So I'm a traditionalist. I feel like what has worked effectively for years has proven itself and should be respected. I hate all the constant new gimick fads in lifting - be is supplements, lifts, diets, equipment, etc...
Lately my gym has been taken over by a craze and it is driving me insane. Vibram Five Finger shoes. If you aren't familiar with them, they are a thin rubber sole with sock like material for the upper portion. Each toe has it's own "channel" as well. Think free running.
In my opinion, free running was a lame fad when they first pushed it on us and it's still lame when they try and sell $100 pieces of **** and market it as "better free running". The sad part is, the average bro is biting hook, line, and sinker. I'm talking the guys who only wear sleeveless under armour and curl in the squat rack. The guys that I hear Backstreet Boys playing through their ear buds. The guys that only bench and curl. Those guys. I don't know maybe I need a new gym.
The Vibram website claims:
"1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs—Wearing Vibram FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.
2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes—No longer 'cast' in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.
3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility—When wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility".
It's all garbage. Impact is bad. Impact over years ruins joints, wears down tendons, causes stress fractures, is hard on archways, and just wears the body down.
There is a reason New Balance, Nike, Adidas, etc have spent untold sums of money on research and a cushioned sole is still the norm.
I made this motivational to appropriately describe how I feel:
I've got a million more pet peeves about fads and what I see at the gym, but before I have an aneurysm thinking about all of them, I want to hear some of yours.
Lately my gym has been taken over by a craze and it is driving me insane. Vibram Five Finger shoes. If you aren't familiar with them, they are a thin rubber sole with sock like material for the upper portion. Each toe has it's own "channel" as well. Think free running.
In my opinion, free running was a lame fad when they first pushed it on us and it's still lame when they try and sell $100 pieces of **** and market it as "better free running". The sad part is, the average bro is biting hook, line, and sinker. I'm talking the guys who only wear sleeveless under armour and curl in the squat rack. The guys that I hear Backstreet Boys playing through their ear buds. The guys that only bench and curl. Those guys. I don't know maybe I need a new gym.
The Vibram website claims:
"1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs—Wearing Vibram FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.
2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes—No longer 'cast' in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.
3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility—When wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility".
It's all garbage. Impact is bad. Impact over years ruins joints, wears down tendons, causes stress fractures, is hard on archways, and just wears the body down.
There is a reason New Balance, Nike, Adidas, etc have spent untold sums of money on research and a cushioned sole is still the norm.
I made this motivational to appropriately describe how I feel:
I've got a million more pet peeves about fads and what I see at the gym, but before I have an aneurysm thinking about all of them, I want to hear some of yours.