Bullshit Fitness:
What it is, and what you can do about it
By: Ian Cutting
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How Can You Tell if it’s Bullshit?
Generally, if…
It sounds too good to be true.
It came out yesterday.
It asks for a few easy payments.
It’s on an infomercial.
It’s based on the latest study.
It promises to remove pounds of toxic sludge from your body.
It promises amazing results with zero effort.
It guarantees amazing changes in a conveniently small amount of time.
It’s new and been improved, since the old version’s completion or expiration date.
It has more ingredients and syllables on the label that you haven’t read anywhere else.
It has more colors on the packaging than there are colors on the rainbow.
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Straight to the Point
Stop chasing bullshit fitness. Stop chasing fake health. Stop chasing magic pills and pipe dreams. Stop chasing shortcuts and quick fixes. Stop chasing the latest fad or gimmick.
Stop feeding promoters pushing one size fits all, short-term programs. Stop buying into products guaranteed to help you, pushed by companies who don’t care about you.
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The Truth
Change is hard. Real, significant, changes are the result of hard work and consistency.
Real changes come from keeping things simple.
They come from building healthier habits. They come from operating out of your comfort zone. They come from training.
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The Process
You don’t always have to “embrace the grind”, but you have to do the work. You won’t always be able to smile, but you will grin when you get it done. You can’t always have fun, but there will be fun along the way.
You don’t have to leave the gym battered and broken every time, but breaking down mental and physical barriers is part of the process. You can’t possibly like all of it, but you will grow to appreciate at least some parts of that process.
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Look in the Mirror
Look at what’s being pushed on you, decide you’re better than that.
Look at what you’ve tried, realize you need better than that.
Think about what a better you can be. Think about what it will take to get there.
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What Will it Take?
It will depend on what your goals are. What you are trying to get out of life. Why do you want to make these changes and what is the best path to take.
Whichever paths you’re thinking about, don’t take the ones promising overnight transformations. You won’t change, at least not in the way you were hoping for. You won’t learn what it takes. You won’t have any new skills to build off of. You will be left feeling even more discouraged and confused. Your wallet and motivation will be left even emptier, with nothing to show for it.
If you do take that path, you will then seek out the next too good to be true miracle cure, product, or program, and the cycle of disappointment and desperation continues.
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The First Step
The first step is to stop buying into the cycle of fitness marketing.
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Where to Go From There?
If you don’t know where to start, look for those who have. If you don’t know how to start, find those can help.
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How Do You Know What to Look For?
Are you being told you’re too old, young, fat, skinny, tired, ugly, unworthy or unable in some way, or are you empowered to get started, learn, and grow?
Are they professionals, or promoters?
Is it your concerns they care about, or their commission?
It is your progress they care about, or their brand?
Is their way the only way and others are terrible and unhelpful, or is it one that’s practical, been shown to work, and lasting?
Do they listen to you, or talk over you?
Do they ask questions, or answer their own.
Do they have a plan for you, or something to push on you?
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Ultimately
You can’t undo anything you’ve already done. Just move on having learned from it.
You can move forward and break out of the cycle. You can start making actual progress in your health and fitness. You can keep making positive changes in your life.
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Worth It
It is never too late to make changes. Do not give up on progress, on improvement, on yourself, ever.
It will be hard, especially in the beginning.
It will be worth it, for now, and for the rest of your life.