Over the past few weeks I’ve seen countless posts and photos through facebook, instagram and twitter of people working out, eating clean and just being fit and overall more healthy. As a fellow fitness enthusiast it makes me happy to see the majority of these posts. I especially like when people share new exercises or healthy recipes online as this can be useful information for me to share with all of our own clients.

However as usual with the good comes the bad. Many of these health & fitness posts can sometimes come off as disrespectful, hurtful and/or cruel rather then motivating and inspiring. Just because someone works out everyday, follows a clean and strict diet, and aspires to reach all of his or her’s own fitness goals does not give them the right to put others down while preaching about training hard and eating right on a regular basis. And just because someone has bulging biceps, ripped abs or the perfect ass, does not make this person better then anyone else either.

Then there are the people (who I think are mostly narcissists) who post daily bathroom selfies of their asses and/or abs and label themselves as “Hardcore”. “Hardcore” is another word that gets thrown around alot within the fitness industry. According to some of these people performing one hour of cardio on zero carbs or bench pressing 500lbs raw is considered to be “Hardcore”. I decided that I needed to look up the word hardcore myself to see exactly what this word truly means. After having to scroll through a few pornographic sites, I was finally able to find the definition.

The word hardcore is defined as: “To be exactly what you claim to be and never change. To be unrelenting and uncompromising.”

Huh? Where is the mention of a ripped mid-section, negative digit body fat levels and a killer ass?

Everyone has their own different strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone is obsessed with working out and being fit. And that’s okay. I have clients that work with me for the sole purpose of being able to eat whatever they like and not have to worry about gaining any additional weight. I have other clients who just want to be able to keep up with their grandchildren and remain mobile and healthy as they become older. These people are not interested in 5% body fat levels, striated hamstrings and rock hard glutes that look amazing from every possible selfie angle a person can take. And that’s fine.

A person might not have the time or desire to go to the gym everyday and workout. This does not make the person weak or less of a human being. People have their own interests and live their own lives. Some people don’t care about how many calories they burn in one day, or having to count their macros obsessively, some people don’t even know what a macro is! And once again, that’s fine.

As a personal trainer it’s my job to motivate and educate my clients on how to become fit and practice living a healthy lifestyle. I don’t lecture them about having to live this lifestyle 24/7 though, nor do I scold them when they cheat on their diets or fall off the wagon for a few weeks with their training. We are all grown adults. How we choose to live our lives should be our decision and nobody else has the right to make decisions for us or criticize the paths we choose to follow.

So if you are currently a fit and active individual who is proud of the results you have achieved with your body then by all means I think you should show it off. However rather then take daily selfies striking the exact same pose from the exact same angle in every photo perhaps you can try something a little bit more creative when showcasing your physique and the results that you have achieved while training in the gym.

I think that a little bit of modesty can go a long way, especially in this industry. I personally have always admired both the men and women in the fitness industry who don’t just use their bodies to market themselves and promote health and fitness but also use their brains and are not passive aggressive or narcissistic about delivering their message with regards to their services or products.

“Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others”
Gordon B. Hinckley

I suggest that we continue to try and motivate one another with training tips, inspirational quotes, healthy recipes and even the occasional fitness selfie and leave out the hurtful comments and cyber attacks on those who may not be as fit. We all share this world together, there really is no room for such hatred, especially in an industry that thrives off people working together for ultimately the same goal – HEALTH.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
President
Forever Fit