DO You, Don’t DO Them
Some circles in the fitness field have become a sea of eggshells, daring individuals to navigate. Frequently we see articles titled ‘Never do this exercise again (1)’ ’10 training mistakes that kill progress (2)’ or ‘3 signs you’re doing an exercise wrong (3)’
While there may be some egregious workout plans out there, most of them are adequate and could get you to your general health goals as long as you follow it and treat yourself well. There is nothing within those articles that justified such alarming titles.
Distressing hooks aren’t the only contribution to people feeling that they can never do anything correctly. Fitness professionals love to develop preferred approaches to reaching lifestyle goals. Some swear by a certain diet, some swear at it. How’s one to know what to do in this climate?
“Good news, it does get better (and less confusing). Let’s break it down.”
Try to avoid putting weight behind the words “good” and “bad” when talking or reading about fitness.
These words are similar in that their implication is universal. If you say something is good, the implication is that it is always good. Rarely is something universally good or universally bad.
For example, a good exercise like lunges could be inappropriate for someone just out of knee replacement surgery. A bad exercise like full/deep squats could be appropriate for Olympic weightlifters and those who can tolerate the knee sheer forces.
While it is common for trainers to change a workout plan if it doesn't include their preferences, it likely won’t make a huge difference in achieving your goals. It may lead you to think what you have been doing or what you enjoy doing is not practical. If you’ve spent months or years on a program you enjoy, an article or professional trashing it could make you think all your work was a complete waste.
The good news is that it not a complete waste, and finding something you enjoy is critical to your well-being.
There is value in participating in the activities you appreciate.
Swapping your enjoyment for the satisfaction of what someone else prefers is doing a disservice to your self-care.
This is not meant to advocate for ignoring the advice of a professional. As long as there is substantial, objective evidence to support claims, then advice should be taken. Just look out for subjective immeasurable nonsense in what someone advises.
For example: if someone tells you, eating dairy will skyrocket your weight or make you balloon up, ask them to provide objective measurements. How much is skyrocketing, and what units are balloons in?
A true professional will back up their claims this way.
Some trainers discourage floor work when trying to get a six-pack, but it could be extremely helpful
Your rectus abdominis is the muscle that makes up a six-pack, and everyone has it. The problem is that there is a layer of fat over it, covering it up. Historically, people do ab work to get rid of that fat.
Trainers may discourage repetitive ab work to get a six-pack because humans typically cannot spot-reduce fat. This means you cannot pick where you lose fat by doing exercises that target that area. Therefore, ab work won’t directly burn off the fat in that area. Instead, doing a large muscle group activity, HIIT, and/or a healthy meal plan will help lose fat everywhere to a greater extent than just doing 10 minutes of abs.
There isn’t too much harm in doing extra ab work. As long as you keep in mind what we said above, but there is value in feeling good about what you have accomplished.
By acknowledging the achievement of 'lighting your core on fire', you allow that feeling to motivate your next workout. You may also now treat your body much better for the next day or two when you feel good like that. Who are we to rob someone of the healthy behaviors they will perform by making them think what they enjoy is inadequate?
There are plenty of professionals who offer the appropriate advice, so do not be dissuaded from taking suggestions. Allow yourself to hear proper suggestions but always find time to DO you.
Dan is a current epidemiologist, ACSM CPT workshop instructor, author of A Big Distraction, and has held various fitness certificates dating back to 2007. Currently, he is a certified exercise physiologist (EP-C) through ACSM with the Exercise is Medicine credential. Dan’s professional emphasis is disease prevention through exercise and self-efficacy.
To promote this stance, Dan started a Youtube Channel to teach people how to do something they may have never thought they could do and answer fitness questions that are commonly asked.