In light of recent world events, it’s been hard not to turn inward and get lost in deep thought. No matter your view, I’m not here to judge. Still, it’s tough not to notice the loud, toxic talk that’s bouncing around in every direction.
THE FITNESS ZEITGEIST
I’ve noticed similar patterns in health and fitness. People like to argue a lot. Biases run deep; folks hold onto what they prefer and what they think, and often won’t be swayed to see the bigger picture or the middle ground. Don’t be rattled by the word Zeitgeist. It sounds scarier than it is. The next part isn’t meant to be taken too seriously.
In his book The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins discusses how morality evolves. He notes that societies change over time, a point tied to the idea of Zeitgeist—the spirit of the times, the dominant ideas that guide people in a given era. For example, slavery was once taken for granted and was abolished in civilized countries in the 19th century, and women’s suffrage came later; in the United States it wasn’t law until the 1920s. Today, those events would seem absurd. Societies change and evolve. Even fashion shifts—skinny jeans have managed to last, which still baffles me.
The health and fitness world mirrors this Zeitgeist. In the early 20th century, when men like Eugene Sandow lifted whatever they could get their hands on, lifting for pleasure or aesthetics was seen as odd. By the 1960s–80s, bodybuilding was a golden era, with posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, or Serge Nubret on many walls. Before the 1970s, running was mostly something you did only if you were clinically insane or being chased by a lion. Then Jim Fixx’s The Complete Book of Running (1977) popularized jogging, and the craze spread worldwide.
Which begs the question: what other parts of health and fitness have followed the same path? What has changed in the industry over decades?
Here are a few.
1) CROSSFIT
What started as a fad with extreme workouts and online bragging has grown into a true fitness force and a cultural milestone. It’s less popular now than in 2010, but it remains relevant in today’s fitness world. No single event in the past decade has sparked as much excitement to exercise and lift a barbell as CrossFit. I’m grateful for what it’s done to push people to train hard. Are there things I disagree with? Sure. Are there box owners who shouldn’t be there and end up hurting people? Unfortunately, yes. But those cases are rare, and CrossFit is not the crash-and-burn it once seemed to be. Some people joke that it invented lifting weights. That’s high praise. The era of beating up CrossFit is over; criticisms exist, but the respect it’s earned is real.
2) TRAINING FOR LIFE
Can we stop assuming that if a woman lifts heavy she’s training for something specific? My wife often gets asked in the gym, “What are you training for? A competition? A show? Are you a secret assassin?” Her answer: “Life.” Women go to the gym to train because they want to, just like men. It’s a bit cheeky, but if we truly respect Zeitgeist, we should acknowledge that lifting is just part of daily life after work for everyone.
3) POST-WORKOUT WINDOW – MEH
I bought into the anabolic window idea in the early 2000s—the belief that if you worked out and didn’t eat within 30–60 minutes, none of it counted. That notion is overstated. Total calories over a full day matter far more than a fixed post-workout time window.
4) CARDIO WILL NOT STEAL YOUR GAINS
Cardio has made a comeback. There was a time when any cardio thought could zap your strength and make you look skeletal. That doesn’t hold up—the body is resilient, and cardio isn’t the enemy of gains. Some coaches, like Alex Viada, promote hybrid training: train for both strength and endurance, but be smart about recovery. Focus on what truly matters for each type of training, trim the junk miles and ego-driven routines, and keep things simple. There’s a wealth of research showing the benefits of cardiovascular health, and when programmed properly, cardio can boost work capacity and even improve weight-room performance. In short, cardio can help rather than hurt your gains.
Find the middle ground. Evolve with new information and experiences. This is the mindset of a true zeitgeist.
I could be talking about any number of debates—Russia vs. NATO, anti-vaxxers vs. science, Republicans vs. Democrats, Jets vs. Sharks, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, Autobots vs. Decepticons, GI Joe vs Cobra. Preferably a shake with a 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio, made with grass-fed protein powder and plain water.
