For as long as I can remember, companies in the fitness industry have been promising to deliver the holy grail; the body we have always desired (the one created in someone else’s image, by the way). The grail may be a new method that promises to tone and sculpt a body part, a pill that guarantees weight loss without ever leaving the couch or changing your diet (that is still one of the funniest things I have ever heard), or a new ‘workout’ class; you know, the one that everyone is doing. Good marketing companies are exceptional at fleecing the uninformed.

One of the things I learned early in my life was that if something sounds too good to be true, well, it probably is. My parents pontificated that lesson. Over time, I no longer accepted claims at face value. I stopped believing the alleged subject matter experts and started asking questions and researching things on my own. Why? Well, I absolutely hate feeling like a complete moron and I want to make informed decisions. With more information, if I still choose to believe something that is not true, well then I deserve the ‘Idiot’ label. Those who know me well are keenly aware I typically question everything.

I really do not know much in the big picture. I have dabbled a little bit in the whole exercise thing, but I believe that I may know enough that I can speak on the subject when I want. Two decades ago, I was not as informed as I am today. To be honest, I was guilty of arguing with my trainer about the caloric expenditure reading on cardio equipment in 2002. When I began studying for certifications a couple years later, I humbly apologized for my indignation. In fact, those calorie counters are a big fat lie, and while that makes sense to me now, my naivety led me to believe that it was true. After all, those people wouldn’t lie about how many calories I burn, right? Of course, they would; these are the same people claiming the Thighmaster will make my thighs thinner.

Where am I going here? Well, insomnia was winning earlier this week, so I turned on the TV in the very early morning hours. Behold, Jeeves! The grail, the Arc, the secret! At long last, the product that will deliver us all; Squat Magic. I gaped at the screen as I could feel the blood now coursing through my veins. As I watched and turned up the volume, something I still deeply regret. I posted the segment to Facebook with a comment that it should be illegal to sell this stuff; all of it.

I have held my tongue for a very long time. You can thank the extortionists marketing the Squat Magic for me reaching the end of my rope. I am simply apoplectic. My colleagues and peers actually have integrity, and for that, I am grateful. It is this kind of product that undermines the science and the truth. ENOUGH!

I am going to say this one time. The Thighmaster, Shakeweight, and the myriad of other pieces of exercise equipment claiming to be the solution are crap. The Squat Magic is crap. Not one of these modalities do anything they claim. Each of these is brought to market by marketing companies that spend a ridiculous amount of money to lie to all of you because they know you will buy. Please just stop. I am not going to break down each modality for you in this article. If you want to actually start listening, please go retain a qualified individual, such as a NSCA or ACSM professional, to explain the science in laymen’s terms. You can even go to the library to research the Exercise Science books; go back to school for an education in Kinesiology, but do not continue to take the alleged expertise of an actor (yes, actor).
 
Not only does this company have you believing the magical claims, they also flash across the screen the words “dual certified celebrity trainer” to support this blasphemy.  Guess what my friends; he isn’t a trainer of a thing, but he did play one on TV. He is an actor. His IMBD profile with reference to the work in which he has appeared. Wake up! “Well, ‘so and so’ said so, and he’s on TV; you’re not. Clearly he is successful to get to TV so he must know.” Um, well, for those not willing to do some homework in order to make truly informed decisions vs nonsense, then good luck to you. Eject. Don’t blast it all over social media later when the latest fad failed. For the most part, I blame the companies but at some point, buyer beware. Wake up and smell the crap. Own your part of the ignorance.
 
Anyway, the other night, I am staring at the ‘unicorn.’ Here is the device that is going to give me the shapely ass of my dreams; tone and sculpt my gluteus (This is literally nails on the chalkboard for me). Not only was my butt going to be amazing, my form while performing the squat would be immediately perfected.... (insert colorful commentary here). My blood pressure must have reached an all-time high that night, just as I can feel it rising as I write. I would like to destroy the construct of this product; however, I live by a set of rules. Yes, many are Gibbs’ rules. My rule number #10, ‘Never argue with an idiot; they drag you to their level and then beat you with experience.’ Rather than ripping every claim to shreds, I am going to provide some science based in research and evidence.

