20 Popular Fitness Trends: Overrated or Underrated?
Fitness trends come and go, but the struggle of knowing which ones are worth your time, money, and effort never seems to end. Here’s a list of 20 popular fitness trends and whether or not they can be useful in helping you reach your health and fitness goals based on current research:
OVERRATED:
BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids)
BCAAs are unnecessary if you’re already getting enough protein from food (Wolfe RR, 2017). Most complete proteins (meat, eggs, dairy) contain BCAAs in optimal ratios.
Hip Bands / Booty Bands
They’re difficult to scale progressively and lack foot-ground contact, which is critical for full posterior chain activation. While hip bands increase glute EMG activity, they often train in a very short range of motion and are less effective than compound lifts like squats or lunges (Contreras et al., 2015).
Fasted Cardio
Fasted cardio does not lead to more fat loss than fed cardio when calories are matched (Schoenfeld et al., 2014). It’s as simple as that.
Sweating During Workouts
Sweat is a measure of thermoregulation, not effort or fat burn. You can burn just as many calories without sweating—especially in cooler climates or with lower-intensity strength work. Sweating is not linked to fat loss (Gavin TP, 2003).
Ab/Core Circuits
Visible abs are primarily about low body fat, not endless crunches. The spot reduction doesn’t work; abdominal fat is lost through full-body fat loss (Vispute et al., 2011).
Cold Plunges Post-Workout
While there are certain undeniable mental health benefits, cold exposure can blunt muscle growth if used immediately post-training. Cold water immersion after resistance training attenuates gains in muscle mass and strength (Roberts et al., 2015).
Mind-Muscle Connection
While useful for some isolation work, it's not necessary when using proper technique, and some compound lifts activate target muscles regardless of “feeling it.” Mind-muscle focus increases activation, but it does not always improve performance or hypertrophy (Calatayud et al., 2016).
HIIT Classes (as mass-marketed)
HIIT is powerful but often misused—too much intensity, too often, without proper programming. Excessive HIIT can increase injury risk and cortisol, and offer diminishing returns without proper periodization (Alkahtani et al., 2013).
Burpees
Burpees are high-impact with low hypertrophy value and carry an elevated risk of shoulder and knee strain. You don’t have to do burpees to see progress - you’re welcome.
Soreness (DOMS)
Muscle soreness is not a reliable indicator of workout effectiveness, and DOMS is more correlated with novelty and eccentric loading, not adaptation or gains (Cheung et al., 2003).
Detoxing
The liver and kidneys already detox your body effectively, and most detox products are unregulated nonsense. No evidence supports detox diets for toxin elimination or sustainable weight loss (Klein & Kiat, 2015).
Testosterone Boosters
Most OTC products are ineffective, underdosed, or contain unproven ingredients and misleading claims (Clemesha et al., 2020). If you’re going to waste $50, do it on something you actually enjoy!
Workouts Over an Hour
After ~45–60 minutes, energy dips, risk of poor form rises, and returns diminish. Volume is important, but excessive duration often leads to junk volume and less effective hypertrophy stimulus (Haun et al., 2018).
UNDERRATED:
Creatine Supplementation
Creatine has been widely studied to be safe and to improve strength, power, and cognitive function, which is important for older adults (Forbes et al., 2021).
Weighing Your Food
Tracking intake improves weight loss outcomes significantly compared to non-trackers (Burke et al., 2011). It’s not obsessive—it’s precision. Especially during fat loss phases.
Resistance Training for Longevity
Most people associate cardio with heart health and aging, but strength training has equal if not greater benefits for long-term health. Resistance training is associated with a 21% lower risk of all-cause mortality (Westcott, 2012) and improves metabolic function, bone density, and quality of life as we age.
Walking (Especially Zone 2 Cardiovascular Training)
Walking is often overlooked because it's “too easy,” but walking in the zone 2 heart rate range improves mitochondrial function and metabolic health. Low-intensity exercise like walking at a moderate pace for 7,000-10,000 steps per day has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk, improve insulin sensitivity, and significantly reduce the risk of death in adults over 40 (Paluch et al., 2021; Mandsager et al., 2018).
Eccentric Training (Negatives)
While people focus on concentric lifts (e.g., pushing up in a bench press), eccentric (lowering phase) is where much of the muscle damage and hypertrophy signal occurs. Eccentric-focused training results in greater muscle hypertrophy and strength gains compared to concentric or isometric training alone (Douglas et al., 2017).
Unilateral Training (Single-Limb Movements)
Most gym-goers skip single-limb exercises, but they build balance, joint health, and reduce injury risk—especially with aging adults. Unilateral training significantly improves functional performance and muscle symmetry, which are critical for fall prevention and rehabilitation (Zemková et al., 2017).
Isometric Training
Holding positions (e.g., planks or wall sits) increases time under tension and is effective for tendon health and joint stability. Isometric training is particularly effective in reducing pain in patellar tendinopathy and improving neuromuscular control (Rio et al., 2015).
Grip Strength Training
Grip strength isn’t just for powerlifters—it's a predictor of overall health, frailty, and even lifespan. Lower grip strength is associated with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (Leong et al., 2015).
Tempo Training (Controlled Rep Speed)
Slowing down your reps, especially the eccentric phase, increases time under tension and can lead to better hypertrophy and form. Manipulating tempo can significantly increase muscle activation and hypertrophic stimulus, even with lighter weights (Schoenfeld et al., 2015).
Breathwork and Nasal Breathing During Exercise
Often neglected in fitness programming, nasal breathing and structured breathwork during exercise can improve performance and recovery. Nasal breathing promotes diaphragmatic function and increases CO2 tolerance, improving endurance and reducing fatigue (Dallam et al., 2018).
MIXED:
One Rep Max Testing: Mixed; useful for strength benchmarking but may carry injury risk.
Protein Shakes: Context-dependent; useful for convenience, but whole foods preferred.
Mobility/Stretching: Mixed; stretching is useful, but strength training through full ROM is just as effective.
Artificial Sweeteners: Mixed; safe in moderation, but excessive use not ideal.
Pre-Workout Supplements: Mixed; depends on quality and ingredients.