Why are we Anti Diets But Swear But Fad Workouts????

amann1976
amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Everybody on this site says diets dont work, diets can't be maintained long term blah blah blah but when it comes to these fads like P90x or Insanity people on here swear by them. Those workout videos you see on infomercials are just like diets you can't sustain them over a long period of time so why do we continue to use them and or recommend them.

you can get the same results that you get from 30 minute shred or P90x or any of the others by busting your behind in the gym 3 4 or more days a week. and you don't have to worry about running out of levels on the videos.

I'll give you the fact that the gym is not accessible or affordable for everyone but what about the rest of you????
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Replies

  • PattyC64
    PattyC64 Posts: 56 Member
    I've been using exercise videos for years and don't see them as a fad. It's what fits in my schedule. When I go to the gym, I tend to do the same circuit over and over. I like the variety and feel that I'm getting "pushed" more when following a video. I do like classes at the gyms, but again, it doesn't fit my schedule. The best exercise is the one you get up and do.
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    Please amend the word "everybody"
    We now know at least 2 people who don't do fad exercises.

    My old soccer coach told me years ago if we did aerobics we would be dropped from the team due to high injury rates.

    Cardio and gym for me..


    I won't can the people who do them, only the people who push them.
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
    I don't think I understand your point. You say they are fad workouts but that you can get the same results using them as going to the gym? So basically it's just people choosing to workout at home instead of paying to go to a gym. You don't have to do these workouts in level order for the days specified. You can use the to work out at home and mix them up. I have done the 30 day shred and ripped in 30 from start to finish and now do the workouts from them and from other DVDs in random order.

    If I didn't do these I probably wouldn't exercise as I don't like the gym, it costs too much and it's not convenient for me. It should matter how people choose to workout, just that they do something.

    I'm getting really bored of the people on this site who think their way is the only way. :grumble:
  • cdugan2600
    cdugan2600 Posts: 3
    I'd wager most people tout whatever they have found success with. That's why when something like P90X or Insanity works for them, they get very excited (perhaps overly) and want to believe they have found the "best" way to lose weight, bulk up, etc...

    Not necessarily a bad thing, but it's kinda like putting blinders on and for some folks that is necessary for success. Others need to be able to survey the landscape, try a few different things, gauge the success of each, review the results, and decide how easily it would be to maintain within the confines of their life style.

    I think you find that ultimately, the people that are new to successes are more vocal about exactly how they did it, what worked for them, and sometimes project that on to everyone else because they expect that the results can be replicated easily. On the other hand, folks who have had success over an extended period of time knows that failure is required to have any success at all. Hence the more generalized approach of "find what works for you". That of course takes time and often failure to find the right balance and I reckon most people who are frustrated with their current health are looking for the quick and easy way to success. Just some food for thought.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    What difference does it make if you buy a workout video and do it at home or you pay a membership fee and drive to a gym to do the same thing? I don't live anywhere near a gym and would have to spend over an hour of drive time to get to and from one plus spend money I don't have on a membership. I can buy a Jillian Michaels DVD for $10 and use it at home anytime I want, as much as I want and as you say get the same results as going to the gym. I also run outside on the back roads not on a fancy track in a gym so does that make my running unacceptable?

    A fad diet where you only eat cabbage is much different that doing an exercise program that you enjoy. There's no down side to doing a "fad" workout like Insanity that there would be to eating only certain foods or really low calories. It is totally sustainable to do your "fad" exercise program at home for years. I still use my Wii programs 3 years after I bought them.
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    So let me explain: By your own admission, the "Fad" work out is nothing you couldn't do at the gym anyway. I would agree and here is the difference between something like p90x and the "fad" diet. You CAN sustain p90x for life, if you wanted, just like you can sustain a workout routine at the gym for a lifetime. The problem with "fad" diets is they don't teach you how to eat "in the real world". You CAN sustain them if you refuse to ever eat carbs again(Atkins) or only eat what the "cavepeople" ate(Paelo) or only Drink Nutrition Shakes 2 times a day(Shakeology, etc), but that isn't very likely, AND that is why people usually end up gaining all the weight back once they stop or fall of that wagon. If you learn how to eat in moderation, eat healthy and understand what to eat and how to exercise(no matter what type of "fad" routine you use), you will have long term, sustainable success. We are Anti-Fad Diet because it simply doesn't work long term, which is why MOST people are yo-yo dieters and go from one fad to another.
  • trizzell79
    trizzell79 Posts: 153 Member
    I think "fad" workouts are great! I'm always up for trying new things to keep me interested and motivated. I would get bored doing the same circuit for the next 30+ years. :happy:
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    "Fads" don't work and don't yield results. Because they're fads.

