Every industry out there experiences change, with new trends emerging and older ones left behind. The same is true for the fitness industry, which has also evolved significantly over the years and continues to do so. While some trends are certainly good and remain evergreen, there are others that do not last for long because they are of no use. There are fitness fads that have popped up over the years that fall in this category. Some of these that you should leave hind in 2024 are highlighted below.
Overtraining
The mantra of ‘no rest days’ is a thing of the past and the new buzzword in the fitness industry is recovery. If you want to prevent injuries, ensure muscle growth and maintain overall health, then you need to rest. If you skip rest days, it would only lead to overtraining, reduced fitness progress and injuries. You cannot ignore the importance of giving your body rest, especially with mounting pressure from family and work. If you add too much intense exercise without an equal amount of recovery, it can lead you down the path to illness and injury.
Doing cardio for weight loss
A lot of people operate under the assumption that high-intensity cardio workouts are a must when you want to achieve your weight loss goals. There is no denying that cardio is beneficial for fat loss and heart health, but you need to take a more balanced approach when you want to get shredded. This means following a healthy diet, engaging in strength training and sustainable cardio routines. As effective as HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is, it is not the best approach for everyone. You can boost your heart rate and burn extra calories with low-intensity workouts like brisk walking, or strength training.
Body-part splits for gaining muscles
The ‘split’ method involves training different major muscle groups every day of the week, such as chest on Monday, triceps on Tuesday, back on Wednesday and so on. But, the fact is that splits aimed at working muscle group twice or thrice a week, or full-body workouts are likely to be more effective for muscle gain. If you hit every muscle group at least twice or thrice a week, it will help you grow bigger and not lead to too much fatigue.
Avoiding lifting
When it comes to weight lifting, there is a common misconception that it can hurt your knees and lower back. However, this is not based on fact because strength training can actually provide a lot of benefits, especially when it comes to improving joint health as well as your overall strength. This includes strength in your knees and lower back as well. The important thing to remember is that you need to make gradual progress and also maintain proper form.
Doing partial reps
Fitness influencers and bodybuilders had introduced the concept of partial reps at the end of quality sets for increased stimulus, but there is not much evidence to back it. A full range of motion is a much better approach because it leads to improved joint health and overall muscle development.
