Hyperbole is the deliberate use of exaggeration to make a point or spark a reaction. It’s a common tool in writing and everyday speech, meant to provoke feelings or a response from the audience. You’ll hear it in politics, dating, sports, and even during Thanksgiving conversations. Simple, light examples include “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” “That person is as intelligent as a ham sandwich,” and “Attack of the Clones is a cinematic masterpiece.” As a writer, I sometimes rely on hyperbole to add flair and keep readers engaged. But there are times when it crosses a line.
Lately, fitness conversations have felt overwhelmed by hyperbole, and it’s exhausting. Not long ago, I came across a polarizing post on Twitter that declared: “Stop doing barbell squats! It’s a useless exercise that does more harm than good.” That kind of statement is a prime example of the fear-mongering hyperbole I’d rather see left out. The author is a chiropractor who seems to build much of their online persona around the idea that most people lack mental toughness and that pain mostly comes from poor posture. The argument, put simply, is that people are in pain because they’re weak, not because their spine needs constant adjustment.
In reality, chronic weakness is a real issue for many, and strength training—properly progressed—can yield substantial, long-lasting improvements. If you never expose the body to load or stress, meaningful change is hard to achieve. If the only solution is always cracking or adjusting joints to fit some textbook notion of “perfect posture,” you’re applying a band-aid to a deeper problem.
What rubbed me the wrong way about that post, though, is how egregiously self-centered it felt. I dislike when someone implies that their method is the ONLY valid path. A useful comparison is Mike Boyle. Back in 2005, he admitted on a recording that he no longer included back squats for his athletes. The room’s reaction wasn’t uniform praise or condemnation, and over the years he’s faced criticism for that stance. Yet I’ve always respected his approach because he’s never told others to stop barbell squats altogether. He said, instead, that he had stopped doing them with his own athletes, and he always explained his reasoning. He continues to produce strong athletes, which makes his results hard to argue with.
Where the criticism lands with our Twitter poster is the insinuation that barbell squats are dangerous in every context, for every person, at every moment—even when the person is your client. A more measured take would be to tailor exercises to each individual’s anatomy and needs. Do exercises that fit you and your athletes, and share clear, rational explanations for your choices. More information, less fear-mongering about what everyone “must” or “must not” do.
And yes, this can be done with or without barbell squats.
