The world of fitness is a world of fads: from Jane Fonda’s Jazzercize, to Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo, Shaun T’s Insanity and Hip Hop Abs,  Atkin’s, Southbeach and Cohen Diets, Zumba,  Crossfit, Planaforma, Kettlebells, even the Ab Rocket, I can go on and on.

Sure, fads are necessary to keep people interested in their love affair with their own bodies, but every once in a while, someone in the fitness world comes along and does something crazy.

There was Body For Life in the 90’s, a 12-week nutrition and exercise program, and also an annual physique transformation competition. It was started by Bill Withers, CEO of EAS Sports Nutrition. It changed millions of bodies and lives (and sold a ginormal amount of EAS products) and it is still going on to this day.

Then there’s Supersize Me. Who could forget Morgan Spurlock’s insane feat that made major waves in the fast food industry?

It seems that the key to marketing fitness is to have sincere intention.

Today, there’s Drew Manning and his fit2fat2fit program.
Drew Manning is a personal trainer who went on a journey from fit to fat, gaining over 70 pounds in a 6 month fast of anything healthy—no gym and a no holds barred ‘diet’. His goal is to get back to fit in a span of another 6 months.

Insane? Just look at his transformation.

Having been fit all his life, he says he did it to have a better understanding of how it truly is to be obese— from the cravings, to the having to come up for air as he ties his shoelace, to the difficulties of changing his lifestyle.

It’s a purely online “campaign” where he documents his programs, diet and supplementation on his blog, Facebook and twitter accounts.
It’s like a mass personal training and nutrition program that everyone can get for free! AND everyone gets to do it together—same program, hopefully the same results. That’s one hell of a buddy system.

More and more, he is gaining followers and supporters. He is now being featured in all the major US shows and is being sponsored by Isagenix Supplements, Whole Body Green, Anytime Fitness Gym and even a  blender brand!  All because he wanted to help and did something nuts! Read up on a local interview here.

Though a bit late compared to the US, the Philippines is fast becoming health-conscious. Fitness fanatics have become a sizable market and eveyrone’s noticing it– we now have everthing from running events to power bars, slimming drinks, carb and sugar blockers, local active wear, specialty bike shops and so on.

Now that fitness is gaining waves in the Philippine market, one would hope that these countless fitness brands coming out would stop promising people an easy way out and instead do the insane thing of selling what they truly believe in.