Worst Workout Fads And Why They Fail

Worst Workout Fads And Why They Fail

Worst Workout Fads And Why They Fail – We’ve all been there. You’re sitting up late at night munching on a big bag of value-size Doritos when an onslaught of workout infomercials begin to catch your eye. They’ve got a gorgeous celebrity, or a muscle-bound guru claiming they looked just like you three months earlier, praising this must have machine. There have been some pretty bad workout fads over the years promising you quick ways to get in shape. I thought it would be fun to look at the worst workout fads and why they fail.

They promise quick results – like, 30-days quick – for the easy price of $19.99 plus shipping and handling.

I mean, if Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley say it works, then it must work, right?! Who remembers this quick-hit list of some of the biggest fitness fads? Some of these go way back to the 1980s’.

  1. Shake Weight – A spring-loaded dumbbell that got more laughs nationwide than results.
  1. 8-Minute Abs Video – Eight minutes is all it takes?
  1. Power Plate – Basically a vibrating platform for you to “shake” your way to a stronger, healthier you.
  1. ThighMaster – Ah yes, the great Suzanne Somers promoting the squeeze, squeeze, squeeze method.
  1. Deal-A-Meal – Richard Simmons’ way of mixing a healthy meal plan and a deck of cards.

Did you get sucked into buying any of these? I polled a few friends and some of the ones they admitted to buying included the Ab Roller, sauna suits and Bowflex. One person won a Shake Weight at a company Christmas party, but he swears he re-gifted it. One friend bought thermalgesic abs cream to rub on her abs before every workout because it promised to raise body heat and melt the pounds away.

Another buddy joked that his college friend had a belt that used electromagnetic pulses to shock his abs.

We can laugh all we want, but would you believe the Shake Weight reportedly sold more than 2 million units in its first year? Even Deal-A-Meal was insanely popular, though I think you can get it for free now. I’ve tried to crack a few jokes in this blog, but the fact remains that too many sinister people got rich very quick by preying on the emotions of people who simply wanted to feel better about themselves.

In March, the Federal Trade Commission sent refund checks totaling more than $416,000 to consumers who lost money buying body slimming creams that were deceptively marketed. You can read more about this from the following link. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/03/ftc-sends-refund-checks-totaling-more-416000-consumers-who-lost

This is not including all the money spent – refunded or not – on fads that simply flopped.

The truth is, results take time. There are no magic pills to get in shape and if there are, they’ll likely kill you first. There is no way to shake away the pounds and eight minutes of spot reduction therapy doesn’t do any good.

You have to put in the work to not only see results, but sustain them over time. That means cardio, strength training AND a healthy diet. Someone once told me the non-scientific line that it takes longer to take the weight off than it does to put it on. So be patient!

Although you can’t change your body in 8 minutes, you can in just three weeks!   My customers and losing inches & pounds the healthy way in my 21 Day Challenge.  It combines all the right stuff; fitness, nutrition, meal planning and so much more.  Join today: 21 Day Challenge

Photo credit: instagram  @retrosweat

Worst Workout Fads And Why They Fail

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