The Hype Problem in Fitness

Philip Pape 0:01

I don't know if your feed looks like mine, but I keep seeing ads and influencers talking about cold plunges and ice baths and red light therapy boxes, massage guns, collagen supplements, all the things. And I'm wondering how many people are thinking, do these work? Or are they hype? And I don't want to waste my money, but it looks so attractive, it looks like it's gonna do this amazing thing that I really need right now. If that's you, then this episode is for you because we are gonna rank 13 of the most overhyped fitness and recovery tools based on what the science actually says. You're gonna discover which ones might help in specific situations, which ones are a complete waste of money, and how to think about these tools so you don't fall for any of these claims and do what actually works. I'm your host, Philip Pape, and today we're gonna look at overhyped fitness tools. Because the fitness industry runs on hype, doesn't it? You've got new devices every day for recovery, for supplements, you know, miracle cures, high-tech gadgets, all promising faster results, better performance, easier gains. Anyone ever heard of vibration plates? Yes, they are still around. The problem is that most of these tools range from barely helpful to completely useless, but they are marketed so slickly that we all keep buying them. I've bought plenty of different devices over the years. Some of them are on this list. Am I ashamed? No, because I didn't, you know, I thought I was getting what I was getting, and then now it's collecting dust. Well, you're probably gonna relate to this when we get into this list. We all want an edge, but these aren't it. So today I'm gonna rank 13 of the most overhyped fitness and recovery tools from least to most overhyped. From eh, this might actually work in some context to don't waste your money. We're gonna look at

Listener Reviews and Giveaway Details

Philip Pape 2:06

what the research says at a very high level, because it's a lot. It's a lot, it's a big list, so I don't want it to take too long. We're gonna talk about when they might make sense and then when they are just uh emptying your wallet, let's say. If anybody uses wallets these days, you know what I mean. So before we get into the ranking, I did want to share just a couple of reviews that came in from listeners lately and then talk about a little giveaway we're running if you submit a review. So a couple of my favorite reviews that have come in. One is from Travis Roden. He said, This man makes nutrition and strength training clear and actionable. Each episode cuts through the noise with great tips and real world advice. Check it out if you're serious about lifting and long-term results. I love that review because it kind of says it all, right? Actionable, strength training cuts through the noise, practical, etc. And then another one I got is a bit longer, but I really love it. It's from Kaniac Fan 14. Yeah, I said that right. Wits and weights is a game changer. I discovered wits and weights in early 2023 and have been a follower ever since. So this is a longtime listener. Thank you so much. I'm grateful. Phillips engineering mind crunches numbers like a computer. He has the ability to analyze data and present solutions to his clients in a no-nonsense yet compassionate way. I've witnessed him grow his brand and reach a broader audience, as is evident by his growing community of podcast followers. The interviews are carefully curated and up to date with current trends. Philip is passionate about his work and is so approachable, providing plenty of free resources as well as guided one-on-one coaching. The podcast, as well as the wits and weights community, are valuable resources anyone should have in their health and wellness toolbox. And I wanted to highlight that one just to make known that I do have an entire ecosystem here I try to develop to make things accessible to as many of you as possible. And this podcast is a great entry point because it's free. It's 100% free. You can take the information, you can apply it. And, you know, I might not get it right all the time. I'm always learning myself. I try to have whatever tiny bit of humility I can possibly have in this space and keep learning and bringing that to you. But the cool thing is, if you do enjoy the show, if you want to help others discover it, and you leave a review on Apple by October 15, you'll be entered to win three months of our mastery track level of physique university. That's the more personalized level of service that we have. So this is almost a $300 value that you can win. I mean, essentially, I don't want to say raffle because I don't know if that passes the uh the legal test here, but you know, one reviewer will be selected for three months of free coaching. And then I'll give you some more details at the end of the episode if that sounds interesting

Ranking Framework: Evidence and ROI

Philip Pape 4:34

to you. All right, let's talk about these tools that I'm gonna rank. I'm gonna look at three things. First of all, does the research show any meaningful benefit, right? Not just statistically significant, which is the technical term in the literature, but really meaningful to you for your training, for your physique? The things that we're scoping for our discussion. Second, is the benefit specific to certain situations, or is it marketed as this big catch-all universally helpful thing when it is not? I think it's important to separate those. And then third, what is the cost versus benefit? What is the return on investment? A cheap tool that provides a small benefit actually might be worth it. An expensive tool that provides a small benefit, probably not, right? So with that framework, let's get into it. Let's get into the ranking.

