Dumb Health Tips - Part 1: Workouts
I have learned some very useful and interesting things from reading online articles. Things that have helped me achieve goals and get better at any number of things from running, to editing, to cooking. However, with so many people given the ability to put information online, you get some awful stuff at times.
Today I saw an article about "workouts that you can stop doing." Always interested in efficient workouts, I figured it would be worth checking out. I was almost immediately disappointed though when I started reading and saw the workouts that the author had set in the crosshairs; things like bench press and planks. Don't get me wrong, I know that a diverse set of lifts and exercises is key and if you only focused on things like bench and planks, you probably won't get the results you want.
I also know that no one's body is going to operate and respond the same as hardly, if anyone else's so I'm just not comfortable saying stuff like "stop doing this lift." Somewhat more perplexing was that the author went on to talk about how to better incorporate bench press into your workout after listing it as a workout to stop doing. Admittedly, I lost interest at that point and have since gone back to make sure I wasn't complaining out of turn. The mixture of dogma and clickbait (which I hope I have avoided employing) seems to be an almost systemic problem from some of the stuff I've read over the past year or so which is unfortunate, because there is still a lot of very well presented and helpful information, you just have to dig a little harder and read with a bit more skepticism.
The intention is maybe not all bad, but it seems like a slippery slope to start with blanketing statements about the merits of certain exercises. Instead of ragging on planks as too static, it's more helpful to bring up ways to incorporate new movements, like extending an arm and/or a leg, to make it more challenging. Like I said, the information seems well intentioned, but is presented in a way that is more dismissive than informative and I've seen this happen all over the place with working out, nutrition, music, and any number of things that people have a mind to write about.
My point is to take a critical look at everything - especially this blog! - because the tendency to slip into dogmatic preaching is prevalent when you get people writing about something that they have experience with. As I also mentioned earlier though, there are lots of places that DO resound with this sentiment and encourage experimentation with different techniques and regimens to find what fits your goals and personal needs.
I'm planning at least one more post to come soon in the Dumb Health Tips series so keep an eye out for that in the near future. As I say so often, you probably know this kind of thing already, but if I can assist one person's workout or at least provide solidarity for someone with the same opinion, I feel satisified. That said, let me know what you think! I love hearing from you so reach out in the comments section or through email.