Equipment for sale. You have to ask why?

Something I have noticed a little of lately, online and in newspaper classifieds are the adsfor certain pieces of fitness equipment. I am not referring to home gyms, weight sets or cardio equipment, but the gimmicky gadgets that promise 6 pack abs in 3 minutes or less a day.

These are the bread and butter of late night infomercials. They have these fantastic looking before and after photos and really good testimonials of the machine having gotten the person in the best shape of their life. But if you read the fine print it will usually say results not typical, calorie controlled diet followed with supplementary exercise program, or something along those lines.

There is point after point on the infomercial as to why you need this piece of equipment, why all of your fitness efforts to date have failed. Why you can’t do without this new miraculous piece of equipment that will do everything nothing else ever could.

Now I will ask you this question. If this item is for sale secondhand, with a line somewhere in the ad that says, like new or hardly been used, why do you think it will work for you?
 After all it is obvious that the last person had limited, if any success with it, why else would it be hardly used and they are selling it? If it was the miracle machine that it is supposed to be, wouldn’t the owner want to keep using it to get better and better?

Now I am sure some of these gadgets actually do something, but overall they are set up for failure. You see they are missing the key ingredient in any new exercise regime. Accountability.

You could have the absolute state of the art, most machines, barbells, weights, air-conditioning, nicest workout gear, etc, etc but you may still fail as you have no one to be accountable to.
If you are looking for the piece of equipment to get you in shape then you are definitely in the right mindset to get started, the problem is that the answer is not in that new bit of equipment, it is in getting yourself someone to be accountable to, that can help you progress and keep getting results. That can be anyone, you mum, dad, brother, sister, husband, wife, kids, the list goes on. But from my personal experience the best people to keep you accountable are coaches and good friends. Family can get a bit funny (I can’t train my wife, it just does not work), but a friend that shares your interest or a coach will help keep you on track as they have your best interests in mind, not their own or anyone else’s.

You see when you find a community of people to workout with, and a coach that cares for you as a person and your goals you will be well on your way to sticking with the program. No piece of midnight infomercial equipment could ever offer that.

You see if you become a member of a fitness community you aren’t just answerable to yourself but to your coaches and workout partners. If you share your goals with them they will always make sure that you are still on target to get them, you will find new friends and at the same time come to realize that fitness and health isn’t about a gadget and going it alone, but it is an experience best shared with the support and encouragement of others.