 All right everybody in today's episode we talk about the myths. I hate the most in the fitness space These are ones actually prevent people from working out and their lies their total lies So we know you're gonna love this episode now Here's the giveaway for today's show here on YouTube the giveaway is maps and a ballock So one of you lucky viewers will get free access to maps and a ballock Here's how you can enter leave a comment below the first 24 hours it would drop this episode Subscribe to this channel and turn on your notifications Gotta do all those things if we like your comment will notify you and you'll get free access to maps and a ball One more thing before we get started. We are running a sale right now on Three workout bundles so we have one for beginners one for those of you that are intermediate and one for those of you That are advanced each bundle is about nine months of planned out workouts nine months of exercise Demos and videos and reps and sets like everything's planned out for you So you can pick one of those bundles beginner intermediate advanced get going now and you have the next nine months All planned out for you and they're all discounted heavily if you're interested in checking that out head over to maps January comm also if you just want to try one maps program if you want to find out what all the Commotion is about do maps and a ball it that specific program by itself is also 50% off right now You can do that one at maps red calm just use the code January 50 for that discount all right here comes a show some of our most popular Episodes that we've ever done revolve around myths right myths around fat loss and muscle building and myths around nutrition and building muscle and they do very well because Myths have a tendency to spread and grow people believe them as to be true Mm-hmm, and they can be quite damaging right if you believe something to not be true to be true It'll influence your behaviors and your actions and it can prevent you from accomplishing quite a bit In this episode. I want to talk about what I believe to be Some of the most damaging myths because the myths we're about to talk about Prevent people from getting started with fitness in the first place like what we're about to talk about Makes people feel like Fitness is not for them that gyms are not places where they're welcome or they can go To help improve their health and improve their their mobility and their fitness to help them lose weight, whatever and And I think it's terrible and it's it's funny because I I as a kid and I've been in gyms most of my life But I remember as a young kid Kind of thinking these things of myself, but very quickly realizing that it's actually the opposite So it's it's different when you say something that's not true versus something. That's actually the opposite of true And many of the myths that we're gonna talk about today are are not just false But they're actually the opposite of what you'll find so what what prompted this for you. So I was There self magazine has been posting lately kind of these interesting articles on fitness, right? And they were posting articles about like how You know, you could be healthy and also be overweight That's the one that we were tagged on and we all recently talked about just they've done a lot of these right these posts And there's a big article in self magazine talking about this. Well fitness direction. Yeah, and there's this movement in the fitness space It's a small one. I don't think it'll stick because people who work out a lot Just smell this a mile away, but there's this movement in the fitness space to where and I of course I'm gonna take some responsibility for the fitness industry There's a lot of things we've done wrong a lot of ways that we've communicated fitness the wrong way So much so that it's caused the pendulum to swing the in the opposite extreme Direction to where people think the answer to You know praying on insecurities telling people that they're they're not sexy enough They're not hot enough. They need to hate themselves is to say you know, there is no health negative health effects from obesity and that You know that wanting to lose weight It's fat phobia and all that stuff which is in the opposite but also extreme and also wrong direction And so they did a post recently and I'm gonna read This some of this caption and this is really what what motivated me so as I'm because people are tagging with me on these things left and right and This is how it opens. It says lots of fat folks simply don't go to gyms or exercise Classes even if they very much want to Fitness is already a practice of the privileged. It requires time money and access that many people don't have Fat people have to jump through jump those hurdles and more just to get to the gym and when they do They're often met with judgment discrimination and calorie lectures They didn't ask for the problem keeping fat people out of the gym is not their fatness The problem is fat phobia and It really made me upset to read this. I know what why they were saying it, but it's also so wrong It's just so so wrong. It just seems It's annoying. It's just more angles are trying to find here to create like a negative divisive a way of of getting attention in the health and fitness space and It's it's frustrating for sure to see a lot of these myths keep getting Spread out there about gym culture and in Deturing people that really need help from actually Enrolling and signing up for something that's gonna be you know life changing for a lot of these people So it sounds to me like somebody writing about the gym who's never been at the gym. Yeah, that's what it sounds like and I think they're trying to draw a Parallel line to like like school and educate like there's a lot of bullying and