My problem with Celebrity Workouts
You’re at the grocery store shopping for the weeks menu you have carefully planned out. You and your spouse are trying to eat healthier because the scale is not your friend.
Pushing your cart past the snack aisle, you walk past the magazine rack and see Tom Brady’s ripping torso on the front cover of a magazine and it’s advertising his new workout program to get you into shape. Great, that’s exactly what you need, and you pick it up and put it into your cart.
Now you feel all your fat loss problems are solved and you cannot wait to get started.
Here’s The Thing With Celebrity Workouts
I admit, I was a sucker for those celebrity workouts, promising six-pack abs, bulging biceps and a huge chest. It was easy to be seduced by the pictures, the fancy exercises and the celebrity on the cover. And I thought getting ripped would be as simple as doing the workouts.
It worked for them; it should work for me, right?
Here’s the thing with celebrity endorsed workouts. They might work for someone with unlimited time, great genetics, no stress, or tons of resources. But that’s fantasyland for most of us. We often have competing interests like work deadlines, paying the bills, kids and whatever curveballs life throws at us.
Many times, these celebrity athletes like Tom Brady (he’s just an example) achieve their initial success without spending a ton in the gym but by excelling at their sport. Usually what allows them to keep up their physique is often basic and simple training.
For example, squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, pulls and farmers carries.
The clients I work with are predominantly busy professionals who want to make fitness fit into their hectic lifestyle. They have lots of stress and may lack basic training experience. What they really need is to build an exercise foundation in the basic movements mentioned above.
But the magazines don’t tell you that because fancy sells and simple doesn’t.
Here’s How Celebrity Workouts Fail Us
Celebrity endorsed fitness plans look great on paper, but they fail us in a few ways….
First, they usually require too much time (and equipment) to work. Best case scenario you might be able to block out an hour a day but for people who haven’t not done a thing for a year or two don’t need that. They need to start small and to build the habit of consistency.
Second, celebrity magazine workouts usually have no progressions or regressions in place. Most of us haven’t got this level of fitness or know how to perform the exercises in there. When you can’t do an exercise, what then?
Anyway, copying the program of a pro athlete or model who has been consistently working out for the past 20 years is crazy because it took them many years to get to this level. And I hate to break it to you, you are not Tom Brady so why train like him? Better to stick with the basics and do them consistently.
Do This Instead
Before jumping right in, step back and answer these questions before starting any workout program.
What is your goal?
You’ll start by sticking to one goal. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make is chasing too many goals simultaneously. You’re more likely to have more success if you stick to one goal, so decide if your goal is
– Fat loss
– Muscle gain
– Getting back into shape
Because your goal determines the intensity and the length of your workout program.
How many days a week can you workout?
For best results, you need to set aside 2-3 days a week to workout. Exercising 3 days a week gives you a little more leeway than training 2 days a week.
How much time can you dedicate to each workout session?
You have a busy schedule like a lot of other people. You need to look at your week and decide on how much time you can dedicate to the gym because this is going to dictate the length and the intensity of your program. Better fit the workout to the time you do have and not the time you wish you had.
How advanced are you?
You don’t want to pick exercises that are too hard or too easy for you because the point of going to the gym is to get better, not to stay the same. If you’re unsure on how advanced you are, err on the side of conservatism and go easy before tackling advanced exercises.
How Can I Tell If A Workout Is Right For Me?
Movements you perform daily should play a starring role in an exercise routine, no matter the equipment or workout methods used.
They are:
Sitting down to Squatting (Goblet squats, Sumo squats and Barbell squats)
Bending over to pick up something from the floor. – Hinging (Deadlifts, hip extensions etc.
Opening and closing a door. – Pushing (push-ups, dumbbell press and shoulder presses) and Pulling (Rows, lat pulldowns, chin-ups etc.)
Walking, running, carrying groceries, or climbing stairs- Carries (Farmer carry variations) and Locomotion (cardio machines, walking, running or sprints).
If the workout you’re considering is missing two or more of these movements, best to steer clear as this may lead to strength imbalances. It is best to stick with workouts that train the entire body, particularly when time is an issue.
Wrapping Up
It’s tempting to pick a celebrity endorsed workout promising great results, but these are either too advanced or take too much of your time. Better to stick with the basics and workout with the time you do have and not the time you wish you had.
If this is all too confusing and you don’t know where to start, I can help.
Sign Up below for Fitness Tips and Special Offers
