Long ago, in a land not unlike this one, people lifted weights and ate right because they could plainly see the benefits offered. Others also saw the benefits and could plainly see great big mountains of cash waiting to be scooped up into their open arms.

Throughout the history of the Iron game people have endeavoured to sell fitness to other people and there's nothing wrong with that, heck I do it myself; the problem is that people have for just as long been selling products that have little or nothing to do with fitness, and a huge amount to do with marketing.

I am not going to name any names in this article, I do not wish to invite litigation and lawsuits from greedy minds. Instead I will simply outline five marketing strategies that many of these products have in common and allow the reader to deduce for themselves when something is "too good to be true".

1. Claims of Universality
It is pretty obvious that different people, with different goals and at different times will require different training and nutrition and yet many scams involve a claim of universality. They claim to be the "best way" for "everyone...all the time". There is no one best way for everyone.

Quality training and nutrition is all about constructing the best possible regimen for a particular person at a particular time. Scams of this nature include canned programs, selling instruction in particular methods of exercise regardless of individual goals and the selling of certain nutritional products.

Any time someone offers you a pre-written program as being the "best way" to accomplish any number of disparate goals get yourself some exercise by running away from them as fast as possible. Yes, certain techniques do tend to bring about certain results and I have no quarrel with those that offer free general information, indeed I do it in "No Bull", on my website and elsewhere.

What's wrong is charging people for this kind of information under the pretense that it is "personal training". It's not. I write articles for an audience, in this case The Bulls. I express my opinion based on the facts as I can best interpret them. I also provide one to one coaching. As I am sure Mick can testify offering one to one coaching is a whole different ball game from writing general articles.

Any time you see something along the lines of "exercise method X produces great results for everyone, all the time" be immediately suspicious. Most of the time these products and classes are suitable for at least some folks, but there is no one method that is the "best" for all. That's why one to one work is so much more complex than writing general articles.

2. Claims of unique results from use of a product
This technique is often hidden under a marketing blurb six miles long but any time you get the impression that you are being told that buying a particular product is the "only way" to attain certain results then clutch your wallet tight and make your escape.

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