13–11: Cold, Cryo, Compression

Philip Pape 5:24

We're gonna go from least overhyped to most overhyped. So least overhyped is gonna be number 13 on the list: cold water immersion and ice baths. All right. So I was not I was not even sure if I should have this on the list because ice baths actually do something. You know, they reduce muscle soreness, they can help with recovery between, say, events in a tournament or competition context where you have to perform multiple times in a short period. The problem is that they can blunt hypertrophy adaptation. So that's the adaptation from your lifting if you use them right after lifting, because the cold interferes with the inflammatory response that signals muscle growth. So ice baths work as intended. They reduce acute soreness, but they kind of get misused if you're using them right after you lift. Now, if you're in a competition right now, today, and you have multiple events, you want to take ice baths in between to reduce soreness, that makes total sense. But if you're trying to get bigger and stronger over time, skip them after your workout and do them completely separate from your workout, mainly to reduce just general soreness or to relax or because you're crazy. Any of those work. All right, number 12, moving up the list from least to most overhyped. Number 12 is cryotherapy chambers. I yeah, I know all of you are going out to use cryotherapy right now, but seriously, I do see these a lot, especially with kind of higher-end influencers. You know, and I I my feed is weird because of I look at the whole spectrum as a coach, as a fitness enthusiast, as a business owner, you know, as a person with other interests, I have nothing to do with this. But it's the same mechanism, same benefits, same drawbacks as ice baths. The difference is you pay more and you have to go to somewhere and you have to stand in a chamber instead of filling your bathtub with ice. So, whatever that makes sense to you. If you don't want to get in the ice, maybe that's why you want to do it. But uh, I would say it's not necessarily overhyped in terms of what it does. It's overhyped in terms of the convenience and the cost because you're paying this big premium for not really any additional benefit. So that's what I would put on number 12. Number 11 is compression garments and pneumatic boots. And I would say these have small effects on your soreness and swelling. They're about the same as walking or light movement. If you like how they feel, that's fine. I'm not telling anybody not to do anything today. It's your choice. But if you're not getting anything that you couldn't get from a 10-minute walk and then you're paying lots of money for special boots or special clothing, you know, which are hard to put on and all this, then you know, it's it's a thing to consider. The benefit exists, but it's not worth the cost for most people. Now, I'm not talking about knee sleeves and shoulder sleeves for lifting. I'm not talking about if you have varicose veins or some medical issue, none of that. Purely talking about in the context here of, you know, lifting, recovery, fitness, and and that such and that whatever. I can't use proper grammar right now. Okay, number 10, massage therapy and foam rolling.

10–9: Massage, Foam, and Guns

Philip Pape 8:16

Okay, now, interesting, right? Because I get a massage once a month. I do it because it feels great. And if I ask my massage therapist to focus in one area, like my shoulder capsule, it will probably give me a day or two of benefit in my lifting, maybe. Okay. I will I have to personally use a lacrosse ball and dig into my shoulder pretty much every day for to have a more sustained benefit when it comes to reducing, let's say, scar tissue. This is for me personally with my history. So, what do you get from massage therapy and foam rolling? Well, you get some modest reductions in DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness and stiffness, some short-term improvements in range of motion. It feels great, right? Foam rolling before a workout can help you move better sometimes, and they can make you comfortable, give you some acute relief, but they don't help beyond that. Now, I've talked to some experts who are physical therapists who are huge advocates of foam rolling, but I would say they're not going to really help with your training capacity over time or your performance as much as maybe they claim to, is my point. They're more temporary relief. Maybe they reduce soreness. And you could argue that reducing soreness helps improve performance. This is why I put it lower on my list. It's not like super, super overhyped. Now, massage therapy is expensive for most people, right? It is pretty expensive. I mean, I've had the same therapist for for years, and I'm locked into her rate from several years ago. Otherwise, it'd be, you know, way more expensive than I might even want to pay right now. And maybe that's maybe that's on me to uh, you know, give her more. I don't know. But uh foam rollers are cheap, of course. So we've got massage therapy and foam rollers. And if you want that temporary relief, if you think foam rollers are the B's knees, go for it. I'm just saying that they're a little bit overhyped. That's all. They're just a little bit overhyped. Okay. Number nine, moving up the list here, is percussion guns, massage guns like Theragun, Hypervolt. Again, I think any of these massage gadgets, and these are probably the better ones, that's why I put them on the list, will give you a little bit of a relief with your short-term range of motion and soreness, but they they fade quickly. I mean, you know this, right? You've used these massage devices, whether it's the ones with the rotating spheres that you put on your neck, the ones that you could put on your back, right? The massage guns, of course, these have become massively popular, right? They they're super high tech. They feel good in the moment. I used to use them a lot during CrossFit, like right after a session, they feel good, but it's really temporary relief, kind of like getting a massage. It's the vibration, it's the percussion. The research shows that these effects just don't last. You're not improving your recovery capacity or building more muscle or improving your performance. You're just getting temporary relief. And they're expensive, right? Two to six hundred dollars. And it's probably the same effect as a foam roller or lacrosse paul. So that's something to consider. All right. Moving up the list to number eight, tart cherry juice, and polyphenol-rich supplements. Okay.

8–7: Tart Cherry and Sauna

Philip Pape 11:16

So this is an interesting one I put on the list because I don't know, there's so much marketing about it. Tart cherry juice, which seems like ridiculous. And you just, if you were an alien that came in and saw that people were pushing tart cherry juice, you'd wonder like how that fit into the spectrum here. Is it anti-inflammatory? Sure, but that could be a downside when it comes to your training adaptation, kind of like the ice baths. And if you're always suppressing inflammation, kind of like taking ibuprofen, that could be actually a negative. Some research shows it reduces soreness, some shows it maybe interferes with what you're trying to do, right? The juice is fine. I have nothing wrong with fruit juice, but if you're buying it for recovery benefits or something like that, I would say probably wasting your money. That's just the long and short of it. All right, number seven, heat therapy and sauna. Okay, now I put this kind of in the middle of the list as slightly overhyped. Not that I don't think there are benefits, right? There is some promising research here for heat on endurance adaptations, and of course, on being relaxed. I mean, that's for time immemorium. There's been some form of sauna, you know, heat baths going back to the Roman Empire for relaxation. We know it can feel good. Infrared sauna actually does show potential results in, I think they've studied trained women. So that's that would be the kind that I would have in my house if I bought one at all, just because it's probably more practical. So the benefits are real, but they're they're narrow. And I would say if you are, if you want to relax, if you're training for endurance, it might help. Um, it might help you because you adapt to heat. For that's that's why it helps the most, believe it or not. But it's not gonna help you, you know, recover better so that you grow more muscle or lose fat faster or anything like that. And if it does, it's you know, a tiny, tiny thing. It's like if you're buying it for yourself, you're spending thousands and thousands of dollars. If you want to go do it, just think of it as it's the 1% because it's this extra time you could be spending walking or sleeping or whatever that might be more impactful than the sauna itself. I'm not trying to discourage you from using sauna. I'm just putting on the list of things that are overhyped, guys. Okay, so don't take it personally. Hey, this is Philip, and you know that one spot in your home you were thinking about all day, the place where you can finally unwind and relax? For me, that's my bed. I have a really good mattress, but I was still having trouble with getting too hot at night and not feeling fully rested. You know that feeling where you have your seven or eight hours, but you still feel tired in the morning? Well, it turns out that the missing piece was my sheets. So I tried some different brands and I finally settled on a really comfortable sheet set from Cozy Earth made from viscos from bamboo. They're temperature regulating, so they naturally wick away heat and moisture, which has made my sleep way more restful. So if you run hot at night like I do, or your partner's always stealing the covers because they're cold, this could be a game changer for your sleep quality and recovery. Cozy Earth also gives you a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty, so you can literally try them for three months with your routine and still return them if you don't love them. Now think about this you spend 2,500 hours a year in bed and you're already investing in training and nutrition.

