Vote in This Week's Poll: Have you ever gotten bad advice about exercise?
Monday November 10, 2008
Her advice changed my body and my life and, like her, I eventually set out trying to convince other people how important lifting weights can be. It's amazing how I've never forgotten what she said or how powerful those words were.
We've all gotten advice from friends and family, some good and some bad, and I'm curious about your experiences. Have you ever gotten bad exercise advice? Vote in this week's poll and then leave a comment to tell us about the best or worst advice you've ever gotten.
Comments
Lots of bad “advice” when I was in jr. high and high school. This was 1961-1966. Girls should not run- their female organs will fall and they will not be able to have children. Girls should not excersise hard. Thay are not built for that and will be permenantly injured. And of course, girls that are athletic are - well - attracted to other girls!
Growing up in the old south- what can I say!
Sure I have. My doctor told me I should exercise. That’s just too much work.
IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOUR SKINNY OR FAT IT IS YOUR OPINION AND YOU COULD LIKE IT OR NOT IT ISNT OTHER PEOPLES OPINIONS IT IS YOURS!!!!!!!
When I got pregnant, my doctor said to stop exercising altogether. I had been running before and was in great shape.
After I had knee surgery and the following physical therapy I started going to the gym. Since I didn’t know much about weights and stuff I got a trainer. I told him I wanted to strengthen my knee to avoid further problems and ultimately begin hiking again and he said he would turn me into “man of steel” and had me do lots of upper body stuff and very little lower body stuff. He ultimately began to cause neck and back problems and I got another trainer. I thought that not only did he not listen to me but he also pursued a program that was far too agressive for someone my age.
Curt
The worst advice I got (over and over, in different forms) was from coaches when I was a kid playing sports. For example doing “stretches” that lasted about 3 seconds - which I now know do the opposite of what was intended. Doing “duck walks” which are risky for the knees. The list goes on an on. And when I started coaching kids I repeated some of those mistakes, even though I was trying to employ the most current “best practices” (believe it or not, some of the best practices that used to be around were quite risky). My own extensive experience with sport and fitness now aligns with what I read about current best practices - stretch after playing, not before, and instead warm up by playing the sport at half speed for a while; do extended cardio work, not wind sprints; use heavier weights to build strength, repetition for endurance. Good luck anyone and everyone!
Bad advice: “Girls need to stick with light weights, otherwise they’ll get unsightly muscle.”
“Light strolling around the block should be sufficient to get most women in shape.”
I hurt my knee skiing when I was in 8th grade and the doctor told me not to ride a bicycle anymore. My knee hurt for years. Now I exercise and ride my bike all the time and my knee is so much stronger and hurts less. (I’m in my 50’s now).
“If you can do 8 (reps), increase the weight.”
I promptly threw my back out.
I now increase cautiously, and maintain a weight for 3 months before I increase it. I’m 60, and am now lifting 6kg for bicep curls.
Not sure if it’s really bad or good advice but I have tried Superslow and Static contraction. Still not sure if they are what they intend. Any thoughts?
a while back in the gym, I wanted to work on a machine for back muscles, but the instructor was busy and I didn’t know how to do it right. Instead, a guy working out near buy came promptly to offer his assistance and show me how to do it … he looked like he was going to the gym for ages, so I trusted him … 10 min later I had pulled a muscle in my back and it took weeks before I recovered, only to find out later that he showed me all wrong, that he was also doing it wrong, only that he was much stronger than little me and didn’t get a pulled muscle on that machine, yet. well, ever since, I’m always waiting for the instructor and taking with very much caution this kind of advice from others, no matter how fit they look