Get fit in 3 minutes a day...?

I’m just going to say this straight up. When I see or hear this phrase on TV or the radio, it bugs me more than I can possibly describe. It is purely a marketing gimmick. Designed to make people feel that it is their fault if they cannot manage to get that six-pack ab look in a ridiculously short time period. Never mind that the guy who is modelling that look probably trained and dieted for months in advance to get there.

No short cuts

Let’s go back a few steps and let you follow the train of thought that brought me to this rant. I get up early - well earlier than most. My first training sessions for the day start at 6.15am so in order to be there and set up in time I am up at around 5.15am. I’m not saying this for sympathy – I actually don’t mind getting up this early as I am a morning person. It just explains why I see so many infomercials – I briefly turn on the TV while I am having breakfast before rushing out the door. And invariably there is an infomercial on explaining to me how a magic piece of equipment will get me down to what looks to be around 10% body fat.

The language used in these commercials is specifically designed to make it all seem easy – it targets those who have struggled with their weight for years and are at the end of their rope. They are looking for something that promises to fix what they have not been able to on their own. This is not an attempt to put the boot into anyone who has struggled with their weight by the way. I am annoyed at the companies who try to make a quick buck off these people without caring that they may be just worsening the issue - making the person feel like a failure because they don’t lose the weight instantly with little to no effort.

Read the small print

What people need to do with these infomercials is firstly read the small print. Every commercial I have seen advertising these products has small print, sometimes a great deal of it. Mostly it will say something along the lines of “product will work when used with a balanced diet and exercise”. I even saw (this was a long time ago mind you and I cannot remember the product, just the fine print as it was so ridiculous) “results not typical”. Now how much of a snake oil salesman do you have to be as a company to have the guts to market a product that you know will not work for 90% (at a guess) of your customers?

Then there are the products that target specific body parts but promise to give “full body workouts”. There was one on the other day that promised to work all areas of the body. Except, last time I checked the legs were a fairly significant proportion of the body and they were not even mentioned. Now I know some gym rats have the habit of not training their legs, but if you say something is a full body workout then missing out half of it seems to be a major oversight in my opinion.

Not the be all and end all

Now I normally try to keep my writing positive and give people takeaway points that they can execute in order to help them reach their fitness goals. As such this piece may seem a little ranty and negative. For this, I apologise. The best takeaway point I can give on this subject is this – if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, then it’s a duck. Use your head. most people know it takes a lot more than 3 minutes a day to reach your health and fitness goals. 

These exercise machines or diets can be useful – but at best they are a tool not the be all and end all to reaching your goals.  Focus on healthy eating, working the big movements (squat, push, pull, hinge, and address your core) and get exercise most days and you will be fine.

Get in touch

If you have struggled with these gimmicks in the past or are just wanting some advice about reaching those fitness goals that seem too hard just get in touch, I always enjoy hearing from people and will gladly talk through any questions you may have.
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