It’s been a theme in recent years and 2017 has been no different bringing us a wide range of weird and creative fitness trends.
It’s been a theme in recent years and 2017 has been no different bringing us a wide range of weird and creative fitness trends.
This year, we have seen the likes of skateboarding pilates, the treadmill bike and even crawling take off, but should we be constantly following the latest exercise trends?
According to Lucas Anderson, a personal trainer from Newcastle, everyone needs to go back to basics if they want to achieve their workout goals.
“People are just looking for that quick fix,” he said.
“The more unusual or complex the workout, the more merit we seem to think it has.”
Anderson claims the most unusual fitness trends he’s seen in his time are “water manipulation, ab pads and fat burners.”
The first technique is commonly used by bodybuilders to flush excess water from their bodies prior to competitions.
“Water manipulation does work but it’s definitely a weird one. You get fast results but you are shedding lots of weight quickly so it’s not healthy,” he said.
“The vibrating ‘ab pads’ are merely a gimmick and it doesn’t help that they are usually endorsed by athletes and celebrities.
“Fat burners are just plain dangerous as people quite often mistake them for ‘miracle weight loss tablets’ and can lose track of their diet plans”.
Anderson, who has been a certified trainer for three years, believes in sticking to what we know and credits the rowing machine as the “most underrated” piece of gym equipment.
“Rowing is definitely an underrated exercise and has so many advantages for all trainers.”
“Anyone can do it, it’s the perfect combo of strength and cardio training and it can burn big calories because it works the whole body.”
“It gives us a number of ways to track our progress. Speed, distance, time, resistance, you name it.”
The trainer also believes it presents a good alternative for cross training.
“Runners and cyclists in particular can be become disillusioned with their training but this is a great one to throw into the mix without losing any of your fitness.”
If you’re thinking of getting into training, or already workout regularly, Anderson points out some common traps to be wary of.
He insists training is not a good method to counteract a poor diet.
“We can’t simply keep doing that little bit extra to try and work off that chocolate bar you had and also, be careful of protein bars, they are full of sugar.”
“Diet is a key part. Don’t workout on an empty stomach and try take something on board shortly after your session.”