    Insanity and P90X do work and do yield results. Thus, they're not fads.
  • dvisser1
    dvisser1 Posts: 788 Member
    the only "fad" exercise "programs" I can think of are the ones you see advertised on tv saying all you need is 10 minutes a day. Um....no. Insanity, P90X, 30DS, even Richard Simmons or the Jack Lalanne show long before in home video players, all teach you an exercise program and how to do exercises properly. There is nothing "fad" about using those videos to exercise at home because they are almost the same as doing an exercise class in the gym or working with a personal trainer.

    I would also say that not all diets are "fad" diets. Any diet that is built around excluding or limiting your food choices and basically does not lead to the user of the diet learning how to eat in a healthy manner is destined for failure in my opinion.

    For ultimate health, each person needs to learn how to eat a healthy diet and how to incorporate physical activity into their daily life. Doesn't matter if it's a gym workout, dvd workouts or splitting wood / hauling hay bales on a farm, as long as you are interested enough in continuing that exercise.
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    Have you ever tried P90X or Insanity? Don't bash it till you try it!
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    I don't do the videos, but I do change my workout in the gym periodically. In fact it's recommended to change your routine about every 6 weeks, or so. Changing videos, is really no different. People need to do what they like doing. Whether it's videos, gym, sports, outdoor cycling, running, or hiking. Whatever gets you off your *kitten* and doing physical activity will help.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Mainly because the whole process is like 80% diet, 20% exercise.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Personally, I'd rather do a half hour of heavy lifting that works my whole body and makes me tush look great than do a 30 minute buttock-specific dvd workout.

    Some people like following a very specific plan. Some don't. For some, they're a "gateway drug" to other types of exercise. For others, they're enough.

    But I don't really see workout dvds as fads... the majority of them are a helluva lot better than the "do these three moves with dumbbells as heavy as a soup can and you'll look like a fitness model" claims that magazines often have.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Who is this "we" you speak of?
  • Newf77
    Newf77 Posts: 802 Member
    Fad Diets are just that diets, most people here will state they are not dieting but rather learning to modify their lifestyle. What would you rather do learn how to eat in moderation and what foods may or may not work for you {MFP; Weight Watchers; Slim4Life}. Or have you chosen to never eat a slice of cake again in your lifetime, eat only in cycles, have soup every day? Do you classify a Nutritionals a fad?

    "Fad" exercise programs like MFP; Weight Watchers; Slim4Life, teach you how to do exercises. They are a form of a Personal Trainer, likened to a Physical Nutritionals. They help you to build a base to work off of.
    Someone had to teach you what food was, exercise programs teach you what exercise is.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    I think anything that gets you moving is NOT a fad.
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    I do what I can. A gym is not close or cheap enough for me. I also get bored doing the same workout over and over. So, if there is video that challenges me and keeps me interested I would not call it a fad. I would call it motivation.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    wtf are you talking about? :huh:
  • tabi26
    tabi26 Posts: 535 Member
    Does this mean that I can't workout at all???? I live over 100km to the nearest gym!! So I guess that means I may as well just throw in the towel now, since there's no way I could afford to drive over 2 hours to hit a gym! Let alone find 5 or 6 hours in day to get there workout and get home! What do you have to say to the people who don't have gym access??? Any helpful advice??

