I’ve worked in the fitness industry for 8 years and I’ve heard IT ALL.
Kinda like my experiences growing up in the great state of Florida, this industry has some amazing people in it, as well as some pretty barf-tastic walking cliches.
Do you ever see a quote on someone’s shirt at the gym, or on social media, that’s meant to be positive but is actually offensive, or just completely false?
ME TOO!
So I enlisted the help of some friends to come up with a list of…
THE 10 WORST GYM QUOTES EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
Here they are:
10. No Pain No Gain
False.
Yes, you need to push yourself outside your comfort zone to make progress, but it’s not a suffer fest.
SOMETIMES, there are #gainz without #painz.
And sometimes, pushing through the pain causes an injury which has you out of the gym and losing progress all because you believed some drill sergeant flunkie turned boot camp instructor.
Instead let’s say IGNORING PAINS MIGHT MEAN LOSING GAINS.
Thoughts & prayers for this poor girl below… #yespain #nogain
9. Pain is just Weakness leaving the Body
Wrong.
Pain can be caused by lots of things – injury, muscle soreness, disease etc.
It is NOT weakness leaving the body.
Yes, you will be occasionally uncomfortable while training hard.
But it’s important to learn the difference between the pain from working hard and the pain signaling that you are close to injury.
Work with a coach who has some credentials.
Or go see a good physical therapist.
8. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
Sorry, Ms. Clarkson.
Sooo… there’s actually a bunch of stuff that won’t kill you and also doesn’t make you stronger.
For instance, lying on the couch eating a sandwich –
Sorry, Ms. Clarkson.
Sooo… there’s actually a bunch of stuff that won’t kill you and also doesn’t make you stronger.
For instance, lying on the couch eating a sandwich –
This one should be changed to
“WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU LETS YOU KEEP LIVIN'”
7. Unless you Puke, Faint or Die, Keep Going
How about no?
It’s not necessarily to redline or max out during every workout to get results.
Work hard when you train, but don’t push to 100% every single time.
That’s a great way to overtrain yourself or get hurt.
If you are constantly throwing up or getting light-headed (or dying) while training, you should talk to a doctor or nutritionist.
Perhaps you need to eat more before training. Or maybe you need to eat less, or eat further in advance of the training session.
But maybe it’s a more serious medical condition. Get it checked out.
6. Get Bikini Ready!
OY THIS ONE MAKES ME SO ANGRY.
How dare you imply that I am not already a lovable, beautiful, bikini-ready specimen just the way that I am?
Advertising slogans like this prey on the insecurities of women in hopes that we’ll take the magic pill or join the exclusive workout program they’re promoting.
DON’T FALL FOR IT!
Any fitness professional who’s using negative motivational tactics to lure you in DOES NOT have your best interests at heart.
Work with an empathetic, knowledgeable coach whom you trust.
5. A Moment on the Lips, a Lifetime on the Hips
Untrue, but I just had a fun visual of everything I’ve ever eaten glued to my hips.
I’m going to Europe in a week, and if this DOES turn out to be true, when I get back just look for the girl with a belt of baguettes and cheese on her hips. And there I shall be.
4. Nothing tastes as good as Skinny feels
About 10 years ago, a girlfriend and I used to say this one to each other when we were trying to get “bikini ready” for vacation.
I mean, we also drank warm Jagermeister back then, so I can’t say we were the healthiest gals.
Whoever came up with this one has obviously never tasted Ben & Jerry’s Americone Dream flavor.
3. The Gym is my Therapy
No, you see the gym is the gym. And therapy is therapy.
If you think you need therapy then you should talk to a trained counselor, therapist or psychologist.
Working out to relieve stress is good, but IT’S NOT THERAPY.
Talk therapy and exercise are both on the list of things that can improve mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
But there is no one single solo stand alone cure for mental illness.
So if you’re struggling with something, try actually going to therapy.
Spend time working on your mind too… not just your body.
2. Grip it and Rip it
This might work for golf, but not with a barbell.
There are exactly hmm, let me think, ZERO exercises where I would advise you to “rip it”.
That screams poor technique.
But I guess “grip it and then lift it aggressively and with good technique” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
NEWSFLASH: Just because it rhymes doesn’t make it good advice.
AND NOW…
THE WORST, MOST ENRAGING GYM CLICHE EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD:
1. Strong is the New Skinny
That’s bullshit.
For starters, skinny is appearance-based and strength is ability-based.
Many of us who train for strength aren’t doing it to reach any aesthetic goal.
I do it for the satisfaction of making progress.
I do it to fulfill my genetic potential to be as strong as I can possibly be.
I do it because lifting heavy is awesome and it feels great to use my body for strength instead of as an ornament to help the room look prettier, or a lovely accessory on some man’s arm, or as a sex object to be used up and discarded.
Also, strong isn’t the new anything. Strong is not the newest fitness fad. Strength is a trait that has been admired and sought for centuries.
Bodies of all shapes and sizes can be strong – skinny, chubby, short, tall, bulky, lean, fat, lanky, awkward, athletic, bulky, scrappy and more…
Love your body for what it can do. Value yourself for more than just what the mirror reflects.
STRONG IS STRONG
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Thanks to my Instagram friends who helped create this list!
@reeding_rainboww, @garlandjenna, @powerliftinglibrarian, @jherschler, @the_jennay, @postpartumprolapse, @firehorse_incarnata, @meatybutmighty, @coco_alexis, @ringwaldian, @_sidvicious, @drew.hamilton.smith, @cswaylift, @haworthweightlifting, @chemjacket & @laurend904
And thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lis Smash