1. The Overload Principle – Basically, for change to occur we have to create more load than we are used to managing day in and day out. While ground reaction forces can be extremely valuable to someone recouping from spine surgery, for example, those forces are not going to be applicable for increasing the relative size of the glutes. In other words, if are not adding weight (i.e., a bar-loaded squat or dumbbell squats and lunges) you are not doing anything.
   
2. Form and Biomechanics – Please see the pictures below. The picture on the left is ‘proper’ form. The picture on the right is not. Enlighten me if you can find the similarity. Additionally, a critical part of gaining strength is one’s ability to control the object we are moving (the down part of the squat) and moving the object (the up part of the squat). Please note the claims in the pictures below. Anything that is aiding the down so you do not fall on your butt and then pushing you up is actually creating a hindrance. I would boldly hypothesize that this “equipment” will decrease strength and increase risk of injury.  
3. Terminology, tone and sculpt – ‘Tone’ – please just scrap this from your vocabulary. It does not even come close to what you think it might mean. Sculpt. I want my muscles to look like ‘that.’ Newsflash – all of your muscles are shaped the way you see in the pictures; however, the layers of insulation are different.

 
What does this all mean? Put the brownies down, lift heavy stuff, push out of your comfort zone, and nothing changes overnight. More importantly, find an activity you like to do. Research has proven we are more likely to achieve our goals and make new habits when we are enjoying the work (yes, this can be done). If you want the holy grail, do the work. If it sounds too good to be true…

Phil Heath is a legend in bodybuilding. He's won Mr. Olympia LLC consistently over the past several years. But what does he attribute his success to? I found a quote he made which I think is quite insightful. Spend a minute to learn from one of the very greatest bodybuilders of all time!

I discuss a quote from Tim Grover's book Relentless. He highlights how important mental training and toughness in and external to sport is.

Congratulations to GSP athlete Alok Mehta, who won gold at the India racquetball qualifiers this weekend! He will be representing India at the International Racquetball Federation - IRF World Championships in Colombia later this summer. Alok is also one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the IRF Senior World Championships. Congrats Alok!

My wife and I have really enjoyed hosting professional racquetball athlete Marie Renee Rodriguez for the past 10 days. We spent a considerable amount of time working on developing a training program, practicing weight lifting, spending time on the court, discussing strategy, practicing emotional control, and analyzing her game. It was a busy period but we both gained much from the experience. Be sure to click on her name and keep up to date with her career progress!

Have you ever thought about buying a fitness tracker (accelerometer) such as a Fitbit but didn't know which one to buy? Dr. Shelley Holden and I recently wrote a short article on what things you should consider when making the decision. The publisher has made this article free to the first 50 people who click on this link. If you have specific questions about fitness trackers, please send me a message. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Over the past year I have been blessed to include a variety of guest speakers in our Oklahoma State University Sports & Coaching Science program. Professional and amateur athletes, sports administrators, international coaches, professional trainers... the list goes on. It's been amazing to hear and learn from so many successful professionals in sport!
Recently, I was reminded by a guest speaker the importance of knowing WHY. The speaker, a director of a large rowing program, highlighted how imperative it was that coaches (and anyone working in the sports professions) knew exactly what they were doing but also WHY they were doing it. Why this training program? Why this nutrition? Why this rehab? The list could go on.


This is a valid point: how many coaches, if asked WHY, respond with examples such as...


"Because I'm coach."
"That's how my coach did it and he/she was very successful." "It's what I did when I was competing."
"I read it somewhere."


There are more. The point I'm making here is that we, as sports professionals, have a responsibility to continue learning and improving our craft to ensure that we have the most current knowledge and skills necessary to get the best from our athletes and clients. Anything less and we are failing to give our best.