i hate gym culture.

i hate everything surrounding gym culture.
maybe because i was a part of it.

the “more” problem #

in the gym world, you need more and more, and it never ends.

it starts with the hefty registration fees and monthly fees.
don’t forget bag, towel, shoes, workout clothes, transportation costs.

sooner or later, you’ll be told to buy gloves for “grip”, and you’ll need a belt for squats, but it won’t save your spine for going bust from all the overloading.

some gyms have moved to packages instead of monthly fees, like 5000 for 3 months. lmao. what’s crazy is, i recently searched for a calisthenics park, and they want 2500 rupees a month, and 4000 for 3 months, for self-training.

calisthenics park. self-training.
tf?
you can workout in a park for free.

why do they push for packages? because most people either aren’t motivated enough or life happens. and just like that, boom, 3 months money.

the “essentials” #

you’ll be told to eat like crazy, because “gainz”.

your noobie gains start kicking in, and then we’re gently pushed to “invest” in some whey, because “protein”. since teenagers are impressionable, before you know it, you’re buying all the shit they ask you to. and since you’re buying all of this shit anyway, why not add some creatine to the mix? it gives you the pump™.

and don’t forget shit like pre-workout, post-workout, shakes and crap.

then there’s the routines and shit: bro split, PPL and all those other ones. bulking and cutting.

and since you see all these roid-abusing freaks on instagram, you’ll be pressured to get into the roids as well. (i won’t lie, at a time, it felt like a good idea, but thank God i didn’t go down that path.)

gym fucks your body up #

to be honest, gym fucks your body up, because most of the stuff they tell us to do in the gym is unnatural as fuck, because we make our body in a particular way to isolate a particular set of muscles.

a few examples:

the bench press. #

compare it to the pushup, which is as natural as it gets - you push your body up using your hands. yes, pushups too have a form, but pushups, when done right, activate your whole body, meanwhile in the case of the bench press, you do all these workarounds to isolate the chest.

the lat pulldown. #

since time immemorial, humans have evolved to pull their body up using their arms and back muscles. that’s called a pull-up, one of the most fundamental exercises.

but guess what they do in the gym to work their lats out?
they sit on their ass and pull a twig downwards with weights linked to with a cable. no wonder why i fucked my back up.

i know people who can execute lat pulldowns with 60kgs or more, but tell them to do pull-ups with perfect form, and they can’t. it’s their own body, for chrissakes! (i was this guy.)

the preacher curl. #

the worst offender.

you sit in an incline, you place your hands downwards and pull a thing up, curling your biceps. you gotta push your ass backwards or the load goes to your spine.

every single tricep exercise. #

egolifting #

gyms promote egolifting. in fact, 90% of people joining the gym have no idea how long it would take to build an okay physique. i mean, when i joined the gym, i thought i would get buff within 2 months lmao.

everyone wants gainz fast. everyone wants to post their gainz on instagram ASAP. so what do they do? yes, progressive overload is important, but loading weights beyond your capacity will fuck your body up, no wonder. muscle can grow fast, but connective tissue and all that stuff takes time to adapt. if you don’t provide the time, your body will break.

i know a guy who tried to squat with too much weights, and then had to visit the hospital with some serious shit.

i myself did some egolifting coupled with hardstyle music back then, and i still suffer its consequences.

online gym culture #

the elephant in the room: the influencers.

pumped up freaks who call themselves “natty” while being on steroid cycles. actors claiming they only eat chicken, broccoli and rice. lying to your face.

plus there’s a whole legion of youtubers and influencers who’ll tell you you can’t be healthy without all these fitness trackers, fitness apps, workout routines. everyone wants to reel you in to their paid courses. you’re seeing an 18yo kid on tren every second on instagram and you can’t help but ask yourself if you’re wasting your time.

reality check #

how do i know, you might ask.
cause i was this guy.

i’ll give you the truth. you don’t need fancy machines, adjustable barbells, pre-workout shakes and all of this shit. you just need your body, floor to do pushups and shit, and a bar to hang from and do pullups and stuff. a skipping rope will be cool. but that’s about it.

but if you want, you can incorporate weights as well.

if you wanna learn more, read the book Convict Conditioning . it’s an eye-opener, the only fitness-related book you’ll ever need. and it’s a fun book, no cap. this book will explain things way better than i can. 12/10 recommend.

if you need videos, check out The Stone Circle , Natty Life and Hybrid Calisthenics .

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