Fitness Trends
Working in this industry as long as I have I’ve seen many fitness trends come and go.
Remember re-bounders (lol), Step classes, Zoomba? Nutrition has been no different. I’ve been through the low fat craze, the South Beach days, the low carb revelation the Paleo solution, Fasting and now Keto. There are some pretty big trends out there right now. On one end you’ve got the very heavy Yang styles of exercise trends where its all about going to the gym to kick the crap out of yourself. If you aren’t grunting and screaming, bleeding somewhere, on the edge of barfing and passing out then you aren’t working out hard enough and need to suck it up. Then on the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got the very Yin side of trends where its all about sitting in a sweaty room meditating on a cloud searching for inner peace and enlightenment.
There is nothing wrong with either of those scenarios as long as you know what you want and are training accordingly. Don’t just follow some exercise or nutrition trend because it’s hot right now as it might be counter-intuitive and actually slow down your progress. I always say if you want to perform train for performance, If you want to look like a model train like one, If you want to look like a boxer train like one etc… Personally, when I have a high fashion model client I never train them cross-fit style. I would destroy their physique with nothing but heavy squats, overhead pressing, and pull-ups. Alternatively, if I was working with a woman who wanted to get physically stronger and perform better for her line of work as a stunt double then cross-fit might be the perfect style of training. Those statements might ruffle some Cross-fit feathers but any Pro Fitness Trainer knows them to be true. I have to know what my client’s intentions and goals are then train them accordingly. I cant just dump my ideas and goals onto to my clients just because I personally like to train a specific way. Watch out for this when looking for a trainer as I see this often!
The key is knowing your intention! Do you need (or want) to be lean, strong, balanced, agile & flexible? If so then cross-fit is not your thing. Yoga and functional training is more your thing. Do you need brute strength, performance, a challenge and are competitive in nature…awesome cross-fit is probably perfect for you. Are you really stressed out, have anxiety, tight and can’t imagine giving any more of your valuable energy away right now…then concentrating on your nutrition, meditation and Yin yoga is where it’s at for you my friend.
In order for trends to stay alive, continue to gain followers and make more money they tend to continually promote themselves as the only system you will ever need, usually while bashing all other forms of training. I don’t know about you but I like to add all kinds of elements into my training. I like a little cardio, some circuit training, lots of heavy lifting and tons of flexible training etc…this is how I feel and look the best. Could I use a little meditating on a cloud once and a while…maybe. Could I use a little more on the verge of barfing training to spice things up…maybe. My focus has always been on feeling good and looking good so personally, I’ve found a nice balance, but hey we are all different.
There is no “one diet” that works for everyone just as there also is no “one style of training” that will work for everyone. We all have different genetics, lifestyles, levels of stress and goals. Once we determine what our intentions and goals are then we can make the right decision for what kinds of exercise will work best for us. Try not to get sucked in by fitness trends as not all trends are healthy for you. Try a few things out, see what feels best then make your decision. Remember, trends come and go. A few years from now a new trend will be hitting hard. Are you going to jump from trend to trend or choose a mix of modalities that will keep you feeling healthy, fit, strong and flexible for life?
Balance is the key, my friends…this is the Yin/Yang way…it’s also the Jade Way :)
Namaste
Jade McClure – Vancouver Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach
