{"id":15895,"date":"2026-06-12T20:06:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15895"},"modified":"2026-06-12T20:06:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:06:49","slug":"the-fitness-zeitgeist-tony-gentilcore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15895","title":{"rendered":"The Fitness Zeitgeist \u2013 Tony Gentilcore"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479067448515_255509\">\n<div id=\"yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479067448515_255508\">\n<p>In lieu of recent world events it\u2019s been a challenge not to be a bit more introspective and to not get lost in a deeper train of thought.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of what side of the fence you reside on \u2013 relax I\u2019m not here to judge \u2013 it\u2019s hard not to be cognizant of and be disappointed by the cacophony of toxic rhetoric and word vomit being spewed in every direction possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The Fitness Zeitgeist<\/h2>\n<p>I couldn\u2019t help but notice some of the same parallels within health\/fitness circles.<\/p>\n<p>People like to argue.<\/p>\n<p>A lot.<\/p>\n<p>Admittedly, the vibe isn\u2019t quite as dark and apocalyptic in nature as the political\/world scene, but people nevertheless have biases, like what they like, think what they think, and despite reason, science, or common-sense, cannot be swayed to see the bigger picture.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Or better yet\u2026see the \u201cmiddle ground.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alas, don\u2019t be taken aback by the title of this post.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Zeitgeist<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a word that looks and sounds scarier than it actually is. I mean, it looks like something someone screams as part of a finishing move in <em>Mortal Kombat.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media2.giphy.com\/media\/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExcjB0cG0xZnJlMXcyc2VvYXB2cmp4cWM5bm14bGg0bTNyMjY2cDZwaSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw\/FXkAqNXYInIeA\/giphy.gif\" width=\"352\" height=\"352\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">via <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/nostalgia-mortal-kombat-FXkAqNXYInIeA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>I promise it isn\u2019t scary at all. The words that follow aren\u2019t going to take themselves too seriously.<\/p>\n<p>In his book <em>The God Delusion<\/em>, Richard Dawkins dedicates an entire chapter around the concept of morality. At the expense of walking on thin ice as it is \u2013 bringing up both politics and religion are generally two things I avoid (along with <em>Coldplay<\/em>) \u2013 all I\u2019ll say here is that Dawkins notes how almost all societies and cultures have always had a knack for <strong><em>evolving<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>No coincidence given his background as a Darwinian Biologist.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIn any society there exists a somewhat mysterious consensus, which changes over the decades, and for which it is not pretentious to use the German loan-word <strong><em>Zeitgeist<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Zeitgeist = <strong><em>spirit of the times<\/em><\/strong>, or the dominant set of ideals and beliefs that motivate the actions of the members of a society in a particular period in time.<\/p>\n<p>To drive the point home \u2013 and I promise I\u2019ll be done with the serious talk \u2013 Dawkins notes how slavery, which was taken for granted throughout most of history, was abolished in civilized countries in the 19th century. Moreover, Women\u2019s Suffrage, didn\u2019t exist for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>Here in the States, it wasn\u2019t a law until the 1920s.<\/p>\n<p>Today, in <em>most<\/em> societies, both events \u2013 rightfully so \u2013 would be considered egregiously absurd.<\/p>\n<p>The point is: <strong><em>Societies change and evolve over time. <\/em><\/strong>Although I\u2019m still perplexed as to how skinny jeans have managed to last this long. It boggles my mind.<\/p>\n<p>The health\/fitness world mirrors this Zeitgeist phenomenon. Back in the early 20th century, when guys like Eugene Sandow were overhead pressing anything they could get their hands on \u2013 dumbbells, rocks, oxen (&lt;\u2014 only a slight exaggeration) \u2013 they were considered odd and social misfits. Society as a whole deemed \u201clifting weights for pleasure or aesthetics\u201d as something uncouth or what weirdos did.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to the 1960-80s, often considered the golden age of bodybuilding, pretty much every adolescent kid had a poster of Arnold Schwartzenegger, Frank Zane, or Serge Nubret on their walls.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter \" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/1\/1b\/Serge_nubret11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"334\" height=\"454\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Using another example, prior to the 1970s the <em>only<\/em> reason to do <em>any<\/em> running was if you were 1) clinically insane or 2) happened to be being chased by a lion down Fifth Ave.