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Scam No. 1: The Electronic Ab Exerciser
What this was: A machine that would send electric currents to your abs, making them contract and release, thus causing you to burn off body fat.
Why it was doomed to fail: Losing body fat requires a combination of cardiovascular exercise and a reduced-calorie diet. You cannot spot reduce to lose weight. The body burns fat according to its genetic predisposition, so the only way to burn fat off is by doing the work yourself. A machine won’t do it for you.
Ultimate fate: The Electronic Ab Exerciser was quickly found to be unsuccessful; people soon realized this quick fix was nothing more than a waste of time, money and electricity.
Scam No. 2: The Ab Crunch Craze
What this was: A bunch of videos and programs that guaranteed you a six-pack by having you do an endless amount of sit-ups.
Why it was doomed to fail: No matter how many sit-ups you do, if you are not eating properly, and combining a healthy diet with strength training and cardio, you will not be able to see your abs. You must remove the layer of body fat that is covering your abdominal muscles in order for them to be visible.
Ultimate fate: After years of crunching away on exercise mats with little or no
progress, people finally gave up on this scam. They either got tired of doing so many crunches or they just lost the motivation to work out altogether. Today, many people still hold the belief that doing more sit-ups will lead to sexy abs, and they are half right: Strengthening these muscles will help them look better, but sit-ups alone won’t do the trick. In order to get the six-pack you've always dreamed of, you must also watch what you eat, and do a full body workout that incorporates cardio and strength training along with your sit-ups.
Scam No. 3: Exercise in a Bottle
What this was: A supplement that "guaranteed" you more fat loss and exercise capability.
Why it was doomed to fail: While you can enhance your metabolism with certain supplements, you can never replace physical training when it comes to improving your cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. Proponents of this scam knew that many people were just looking for an easy way to get a fit body. With proper marketing schemes, they sucked in thousands of customers who were too lazy to put in the hard work.
Ultimate fate: Many overweight people bought into this scam only to find out that the pills did not work. They realized that taking supplements can only do so much, and that good results do not come that easily.
Scam No. 4: The Sex Workout
What this was: Certain authors claimed that you could lose weight by having sex.
Why it was doomed to fail: While sex is highly enjoyable, it does not burn enough calories to lead to any major weight loss results.
Ultimate fate: A few people still believe in this principle, but the real reason sex helps some individuals shed pounds may be related to its underlying mechanisms. If people are having more sex, chances are they are eating less because they have less time to raid the fridge. They also release more sexual hormones, which are known to reduce the desire to eat.
Scam No. 5: The 24-Hour Arm Workout
What this was: An arm workout that was designed to make you gain 3/8 of an inch on your arms in 24 hours. You were given a specific diet to follow and a workout to do each hour.
Why it was doomed to fail: This scam relied more on inflammation and tissue damage to measure growth than anything else. After performing such a high workload, your muscle fibers become highly damaged and inflamed. Plus, with an increase in carbs in your diet, you take in extra water, which leads to a fuller look. Although the 24-hour arm workout may leave your pipes looking larger than before, the muscles themselves are not getting any bigger.
Ultimate fate: Some people have given this workout a try only to realize its results are short-lived. In order for your muscles to grow, they need time to recover. If you want bigger arms, it’s going to take dedication, persistence and time. It will not happen in 24 hours.
don't be a sucker
Next time you are reading about the latest fitness product, make sure to evaluate what the source is and how credible its claims are. If you feel it may be a good idea, give it a try for a short period of time, but if no progress is seen, let it go and replace it with a more traditional method of training.
What this was: A machine that would send electric currents to your abs, making them contract and release, thus causing you to burn off body fat.
Why it was doomed to fail: Losing body fat requires a combination of cardiovascular exercise and a reduced-calorie diet. You cannot spot reduce to lose weight. The body burns fat according to its genetic predisposition, so the only way to burn fat off is by doing the work yourself. A machine won’t do it for you.
Ultimate fate: The Electronic Ab Exerciser was quickly found to be unsuccessful; people soon realized this quick fix was nothing more than a waste of time, money and electricity.
Scam No. 2: The Ab Crunch Craze
What this was: A bunch of videos and programs that guaranteed you a six-pack by having you do an endless amount of sit-ups.
Why it was doomed to fail: No matter how many sit-ups you do, if you are not eating properly, and combining a healthy diet with strength training and cardio, you will not be able to see your abs. You must remove the layer of body fat that is covering your abdominal muscles in order for them to be visible.
Ultimate fate: After years of crunching away on exercise mats with little or no
progress, people finally gave up on this scam. They either got tired of doing so many crunches or they just lost the motivation to work out altogether. Today, many people still hold the belief that doing more sit-ups will lead to sexy abs, and they are half right: Strengthening these muscles will help them look better, but sit-ups alone won’t do the trick. In order to get the six-pack you've always dreamed of, you must also watch what you eat, and do a full body workout that incorporates cardio and strength training along with your sit-ups.
Scam No. 3: Exercise in a Bottle
What this was: A supplement that "guaranteed" you more fat loss and exercise capability.
Why it was doomed to fail: While you can enhance your metabolism with certain supplements, you can never replace physical training when it comes to improving your cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. Proponents of this scam knew that many people were just looking for an easy way to get a fit body. With proper marketing schemes, they sucked in thousands of customers who were too lazy to put in the hard work.
Ultimate fate: Many overweight people bought into this scam only to find out that the pills did not work. They realized that taking supplements can only do so much, and that good results do not come that easily.
Scam No. 4: The Sex Workout
What this was: Certain authors claimed that you could lose weight by having sex.
Why it was doomed to fail: While sex is highly enjoyable, it does not burn enough calories to lead to any major weight loss results.
Ultimate fate: A few people still believe in this principle, but the real reason sex helps some individuals shed pounds may be related to its underlying mechanisms. If people are having more sex, chances are they are eating less because they have less time to raid the fridge. They also release more sexual hormones, which are known to reduce the desire to eat.
Scam No. 5: The 24-Hour Arm Workout
What this was: An arm workout that was designed to make you gain 3/8 of an inch on your arms in 24 hours. You were given a specific diet to follow and a workout to do each hour.
Why it was doomed to fail: This scam relied more on inflammation and tissue damage to measure growth than anything else. After performing such a high workload, your muscle fibers become highly damaged and inflamed. Plus, with an increase in carbs in your diet, you take in extra water, which leads to a fuller look. Although the 24-hour arm workout may leave your pipes looking larger than before, the muscles themselves are not getting any bigger.
Ultimate fate: Some people have given this workout a try only to realize its results are short-lived. In order for your muscles to grow, they need time to recover. If you want bigger arms, it’s going to take dedication, persistence and time. It will not happen in 24 hours.
don't be a sucker
Next time you are reading about the latest fitness product, make sure to evaluate what the source is and how credible its claims are. If you feel it may be a good idea, give it a try for a short period of time, but if no progress is seen, let it go and replace it with a more traditional method of training.