Fear sells better than science

You will hear it in the gym, see it on the interwebz and social media, in books and magazines; it is inundated everywhere you turn, floods your common sense and logic and replaces it with fear.

You can surely find it on line with titles like:

"the 5 WORST exercises you must STOP doing right now"

In magazines with titles like:

"The 3 BEST exercises you will ONLY need to do. Ever"

On Instagram with captions like:

"To get a 6pack set of ABS like me <insert photoshopped fitness model> you MUST drink this fat blasting tea"

Or overheard in the gym like:

--Deadlifts will break your spine

--Leg extensions will tear your ACL

--Crunches will destroy your discs

--The upright row will wreck your shoulders

Again, I am definitely no scientist, but I've been around the block a few hundred times when it comes to hearing statements like this from personal clients, your average gym-goer and the general population. But, this fear mongering is getting out of control. All it does is induce more clicks on-line (interest) which translates into more money; 'click bait' as it's called, with the rational being, if we scare the crap out of uninformed consumers, we can sell more of our nonsense products/programs that is based on no scientific research whatsoever.

Something I have been guilty of doing and am working diligently on improving is labelling exercises GOOD or BAD. I'm learning daily, that it benefits no one, especially myself, to promote this dogma of segmenting exercises into such simplistic categories, like good versus bad. The answer is never that simple. Rather, the intention AND attention should be on HOW an exercise is prescribed and performed based on each individual's needs.

There is never a cookie cutter program that will suit everyone.

There are no absolutes for anything.

These good or bad exercises are for whom? When? How?

The individual client must be considered and their entire situation to make a well informed risk to benefit assessment on whether said exercises are good or bad. It's always so easy to compartmentalize in our heads, before we (and I'm speaking about personal trainers in general) demonize a certain exercise for our client. I admittedly have done it for my clients in the past and personally have practiced it for myself. I was naive then and can confidently say I have become a more well rounded trainer from those experiences after learning and reading more and more scientifically backed research.

Vindicating an exercise based purely on hearsay is just too easy.

If an extremely popular Instagram fitness 'pro' who has over a million followers suddenly declares that _x_ is a dangerous and ineffective exercise that will ruin your entire back, for example, but provides NO science based proof, the probability that a significant percentage of their followers will abstain from said exercise, I can only assume, would be markedly high. It's sad to say, but I've heard time and again a similar claim with my new clients that _x_ exercise, which happens to be a commonly vindicated move, i.e the deadlift, is 'bad for their back'.

Sure, the deadlift can be an inherently risky exercise for certain people with low back injuries, but should people be calling it a 'bad' or dangerous exercise?

Absolutely NOT.

It would be called a 'high risk' exercise for those people. The risk can be reduced if the exercise is done with guidance from an experienced trainer who can observe that the movement is performed with stellar form, lighter weights, not until failure and most definitely not done for a 1 rep max.

>>> Also, important to note, not everyone must perform a deadlift with a barbell, or straight off the floor. >>> Here lies the experience and knowledge of the trainer. If he/she knows the clients limitations, they will be able to incorporate the hinge movement safely without putting the client at risk. But to generalize that 'deadlifts are bad' is just plain and simple ignorance = it's just too easy.

So how do we combat these naysayers and the ill advised labelling of good versus bad exercises?

In general: - never judge or classify any exercise without a context

- consider the risk to benefit ratio

As fitness professionals - avoid dictating their choices, rather steer the clients to what will best suit their goals - while offering modifications as needed

As a gym goer - never let yourself be dictated by an 'expert', seek the truth based on evidence, not opinion and choose the best exercise based on your personal needs.