shaming and shit like that on school campuses and within with kids and That message I understand like and I think that to a point I think the anti-bullying and and that message is is a good message because I think there's a lot of that that does happen But this is so so far fetched. It's ridiculous. I've been I mean this I've been in the gym industry for 20 years Most of that time actually in the gym working every single day And never once have I seen a fit person inside the gym Shame a overweight person in the gym. In fact It's quite the opposite and in fact You might see two fit people and the fit another fit person struggling to do something or whatever and they're ignored and nothing But if you see somebody who you can tell is very Deconditioned or is very new to this place the opposite response is what you get from really healthy fit people inside It's like to me it seems okay, like if if you're unfamiliar with something and you're you're Thinking about what the experience is gonna be like you have a lot of insecurities that you're kind of bringing in you start Conjuring up your own stories in your head of what the experience is gonna be like and when you get there It's like completely the opposite of that and that's every time I've I have seen that in the gym You'll see like the biggest most aggressive looking person in there like slamming weights They'll stop Anything to help somebody in this type of that's okay So it's so damaging because if you're already feeling self-conscious about the way you look or your lack of Fitness or you're you don't you're not experienced with exercise. You don't know how machines work You don't know how exercise work You're already intimidated and you are already feeling self-conscious Then you read some crappy, you know article like this which I scare the shit it confirms everything Yeah, oh my god. It was like that. I'm never gonna go into the gym. What a terrible place It's it's so wrong and it's so damaging and it's funny because on the one hand on the one extreme You know the fitness industry and media I should say fitness media industry would prey on your insecurities by telling you that you are ugly You're not sexy. You need to buy this new pill or whatever to get in shape. This is also praying on your insecurity They're also telling you all the stuff you feel about yourself about how scary it is to go to the gym You're right. Don't go in there. It's so wrong It's at the most accepting place that you'll ever go into if you're out of shape And you're trying to improve your fitness and health the most accepting place you'll ever go in your life as a gym That's a fact. That's a hundred percent fact. Everybody in there is trying to do the same thing So I made a list of these myths and I want to go down each one of them one by one And I even can tell some stories around of these because like I said as a kid I experienced a lot of these Myself one of the biggest ones is that people in gyms are mean and critical of out of shape people that that's so wrong because We're all in there for a reason and also and in there's a very small minority of gyms are made up of super fit Athletic rip people like this very small I'm talking about 1% probably of gyms where you walk in and everybody looks like they've been doing it for a long time Most gyms are not like that most gyms are filled with everyday regular people like you don't see I used to do this with with potential clients and potential members all the time when they would talk about how You know six packs and all the people are so ripped and I'd say alright We're gonna go out and walk on the on the workout floor I want you to point out a person with a six pack and They wouldn't I'd say because the gym is just made up of everyday people the difference is people are here trying to do Something to improve their health and fitness and that's exactly that's exactly what's happening So people in gyms are not mean and critical They're supportive because they're doing the same thing that you are they're doing the exact same thing that you're trying to do Know the struggles a hundred percent and that's the thing. It's just so crazy to me It's like they they like I would just look and see somebody struggling I would stop and be more compelled to go You know help in some some way and I know there's a lot of people in that Environment that feel the same way we'll go out of their way to help some because they know how Challenging it is to begin with and them just being there and and wanting to improve themself. It encourages everybody It's like we're all in this together. We're trying to get better So one of the things I love most about gyms and I this is this is how I really fell in love with the gym I've always liked working out I started as a kid and I worked out in the backyard Then a couple of years into it actually got my first gym membership and I went in and what I loved about the gym was there were different races and genders and ages and wealthy people and people not so wealthy and you know Teenagers and older people and it didn't matter. Yes, it's a melting pot It did not nothing and none of it mattered. We're all in here doing the same thing and I felt that camaraderie in the gym even though I You know put my headphones on and kind of mind of my business and try to do my own thing I noticed that it was this great Feel in the facility this great, you know atmosphere that and by the way, I do want to say this also There's assholes everywhere. So of course always exceptions to the rule always exceptions to the rule, right? Yes, somebody's gonna have an experience that they'll share something of course There's always assholes everywhere. There's jerks everywhere But I I dare you to find another place where everybody has to share the same equipment and it