Just wanted to create a new topic for anyone to chime in on. What are some of the most underrated and overrated products/trends/training methodologies/nutrition or diets protocols prevalent in the fitness industry currently? Or anything else related to fitness/training you feel is underrated/overrated. I’d love to know!
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I think having some sort of coaching for a period of time is underrated. I got a lot out of 2 years of powerlifting coaching. It helped form a lot of my ideas around training, and was different than what I would have done on my own. It got me to try a few different things (sub maximal training, different volume, and intensity schemes, etc). I kinda figured out things that will work for me.
I also think LISS is underrated. I used to do more high intensity training with the goal of being lean and muscular. The high intensity just made it too tough for me to work hard during the lifting. I think it is underrated, because people feel like they need to work harder for results? Maybe I am wrong here? The high intensity certainly has its place for improving conditioning, but for just being lean and muscular, if you have time for LISS, I think it is superior.
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*takes deep breath*
I think flat bench press is overrated
*runs and hides*
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Under rated:
Log press
Sand bag / stones
High rep heavy squats
Over rated:
Bench
Jogging
Sit ups
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They’re not underrated. It’s just that people are scared shitless or them and pretend not to know they exist 
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I definitely agree LISS is underrated.
I think doing the little things is underrated. As an example, maybe meal timing isn’t the thing that will get you huge. Not doing it right over time might mean you have slightly less productive workouts, though. String those together and it adds up. Taking that even one step further brings us to inertia: we stop doing all the tiny things that don’t matter in isolation, but maybe do add up to something important together. “If you want to change the world, start by making your bed in the morning.”
I think isolation moves are underrated. The number of times folks say they can’t get big arms or shoulders but refuse to directly train those body parts is crazy. @simo74 could have called I was going to say “curls are underrated.”
Calorie calculators are incredibly overrated. Folks get fixated on what they think “should” be a deficit, and it just isn’t.
Activity for its own sake is underrated. We’re not meant to sit on our butts all day, and it makes us feel like poopies. Inertia again.
Mobility work is overrated. Not saying it doesn’t matter at all, but it’s gotten into silly land.
Goals are underrated. I’m not the person that thinks you have to know exactly how many grams you want to add to each lift, but if you don’t have a singular purpose you’re unlikely to get anywhere you want.
Progress is… overrated! Come at me. It obviously is the thing in a macro sense, but I think we tend to stress about it weekly. I feel like the process is more important and the payday will come (assuming we had a goal we’re working toward). CT says something about each session is its own event, which I think really gets at this.
I’m sure I have many more musings. Entertaining topic!
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Underrated - burpees
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Effort is underrated nowadays. Everyone wants things getting easier and easier.
Walking is underrated.
Having fun at the gym and enjoying training is underrated.
Streching is underrated. People see it as a devil that can harm you when a few minutes of it can improve your health a lot.
Preworkout are overrated…
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Okay really I think that the “big 3” are overrated in terms of benefits. How are we going to ignore lat strength when it’s a MUCH larger muscle group than chest?
It should probably be the “big 6”:
- Squat
- Deadlift
- Horizontal Press
- Vertical Press
- Horizontal Pull
- Vertical Pull
This being said, I think the big 3 (or big 4, for 5/3/1 fans) are a pretty good indicator of overall strength though.
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Underrated: cleans, any variety really
Overrated: direct forearm work, the number of 19 year olds with 3 weeks of training under their belt doing this is preposterous
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overrated–crawling.Did it for several months–didnt see any reflexive movement , cognitive benefits or reset from it.
underrated–isometrics
overrated-kettlebells.a good tool for some exercises but not the magic elixir some make it out to be
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Same man, I crawled my way around for like 6 months and had like NO muscle to show at my 1st birthday party. Smashing a cake in the nude is WAY less cool when you’re chubby. Crawling is overrated AF, would not recommend.
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Yeah maybe. But honestly I can never see me not doing 20 reps with 100-140kg a few times a month any more. You don’t even need to go that heavy. Just do it. Rip into it and see the change it makes to your body.
Sticking body weight on the bar and squatting till you want to die is such and “under used” is not “under rated” method.
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Firstly thankyou for tagging me in another arms related comment, you are going to give me a complex …LOL.
To play yin to your (sculpted bicep) yang, If I hadn’t read your post, I would probably have out isolation movements on my overrated list. I say this in terms of training economy and bang for your buck. I think too many people spent all their time at the dumbell rack looking in the mirror when they should be in the other corner of the gym at the power rack.
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Overrated:
- Improper dumbbell shrugs
- Pre workout (lookin at you N.O. Xplode)
- Plyo boxes
Underrated
- Dumbbell Pullover - I am the only one I ever see doing this in my gym.
- Suspension training
- Lifting straps
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I think that’s fair and @heretolog made a great and similar point. There’s definitely an effective dose scenario here, and there is opportunity cost to everything.
I still think it’s crazy to ask how to get big arms when you’re not already doing any curls at all. Like when folks say “why am I not losing weight? Don’t ask about diet - it’s perfect.”
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Both these are things that we see all the time. I think the point around isolation movements is finding a movement that allows you to actually focus on the muscle you are trying to train. I could do curls all day and I would still end up with the big shoulders and forearms that I already have. So rather than being underrated maybe isolation is just miss understood.
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There’s a wife joke here.
I you said it better, though, and I agree: it’s about finding a movement that will work that muscle.
Over rated…most supplements
Under rated…some supplements
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IMO, marketing takes most of the blame. They are just promoting their product regardless of its value
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