By: Anthony Campo

If you are interested in the fitness and nutrition industry you can’t help but notice plenty of fads and trends that have come and gone throughout the years. Now just what constitutes something as a “fad?” Webster’s Dictionary defines a fad as something (such as an interest or fashion) that is very popular for a short time.
I have noticed throughout the years that only about 10 percent of people are truly interested in properly learning how to train and improve themselves with fitness and nutrition. Around 20 percent of individuals have zero interest in fitness or nutrition whatsoever. The middle 70 percent of people often say they are interested in fitness and nutrition but show absolutely no consistency in truly learning how to train and eat to meet their goals. I often find that this middle 70 percent are the majority of individuals that gravitate towards trendy programs and schemes, quickly jumping ship to the next fad. The majority of individuals hop around from one thing to another without ever actually accomplishing anything significant.
The secret to success is to learn the basic fundamentals and principles of fitness and nutrition and implement them consistently and permanently. This means never making the statement “I want to just lose 5-10 lbs. then I’ll be fine.” If you want to succeed you must implement a plan and stick to it. If you think you can do something for a few months then go back to your old habits and maintain your success you are sadly mistaken. The key is to know how to modify and adapt your plan so that you can still enjoy the things you like within reason, while still sticking to the long term plan. I always hear stories of the fictional friend who eats and does whatever they want but looks like Arnold or a Sports Illustrated Model. I promise you that these people do not exist, anyone who looks great works extremely hard at it.
With that being said many fads do have some merit to them. However, it is important to know where the fundamentals of the fad lie within the grand scheme of things. Most training concepts and ideologies are just tools. When combined properly the tools can help to build the big picture. But when you think a fad is the end all be all to your fitness and nutrition goals it is the equivalent of trying to build an entire house with just a hammer.
In Part II to this blog I will discuss the Pros and Cons of many of today’s popular fads, and just how you might be able to properly integrate them in with your current plan in order to help you achieve success.