and it not be as a Great environment as a gym. I would make the case that you you're more likely to have somebody do that or bully you or Fat shame you or in a grocery store than inside the gym Yes That that would be the case I would make is that you're more likely to get that at the mall the grocery store in a place Then inside the gym when maybe they they're afraid of the gym thinking that it would be worse I don't think that's I think that's the point is that it's definitely not worse than anywhere else You walk around the world there are gonna be assholes everywhere you go But I think a majority of people have that in fact we were we just recently got back from Utah when we were up there The TV was playing cut in the background. We were only watching we were hanging out talking and bullshitting and this like local TV Show had this like Reality bit that was playing. Oh, it was the what would you do series? Okay? Yeah, so it's like one of those hidden camera and what they do is they stage Three actors or actresses that you know, you have the the girl who's working out And they chose different body types. They'd use like a girl that was really overweight And they use the girl that was like really like skinny skinny like and then they had two other actors or actresses That were gossiping about that person like oh god. Look how fat she is or oh, she shouldn't be wearing the end Just distracted Yeah Look at us and then look at her and what they were trying to see is what would people do around and the two things I noticed from I took from watching this small bit from this one I don't think I've ever seen anybody like do that before I don't think I've ever heard never people Like the stuff that they had them staged and saying were like viciously mean Yeah, like have I ever heard someone say a cop sure a comment here there But they were like being like really mean right really mean and they were talking loud Yeah, like don't you know that you're not supposed to wear pants like yeah It was like over-the-top right so which I get it that they were it's they were dramatizing it So the people listening they wanted to see if they heard that now the thing that I saw that happened Which I do think is true is every single situation Somebody else walked up some other like regular gym goer walked over and stood in said what are you doing? Like what do you go? Yeah, and then actually Criticized the the people that were being critical of the you know the girl that was out of shape And so and I really believe that that's exactly what would happen if that if that scenario even happened first of all I don't think that scenario happens in the gym or at least in my 20 years I've never seen something that egregious happen and then if it were to happen That's how much it is like a community and everybody cares and supports exactly itself regulates That's some big meathead guy would walk over and and check those Can I tell you something right now the most dangerous place to to openly? I don't know fat shame someone to use their terminology or to criticize someone for how they look The most dangerous place to do that is a gym Mm-hmm if you make fun of somebody for how they look in a gym You you're gonna be a target Because that that environment in the gym is anti that everybody's there trying to help themselves and everybody there Has been through some type of struggle and challenge and in fitness is also doesn't just happen To you overnight and of course those those exception the rule of people who look a particular way and that's just got great genetics But for the most part people have had to work hard. So you get this genuine respect I've heard many people in gyms talk about other people in the gym Who were beginners or overweight, but it was never negative. It was always man. Look at her going for it That's freaking awesome or look at that and in fact More often I've seen this happen many times people will walk by give someone a high five or a handshake I've seen that happen so many times I remember there was this one woman who came into one of the gyms that I managed and she had just got she had She was trying to lose weight to get gastric bypass. So she was a big woman She was on a treadmill walking very slow sweating very hard at least three people who were members Walked by and said, you know great job keep going like very encouraging. I remember this person broke down into tears I had signed them up the day before and remember they broke down into tears and said I did not expect this kind of support I said, of course, would you think that would happen? This is this is a gym. This is what people are doing here The next myth is that you know that the most fit people are the most judgmental This is again the opposite what you're gonna find and this is a fact For the most part the most fit people the people that look the most ripped or whatever dealt with body image issues themselves and probably are still struggling with them Even though they look super fit. So these are people who have dealt with these issues are working through them They look the way they do because they're probably still obsessive and battling it. They're the last people To judge other people who are trying again this for this reminds me of this narrative from like schoolyard bullying like Okay, where I see examples of this is the the gifted kid Who is probably never worked out who's you know, 17 years old and has got great genetics and has Already symmetry and a good body like everybody went to school with that one that one kid Whether or the girl who's just naturally beautiful and that didn't work for it And then she you know shames or bullies the out-of-shape girl or the fat girl at school Like that's that's where you see this and where that I I do believe this is You know common