Stop with the superlatives!

           As someone who is highly interested in fitness, I consider myself a fitness enthusiast. Although I'd like to call myself an expert, I don't have the degree or the experience to be able to say so. But this observation of mine from the wide world of fitness doesn't (or rather, shouldn't) require much knowledge of biochemistry or muscoskeletal physiology.

             Everybody is constantly looking for the "best, biggest, strongest, MOST effective, fastest,etc"- the superlative way of doing things. It's great buisiness and an even better marketing tool, but it does not reflect reality when it comes to becoming fitter, losing weight, or building muscle mass. Your mom was not lying when she told you that you are special. Even though we are all human beings with the same basic physiology and bodily processes, we all have unique inner mechanisms and adapt to stimuli differently. What works for one person may not work for another.

             If you open up a fitness magazine at any point in time, my unscientific guess is that there is 75% chance that there will be a "mythbuster" article; one that proclaims to dispel those nasty rumors that spread around local gyms like wildfire. I think these are great, because many casual fitness junkies believe in dogmas that simply aren't true, i.e., fruit is bad for you because it's full of sugar or that low intensity exercise is best because it burns fat. But the problem is that fitness is not a one-way street. It's more like a big grassy field in the middle of nowhere: there is an infinite number of paths to reach any one central point. Just because a method is "unconventional" doesn't mean that it can't be effective, and just because this unconventional method works for some doesn't mean that it will work for all. This is where the superlatives come in: a so-called reputable person finds an exercise that works  wonders for his/her small experimental group, and then publishes a book that says it's the "best" way of becoming fit, losing weight, etc. Fitness just isn't meant to work this way.

                 I came about this opinion while I was reading about two new "unconventional" methods: Crossfit endurance and the barefoot movement in running shoes. Both methods have many followers and even more haters. My opinion on these two is this: they both can be incorporated into any endurance athlete's regimen and significantly increase their performance. If the transition is done correctly, the body will react positively to adapt to the new training stimulus. It's just how our bodies naturally respond to the environment (a defense mechanism). But this isn't what people want to hear. They don't want a "grey" answer. They want the black and white answer: "This is what works, and this is what doesn't work". And who could blame them? Why waste your time and sweat over something that doesn't work?

          Anyone who has taken high school anatomy knows that our bodies are extremely fascinating and complex. Therefore, the steps that we take to keep it healthy and make it stronger are also complex. Choosing your exercise routine and diet can be difficult because you need to do self-experimentation and find what works for you. There isn't a cure-all, and there never will be, no matter how much money/brainpower we spend on it. I know much of this is obvious, but its just something to keep in mind when you are in the market for fitness knowledge.