The aim of this is not to humiliate of offend, but hopefully to allow people to see they are not freaks and others encounter the same. Either that or if no-one else joins in make me look a total freak.
We all know the positive effects of exercise, but there are a number or things I know I have done that have had unexpected consequences and despite having got through the times of concern, it was freaky at the time.
Body odour and sweating.
The very unfit and very fit sweat the most. Simple inescapable fact. This is not limited to periods when you are training. If you want to get really fit this will become part of your life.
Most of us in this group will have tried various products to stop it and failed. Anti-perspirants to stop extended fitness sweating is like using a handful of pebbles to dam Niagara Falls. The reward for most is a rash and disappointment.
There are ways of absorbing the moisture (pads, talc, baby powder), and covering or avoiding the odour (deodorant, alum) but the sweat is there to stay.
Increased food = increased output
This may seem obvious but when like me becoming a part time fitness fanatic, means becoming a full time eating machine, there is a lot of waste. Eating constantly means more toilet trips and increased duration of these. Some find this very embarrassing, but it is inevitable.
Clothing fit
The worlds average fitness level is not high and getting fitter often means the clothes you may have wanted to get into no longer fit for other reasons.
I have to buy trousers that are a size larger around the waste and marked as wide fit because like most fit people I have legs. Even still they can often look and feel like drainpipes especially when I sit down. I have shirts that are like tents around my middle because if they weren't the top button wouldn't do up.
Ladies with nicely shaped arms and shoulders find that the little jacket which is a perfect fit at the waste and back won't let their arms in because women in that size aren't expected to have them.
The choice here is compromise or custom made. Most people will not get fitter so we will be the minority and active wear is not often considered suitable for the office or a dinner party.
Intimidation (of others)
I like I expect a number here was a real ugly duckling. I went from no-one wanting to ask me out because I was too uncool and pathetic looking to apparently being viewed as out of their league. A transition that was quicker than I realised and I only found out second hand to my annoyance, especially as the person I was first told was too scared to talk to me was someone the ugly kid in me was saying was out of my league. Nowadays I don't care, happily married and proud of it, but when single this was a real pain.
This can take on a different meaning for some body-builders etc. too. We will all have heard people saying they wouldn't like to meet some large guy or woman in a dark alley as if being fit and muscular instantly makes someone an uncontrollable source of rage ready to kill or maim. The reality is so far from this it's ridiculous, most who are dangerous in dark alleys are drugged up skeletons who have never trained in their lives. When I trained in a real iron gym, I had a great laugh with guys over twice my size and women who made me look pathetic, and they were great.
Reality is if you want to meet people and for them to realise you are not a threat to them you will have to make the first move a lot of the time. It sucks but it becomes part of your life.
One of my colleagues told me that his first impression of me based purely on my physical appearance was a bit of a rough-house, this was in office attire. The impression lasted to the point where he told my supervisor that if I turned out useless he didn't envy him having to sack me. He has come to know me since and said it was not my face or any aggression, purely my presence that gave him this view.
Stereotypes
There are so many for every group and we are one of them. Muscle heads is a general term used to describe those who are all brawn no brains. Truth is keeping fit means the brain is more able to stay healthy and improve, but the non-trainers haven't learned that yet. Some of us aren't too bright, and a few of us with a sick sense of humour will play the dumb part occasionally for a laugh, but it can be infuriating to be judged dumb because we were smart enough to keep fit.
Martial artists will often be assumed to be thugs, marathon runners as anorexics, young trainers as only fit due to their age, and many others including functional fitness fanatics being insane, OK some are true.
We all make snap judgements it has been key to our survival. This means others will do the same for us. We need to be able to work with this and try to make it obvious that these are wrong.
Ridicule for success
If you are doing well you will get this every time. If you are losing weight, those who wish they could or are otherwise unhappy with themselves will give you grief about your gym addiction. If you are gaining muscle you will be told you are trying to be Schwarzenegger, or be asked to show your muscles in mocking tones.
The abuse hurts like any other and stems from the same place as most, jealousy. It will be a test of how successful you can be whether you get through it or not. Like most abuse it hurts most from friends or family, but they will still do it if they are bitter enough. Hard as it may be keeping training is always worth it.
A positive way to view this is to remember the more you get, the better you must be doing.
I know many of the seasoned trainers here will be looking at this list as, been there done that, worn the t-shirt to the gym. Hopefully some haven't encountered most of this. Hopefully those who have encountered other things will post them here, serious, humorous or just matter of fact.
This is intended to help those new to training by enabling them to be ready for what can happen and be ready for it so they can just keep training.
Reality is the goals we are training for are what matter most. Keep this in your mind and you will be rewarded with an enjoyable hobby, everything you want and likely more.
We all know the positive effects of exercise, but there are a number or things I know I have done that have had unexpected consequences and despite having got through the times of concern, it was freaky at the time.
Body odour and sweating.
The very unfit and very fit sweat the most. Simple inescapable fact. This is not limited to periods when you are training. If you want to get really fit this will become part of your life.
Most of us in this group will have tried various products to stop it and failed. Anti-perspirants to stop extended fitness sweating is like using a handful of pebbles to dam Niagara Falls. The reward for most is a rash and disappointment.
There are ways of absorbing the moisture (pads, talc, baby powder), and covering or avoiding the odour (deodorant, alum) but the sweat is there to stay.
Increased food = increased output
This may seem obvious but when like me becoming a part time fitness fanatic, means becoming a full time eating machine, there is a lot of waste. Eating constantly means more toilet trips and increased duration of these. Some find this very embarrassing, but it is inevitable.
Clothing fit
The worlds average fitness level is not high and getting fitter often means the clothes you may have wanted to get into no longer fit for other reasons.
I have to buy trousers that are a size larger around the waste and marked as wide fit because like most fit people I have legs. Even still they can often look and feel like drainpipes especially when I sit down. I have shirts that are like tents around my middle because if they weren't the top button wouldn't do up.
Ladies with nicely shaped arms and shoulders find that the little jacket which is a perfect fit at the waste and back won't let their arms in because women in that size aren't expected to have them.
The choice here is compromise or custom made. Most people will not get fitter so we will be the minority and active wear is not often considered suitable for the office or a dinner party.
Intimidation (of others)
I like I expect a number here was a real ugly duckling. I went from no-one wanting to ask me out because I was too uncool and pathetic looking to apparently being viewed as out of their league. A transition that was quicker than I realised and I only found out second hand to my annoyance, especially as the person I was first told was too scared to talk to me was someone the ugly kid in me was saying was out of my league. Nowadays I don't care, happily married and proud of it, but when single this was a real pain.
This can take on a different meaning for some body-builders etc. too. We will all have heard people saying they wouldn't like to meet some large guy or woman in a dark alley as if being fit and muscular instantly makes someone an uncontrollable source of rage ready to kill or maim. The reality is so far from this it's ridiculous, most who are dangerous in dark alleys are drugged up skeletons who have never trained in their lives. When I trained in a real iron gym, I had a great laugh with guys over twice my size and women who made me look pathetic, and they were great.
Reality is if you want to meet people and for them to realise you are not a threat to them you will have to make the first move a lot of the time. It sucks but it becomes part of your life.
One of my colleagues told me that his first impression of me based purely on my physical appearance was a bit of a rough-house, this was in office attire. The impression lasted to the point where he told my supervisor that if I turned out useless he didn't envy him having to sack me. He has come to know me since and said it was not my face or any aggression, purely my presence that gave him this view.
Stereotypes
There are so many for every group and we are one of them. Muscle heads is a general term used to describe those who are all brawn no brains. Truth is keeping fit means the brain is more able to stay healthy and improve, but the non-trainers haven't learned that yet. Some of us aren't too bright, and a few of us with a sick sense of humour will play the dumb part occasionally for a laugh, but it can be infuriating to be judged dumb because we were smart enough to keep fit.
Martial artists will often be assumed to be thugs, marathon runners as anorexics, young trainers as only fit due to their age, and many others including functional fitness fanatics being insane, OK some are true.
We all make snap judgements it has been key to our survival. This means others will do the same for us. We need to be able to work with this and try to make it obvious that these are wrong.
Ridicule for success
If you are doing well you will get this every time. If you are losing weight, those who wish they could or are otherwise unhappy with themselves will give you grief about your gym addiction. If you are gaining muscle you will be told you are trying to be Schwarzenegger, or be asked to show your muscles in mocking tones.
The abuse hurts like any other and stems from the same place as most, jealousy. It will be a test of how successful you can be whether you get through it or not. Like most abuse it hurts most from friends or family, but they will still do it if they are bitter enough. Hard as it may be keeping training is always worth it.
A positive way to view this is to remember the more you get, the better you must be doing.
I know many of the seasoned trainers here will be looking at this list as, been there done that, worn the t-shirt to the gym. Hopefully some haven't encountered most of this. Hopefully those who have encountered other things will post them here, serious, humorous or just matter of fact.
This is intended to help those new to training by enabling them to be ready for what can happen and be ready for it so they can just keep training.
Reality is the goals we are training for are what matter most. Keep this in your mind and you will be rewarded with an enjoyable hobby, everything you want and likely more.