practice and with kids but inside the gym Somebody who has obviously put the work in to build that physique. Most those people are exactly what you said They're coming from a place of understanding because they were there at one point in their life and or still going through it Yes, so you know what I tell you what Think of any maybe this will help people kind of get what we're saying because it maybe someone's listening right now Who's never really being consistent in gyms and this is by the way, this is something that's important to understand Sometimes your filter makes you see things that aren't there So you may if you walk into gym feel like people are gonna judge you and stare at you That may be what you perceive right people may just glance at you because you're there But you may think oh my god, they're looking at me They're judging me so keep that in mind when you go into these situations But I'm gonna change this just a little bit to help maybe communicate what I'm trying to say here Think of an expert in any field think of an expert at chess an expert at basketball an expert at engineering or Construction now imagine you walk up to this expert and you say to them. Hey, I don't know how to do this This is really hard like can you help me? 99% of the time the expert will be more than happy to help you They have a passion for what they're doing and they're more than especially if you ask them They're more than happy to help you and to show you and you're not gonna I'm not gonna walk into a room full of grandmaster chess players and say hey, I'm a beginner I don't know how to play and they're gonna make fun of me that those are the people that aren't gonna make fun of me I'm more likely to get made fun of by other people who've never played chess before who maybe are have you know Their own egos or whatever well I think too it's you start conjuring up a lot of these ideas because you'll see some Group of people in there that are really getting after it and it's like an intense workout and it's like it's aggressive and it's a little bit intimidating, but you know, that's literally where they're at in their experience is they're able to you know go that with that kind of intensity and But what you'll find is if you talk to them and you have a conversation and really Approach them with the right energy and I think that's an important fact is like coming up to them and with an inquisitive kind of curious type of question for them to You know be able to see kind of like how they can guide you or like give you some advice Like they're more than always more than healthy Helpy help you more than happy to help you And it just seems like it wouldn't be the case because they're so you know aggressively getting after yeah No, I'm glad you said that because that also can cause that perception is when someone is in their zone and then their space I Do this right when I work out. I'm essentially blind to anything that's happening around me. I don't hear conversations around me I don't care about what's happening with the bench next to me or the squat rack behind me I'm in my zone and so if you're going in with the perception that oh my god fit people are judgmental Fit people are looking at me and then you see me in there Sweating with my head down This kind of aggressive look on my face you may think because you have that filter. That's one of those people That's one of those people that that's judgmental one in reality. I might not even know you exist right now I am literally in my space. Yeah, just focused However, this has happened to me before especially when they manage him see when I manage gyms I would put my headphones on and I'd be in my space But because people recognize me as the manager they were more likely to stop me now if I go into a gym now I'll never typically nobody will say anything to me except in my own space but when I was a manager sometimes people would tap me on the shoulder knowing I was a manager and It's right away out of it and how can I help you what's going on? And even if I even if it had nothing to do with stuff that a manager would have to answer It could be just a question about working out or a machine or whatever People would stop me and I would love to help them out because I mean I love this thing called fitness And I'm willing to help anybody who has a question and most people who work out in gyms are like that All right, the next one is this is a huge myth that I think It's it's two. There's just kind of two sides to this that are negative one is that That I should listen to anybody who looks fit because they know everything about fitness and the the other is Well, they're gonna judge me because they know everything about fitness And I'm not doing anything right or they're gonna think I'm doing everything wrong and they think you know They're gonna think I'm an idiot the myth is that that fit-looking people have it all figured out This is totally false Fit-looking people do not have it all figured out what they probably have figured out is the consistency part That's the part that they typically figured out. They just done it consistently Didn't take don't miss a lot of days don't miss a lot of weeks and they're consistent That's why they look the way that they do but as far as figuring it all out That's that's not true at all for the most part and again. I said this earlier most people who work in the fitness industry either have dealt with or deal with body images image issues themselves So they obviously haven't figured it all out. It's a challenge. I think this is a gym and Instagram I think that there's this idea of just because somebody has a six-pack or they look amazing that they have figured all this out I remember sharing with you guys and I've shared on the podcast many times how I'll