    Thank goodness I'm not new to this or your post may have thrown me for a loop!
  • TinGirl314
    TinGirl314 Posts: 430 Member
    Mostly because eating better should be a life style change. It should be sustainable long term, forever if you will. Fad diets don't USUALLY produce those results, though a few of my friends have proven me wrong.

    There is nothing 'fad' about PX90...it's hard as hell. Also, with exercise you're SUPPOSED to change up your routine. You're not supposed to do the same video for the rest of your life.

    Also this little motto I carry in my pocket: Live and let live.
    Why focus on someone else's journey at all?
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    I've been doing TF workouts for over a year so... I wouldn't call it a fad. It's free, I can do it at home, and you can save time by doing the compound exercises in the program. The HIIT workouts are great too for fast effective cardio.
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    The fad exercises I am wary of are the ones where you buy an expensive piece of equipment which lies dormant after a few weeks (at best)
    or exercise plans which are not tailored for the person correctly causing injury.

    Fad exercises like these are everywhere, even in gyms and suck up your money.

    If you work out at home or the gym that is not a fad in itself. It's what you do that's important.

    Please don't get defensive about things which you really know the OP is not talking about.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    The fad exercises I am wary of are the ones where you buy an expensive piece of equipment which lies dormant after a few weeks (at best)
    or exercise plans which are not tailored for the person correctly causing injury.

    Fad exercises like these are everywhere, even in gyms and suck up your money.

    If you work out at home or the gym that is not a fad in itself. It's what you do that's important.

    Please don't get defensive about things which you really know the OP is not talking about.

    The OP did mention Insanity / P90X - which are good solid programs. Though, I'm sure it's not practical for everyone to do the exercises in the programs or spend the amount of money that's asked to buy the programs.
  • tmbowen12
    tmbowen12 Posts: 175 Member
    I think anything that gets you moving is NOT a fad.

    This!!!!
  • banks89202
    banks89202 Posts: 270
    I need someone to show me what to do...the videos help me in that way. I don't want to pay for a gym membership ( I would rather pay for a video then $$480 bucks a year at a gym!!! ) and I can stay at home and do what I need to do.
  • t2kburl
    t2kburl Posts: 123 Member
    I think the point is how these forums are loaded with fad diet bashing and curiously asks why the same standards are not applied to workout programs that could be perceived as fads because those who follow/participate in/endorse them act similarly to those who believe strongly in their favorite diet.
    Its a valid point
    The examples chosen were probably not the greatest.

    My personal opinion is that the best method is to find whatever works for YOU, that makes YOU happy and gets YOU the results YOU are looking for and DO IT!
  • BlackTimber
    BlackTimber Posts: 230 Member
    I think I understand what the OP is saying. Programs like P90X seem to be brutal tests of your ability to take the pain of an extreme workout. It would seem that even the people that get great results from the program will have difficulty repeating it because it is so hard. I have friends that have done P90X and none of them have continued with it, even though they were totally into it while they were doing it. I have often had similar thoughts. When I start something new, is this something that I can see myself doing for a long time. I enjoy going for walks, riding my bike hard and heavy lifting.
  • MJMARIN81
    MJMARIN81 Posts: 49
    I have done Insanity and I agree it is not something you would do lifelong. However, it is something to give you that boost of confidence of "if I can do this, then I can do a any workout" and also a boost in endurance to do what ever it is you would like to. Shortly after Insanity I began to run and I feel Insanity has totally helped my running.
  • tvanhooser
    tvanhooser Posts: 326 Member
    The best exercise is the one you get up and do.

    Yep ^THIS^ It's hard to argue that you burn more calories off the couch than on no matter what form of exercise you choose!! I figure as long as I am moving, more than just my daily routine, it ALL COUNTS and adds up to something significant sooner or later!!
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Fad diets and dad workouts are really two different things, However if you go for weird exercise stuff like wrapping yourself in saran wrap to exercise then you have a point.

    Exercise, any movement that gets your heart rate up is awesome. Fad diets are not nutritionally balanced and not sustainable.

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