Top 5 Fitness Trends For 2017

The first quarter of 2017 is almost behind us and it seems that the fitness game has changed quite a bit. Compared to a time like 2007, we are playing on an entirely different field.

In this article we are going to look over which fitness trends are hot at the moment and whether or not they’ll stay hot for the following few years. Gym owners, trainers and coaches take notes…you are going to need them if you are serious about your business!

1. Bodyweight Training

Whether it’s in the form of yoga and pilates or just calisthenics and bodyweight circuits, bodyweight training has come a long way. In fact, people are finally realizing that they don’t necessarily require equipment to effectively train their body at home or even at the gym.

In fact, learning to control your body and perform exercises that require a certain amount of coordination and strength is particularly hard and stimulating especially if we think about exercises like the Pull-Up, the Dips or the Dragon Flag. All these movements are tough to master and carry over to many other activities as well.

Additionally, bodyweight training is a great way to ease into strength training, particularly if you’re new to the whole gym concept. It’s usually low impact on the joints and the chance of injury is fairly reduced compared to heavy strength training. That is why, when it comes to bodyweight training, we expect to see an even further increase in popularity the next few years.

2. High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.)

People nowadays lead quite busy days and they don’t have time for 2-hour sessions in the gym. They just want to get in the gym, work out, and get out of there to carry on living their lives. In the past, getting an effective workout in just under 20 minutes was unheard of. Now we know that HIIT is the solution since it’s proven that with regular high intensity interval training (3 – 4 times a week) you can increase your endurance dramatically, tone your entire body and lose fat rather quickly.

In fact, most gym goers are abandoning the long hours on the treadmills and elliptical machines and trying something different. HIIT is nothing more than alternating short bursts of exercise at maximum or near-maximum heart rate with lower intensity exercise or even rest.

A classic HIIT example would be walking on the treadmill for 1 minute and then sprinting for 1 minute for a total of 15 – 20 minutes. That’s the simplest form of HIIT but there are infinite ways to implement HIIT into your program and if you want to incorporate a bit of sports-related training in there, take a look at the Gronk Fitness Practical Sports Interval Training (or PSIT for short). Look like an elite athlete by training like one!

The way I work out has changed so much over the past five years. Now, I combine circuits of heavy weight training and lower impact exercises for great results that are easier on my body. - Rob Gronkowski

3. Functional Fitness

This is a big one. Would you rather be able to deadlift 600lbs and then injure your lower back unexpectedly while carry groceries or bending over to pick up your keys or would you rather train in a way that reinforces your everyday life and activities?

Many people have been choosing the latter and that’s why functional fitness has become such a big hit the last few years and we predict that it will explode even more in the future!

Functional fitness is not just for middle-aged people trying to stay active and healthy. Like all fitness regimens, it can be adjusted to your own personal level of fitness and ability. With functional training, people have been able to fuse their superficial goals like building muscle and losing fat with deeper and more meaningful goals such as improving the quality of their lives and preventing injuries.

So the answer to why more and more people are embracing functional training is rather simple. It works!

4. Group Training & Martial Art Classes

With social media platforms taking over the internet more and more every year, it would be natural to assume that people have found something to keep them company and reduce their loneliness. Sadly, the exact opposite stands true as a lot of people tend to avoid the gym because it’s another solo activity they want to stay away from.

That is why group classes are so appealing. You are able to train and fight the battle alongside other people who have the exact same goals.

As a bonus, group sessions are almost never boring as there are so many options to choose from. Many gyms have been hiring martial arts coaches to teach a variety of classes that promote self-defense as well as conditioning and weight loss.

5. Back To Basics

What do the following all have in common? Drop sets, super sets, keto diets, pre-exhaustion training, crossfit… They are all advanced fitness methods that are supposed to give people the extra edge when it comes to achieving great results.

People, however, are catching up with that and they are realizing that sometimes they only thing you need to move forward is to stick to the basics.

No more fancy training equipment, complex training protocols, weird diets and magic weight loss methods. Just the old fashioned barbell, dumbbells and bench seem to overtake most gyms lately. And let’s face it…it’s definitely simple and effective and you can’t go wrong with either.

Final Thoughts

If you are a gym owner, trainer, coach or just an average person trying to get in shape, you should always stay relevant to what is new and try to go with the flow.

No matter what your fitness choices might be, it’s always essential to remember that fitness is the one thing that everybody has in common. Whatever YOUR fitness choices might be, stay healthy, stay fit and more importantly, get your mind right!

NOTE: This article was originally posted on GronkFitnessProducts.com. Be sure to stop by GronkFitness for more informative articles, as well as a hub for all your weight training needs!