Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2015

The Trend is Always a Trap: Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2015
Mahony Brogan skill related fitness components

Verified Annotations By: Mahony Brogan 

 

The fitness industry loves trends. Every year it seems like there's a new type of training or new piece of equipment that supposedly works better than anything before it. A lot of this is just flashy marketing, but even when one of these trends turns out to be legitimate, that doesn't mean it's a viable option for everyone.

That's why I wanted to write this. There are a lot of ridiculous fitness trends out there, but there are also some good ones that might address your personal fitness needs. My goal is to help you navigate these trends so that you won't fall victim to the trap like so many others.

1. Body Weight Training  skill related fitness components

I imagine this is at the top of the list thanks to strong push from social media networks and the commercial fitness sector, which saves a lot of moolah peddling body weight exercise programs. Body weight training is useful in two scenarios:

a) You don’t have access to proper facilities/equipment.
b) You are considerably detrained.  skill related fitness components

If you don’t have any equipment or your goal is simply to increase your physical activity, body weight training might be for you. However, if you have loftier goals and the right equipment, body weight training is a waste of your time.  skill related fitness components

2. High-intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T)

This is sometimes referred to as metabolic training because it targets the different energy systems in the body at different times during the workout, which allows you to maintain a higher average intensity compared to traditional steady-state cardio.

What’s nice about H.I.I.T. is that a typical training session will include a lot of variety and only takes about 30 minutes. It's also one of the most effective methods for burning fat.

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The bad news is that H.I.I.T. programs are difficult to design appropriately and require a lot of individualized attention. The exercise selection also tends to be more advanced and may even require special equipment that you won't find in a lot of gyms. Beginners will also find it very difficult to push themselves to this level of intensity, so it may not be a good option for them.  skill related fitness components

3. Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals

This has been one of the top trends for the past few years now, which is great to see. It has fallen back a few spots, though, which may be because the commercial sector has been slow to adopt more rigorous hiring practices. Many clubs still value sales skills in their trainers more than a strong understanding of human physiology or exercise program design.  skill related fitness components

If you’re in the market for a trainer, be sure to shop smart and ask for the following information before making any decisions:  skill related fitness components

Accreditation – In my opinion, the most respected organizations for fitness professional accreditation are NSCA and ACSM. Both provide basic certification of personal trainers as well as more advanced certifications, such as certified strength and conditioning specialist (NSCA-CSCS) and health fitness specialist (ACSM-HFS).

Education – A CPT only requires a high school diploma, so
these are typically the least educated professionals. A CSCS, on the other hand, requires a bachelor’s degree, but that degree doesn't have to be exercise related. Finally, an HFS requires a b.s. in exercise science, exercise physiology, or kinesiology.  skill related fitness components

Experience – Experience is important in any field, but I tend to think that education trumps experience in the fitness industry because education was such a low priority 10 years ago. There are a lot of fitness professionals out there with plenty of experience but a limited understanding of exercise physiology or program design, so be careful how much importance you place on experience when looking for a personal trainer.  skill related fitness components

4. Strength training

In my mind, this should be number one on the list every year. The fitness industry is still very “aerobic-centric”, but more and more research is beginning to uncover the wide-ranging benefits of strength training.

I strongly believe that everyone – and I mean everyone – should be strength training in some form or fashion, regardless of their immediate goals. The reason for this is because strength training can have a positive outcome on every other component of health- or skill-related fitness.

With that said, effective strength training requires at least a working knowledge of human anatomy and a decent program, so you may have to do a little research or consult with a professional at some point.

5. Personal training  skill related fitness components

For a long time, commercial gyms would hire anyone who looked athletic and had decent social skills. Unfortunately, these people really had no clue what they were doing. Today, trainers are expected to have a recognized certification and preferably an exercise-related degree.

The value of personal training basically boils down to three things: (1) accountability/motivation, (2) more efficient progress, and (3) a lower risk of injury.

This all depends on the education and experience of your trainer, though, so make sure to look into this (see #3) before you do business with anyone.

6. Exercise and weight loss  skill related fitness components

Eating habits play a greater role in determining your weight than your exercise habits do, and since fitness professionals generally aren't qualified to address dietary issues, you should be very careful about what kind of weight loss services you purchase.

I have a hard time believing that your average gym will have the qualified professionals on staff for these types of services. You may be better off just purchasing a straight-forward training package and then using some of the free resources on nutrition and health behaviors from qualified professionals that are out there.

7. Yoga

Yoga’s place on this list has frustrated me over the years. It's not that I doubt the mental, physical, and emotional benefits yoga can provide, but those benefits are usually overblown and rarely have any empirical research to back them up. The hype is ridiculous.

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Nonetheless, if you haven't tried yoga before, it's something to consider. It can be fun and relaxing and it beats the hell out of sitting around all day watching TV.  skill related fitness components

8. Fitness programs for older adults

I think that fitness professionals could play a pivotal role in solving the potential crisis brought on by our aging population, but a lot of important factors have to fall in place. For one example, there needs to be much closer collaboration between fitness professionals, doctors, and insurance companies.

For highly active seniors, most certified personal trainers at commercial gyms or health clubs should be able to provide appropriate programming. However, older adults that are less active or otherwise suffering from chronic conditions should be working with an ACSM-HFS and do their best to make sure their physician is included in the process.  skill related fitness components

9. Functional fitness

Functional fitness was a huge meme in the fitness industry a few years ago, but it seems to have died down a little bit (luckily).

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Functional fitness is anything that helps you to accomplish your physical goals, whether that means deadlifting twice your weight or just being able to perform daily activities around the house. As such, I would be very suspicious of any fitness professional who tells you that their training methods are inherently more "functional" than other methods out there.  skill related fitness components

10. Group personal training

Group personal training is a little tricky. It’s a cheaper option and the social aspect usually makes it more enjoyable than 1-on-1 training, so a lot of people prefer it.

However, everyone has different goals, skill-levels, and fitness needs, which means there still needs to be some individualization included for group training to be effective. Unfortunately, this is not something that a lot of trainers are willing or able to do.  skill related fitness components