The One Best Exercise for Everyone Forever

Do you know the one best exercise?

If I never hear that question again it will be too soon! Usually I hear it in this form: “So, what’s the best exercise for working my abs (butt, legs, arms, etc)?” I am often tempted to respond with some ridiculous and wrong answer like “You need to do sprangle hops, but be sure to wrap your ankles and wear a knit cap.” I don’t do this because one, it’s wrong, and two, I would have to spend the next half hour explaining what sprangle hops are. Note to those who are new to all this and can’t be expected to know any better: there are no such things as “sprangle hops.”

If there isn’t a “best” exercise, then how do you know what to do? Well, the easy and self-serving answer is “sign up for my program and I’ll tell you exactly what to do every day.” The free answer is this: do everything, but do more of the big exercises. By “more” I mean you roughly 85% of your time, and by “big exercises” I mean full-body exercises where you load the spinal column. Aw heck, sign up for my program anyway (you’ll save a bunch of time and effort.)

Still set on searching for the “one best exercise?” Ask yourself this: if a “best” exists, what does that make all the others? Are they second best? Worst? A pointless waste of time? If they aren’t the best, why does anyone ever do them at all? Seriously, if we knew of a “best” exercise, why would anyone do anything else? There are literally hundreds of exercises and exercise variations and each and every one of them work. How can I say this with confidence?

Simple, any time you use your body to apply force to a load, your muscles are doing work. If you are doing work you are exercising. Now we can debate quality of work all day. Yes, some exercises are better than others for certain people at certain times, but you have to look at variables. I can make very strong arguments for squats and dead lifts being two of the most effective exercises, but that doesn’t mean much for someone confined to a wheelchair, does it?

The working title of this article was originally going to be “everything works, but nothing works forever.” I also mention it in my introduction video, so as you might have guessed, it’s a pretty important concept for me. What I’m getting at is this: if pick out an exercise and really hammer away at it, you will get stronger. If you want to continue to get stronger, you will need to change your exercise selection a little bit. No, this has nothing to do with “tricking” your muscles (don’t get me started on that one). It has everything to do with over-use and boredom! Doing the same thing the same way will eventually lead to strength imbalances and you will almost certainly lose any excitement you once got from exercising. This doesn’t mean that you have to totally give up your favorite exercises. If you love doing squats but you’ve stopped progressing, why not change it a little? Have you tried sissy squats? Split squats? Front squats? Hack squats? Squats can still be an integral part of your program, but it will do you good to change things up once in a while.

“But Phil,” you say. “What about all those other sites that claim to have the secret of a ’super exercise’ that will render the entire fitness industry obsolete? They normally charge $379 for this super-secret stuff, but if I act now I can get it for $29.99. Why shouldn’t I try those guys?”

Easy. Just about anyone who claims to have the “one best way” to do anything is probably a lying dirt bag. There is a chance that they’re just wrong, but they’re probably dirt bags.

Oh, and for the record: I am not about to start calling out individuals or specific websites as I don’t feel like being sued this week.

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Fitness Supplements: Slightly Less Shady than the Porn Industry

To date, the worst fitness supplement advertisement I’ve ever seen made no mention of what was in the product or how it worked in your body, but it did say “Don’t be a P***y” in big yellow letters over a red background.  I’ve read lots of ads that tried to convey that same message in round-about ways, but this was the first time I’d ever seen it spelled out so explicitly.  Hmm.  Think that might sway some potential buyers?  Not you, of course.  You’re too smart to fall for that, but believe me, they wouldn’t run that ad if it didn’t work.  Does the product work?  Who knows?  The stuff isn’t tested by the FDA and I couldn’t find a peer-reviewed study, so I’m not going to say that it works or doesn’t work (mostly because I don’t feeling like being sued today).  Let’s just say that I’m not inclined to buy a fitness product just because it challenges my masculinity.

This is a short version of the talk I have every spring with the football team.  Since they’re college students, they usually aren’t awash in extra cash, but they are invariably willing to throw their money away on junk supplements that may or may not work.  Do you have unlimited money?  If you do, great.  Disregard this video and go buy one of everything.  If you don’t, spend about five minutes on the video and then go buy some real food.

Rip-Off Alert!

If you have a fitness product you’d like me to review, click the “Ask a Question” button and let me know.  I’ll give you my honest opinion in the interest of saving you some time and money.

Today we look at…

Mario Lopez’s Knockout Fitness!

Brief review for those in a hurry: $26.95 worth of utter garbage.

O.K., maybe that was a little harsh.  Judging from the reviews on Amazon, nine people found it worthwhile enough to give it at least four stars.  These are the same nine people that would find value in a book that told you smoking was bad for you, but only if it was “written” by a celebrity.

Let’s trash the publisher’s write-up:

“Ready to achieve that toned, hard body you’ve always wanted and have fun while doing it?”

No, I want to be sloppy, fat, and miserable. I hate questions like this.  With rare exception, this question can be translated as “Ready to be sold some over-priced junk?”

“Start your knockout fitness journey with expert Mario Lopez and gear up for results.”

“Expert?” Says who?  He’s an actor and a dancer!  Yes, he’s in good shape and his bodyfat is low.  That does not mean he’s an expert at anything.  Oh, and in case you were curious, Mario’s co-author was also the co-author for LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout, The Powerfood Nutrition Plan, and The Jump Off: 60 Days to a Hip-Hop Hard Body.

“Mario’s cutting-edge workout program provides easy-to-use, enjoyable methods for sculpting muscle, melting fat, and looking great.  Unique exercises will keep you focused in and out of the gym, and creative meal plans will satisfy.  You’ll also learn the value of endurance activities like dancing, swimming, and running; discover 10-minute tone-ups and tips for a healthier lifestyle; and begin the quest for a better you in three simple, proven phases.”

Oh, you mean if I eat reasonably healthy food and stay physically active I’ll be healthier and I’ll look better?  WOW!

“This innovative three-phase program is a refreshing alternative to dull, old-school workouts.  Regardless of your fitness level, current weight, age, or gender, Mario’s program will:
-Help you burn fat and build muscle
-Quickly transform and tone your body
-Show you how to keep your new form—forever

Unlike many of the get-fit-quick plans out there today, Mario’s program makes no false promises—he simply shows you how to get your desired results and keep them for life.  If you want a program that works and includes visible results, then Mario Lopez’s Knockout Fitness is a must.”

Guess what? ANY fitness plan will work if it is based on the following concept: EAT LESS AND EXERCISE MORE. Remember high school physics?  Remember the first law of thermodynamics?  You cannot create nor destroy matter…if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight!  If this doesn’t happen, nobody will care because we’re all going to be too busy rewriting the known laws of science.

So enough of the easy pot-shots.  Is this book a total waste of money?  I’d say yes unless you’re lifestyle is focused on PopTarts.  If you have never seen exercise being done, done exercise yourself, talked about exercise, or read about exercise, you might get something from this.  Still, a just under $27 it’s a lot to pay for ultra-basic information.

Oh, wait. I forgot.  Mario Lopez is on TV.  Everything he says is right.  Give him all your money and do everything he says.

pfffft!