blow it away. I was and I kind of knew this it already But even I was fooled by the experience I had when I started competing I just assumed that this is the 1% that they have to really know their shit And I was blown away to find out it wasn't that they weren't any more different than the average The things that they struggled with were just different You know, everybody has their challenges in life when it comes to health fitness nutrition Relationship health. Oh, there's so many things that encompass health and we all have our challenges Yeah, and just because somebody has figured out the macro ratio to exercise Does not mean they figured out the rest of the sphere at all And that and I think that's the mistake is to think that these people have it all figured out because they figured a piece of That sphere out and it again, it's no different than The average person have figured out something else. And so I think they're way more like you than you think they are Again, they've just they've applied the discipline and consistency of the law of thermodynamics They have figured out if I eat less than I burn I'm gonna stay lean and if I lift weights every single day intensely I'm gonna add some muscle on my body and so they figured that piece out But they could be completely out of balance and struggling on other aspects of their life Yeah, well, that's why this is a lifetime pursuit is everybody has problems And this is sort of the the place where we're all working it out and in everybody's problems looks different Yeah, and it does look like a lot of fit people have it all figured out But like you said, it's like there could be other aspects that they're trying to improve And everybody comes from different places and different experiences and there's a lot of different variables They're working their way through so that's the beauty of it is like we're all there to work and sort these problems out and improve our body and improve our mindset and It really doesn't matter What you're bringing in as long as you're in there putting in the work. Yeah, you said something Adam I think that I want to go back to it's really important. You said that they're just like you, right? When you look at someone who's fit and you think they have it all figured out Well, either one of two things will happen either one you'll put them on a pedestal Or two you'll by the way, they're bound to fall off of if you do that, of course or two You think that that person is Somehow different more privileged more whatever they don't know anything about you. They don't understand you or You're they they look at you differently. They look at you in a bad way. They're bad people None of that is true. I mean some of it can be true, but oftentimes it's not they are just like you, you know The thing about your physical fitness is it's very visible So it's it's easy to see when someone has a challenge with physical fitness It's not as easy to see when someone has challenges with other aspects of their life So it's it is I can see why someone would put someone on a pedestal or think of them that way, right? But you don't know if that person with the six-pack has a you know, really tough relationship with their spouse or had a bad Hard upbringing or is challenged with Finances or maybe has another health issue that you don't know about So I don't think it's any different than the the halo effect that we do with like actors and actresses We assume because they're they're rich and they made it on the movie screen that they have life figured out and their life is so good It's like what because they figured out one piece they figured out how to make a lot of money Yeah, they figured out how to make a lot of money So you're gonna go ahead and assume that they're good people assume that they know all these things I think that's hilarious. It's no different here You walk in a gym and there's a very small percentage of people that are jacked and ripped And then you're gonna just assume that because they got it all figured out because of that because they figured one Thing out like it's so weird to me that we think like this It's like we're all a lot more like each other than you than you realize It's just that everybody's demons are a little bit different everybody struggles are a little bit different Everybody's successes are a little bit different in life And so just because that person has figured a that piece of it out that maybe you haven't doesn't mean that they're not a lot Like you it also might mean you have something to offer them, right? So keep that in mind I mean I learned so much in gyms from people who I would help with fitness And they would help me with business or with finance or with you know I used to have my older members would come in and I'd ask them questions about being a father You know and give me that kind of wisdom So here's another one and this is this is again in direct response to that article that It costs a lot of money to have access to a gym Well first off I want to be did didn't they say some it's it the health and fitness is a privilege thing of privilege Yeah, like like and this is I get somewhat like I guess good health can be a privilege Some people have genetically bad issues with I get all that But the pursuit of fitness is not a privilege pursuit of fitness is available to anybody It looks different for everybody first off you don't need a gym at all to do it nothing You need no equipment to pursue fitness. You need zero equipment. So you don't need a gym But number two of all of the investments that you make in your life The gym is the least expensive gyms are not expensive especially nowadays There's gyms. You can sign up for nine bucks a month You know what you know when I really figured this out by the way when I managed gyms in the late 90s early 2000s They were way more expensive than they are now Okay, they got a lot less expensive because the market grew and they figured out how to make money charging less than But I remember I'll never forget a guy walked in he looked homeless Walked in and asked about the club and I had one of my sales guys and I said hey give him a tour Show him around my sales guy was a little bit like I don't know if he said just do it You know see what happened So he did he give him a tour show him around and the guy Bought a membership and he was homeless. Do you know why he bought the membership? Give him access to a shower. He got to work out and it was open 24 hours And it was the least expensive way he could get access to that kind of stuff And I said that makes a lot of sense. He's paying 20 bucks a month Where can you pay 20 bucks a month for that kind of access to things, right? Well, now you could buy a membership for nine bucks a month, but you don't even have to do that You can work out with no equipment at all And you can work out you could also make your own equipment Have you ever seen the videos on Instagram of dudes and girls are like? I love the ingenuity and seeing some of these creations especially over the pandemic. I've seen a few people like build Machines yes wood and in their backyard and I mean where there's a will there's a way and again, it might be intimidating but You know, there's there's definitely a low-cost way to You know apply a program and get into fitness, right? Well, especially okay, especially when we're talking about Fitness and health. We're not about competing at the professional level as a bodybuilder Like it doesn't take a lot to be active and say no to food That does that does not a thing of privilege I think of privilege is not the the act of saying no to access calories and moving your body in a physical way It's not a thing of privilege and that's what we're talking about right now We're not is is maybe competing at the highest level a thing approach. Well. Yeah, okay You need access to steroids need access to a lot of probably gym equipment You need like super genetics You need let you need to be on a very high protein type of diet and be able to eat and surplus of calorie Okay, you can make that case. I'll concede that that that's a place of privilege a little bit to be able to do something like that I get that but to try and say that fitness or health or that that is that's that's ridiculous We all have choices and we can pursue it, you know, I've trained clients that were paraplegics I've trained clients that had severe physical You know issues that prevented them from doing a lot of different things, but they could still pursue Improving their health and fitness through choices that they make so and that that of the message that we're countering is one of disempowerment So what they're trying to do is they're trying to disempower you because when you're disempowered you're easy to manipulate This is a big problem. Remember this when you have when you feel no power over yourself and your life and your circumstances That means someone else can manipulate you either to buy their product or devote a particular way or to do something Okay, so they're disempowering you the truth is Again getting up and walking or moving your arm or making different food choices or even changing the way you think about things all of those can be in pursuits of health and fitness and All of them are accessible to most people and even buying a gym membership. Look, I tell you what Most Americans have a cell phone. Most Americans pay a cell phone bill a Cell phone and a cell phone bill is far more expensive than the average gym membership. It just is I mean Planet Fitness for goodness I think that's the largest gym chain in America. What's that? What do they charge per month nine bucks? Yes? I'm like that. Yeah, it's cheaper than Netflix. You know any people tell me I can't afford Oh, I don't know if I want to spend that much to go to a gym, but they pay for Netflix Hulu Oh, I know it's inconsistent. Yeah when you start doing the math of like the Starbucks and yeah all the excess Items that you end up purchasing you don't realize like if you do an inventory and you look at all these Spending habits you can really cut it down and prioritize it. It's a stupid argument. It's not even worth spending There's lots of ways around You know having a gym you don't need a gym to be in great shape and stay healthy And so it's a it's another terrible argument that that health magazine player whatever their shape shape is a shape self That's what I'm sorry self magazine. Here's another one in this one I Thought would be the case when I was a kid just because of the stereotypes you see on TV and movies But it turned out to be the opposite And that's the myth that the biggest strongest people in the gym are mean That they're not welcoming right now. I get this one, right? So do I right? I get that because at first glance, I mean even watch a big strong dude Yeah, yeah, so even me like right I'm even me at first glance walking in the gym when I was you know a skinny little 160-pound boy getting ready to lift for the first time and across the gym was the 260-pound Steroided out meathead dude who was slamming the way every time like I'd most certainly he looks angry, right? I didn't feel confident to probably go walk up to him I probably avoid it because I was probably intimidated. So I think that they at first glance It's very easy for us to judge and go like oh, I bet he's an asshole because he's on steroids, right? I bet he's an asshole and think so. I'm sure it's really easy for us to assume that and I'm just as guilty of it But the crazy part is Maybe the maybe the nicest people in the gym of all the people of all the cardio