Fitness Scams

With December finally here and the new year not far behind, we are now constantly being bombarded with the latest and greatest weight loss solutions, and many seem too good to be true (because they are). After some research I managed to compile a list of those phony fitness fixes, don’t fall for ’em!

1. The Electronic Ab Exerciser

Some of you may remember this one – a belt worn around your abdomen which claimed to send electric currents through your stomach, somehow exercising your ab muscles. Hopefully none of you fell for this one, because it’s what some might like to call an “epic fail.” It’s a fact that we need a combination of diet, cardiovascular exercise and strength training to really lose weight, which the “Flex Belt” cannot provide.

2. The Crunch Craze

8-minute abs – sounds like a dream right? Well joke’s on you because spot reduction has proven to be wildly UNsuccessful. However, couple your endless sit-ups with diet and cardio work and you just might get that six pack you’ve been looking for!

3. “Skinny in a Bottle”

Hot body in a bottle – a supplement claiming to slim you down in a matter of months or even weeks! Yeah right, these pills may be able to speed up your metabolism slightly, but are in no way a substitution for real weight loss techniques.

4. The 24-Hour Arm Workout

This fitness fad claimed that with a particular diet and certain arm exercises every hour, one could gain 3/8 of an inch on their arms in just 24 hours. In reality this regiment just caused tissue damage and inflammation due to overuse of the arm muscle and no recovery time. What appeared to be a larger muscle was really the result of damaged muscle fibers and increased water weight from a high-carb diet. To truly build muscle it takes time, you can’t become a muscleman in 24 hours, people.

So next time you’re mesmerized by an infomercial claiming to give you an ideal body in the time it takes you to call the 1-800 number, think again. Results take hard work and dedication, so don’t get scammed this year!
Sources: www.askmen.com