<\/p>\n<p>I suspect this was a common conversation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Person 1 (1957):<\/strong> \u201cHey, wanna go for a jog?\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Person 2 (1957):<\/strong> \u201cWhat in the name of <em>Leave it to Beaver<\/em> is a jog?\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Person 1 (1957):<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s where we go outside and repeatedly run in a straight line for hours on end, you know, for fun.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Person 2 (1957):<\/strong> \u201cWe can\u2019t be friends anymore.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cGoing for a jog\u201d didn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n<p>Enter Jim Fixx\u2019s best-selling book <em>The Complete Book of Running<\/em> (1977) espousing the many benefits of jogging for overall heart health, and the craze was born. Now millions of people use it as their main mode of exercise all around the world and entire events and social gatherings are organized around it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media2.giphy.com\/media\/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdDE2c3FkY25hNGhmMmpkcTNkeXpkNHVqMXNkaG5nN3pyMTJienRjcSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw\/1yT8Uetxb01aAV9I03\/giphy.gif\" width=\"366\" height=\"366\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">via <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/teachersseries-running-tvland-1yT8Uetxb01aAV9I03\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Which begs the question: what other components of health\/fitness have followed the same path? What has changed in the industry over the course of a few decades or years?<\/p>\n<p>Here are some.<\/p>\n<div id=\"yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479067448515_255509\">\n<div id=\"yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479067448515_255508\">\n<div id=\"yiv9476677833yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478950340059_60441\">\n<h3>1) CrossFit<\/h3>\n<p>It started as a \u201cfad\u201d where people did stupid stuff in the name of hard-core workouts, shitting a spleen, and\/or internet bragging rights.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A1.<\/strong> Trap Bar Farmer Carries (over a bed of hot coals) x 25 yds<\/li>\n<li><strong>A2<\/strong>. Run Over Right Arm with a Prius x AMRAP<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>First off<\/strong>: CrossFit can no-longer be considered a fad.<\/p>\n<p>It, too, has evolved into a fitness powerhouse and bonafide spectacle of cultural achievement. It\u2019s less popular today than it was in 2010, but it\u2019s still relevant in today\u2019s fitness culture. No one event in the past decade has gotten more people excited to exercise \u2013 specifically to pick up a barbell \u2013 than CrossFit.<\/p>\n<p>For that I\u2019d be remiss not to give it my nod of gratitude. If nothing else, CrossFit has served as an unparalleled vessel (or impetus) for people to train, and to train <em>hard<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-397608 \" src=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell--1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Crossfit athlete doing exercise with a barbell.\" width=\"455\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell--1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell--800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crossfit-athlete-doing-exercise-with-a-barbell-.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Are there still things about I don\u2019t agree with? <a href=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/2012\/11\/all-the-hype-behind-kipping-pull-ups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Of course<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Are there still morons who open up a box who have no business doing so and end up hurting people? Absolutely. But those are few and far between, and CF is no where near the ocular train wreck it was once synonymous with.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, to give credit where it\u2019s due, CrossFit is so engrained into our culture now that there are people who think it <em>invented<\/em> lifting weights.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, you squat? CrossFit.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s pretty impressive.<\/p>\n<p>The time(s) of bashing CrossFit <em>entirely<\/em> are over. Some of it is warranted. However, it\u2019s time we give it the respect it has rightfully earned.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>(SIDE NOTE: We can now even replace all of that with HYROX).<\/p>\n<h3>2) Training For Life<\/h3>\n<p>To that end: can we please stop assuming that if a woman picks up a barbell or lifts anything heavier than a bag of groceries that she\u2019s automatically \u201ctraining for something specific.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My wife is often approached in the gym by both men and women who see her getting after it, and while they certainly don\u2019t mean any disrespect in asking, will inevitably say something to tune of, \u201cWow, that\u2019s impressive, what are you training for? A competition? A show? Are you a secret assassin?