The Top Minds in the Fitness Industry

There are a lot of “gurus” in the fitness industry. These people are great at taking your money and not providing evidence for the advice they spew. They may even have thousands of followers who jump on anyone who tries to challenge them. This is very concerning, especially in the modern era when Google dictates which websites we click first. The fitness industry grosses over 24 billion dollars a year and is forecast to grow by more than 20% in the next decade. Why wouldn’t someone try to swipe some money?

It has become more and more difficult to sell evidence based fitness when competing with someone who has flashy claims or a quick fix. When someone is telling you that they can shrink your waist in an hour with a fancy wrap compared to hours in a gym, it can seem tempting. If you haven’t figured it out yet, skinny wraps don’t work and neither do detoxes (I’ll save that for another post). They’re gimmicks to make money. This is just one example of the many scams told to the general public by the fitness industry.

Sometimes people are unable to distinguish what evidence based fitness even means. I’ll put it simply: evidence-based fitness uses peer reviewed research. The reason its peer reviewed is to ensure that it makes physiological sense. That doesn’t mean an evidence based practitioner is boring and always operates in the realm of meta-analysis or research data. They often treat clients as mini experiments, they try protocols until they find what works best. There is no magic formula that works for everyone. There is no “ONE THING THAT’LL MAKE YOU RIPPED” or a way to “Fix your posture in four easy steps!”

Let me be the first to say you don’t need 100% evidence to put a client through an exercise, but you have to know why you’re doing it. However, if there is direct evidence discounting something, you can’t just say “it still works”. It perpetuates ignorance. Furthermore, it’s okay to learn from practical experience. You don’t have to read every scientific article about fitness. You could easily walk up to someone in the gym and ask why they’re doing an exercise. Obviously you’ll need to double check what they say.

If you are confused about something, find 2-3 fitness professionals and ask them the same question. Then compare their answers. Usually, if something is backed by evidence they’ll have somewhat similar answers. If they disagree but each person has an evidence-based reason then you can pull the facts together and make your own judgement call. Research scientists do this all the time.

The following is a list of people who use evidence to back their claims. The list varies in area of expertise but has everything from nutrition to bodybuilding. There is no specific rank just a top 10.

Question to ask someone if you’re skeptical of what they’re saying: What would it take to prove you wrong?

The bottom-line: ask for evidence.

1. Layne Norton
Layne has a PhD in nutrition and has published groundbreaking research on leucine. He’s the reason you see leucine content on the front of protein bars. He also has experience in bodybuilding and powerlifting along with all types of clients.
2. Jeremy Loenneke
He has a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Oklahoma. He worked in the  Neuromuscular Laboratory under Dr. Mike Bemben. He is well-known for bringing blood flow restriction to the forefront of training methods. He also holds a position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi.
3. Alan Aragon
He earned his Bachelor and Master of Science in Nutrition with top honors. Alan is a continuing education provider for the Commission on Dietetic Registration and National Strength & Conditioning Association. He writes a monthly research review providing critical analysis and practical application of the latest science on nutrition, training, and supplementation.
4. Stuart Phillips
Dr. Phillips received his PhD from Waterloo University and is now at McMaster University. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American College of Nutrition (ACN). His research is focused on the impact of nutrition and exercise on human skeletal muscle protein turnover.
5. Brad Schoenfeld
Brad is an internationally renowned fitness expert and widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on body composition training. He earned his master’s degree in kinesiology/exercise science from the University of Texas at Permian Basin. He completed his PhD in health science at Rocky Mountain University where his research focused on elucidating optimal resistance training regimens to maximize muscle growth.
6. Lyle Macdonald
Lyle McDonald is a physiologist and author who has spent over a decade obsessively finding ways to apply cutting-edge scientific research to sports nutrition, fat loss and muscle growth.
7. Eric Cressey
He received his Master’s Degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science through the University of Connecticut. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is highly involved in strength and conditioning research and specializes in baseball performance.
8. James Krieger
He has a Master’s degree in Nutrition from the University of Florida and a second Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Washington State University.  He is the former research director for a corporate weight management program that treated over 400 people per year, with an average weight loss of 40 pounds in 3 months.
9. Jose Antonio
He completed a PhD and post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is an Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University in Exercise and Sports Science. He is also the CEO and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
10. Examine.com
While not a singular person, this is the de facto resouce on supplements and a variety of other health and fitness subjects. They put out a monthly research review.

Honorable Mention: Adam Bornstein, Jim Stoppani & Jacob Wilson