When most people hear the word “Bodybuilder” they usually automatically think of an oiled up, muscle bellied meat head posing on stage in a thong while grunting and groaning to every pose that he or she hits for the judges and audience in attendance. Now technically this is a bodybuilder. But did you know that if you are someone who goes to the gym on a somewhat regular basis and lifts weights along with performing cardiovascular activities then you too are also defined as a bodybuilder? Wait – What?

Now you might be thinking to yourself – “No Way! I’m not some weirdo who flaunts around half naked on stage showing off my body for approval by others and while being critiqued and judged upon. Therefore there is no way that I’m a bodybuilder!”. Well hold on for a moment and let me explain to you as to why in fact you just are exactly that.

To me the definition of a bodybuilder is anyone who has made the decision to get fit and work on his or her physique for both the physical and the mental benefits that lifting weights and becoming more active provides us with. The term bodybuilder is non-discriminative of age, gender, race and/or religion. In fact, anyone can be a bodybuilder in my opinion whether you compete or not. If you are building your body for the better both externally and internally then how else would you describe what you’re doing besides from being just healthy and fit? So whether or not you like to admit it, if you’re lifting weights, eating relatively clean and staying fit and active then you ARE a bodybuilder. And you should be proud to call yourself a bodybuilder.

However there are a few people out there – okay there are ALOT of people out there who have now taken the bodybuilding and fitness scene to an entirely different level. A level that has made me somewhat embarrassed and ashamed to be part of this industry at times. A level that started off as once motivating and inspiring but now just seems egotistical and self gratifying. A level that I’m worried has gone too far and scared many people away from entering a gym or starting off on their own fitness journey to become more fit and overall healthy. A level that I think needs to be taken back down to a more humbling time. A time where bathroom selfies and ass update photos did not exist. A time where telling everyone on your social media platform that you are “At the Gym”. A time where regular everyday people who workout did not have fan pages, or post mean and cruel videos on YouTube of others working out in a somewhat bizarre and/or strange fashion. A time where we helped eachother in the gym rather then size eachother up and critique a person’s flaws and weaknesses. Ofcourse, if we truly were to go back to this time, how in fact could we do it?

The other day I was at the gym training my legs and while resting in between sets I couldn’t help but notice that every single person who was within my proximity was on his or her cellphone. I’m sure some people were texting, while others were tweeting. I think I even saw a few gym selfies going on in the squat rack besides me. Regardless, I don’t think I saw a single person actually working out. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for using social media as a form of marketing when it comes to promoting my business. In fact I’ll even ask my training partner to take a few photos of me training throughout our own workouts to go along with a new article or fitness blog that we are promoting on our website that week. However in our defence these photos are usually done towards the tail end of our workouts once the serious lifting has been complete. Never have I felt the urge to tell the world that I am at the gym. I’ve never found it comical or humorous to see someone using poor form while they workout and would never think twice about recording them on my cellphone to post on social media for everyone to see. And I can proudly say that I have never and hopefully will never take a gym selfie showcasing my “gains” that I’ve made from working out in hopes of gathering  hundred of “likes” and approvals from people who I have never even met before.

I guess my point and my question is – Since when the hell did going to the gym and working out turn some people into thinking they were some kind of God or Celebrity that should be admired and looked upon as a constant source of motivation and inspiration? Looking at daily photos of your ass in your bathroom mirror on Instagram does not motivate me to go to the gym and do extra sets of squats. Hearing about how you are “suffering” from eating clean does not inspire me to clean up my own diet. And finding out that it take hundreds upon hundreds of hours of cardiovascular training to get that “lean/ripped” look just makes me want to give up before I even try stepping on a treadmill.

I’m all for motivating others to become more healthy and fit because quite frankly it’s my job to do so. However I do not believe that these are the ways to go about doing it. Putting someone down or making them feel lazy because you workout, eat healthy and have a fantastic physique does not make a person want to change his or lifestyle for the better. So rather then choose to promote solely upon the physical aspects that one can achieve from working out consistently, I prefer to focus primarily on the the mental, emotional benefits and improvement in one’s overall quality of life that a person can expect from resistance training along with practicing a solid nutritional plan on a daily basis.

As a Personal Trainer/Competitive Bodybuilder/Small Business Owner I get to wear many different hats throughout each day. I can start my day off working with a competitive athlete looking to clench his first professional sports contract and finish my day teaching a group of senior citizens who are only interested in remaining injury-free and maintaining good health. I spend half my day on the gym floor working with clients and the other half of my day scheduling sessions and classes for our trainers, preparing invoices and marketing our company to new and potential clients.  No matter what hat I’m wearing at which part of my day, my objective always remains the same – To help people achieve their health and fitness goals. And the only way I know how to do this is by practicing what I preach along with remaining a resource of constant information.

Our clients choose to work with us because they want to change their lives for the better. So why would I ever make this about me when in reality it’s about them?

Working out is not a popularity contest nor should it ever be viewed as one. Those of us who train regularly should not expect to be admired or glorified by others. Instead we should use our knowledge of health and fitness for good and help showcase the benefits from working out in a positive and effective manner. Maybe I haven’t quite figured out how to fully do this yet. However at least I know that feeding my own ego is not the way to go about motivating others to start improving their own quality of life today.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove