizza). If we adventure over to the nutrition side of things, there’s even more trends, fads and stupid things going on. Diets that restrict you from bacon, bash eating vegetables, and some that make mac and cheese the enemy. I’m not sure, but I believe there might even be an East, West, and North beach diet to go along with the South beach one now too. With so much information out there, how are you the consumer, suppose to sort through what works, and what doesn’t? This is becoming an ever present issue in the world of too much information and “experts” from youtube channels telling you all of his or her secrets to a six pack in 3 weeks.
Here’s the secret guys, the only thing that works when it comes to fitness - is work. That’s right, the time honored tradition of getting into the gym, and working is the one and only guarantee to get where you want to be. There is no such thing as 8 minute abs, and anything that tells you that you only need to work for four weeks, eight weeks, or twelve weeks, is an absolute lie. The secret of fitness is hard work, dedication, and patience. None of which can be bought. If you’re overweight: how long did it take you to get that way? Months, years even? So why should it be an overnight journey to being fit?
When it comes to nutrition, the same crap is being slung to the masses. People buy volumes upon volumes of books that all say the same thing. “EAT THIS WAY FOR ABS!”, “THE ACTUAL PROBLEM IS LETTUCE, F THAT STUFF.” Guys, lettuce isn’t evil and bacon won’t give you cancer. Please realise that all of these things are absolute crap. What nutrition and body composition comes down to is the amount of food you’re eating, and your bodies hormones. If you have too much food, you’re going to get fat. It’s that simple. Now, if you tailor the macronutrients of food for performance and time your nutrients: even better.
The point of all of this, is quit being sold on the well oiled money making machine that is the fitness industry. Work hard, continue to strive to be your best, and be patient. Most importantly, when you’ve picked a path to reach your goals, be honest with yourself. If you’re actually working hard and taking care of your nutrition - it’ll happen. As always, train hard and have fun. See you at the gym.