[Series] Most Highly Debated Fitness Topics v1

   These days it’s all the rage for fitness professionals to take a stand on issues facing the industry. After all, everybody wants more hits to their website, more comments on their articles, and more shares on social media.

One of the easiest ways to elicit the desired viral response is to make blanket statements like “Lift heavy,” “Never do crunches,” and “Forget cardio just lift weights faster.”

The truth is that when it comes to training — no matter how linear many “experts” make things out to be — most issues come in shades of grey. Everything exists as non-linear.

Below, I describe four of the most controversial and highly debated subjects in fitness and how we might all benefit from slotting ourselves and our clients somewhere in the middle, instead of choosing one side of the debate over the other.  Enjoy xx

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Low Reps vs High Reps

   Anything over 6 reps is cardio, and we all know how cardio destroys gains, correct? In actuality, due to differences in fiber type composition, different muscles hypertrophy best at different – and often multiple – rep ranges. For maximal muscular development, then, a variety of set and rep schemes should be employed in my opinion.

Finding: Hit multiple rep ranges (low, medium, high, super high) throughout the course of a week or training cycle.

Full-Body Lifts vs Direct Core Work

   Floor “ab” routines don’t see results?  Squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and overhead presses are all the core work you need, correct? It’s been shown that full-body barbell lifts do elicit high levels of core work. Even so, for those with a weaker core, a few extra sets of direct core work either at the beginning or end of the session are a must. On the opposite end of the spectrum, for clients with extremely strong cores, the best way to provide a significant training stimulus is through direct core work. 

Finding: On top of the big full-body lifts, throw in several of direct core exercises each session.

Static Stretching vs Dynamic Stretching

   Static stretching limits strength and power production and should be avoided at all costs… Not so fast. Static stretching feels good, and many folks really need it. Plus, dynamic stretching following static stretching negates the aforementioned limits.

Finding: Prior to the workout, static stretch then dynamic stretch. Post-workout, static stretch.

Compound vs Isolation Exercises

   Isolation is a waste of time. Just do all the big compound lifts, and the little muscles will take care of themselves, correct? Multi-joint exercise like squats and pull-ups should make up the bulk of training. However, multi-level exercises are less helpful for training certain muscles. Take the hamstrings and biceps, for instance. Since they don’t change length appreciably during compound lifts, isolation is actually the best way to strengthen them, in my opinion.  Especially if these muscles are weak links in the chain, isolation is a must. Plus, it’s nice to give the people what they want (when it won’t hurt them).

Finding:  Emphasize compound lifts, but also incorporate single-joint exercises to strengthen weak links and as a way to polish off certain muscle groups.

Summary

   Never forego an entire training program simply because one "expert," in an effort to get attention, insists on its uselessness. Avoid such black and white thinking and debates on fitness topics. Instead, keep an open mind and stick to the middle of the road on most issues. By exposing yourself to broader training stimulus, you give your body that much more of an opportunity to improve and succeed.