"Does This (Workout, Diet, Supplement) Work?"

Of all the questions I get asked, the most common is a simple, three-word inquiry: “Does [fill in the blank] work?” Seems like a simple enough question, but the answer isn't as simple as it might seem. So, for the next few blogs, I’m going to walk you through a crash-course in answering this question for any workout, diet, or supplement you may be considering.

First, we need to define “work.”

This is going to be different for everyone. What are you looking to get out of it? The options are endless and might include: Lose weight, improve athletic performance, build muscle mass, reduce stress, treat or prevent a sports injury, have more energy, increase flexibility, or treat a health condition like celiac disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes.  

Keep in mind that often times you’ll have goals that can be conflicting. For example, the ubiquitous “lose fat and gain muscle” goal is really two goals that are metabolically at odds.  In a somewhat oversimplified explanation, significant fat loss requires a calorie deficit, and significant muscle gain requires a surplus, so if you’ve got these two goals, you’ll want to phase your program to tackle fat loss first (with strength training to preserve your existing muscle mass) and then target muscle gain. The same goes for “relax, gain clarity, relieve stress, and lose 50 pounds,” where the most relaxing and grounding exercises for you might not burn large numbers of calories, or “lose weight and become a more competitive athlete,” where intensive training requires adequate fueling.  Having a clear idea of what one goal is your main priority will help you analyze what you need to tackle first, and whether the program you are considering is appropriate at this phase in your journey.

And, don’t just think about where you want to be six weeks or ninety days from now. Remember, this is a lifelong journey. Where would you like to be six months or a year down the road? Five? Ten? The more clear you are on where you are headed, the more clear you will be on what will work to get you there.

Once you have an idea of what “work” means to you, not only will you be better able to judge which programs are likely to meet your needs, but any specialist you are working with will be better able to provide advice specific to your needs.

So, take some time today to write your goals down, prioritize and see how they work together in a timeline.

Next time, we’ll be looking at workouts. “Does [CrossFit, P90X, Insanity, Zumba, Pilates, Jazzercise, circuit training, Bikram, hula hooping] really work?” Stay tuned to find out…

Heather Hawkins is fitness and wellness coach who works to educate and empower people to find a path to fitness that works for their lifestyle.  She is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition coach based in San Francisco, CA and runs FitLifeSF.com. Please send your fitness and nutrition questions to Smurf@FitLifeSF.com for use in future blogs.