The first two decades of the second millennium have no doubt been characterized by a global increase in peoples’ self-awareness of physical health and fitness. Millennials (those born 1981 and beyond) have been a leading generation in crafting flashy new strength and conditioning programs—that are actually sustainable.
In this segment, we are stopping to recognize the most successful training regimens of 2019. We will also take a bittersweet moment to bid farewell to the have-nots and the one-hit wonders.
Here we go! Let’s start with 3 major success stories:
CrossFit
Yes, we certainly did put CrossFit at the top of our list, despite the wishes of many critics who might think it is just a clichéd brand, or that CrossFit must surely be overrated after being the biggest name on the strength and conditioning scene for 19 years.
Think again—CrossFit has continued to dominate the market, growing in popularity through 2019. This is for an obvious reason: like it or not, CrossFit is a challenging high-intensity program that gets people the fitness results they are looking for. CrossFitters have become a tight-knit global community of friends who can instantly connect through this shared interest.
Zumba
Almost 10 years older than CrossFit, it has made a slightly slower rise in mainstream popularity. Nevertheless, the Zumba aerobic exercise program has spiked over the past few years. Think of it as Dance Dance Revolution on steroids in a gym environment! This program is so popular, you can bet that you’ll find a Zumba class being hosted in almost any multi-purpose gym or fitness facility near you. It’s fun, and it’s going to make you sweat!
Yoga
Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga. That’s just the start! So many yogas, so little time. We’re giving yoga the trophy for continuing to lead in the realm of core strength, overall flexibility and meditation regimens. Yoga is super easy to conduct. All you need is a small space, a mat, and perhaps some resistance training bands to assist in a deeper stretch. It still remains very popular in group/class settings, but you can do it almost anywhere.
The Ships that Sailed and Never Returned:
Insanity
Shaun T, what happened? Anyone who even thought about fitness around 2010 remembers the huge Insanity craze that hit living rooms all over North America. Insanity experienced a few years of raging success, only to fizzle out completely.
Many argued that this at-home video workout program (despite leaving you dripping in sweat if you did it properly) simply did not produce the body-changing results that fitness consumers were looking for. Frankly, it’s easy to get bored and lonely when you’re working out by yourself in front of your living room TV every day. We’re pronouncing this one completely dead for 2019.
Infomercial Fitness
This isn’t an actual program, but that’s what we are calling the vast expanse of television fitness gimmicks of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. We’re talking about 8 Minute Abs, the “Shake Weight”, those stupid electronic toning belts you wear to magically turn your beer gut into glorious 6-pack abs, the Ab Rocket, the Ab Roller, and all those things.
Thank goodness, infomercial fitness scams can finally be laid to rest. You won’t magically transform your entire body and health by just doing ab exercises for 8 minutes a day. Sorry, we know it’s still a tough pill to swallow!
P90X
Another wildly popular at-home video workout series, P90X experienced about a 5-year surge in popularity, and then died off just like Insanity—for many of the same reasons. You’ll only catch a glimpse of P90X in history. R.I.P.
Are You Properly Equipped To Support Your Own Physical Fitness Journey?
Your physical fitness and wellbeing doesn’t end when you walk out of the gym. Give yourself an edge on your workout program by getting in some extra work at home with a set of the best resistance training bands. Go ahead and grab a massage roller stick or some massage balls so you can rejuvenate and relax your muscles at home before you get back to the gym or your next class. Physix Gear Sport is the World Leader in personal resistance training gear, training recovery and relief gear, and post-workout muscle massage gear!