Worst pieces of exercise crap

word · October 24th, 2009, 09:35 AM

I just saw something so ridiculous while I was watching TV with my girlfriend and it reminded (again) of how much crap is out there in the fitness world.

Remember this gem?
The gadget in question was the infamous infomercial for the Shake Weight. A “special” dumbbell, “specifically engineered for women…” instead of “big machines designed to create bulky muscles…”
Now I know that most reasonable people will pay as much attention to this commercial as the next “as seen on tv” thing (save for the suggestive exercise they continuously demonstrate), but it highlights a few things that really bother me about the fitness industry.
First,
the company manufacturing this product must have some major bucks to pour into marketing because they even got The View (one of the worst shows in the history of television to obtain fitness advice).
Check it out: YouTube - The Shake Weight On "The View"
I don’t watch The View at all so I can’t be sure if they were being serious or sarcastic but…it seems to me that although the audience took it as a joke, the hosts were genuinely trying to push the product. This bothers me about shows like this. Instead of using their position to expose the audience to real information that will help them lose fat, they choose to push anything they’re paid too…
…even if their own audience doesn’t take them seriously.
Second,
The message in the commercial itself. Fitness marketers of questionable products and services often prey on an unfounded fear many women have of feeling weak and intimidated by weights, gyms, and working out in general. The “make you bulky/long and lean” line is a classic propaganda tool having nothing to do with truth or science and more to do with fitness companies scaring women from weight training.
The simple fact is an intense exercise program consisting of weight and interval training coupled with an integrated nutritional program is the only recipe to be lean and toned (sorry but muscles don’t lengthen without surgical intervention unfortunately) and reap all of the health benefits including improved heart health, strength, and bone density to name a few.
It comes down to this.
Fitness should be fun but that doesn’t mean you need to purchase those crazy gadgets out there and every gadget isn’t exactly safe to use.

Here are the five worst fitness gadgets and machines I have ever seen from the bad to the most ridiculous…

5. Elliptical

This machine isn’t totally useless. However, out of all of the cardio choices out there it burns the least amount of calories and translates the least to functional movement. Yet somehow it remains to be one of the most popular devices people choose.
I do admit to one good use for it. People who are recovering or have chronic injuries may only be able to use it because of the low impact nature.

4. Ab Trainer

This thing…is unfortunately occupied at every chain gym I’ve been to. There are two main forms of it. The floor model and the bench model.
Both equally useless.
It promotes even less core activation than a regular crunch by acting as a crutch for the simple movement of flexing the trunk. It also gives people yet another reason to perform another trunk flexion exercise which they do not need.

3. Bosu Ball

Again, the bosu ball isn’t necessarily a bad piece of equipment. It’s has more to do with the exercises people choose to do on them. Stability training has it’s place in a varied exercise plan but heavy squats, jumping around on them etc. is not one of them.

2. Abdominal Crunch Machine

Now this machine is literally garbage and I see people using it ALL OF THE TIME. Not only does it further promote more trunk flexion which people usually do way too much anyway, but it places some of the most dangerous strain on the lower back.

1. Abductor Machine

Another machine that appears to have an endless waiting line and is also utterly useless. It doesn’t convert to any natural movement of the body. It also doesn’t produce any substantial muscle activation to increase metabolism and burn fat. The popularity of this thing is directly proportional to the belief of the “spot reduction myth”, which refers to decreasing fat in one specific area of the body by exercising that particular muscle. Which is of course, false.
So there you have my list of the top five bad exercise gadgets out there. For my next post I’ll give you a list of better options to use instead. However I’m sure more bad ones exist out there that I’ve forgotten or don’t know about.
Do you have an exercise machine or gadget you can’t stand let us know what it is and why?
The Worst Pieces Of Exercise Crap (Dust Collectors) | Ready For Fitness

Banshee · October 24th, 2009, 09:53 AM

Someone who knows more about this, please help me out; what is so awful about this "trunk flexion" that the author is speaking so disparagingly about?

Icepik · October 24th, 2009, 10:02 AM

Well, apparently I've been wasting my time on the Abductor Machine.

AllieCat · October 24th, 2009, 10:58 AM

I use an eliptical almost everyday... I break a sweat on it, so it can't be that bad right?? I'm confused now.

MrsDark · October 24th, 2009, 11:43 AM

I burn a ton of calories on the elliptical. My husband gets a good workout on it too. He's a big guy with "football knees" so he actually gets a better, longer cardio workout on this because of the lower impact.

celeb_2006 · October 24th, 2009, 11:43 AM

I think they could have come up with worse equipment than the above. I don't think the ab machines/devices are particularly worthless, though some of the ones they used to advertise made me laugh, like the one that you placed on your midsection and pulled towards you.

I have the Iron Gym, and that's one of the best things I have ever bought. It was like 25 bucks, go it a year ago, and I still use it. It's a pull up thingie that conventiently attaches to a door frame, and you can take it with you traveling.

MrsDark · October 24th, 2009, 11:52 AM

Two pieces of equipment that are all you need to get a full body workout:

yanna · October 24th, 2009, 12:25 PM

I'm good with the elliptical. I used to just go on a treadmill and forget to get off it but I have multiple injuries and my joints can't take it.

I agree on the abdominal crunch machine though I haven't seen one that looks quite like that and I'm not 100% sure wtf trunk flexion is. But it kills my back. I think nothing beats good, old fashioned sit ups.

not sure what's his big beef against the abductor. It might not make your butt smaller but toning it can't hurt, can it?

Nightdragon · October 24th, 2009, 01:41 PM

I want to get an eliptical trainer, but I barely use the treadmill I have already. I just don't think it does as good of a job as the eliptical. My sister in law had one and the pounds fell off. With the treadmill, meh, not so much.

I have the ab roller and the thigh master somewhere hiding in a box upstairs too. Gotta love em!

atrayubrandy · October 24th, 2009, 04:36 PM

Honestly, I'm not putting a lot of stock in to this article. While I do agree that there are some ridiculous exercise equipment out there, I find it very hard to believe that the machines that helped change my body in the past aren't beneficial. When I had a gym membership the elliptical trainer was my favorite cardio machine because I could do it for a really long time, break a crazy sweat, and my joints wouldn't throb the next day. I don't get the problem with the Bosu Ball. It's a great stability tool and doing a normal workout routine on top of it makes your abs work even harder to keep you balanced. The next day my abs always feel like somebody has hit me repeatedly in my stomach. I've got to assume that means I got a good ab workout. As for the Abductor machine, I don't even understand the author's complaint. The machine isn't meant for "spot reduction," it's meant to build muscle through weight resistance. Just like all of the other weight equipment. Duh. I used to LOVE my gym's abductor/adductor machines. I built so much thigh muscle I could crack walnuts. And on the same note, the thigh master may be a joke now-a-days but that thing will still work your inner thighs like nobody's business!!

Grimmlok · October 24th, 2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsDark

Two pieces of equipment that are all you need to get a full body workout:

Yup. All you need.

celeb_2006 · October 25th, 2009, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsDark

Two pieces of equipment that are all you need to get a full body workout:

That's good. To that I would add a barbell along with a squat rack or even power rack where I could do benches if I wanted.

A*O · October 25th, 2009, 02:57 AM

My mother just had knee reconstruction surgery after ripping her cartilege on one of those stupid bosu balls. That's what happens when a competitive and very fit (to be fair) 75yr old tries to do a class with a load of buffed gym bunnies half her age. I'm annoyed with the "trainer" aka "2 weeks of evening classes at the local tech college" who didn't tell her it wasn't a good idea.