6–5: Dry Needling and Red Light

Philip Pape 14:25

So why not optimize your sleep as well? Head over to witsandweights.com slash cozy earth and use my code Wits and Weights for 20% off to try these for yourself. Because sometimes it's the small upgrades that make the biggest difference. Again, go to witsandweights.com slash cozy earth. Now back to the show. All right, let's keep going on number to number six, right? We have 13 on the list. We're up to number six, moving our weight up to number one. Dry needling. So dry needling reduces pain and stiffness in clinical settings. It's sometimes helpful for movement restrictions or chronic pain. And I had dry needling myself on my shoulder. I had straight up dry needling and I had one combined with a TENS device, which is going to be on my list a little bit later. So, and it didn't help me too much. And I'm not giving you anecdotal evidence here. I'm telling you just it didn't help me that too much. For some people, it does help, though, a little bit with pain and movement restrictions. So if you're doing it in like a PT setting, but it's not something you necessarily have to do on a regular basis. That's where, again, I think it's overhyped as an ongoing thing you go in and get, like a massage, right? It's not a recovery tool. It's not gonna make you stronger or leaner. It's for very specific purposes that can be helpful. And if you have a legitimate issue that it can address, fine. But people are getting it done regularly, thinking it's gonna improve their training. So I put it in that whole bucket of like wellness and spa practices that people are wasting their time on when they're not focusing on enough on the big rocks first. All right, moving up to number five, red light therapy. Oh no, yes, red light therapy. I know it gets gets pushed on social media so hard. There's some influencers, there's people that I follow that I like who, you know, they have an affiliate code and they they push their red light boxes and stuff, but the evidence is mixed. Studies, some studies show relief with DOMs, others show no effect on performance. The research isn't really there, and they're very expensive. They're hundreds to thousands of dollars with these wild marketing claims of, you know, it's gonna just just get your energy going for the day. You're gonna recover, have better performance, improved skin, better sleep. It's just not supported by the research. There are some promising results coming out, but there's they're very inconsistent. And again, I'm comparing it to the cost and thinking of ROI, and I don't see it there. All right, number four, BCAAs and EAAs, all right. Bryant's chain amino acids and essential amino acids have been pushed for years. The only benefit, if there is one at all, might be if you train fasted and you're not gonna eat for a long time and you're worried a little bit that you're not gonna have as much protein synthesis. That's it. I think they're a waste of money for almost everybody, even if you train fasted. Because even if you train fasted, you could either sip something during your workout that has carbs and protein, or eat right after and recover. And and training fasted is not the biggest problem, honestly,

4–3: BCAAs, EAAs, and Collagen

Philip Pape 17:18

because we know that if you get used to it, you can have similar results. We we see that I'll admit that, right? I don't recommend it for people because most people are going to perform better if they just have that banana and whey protein before their workout. And there's no, I will say this there's no reason to train fasted intentionally because you're trying to get some extra benefit. It's it's mainly for practical reasons, for schedule reasons, and things like that. You are getting plenty of amino acids if you eat enough protein, period. You don't need to waste money on EAAs or BCAAs. I used to take these myself, followed the lean gains protocol for years. I did CrossFit training fasted for years. But they're they cost so much for what you get. You are just and you're peeing out most of the benefits. Sorry to be crass, but just eat food. Eat protein. Even whey protein or plant-based protein powder, that's a whole protein. And that takes me to number three, which is related, and that is collagen supplements. All right. Collagen is an incomplete protein. It is just low quality. It doesn't have the amino acid needed profile needed when you could just eat whole sources of protein from animal products or mixed plant products. The only benefit for collagen may be for tendon and joint health when combined with vitamin C, when timed around training. And even then, I would take like Fortify, which is from Legion Athletics, which has type 2 collagen and curcumin extract, right? It's much more efficient, bioavailable source to help with your tendons and joint health. But when it comes to like recovery with protein, with muscle, maybe even skin and hair nails, it's it's probably a waste of money. And if you're doing it as part of your protein regimen, just eat regular protein from food or complete source. That's all I'm saying. All right, now we get to number two, which is electrical stimulation. That's tens. I think this is one of the most overhyped things of all, only because they they help with acute pain management for some people, but they're marketed as these big recovery muscle building tools. And they are particularly overhyped, the EMS devices, especially, when marketed as shocking your muscles and not having to lift weights. That's the part I'm talking about. That really frustrates me. That and the vibrating plates and put put anything in that category where you're trying to stop training. Okay, where you just, where you're like, I don't have to train, I don't have to lift weights, I'll just put some electrical stimulation on me and I'll build muscle. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And then number one is glutamine. So I wanted to get a supplement on this list. Well, I had collagen, but like a non-food, I don't know what I'm trying to say. I guess I've had a few, right? EAAs might fall in there, but glutamine is a very specific, targeted supplement that is one of the most heavily marketed in the fitness industry. It's been around for a long time. I think it's getting marketed less and less, but it's been also researched a lot and it doesn't work for what people think thinks it does. It does nothing