\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>My wife\u2019s universal answer: \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>life<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/h4>\n<p>Women go to the gym to go to the gym.<\/p>\n<p>Weird, I know.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it\u2019s a bit facetious\u2026but if we really wanted to respect the Zeitgeist mentality we\u2019d respect the notion that women, much like men, view lifting weights in much the same way. As nothing more than something that\u2019s simply done after work at 5 PM sharp.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t have to be a thing.<\/p>\n<h3>3) Post Workout Window \u2013 Meh<\/h3>\n<p>I fell prey to the concept of the anabolic window in the early 2000s. The idea was that if you worked out and didn\u2019t get some nutrients in your body within 30-60 minutes after, NONE OF IT COUNTED.<\/p>\n<p>NONE OF IT!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Post Workout Anabolic Window NOT A Myth!\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yOeHsOMcX08?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479067448515_255508\">\n<div id=\"yiv9476677833yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1478950340059_60441\">\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Alas, the whole notion of the anabolic window, while a nice thought, is a bit of an over-exaggeration. We\u2019ve come to understand that total calories over a 24-hour period matter more than some arbitrary caloric number ingested within a specific time-frame.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>4) Cardio Will <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Not<\/em><\/span> Steal Your Gainz<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s been a bit of a renaissance on this front in recent years. There was a period of time where any thought of doing \u201ccardio\u201d would immediately zap your strength and make you look like Skeletor.<\/p>\n<p>Although that doesn\u2019t make sense, because, Skeletor is fucking jacked.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media4.giphy.com\/media\/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExcWJwZ3g3Mmx3bzRiYmowZnJ2NWJ1ZG8zbDZnazc1Y2d4N2p0bXJsMSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw\/5XPb0FvIqylqg\/giphy.gif\" width=\"375\" height=\"281\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">via <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/day-5XPb0FvIqylqg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Regardless, for many years, mostly in the 90s into the early 2000s, the idea was cardio \u2013 <em>any cardi0<\/em> \u2013 would zap your gainz.<\/p>\n<p>It was, of course, a foolhardy way of thinking.<\/p>\n<p>The body is a pretty resilient piece of machinery and if all it took was a 5k to lose all your muscle, we would have been wiped out eons ago. Coaches like Alex Viada have played a huge role in the recent surge in popularity of \u201chybrid training,\u201d or training for both strength and endurance simultaneously. The key to this approach is about working hard, but being lazy.<\/p>\n<p>To quote Alex:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>\u201cIn other words,\u00a0do as little as possible to attain the necessary result. Lift less often than\u00a0a powerlifter, run less than a runner, bike less than a cyclist, swim less\u00a0than a swimmer\u2026 the body has limited recovery, and will quickly become overwhelmed.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 17\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Isolate what is truly important in each type of training, focus on those areas, and do them well. Cut out the junk miles, cut out the gym pissing contests, be draconian in how you approach routines \u2013 take those articles with the \u201cten exercises you should be doing\u201d and toss them in the trash. The more you want to do, the less you should be doing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And it\u2019s hard to discount the troves of research espousing the million and one benefits of cardiovascular health, not to mention the (positive) physiological adaptations that occur within the body (improved substrate utilization, better ability to buffer acid buildup from lactate metabolism) and the heart itself (stretching of the walls themselves eccentrically, more or less making a bigger pump and improving stroke volume) which makes it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n<p>The fact of the matter is: improved cardiovascular health (when programmed accordingly and not to excess) will not only improve work capacity, but also improve performance in the weight room.<\/p>\n<p>I.e., you won\u2019t putter out after two sets.<\/p>\n<h3>The End<\/h3>\n<p>Finding the middle ground.<\/p>\n<p>Evolving amidst new information or experiences.<\/p>\n<p>This is the mindset of a true zeitgeist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/2026\/06\/the-fitness-zeitgeist\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In lieu of recent world events it\u2019s been a challenge not to be a bit more introspective and to not get lost in a deeper train of thought. Regardless of what side of the fence you reside on \u2013 relax I\u2019m not here to judge \u2013 it\u2019s hard not to be cognizant of and be &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15895\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}