If They Say This at the Gym, Run (preferably in the opposite direction)
Hi bestie! (The author is trying something new, lets give it try ok?)
The gym is a magical place. People come to lift, move, transform, check people out and project unresolved issues onto the weights. Fitness maybe deeply personal but there are certain phrases that once spoken aloud should immediately activate your DANGER response.
While to some, this article may reek of judgement, the author promises it is just about the vibes. So let’s get started and see if you agree!
Rest days are for weak people.
Translation: I am one injury away to have a nervous breakdown.
If someone says this, the fact that they think recovery is optional is not high levels of discipline, it's a flaw. Rest days are not failure. They’re how muscles grow, bodies recover and personalities remain tolerable.
Run. With intention.
If you’re not sore, did you even work out?
Translation: Do you bleed? (Said in the ominous Batman voice)
Ah yes, the ancient belief that pain equals progress. Soreness can happen but chasing it like that equals a medal is just a sign of:
• too much intensity
• or zero awareness of how bodies actually work
The goal is feeling better over time and not broken! If they glorify soreness, they probably also glorify burnout.
I earned this meal.
Translation: Food = Reward. Your dinner is not a trophy. It is a necessity.
Just no. If someone talks about eating as something they have to deserve, that’s a relationship with fitness built on guilt — not nourishment.
I don’t do cheat days.
Translation: Moderation, what's that?
Why should meals that make you happy be called cheating? It reeks of guilt. Fitness is literally having the cake, not feel guilty, move, feel happy and repeat. And if it is not yet for you, its ok. Food is not the enemy, rather something you need to develop a strong, healthy relationship with.
I don’t believe in supplements.
Translation: WAIT WHAT?
Ok, this one is a personal vent (obviously) but why the hate? Supplements support a healthy life. Can you really have 20 eggs a day to get an average of 120grams of protein that a 60kg active person needs? Too much math, right?
EXACTLY. Supplements help take out guess work, work with you for your body.
This sentence has launched a thousand unnecessary debates. Choosing high quality, daily life benefitting supplements should not be a question. Electrolytes, proteins and vitamins & minerals are your body’s love language and when you give it high quality nutrition like us, you tell your body you care and trust me, it will love you right back.
I never stretch.
Translation: I hate that I can’t touch my toes but won’t admit it.
And we can tell. Skipping mobility isn’t edgy. It just means future you is going to wake up one morning unable to turn their head and deeply confused about how it happened.
Flexibility, mobility, and warm-ups aren’t optional extras – they are how you keep moving long term. And guess what? Longevity is hot.
Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
No translation. Just run.
Pain is usually your body saying please stop immediately. Discomfort may be normal but sharp pain, or “pushing through” warning signs is how people end up with injuries and dramatic origin stories.
Listening to your body isn’t soft.
It’s intelligent.
I hate walking. It doesn’t count.
Translation: I am an idiot.
Walking counts. It has always counted. It will always count.
If someone dismisses gentle movement, chances are they’re chasing exhaustion, not health.
Walking is elite. Even pro max. Walking is grounding. Walking fixes more things than it gets credit for. Disrespecting walking is a red flag of the highest order.
Green Flag Energy (Just for Balance)
Let’s end on a positive note. Green flags include:
• Talking about movement like it’s something they enjoy
• Respecting rest days
• Eating without guilt
• Warming up without irony
• Leaving the gym feeling energized, not destroyed
• Not insulting supplements
Because the healthiest fitness routine doesn’t make your life smaller — it supports it. If someone’s gym philosophy sounds like the bad side of the 90s, you’re allowed to put your headphones back on and – run (preferably at a comfortable, conversational pace)