INVENTED VS DISCOVERED – MAKING A CHANGE OR TAKING YOUR CHANGE.

If you’ve been involved or interested in the health and fitness industry for any longer than about 2 hours, you’ll be well aware by now that it is rife with companies or celebrities claiming that they have that one, weird secret/trick/formula/method that is what you need to help you achieve everything from a slim waist to a fat bank account. 

As personal experiences and scientific studies have shown time and time again, these methods are usually complete hogwash! I’m sorry, but I’m 99.99% sure that there’s no secret-trick to melting body-fat that the government doesn’t want you to know about.

So, how can we go about deciphering what is actually true and what is sensationalism for sole the purpose of taking your money?

One method that I am personally fond of, is asking the question:

Was it invented or discovered?

By examining the origins of the topic in question, we begin to gather a better comprehension of it’s ability to establish change in the area that we are seeking improvement.

I will give a few examples for both training and nutrition which will hopefully help you understand what I’m referring to.

NUTRITION

Calories & Macronutrients – Discovered.

After many years of observation, analysis and experimentation, scientists learned that calories and macronutrients are the governing nutritional factors of weight control and body composition.

Detoxes & Cleanses – Invented.

To the informed consumer, this one seems an obvious no-no, but unfortunately millions, if not billions, shill out their hard earned every year in hopes of achieving drastic weight loss and health improvements from these overpriced, inefficacious concoctions.

TRAINING

The Principles of Specificity & Overload – Discovered.

How we adapt to training (positively vs negatively, a lot vs a little) is basically determined by our own biological make-up.

We can’t “hack” our physiology.

We can only work with it, or disrupt it – ideally in a positive manner.

Either way, we are at the mercy of our physiology, not the other way around.

Again, over time, using observational analysis, it was discovered that in order to achieve the desired physiological adaptations (progress), we must make the training that we do specific to what we are trying to achieve, as well as sufficiently overloading in order to produce the desired change.

Specialised Implement/Machine Training (Bowflex, Thigh-master & anything that vibrates) – Invented.

Most of the popular machines and devices seen on late-night informercials will do zilch to nothing-at-all for you, except make you look like a clumsy creep!

You DO NOT require any special equipment in order to effectively train. Anyone who says any differently IS lying to you.

Even though “weights” in general are very useful and effective, there is still nothing inherently magical about them. It is just a means of enhancing the effects of gravity on the musculature – as opposing gravity (or any other force) requires muscular tension.
Simply holding your body upright and resisting gravity,  still requires muscular tension.

If there was not a barbell or dumbbell to be found on earth, gravity would still exist.

Therefore, progressive muscular tension could still be achieved – equipment or not.

Now, let me offer a caveat – Although examining the origin of something offers valuable insight into its validity and ability to produce desirable change, it is by no means an extensive or exhaustive procedure. It is merely a starting point for assessment and a useful way for ensuring your BS detecter is somewhat finely-tuned. There will always be exceptions to every rule.

Critical Thinking…

Finally, I advocate that all of you reading this begin to think more critically about things in your life and demand evidence to support claims that are made. This doesn’t just apply to health and fitness, but everything! Remember, the more drastic a claim is and more extraordinary it sounds, the more extraordinary the supporting evidence must be.

 Be skeptical, to a reasonable extent. It’s better to be skeptical from the start and to change your mind when sufficient evidence arises, than to invest in something financially, emotionally, socially or whatever and have it burn you in return.

It is not a bad thing to be dubious and question things.

However, you must also be willing to change your mind and opinion. Although this should only occur when sufficient evidence arises supporting a new idea or refuting your current beliefs.

Be careful with your decisions, think critically otherwise you too may endure financial, emotional and social hardship.

Invest wisely!