FITNESS PEOPLE (trainers, coaches, IG fitness “models,” etc.): It’s hard enough for people to find the time, energy and motivation to exercise.
As a personal trainer or coach, the job is to advise and motivate others. Our words matter. We need to choose them carefully.
We need to stop using the following phrases. We’re scaring people.
1. “You can’t outwork a bad diet.”
You can if you’re Michael Phelps. If you’re not Michael Phelps, I pose the following question: What’s worse than being on a diet, working out and not losing weight? Not working out and gaining weight.
And no matter what, if you’re building muscle, improving mobility, easing joint pain and relieving stress through exercise, you are absolutely outworking your chicken wings, french fries and ice cream. Your life is way better because you’re exercising. Even if you’re not losing weight. (Unless you’re Michael Phelps in training.)
What and how much you eat definitely matters. But exercise is equally important.
2. “Go hard or go home.”
If going to the gym was easy, my job wouldn’t exist. People would just workout really hard all on their own 3-5 days a week (with perfect form.)
Don’t go home. Go to the gym.
For a lot of folks, going to the gym, going for a run, a walk, or making an effort to stand up and stretch more frequently throughout the day, is a victory in and of itself.
3. “#NoExcuses”
There are times you definitely should not workout; if you have a fever, if you’re extremely exhausted, if you’re on certain medications, if you’re intoxicated (I’ve sent a few early morning clients home because they were still a little drunk from the night before), if a family emergency pops up or if you have been kidnapped.
You don’t want to give yourself too many outs but missing a workout here or there isn’t going to completely derail your training.
And lest I come off as a (total) hater, here’s a fitness phrase I CAN get on board with.
“Actions speak louder than words.”
So get moving.
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