Enough is enough. Enough with the egos. Enough with the arguments. And enough with the friggen my-way-or-the-highway approach to fitness.
The fitness industry is full of shades of grey (looking to pick up keyword traffic on searches related to the movie, sorry), with little black and white.
What one person can get away with diet wise and maintain a six-pack, another simply cannot. The same goes for training, sleeping and whatever other variable you want to throw in there. That’s reality.
Just because you’ve found a certain approach to fitness to be the best for YOU, does not mean your neighbour’s dog, sister or mistress will get the same results. We’re all unique. That’s why personal trainers need to be open to adjusting plans and shifting gears to best meet a particular clients’ needs.
We get it, you believe in the way you eat, exercise, and live your life. That’s human nature. We humans adamantly stick to our guns even after we’ve been proven wrong or encounter someone with opposing viewpoints – that’s why arguing is so prevalent. No one backs down from their beliefs – but I’m just asking that you try to take your guard down and be open to discussions. Productive debate and discussion – not name calling and smear campaigns – is sorely needed in the fitness world. <end rant>
The fitness industry seems to attract self-absorbed personalities who think their way is the only way. The 5 worst fitness personalities are described (in gory details) below. If you haven’t heard of them yet, they’ll find you and tell you all about themselves soon enough.
Instagram All-Star
Boobs, ass and abs IN YO’ FACE. Not that there’s anything too terribly wrong with that from my perspective, but the less-than-subtle product placements (here’s my boobs and a shaker cup representing my sponsor sandwiched in between) and idealized body image represented is tough for newcomers to the industry. If you’ve been completely sedentary and expect to look like these all-stars over night, you’ll be disappointed. Good to have goals, don’t get me wrong. Tough to measure up to unrealistic expectations though. Fitness is a journey, not a sprint, so open instagram with caution if self esteem is an issue.
Steroid Superstar
There’s beast mode, and then there’s beast mode Cowboy Steroid Superstar. These are the guys that walk with a pronounced arch in their lower back aimed at puffing their chest out beyond socially accepted posture regulations. You’ll know one when you see one. They generally wear a schmedium wife beater to the gym, drop weights in heroic fashion, eye fuck any passerby who regrettably catches their eye, and scream their way through each rep of dumbbell curls.
Little do they know their increased aggression is a by-product of elevated estrogen (introduce exogenous testosterone into your bloodstream and estrogen is raised to compensate!). When winter comes around, they’ll be off cycle and less idiotic, but steer clear of them when they are in Steroid Superstar mode. These boys are a staple of most weight rooms, although they will never be spotted near any cardio equipment. So if that’s your thing, fear not.
Vegan-Organic-GMO-Pesticide-Hormone-Free Following
The truth is I have nothing against vegetarians, vegans or anyone who makes a choice to do away with meat. I’m not making a statement either way about the health claims or otherwise. That being said, force-feeding your ideologies down the throats of non-vegans is NOT cool. Nor are the scare tactics and fear mongering that comes from many of the more affluent promoters.
There are some vegans who live very healthily eating the way they do, while others end up turning to vegan-friendly junk food to fulfill their dietary requirements. As with any diet, there’s a right way and a wrong way. But telling me it’s the ONLY way is not going to sway me to your team. Sorry, Dr. Joel. I’ve got $5 on me living longer than you!
Paleo-Crossfit-Caveman Warrior Princess
If you eat paleo and regularly crossfit, how do you have any friends left? Sorry, nothing against either, but for whatever reason both groups (and there’s plenty of crossover) are especially passionate about their way of doing things. It’s cool to believe in yourself and feel proud to be part of a “tribe” but not everyone feels the same way you do. Step down from your soap box. Maybe those people you’re trying to sway would be more receptive if they found the light on their own, without you shoving it down their throats – “try it, it’s organic, free range, and made of cardboard, bro!”
‘If It Fits Your Macros’ Mob
IIFYM sounds great in theory (who wouldn’t want to eat like a fat kid?) and every diet works for somebody, but often the IIFYM mob will point to genetic anomalies who are ripped eating this way to condone their behaviour. But these guys are anomalies for a reason! If you’re like me, stopping at half a pop-tart is not realistic, and it’s better to not have the temptation at all or designate cheat meals every so often (which I’m a big advocate of). By all means, if you can be moderate in your approach to IIFYM I think it can work, but as with most things in the fitness industry it gets twisted to the extreme and you’ve got guys thinking a box of pop-tarts and buckets of gummy bears are a daily part of a balanced diet.
But the worst thing is how this mob likes to attack “clean” eaters for their way of doing things (the clean eaters can be bad going the other way too). What IIFYM seems to neglect is how important dietary choices are to overall health, not just how you look on the outside. Nutrient dense foods should be chosen over sugary, devoid-of-nutrient ones more often than not. I don’t think most IIFYM proponents would disagree here, but that message seems to get lost in the clutter of it all and that’s unfortunate.
Closing Thoughts
We’re all in different circumstances with varying degrees of metabolism, goals and genetics. There’s no one-size-fits all rule to anything fitness-related, and the same rules apply to choosing a diet and training program: You need to determine your goals and find the best approach for YOU. And as for the cheerleaders of these fitness personalities? Believe in your way of doing things, by all means, but if someone doesn’t jump on the bandwagon right away, don’t hate and try to understand where they’re coming from. It’ll get you further.
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