2–1: E-Stim Myths and Glutamine

Philip Pape 20:02

for muscle growth, for recovery, for porn, for performance. The only people that might benefit is people who are critically ill or immunocompromised. And yet they still get pushed. People still buy it. It's still marketed with no substance. And you know what? I picked glutamine, I could have picked fat burners, I could have picked a whole bunch of other supplements that go on this list. Just got to do your research, is what I'm saying. Because if you think you're taking all these things, it's gonna help you, and then you don't have to do other things, that's really where the problem is. So those are the 13. Maybe you want something else on the list, message me at wits and weights. Maybe you disagree with somebody on here. I would love to hear your perspective. Again, put it in the context of where I'm coming from today, return on investment, up cost, convenience, how effective it is relative to other things that you could be doing instead or aren't doing yet, et cetera. Right? What these tools have in common is that they are marketed as solutions to problems that most people don't actually have. Right? If you're sleeping enough and moving regularly, you probably don't need a percussion gun. There's ways to recover properly at the root cause level, that then doesn't mean you need all these other tools. You don't have to have certain supplements like glutamine if you're eating enough, or glutamine or EAAs, or collagen if you're eating enough protein. You don't need red light therapy if you're training nutrition, sunlight exposure, walking or dialed in. All right. The fitness industry profits from convincing you that you're missing something, that there is a tool or supplement that you haven't found yet. And voila, here it is. It's going to unlock your results. Buy now for the low, low price of, and here's your discount code. Okay. And I'm an affiliate, by the way, but the research is pretty clear on most of these tools that I talked about today, because there are some tools that do give you the secrets to longevity and fitness. It's called sleep protein training consistency. Okay. And a few more that probably fall into those same buckets. Everything else is optional at best, counterproductive at worst. So if we want to bring it back to what does matter, if you're looking at any of these and wondering if you should buy them, I want you to ask yourself a qualifying question first. Actually, three questions. Number one, am I strength training? Number two, am

The Real Priorities: Sleep, Protein, Training

Philip Pape 22:09

I getting enough sleep? And number three, am I eating right? Am I eating enough food and enough protein? Ask yourself those three questions. If you're not even doing those things, forget about the rest. And then second, when you do want to go down that path, does the research show a meaningful benefit for my situation? Right? Not just general claims, but really what I'm trying to do specifically. Third, is it worth the cost of that benefit? So if there is a benefit, and I'm not arguing that these things don't have some benefit, is it worth the money and the time and the opportunity cost compared to other things, other investments, other uses of time? Right? Because most of the time the answer, if you take time to think about it instead of just pulling out the credit card, is no, which means don't buy it. Right? Now, the tools that I rank today, they're not all terrible. Some of them work in specific contexts. Some of them I use myself, like massage. I love massage. I just don't do it for the reason that is often claimed that it's good for, right? I think they're everything on this list is overhyped to some extent because they're marketed as more important than they are. And your money and effort are better spent on sleep, food, training, even coaching. Yes, I'm a coach. Full disclosure, yep, conflict of interest, but I still think that's more important than many of these tools and gadgets. All right. So I mentioned before we go that I was gonna talk quickly again about the review giveaway. Anyone who leaves a review for the podcast on Apple by October 15 is gonna be entered to win three months of coaching in the Mastery Track of Physique University. That's a $261 value. And everyone who everyone who submits a review is gonna get a surprise bonus for me. So here's how to enter, go to Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad, search for the show, or if you're already listening right now, just go to the show page, scroll down, tap write a review, leave a star rating, write a short review, and that's it. If you're not sure what to say, talk about the latest episode and your takeaway or what you like about the show. And then the winner is gonna be announced in our Facebook group and by email shortly after the deadline. So probably by the end of October. And again, if you don't know what to write, just

How to Vet Tools Before Buying

Philip Pape 24:03

say what your favorite recent episode was, and it's gonna help me learn what you love. And maybe I'll give you a shout on the show, and it'll help others discover the show. All right, until next time, keep using your wits, lifting those weights, and remember the best tools for building your physique are the ones you already have consistency, effort, and smart training. This is Philip Hape, and you've been listening to the Wits and Weights podcast. Up to you next