Fraud Tip of the Day - January 8

Exercise Scam Hall of Shame

Gathered here in our exercise scam hall of shame are some of the biggest scams ever designed to make your wallet slimmer.

1. The Electronic Ab Exerciser

This device would send electrical current into your abs, which would make them contract and release, causing them to burn away body fat. It didn't work because losing body fat requires both cardiovascular exercise and a reduction in your caloric intake. Another claim made by this product was that it targeted the abs for fat loss which is impossible. You cannot eliminate fat from one part of your body. Your body is going to burn fat according to your genetic disposition. To lose weight you are going to have to exercise because this little gadget isn't going to help.

2. The Ab Crunch Craze

This exercise scam consisted of a set of videotapes and a program you were supposed to follow. If you did, you were guaranteed the six pack abs you've always dreamed of. The exercise program turned out to be little more than a never-ending regimen of situps. This one, while requiring actual exercise, was doomed to fail because it didn't address diet or cardiovasular exercise. You might develop some sweet abdominal muscles but no one was ever going to see them because they remained buried under a layer of fat.

3. Exercise in a Bottle

This classic "exercise" scam was nothing but a supplement that claimed if you took it you could exercise harder and longer AND lose more weight than you ever could without it. We've heard this before haven't we? This scam has changed its name over the years but the core of it remains unchanged. Too bad it doesn't work. Yes, you can raise your metabolism with some supplements but the only way to improve your cardiovascular system is through physical exercise. The shysters selling this stuff understand that their customer are only looking for the easy way to fitness. That's right, this product's target market is lazy people that can't cope with the fact that fitness means hard work.

4. The Sex Workout

This is my personal favorite. Some authors sold a lot of books claiming that you could lose weight and be fit just by having sex. That sounds good to me and a lot of people fell for it. The truth is that sex may be very pleasurable and involves some "exertion" it does not burn enough calories to lead to significant weight loss. Even so, I may go give it another try just to be sure.

5. The 24-Hour Arm Workout

People buying into this scam were led to believe that a type of arm workout could help you gain 3/8 of an inch on your arms within 24 hours. The package would include the specifications for a diet you had to follow and a workout you were required to do each hour. What you'd get from this program is inflammation and tissue damage. The longer you followed the program the more results you'd get. That's right, the more you exercised, the more damage you'd do to your body. The diet you had to follow was high in carbs which would result in water retention, which makes your arms look bigger. The end result was arms that looked bigger without any additional muscle mass.