bunnies the yoga stretchers the fucking You know we can wore your guys like maybe the powerlifting huge Steroided out me got me a teddy bear may be the biggest teddy bears and most helpful people in the gym It is now now you have to understand one thing because if you interrupt someone's Workout so if someone's working out. They're on a time frame. They have specific Exercise they want to do they're very focused and then you go interrupt them and if somebody's short with you It's because you're you may be interrupting someone's work. They may be a competitive lifter They may be a professional bodybuilder or this may be the hour. They have the day where they do this So if somebody's short because of that it's not because they're being assholes to you But rather it's like you're walking in on somebody in the zone working You know writing a book and you interrupt them so that may actually that might happen although it's still rare It's still route for the most part if you walk up to a big strong muscular person and ask them a fitness question Here's what I experienced. I'll never forget this. This was one of my my Introductions in the gym like I was working out and I was training my legs I was trying to build my legs up and there were these massive power lifters in the squat rack next to me And I'm working out and I'm trying hard. I'm sweating and I really wanted to so bad I wanted to ask them a question I wanted to say hey, but I was intimidated. They looked, you know mean They were so focused they were grunting and as I remember trying to muster up the courage to go and ask them You know what I should do and I finally did and they spent like 30 minutes with me Showing me what to do showing me how to squat taking me through a workout patting me on the back You're gonna do great kid. Don't worry about it And it was like that was one of the greatest experiences I ever had I've seen that happen time and time again I've seen that happen in Almost every gym I've ever managed I've seen it with the and you know this because in most gyms again There's a 1% there's a 1% of gyms where most people look like this in the facility Most gyms don't look like this most gyms everyday people and then there's that one guy or that one girl That really stands out and you know them right they come into your gym if I manage a gym I always knew them because they stood out the big dude that come in all There's you know so-and-so he's gonna put five plates on the bar and do some squats or whatever And I remember I would see every once in a while Someone would have the courage to go up and ask them a question and you know what they would always do take their Headphones on off and they would spend like 20 minutes helping them out showing them exercise It was like clockwork every other way to help them go out of their way to help them out Now I am gonna make a comment about that 1% of gyms where everybody looks super jacked and crazy Those are some of the most supportive places you'll ever go into usually you go into a powerlifting gym or a strongman gym Unless you're going in there to make fun of them or to you know be lazy if you go in and you're genuine You have questions they will all stop to help all of them Well by the way if you're a female and you have genuine questions about fitness and I know this there's like I said There's always assholes and you where you go is always gonna be that that pervert everywhere you go But when you're a woman and you ask some of these guys because I know women are more intimidated typically the man about this You ask a big dude about hey, how do I deadlift more so what? They will they will help you in fact the women in the gyms that were really trying to get in shape The ones that were beginners out of shape the ones that had the challenges But we're coming in consistently the big guys in the gym were almost like their big brothers I swore to God if you would see this in the gym was like they were helping them Oh, no come over here. Let me do your form Let me help you with this and they were almost like and they would tell me man I feel like when I go to the gym when I come to your club I was so intimidated about going to the weight room now I feel like I got all these big brothers in here kind of watching out for me And I loved I would love hearing that because it's so true well I think the the point of this whole episode or this message is not that it's none of these things have never happened before It's just that it's a terrible message that's being promoted by these Magazines or articles or this new movement of woke fitness that If you know why give people a reason to not go to the gym when it's it's the complete opposite Yeah, it's not that this all these situations haven't happened once before whatever It's just that it's so outlandish that it's more likely to happen in your local grocery store or on a campus at college or school Before it's gonna happen in the gym So don't be spreading bullshit like that that's gonna keep people from doing that You don't hear anybody talking about that for school or grocery stores So I think putting it out there and kind of shaming gyms are shaming people that Exercise consistently the gym is just as bad as fat shaming some it is it's passing judgment and it's passing judgment on how people look It's the same damn exact thing that they're accusing other people of doing but again I'll say this all day long if you're looking to improve your fitness and health One of the most supportive places you'll ever go is a place where everybody's trying to do that as well And that's the gym look if you like our information head over to mind pump free calm and check out our guides We have guides that can help you with almost any fitness goal. 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