Summer is only a few short weeks away and the gym is calling us. Working out has several benefits outside of making us feel good but let’s face it, we all want to be a little bit ripped for our next holiday abroad.
So where should we be looking for workout inspiration? The clock app, of course. TikTok can be a great source for workouts, gym dos and don’ts, and for general fitness information.
But, as we know, not everything on the clock app is facts. We should all take caution when encountering fitness fads that promise unrealistic results as many of the videos posted on the platform are not produced by experts.
Health and nutrition experts from Prepped Pots powered by MuscleFood.com have identified some of the most viral fitness trends and have rated them based on their effectiveness.
“Social media can be great for finding fresh exercise ideas and fun fitness challenges,” Ashleigh Tosh from Prepped Pots powered by MuscleFood.com says.
“But there’s also a concerning amount of viral workout trends that give misguided advice and can even lead to injuries and unrealistic expectations,” she adds.
Here are some TikTok workouts that are worth a try.
12 x 3 x 30 treadmill workout
The idea of this workout is to set the treadmill to an incline of 12 and a speed of 3 miles (4.9km) per hour and then walk for 30 minutes. It’s a great aerobic workout and you only need one piece of equipment to do it. It gets the heart rate up and the incline will also help you get stronger too.
However, if you’re new to exercise, it could be quite strenuous on the muscles in your lower limbs, increasing your chance of injuries like shin splints or calf strains. Try building up to this level of intensity and keep in mind this doesn’t target any of your upper body so pair it with other exercises.
Shy girl workouts
Shy girl workouts are fantastic for getting you into the gym if you’re a beginner. These workouts can be done in a quiet corner with a few dumbbells or other minimal equipment and still allow you to get in a full-body workout.
Make the most of these workouts by including lower body movements like Goblet Squats and push-pull exercises like Bent Over Rows.
5-minute stairmaster workout
It’s worth incorporating this at the end of a training session for that extra burn. This quick workout involves different speed variations on the stairmaster - 2 minutes at regular speed, 1 minute at fast speed, 1 minute skipping a step, and 1-minute regular speed.
This is a good aerobic workout that works the legs, bum, and lungs in only five minutes and boosts your cardiovascular health. But, if you really want to improve your overall fitness you would need to be performing aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, 3 days per week.
Weighted hula hoop
The weighted hula hoop has gone viral on social media - it’s heavier than the typical plastic hoops you’re used to and they weigh between one-and-a-half and eight pounds. It’s a good option for a fun and easy workout that you can do at home and it’s great for boosting your aerobic fitness.
For best results, pair this workout with other daily exercises like popping out for a walk, and don’t forget to enjoy a healthy, balanced diet filled with protein.
We’ve gone through workouts you should try but here are a few you should probably avoid.
Bella Hadid’s slim thigh workout
This workout trend promises Bella Hadid’s slim thighs by following her workout routine which involves exercises such as donkey kicks and squats. This workout plays on an insecurity many women have and It implies you can target one area of your body to “slim down,” which you can’t.
The actual workout itself would be a good starting point for someone new to training, but it fails to mention what Bella’s nutrition is like which is very important when it comes to losing weight. Simply doing a couple of donkey kicks and a HIIT session without adequate nutrition will not lead to slim thighs.
Barbell challenge
People use a barbell to perform a routine that includes six different exercises in a row - deadlift, bicep curl, clean into a front squat, overhead press, back squat and hip hinges. This trend is making exercise needlessly complicated for the sake of likes.
On their own, each exercise is amazing. But you really don’t need to throw them all together in a complicated “circuit” to make them work for your body. You would get so much more from a workout by doing three sets of 8-12 of each of these exercises individually or by supersetting them if you’re pushed for time.
75 Hard challenge
This is a very tough challenge and there are certain rules that must be followed every day for 75 days straight like having no cheat meals, completing two 45-minute workouts per day, and drinking 4.5 litres of water each day.
Although It’s meant to encourage resilience, it does not promote a consistent lifestyle and not allowing yourself rest days from training will naturally increase your likelihood of injury. There are better, less extreme ways, you can improve your life and health.