Why fitness competitions shouldn’t measure your success

A few days ago, I was approached by a stranger in the gym who asked me if I compete. I never thought I’d be at a place physically and mentally to step on stage and strut my goodies in a blingy bikini. I immediately thanked them, because I know the amount of dexterity, commitment, and discipline it takes to train for physique competitions. But then I began thinking: just because I don’t want to compete as a physique model, does that mean I don’t exhibit commitment? Does it make me less of an athlete?

I started my active lifestyle four years ago with the hopes of losing weight. Later on, I wanted milestones. I signed up for my first 5k and trained for it. Next, I signed up for Tough Mudder and found my love of obstacle racing. Commitment to running these events got me off of the couch and into the weight room, but they’re not the sport that’s keeping me going now. I just want to be strong. And although I’m still on the fence about delving into my first powerlifting meet, I love lifting, and I love lifting heavy. Just like I did years ago, signing up for this meet could be the spark I need to train to get stronger.

Clearly, your goals will change. I’m a Zumba class dropout. I’m a cardio bunny turned Iron Lady. I’m Exhibit A of how much your training focus might change throughout your journey. It has taken me years of experimenting to find the right combination of fitness and fun and I’m finally at a place where I can say I’m happy with my training program. I don’t need a competition to validate my success in fitness because knowing how happy I am right now in this moment, is enough validation for me.

If you are thinking about competing, I encourage you to do it because you love the sport. Don’t compete because it seems like the only next step for you. I feel as if fitness – especially around Instagram – has one be-all and end-all goal and that’s becoming an International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) pro. If you have made progress in your own way, believe me when I say that you do NOT need to be an IFBB pro to be an inspiration, nor do you need to be shredded and lean year round to be respected. I think fitness has become so conflated to the point where we forget that fitness is an everyman and everywoman sport. It’s accessible to everyone. Whether your fitness is at the tennis court or dancing in your living room, you’re making fitness your own. Own it, wear it, and your confidence will grow. No competition will allow that natural confidence within you to bloom.

Real SHREDZ or just SCAMZ?

If you’re starting a new fitness routine, what made you start? For most people, the inspiration comes from the myriad of models that spam Instagram with their workout or beach bod selfies. You’ll see the comments full of exclamations of admiration with hashtags like #goals, #inspo, or even a simple heart-faced emoji.

While it’s fine to have role models, it’s problematic to put these staged photos on an “ideal-body” pedestal. A personal anecdote: I remember when I first started at the gym, I had a photo of Paige Hathaway as my phone’s background. Her chiseled abs were meant to stare right into my fat-self’s soul and inspire me to run that extra mile and continue that plank for just 10 more seconds. But what we see on Instagram are filters, flattering poses/angles, and in some cases, even Photoshop or editing. We’re warned about catfish in online dating, but what makes the fitness industry so different?

It’s unfortunate that fitness is yes, an INDUSTRY. Without people desperate for results, supplement companies would collapse. Supplements are meant to do just that: supplement your active lifestyle while paired with a balanced diet. No supplement will get you an Arnold physique in 30 days.

Looking back, though, I was impressionable four years ago. I had no idea how this fitness thing worked. I do the cardio and then I do the weights. What else? Now I know that maintaining a lean physique extends from the gym into your overall lifestyle. You need to kick the junk food and nights out drinking and instead lift weights with good form and do cardio as needed. My fellow gym goers know that no 30 day Squat Challenge will take you from pancake butt to Kim K. Sculpting and building take time, but I can see from my own experience how tempting it was to look for the easy way out.

Adobe GainZ: SHREDZ as a Case Study

Okay, so if you’re involved in the fitness online community, you probably know who SHREDZ are. If not, here’s what you need to know:

Since 2012, SHREDZ has been supplement-focused fitness company based in the US. You won’t find any of SHREDZ’s ads on late-night infomercials promoting the next revolutionary fitness contraption. Instead, SHREDZ dominated the social media sphere by pairing with fitness models/athletes and (using? not using?) their collection of fat burners. Elaborate photoshoots act as strong, visual rhetorical pieces and allowed SHREDZ to quickly permeate the timelines of many Instagram users.

While their initial intentions were to help people reach their physique goals, even the CEO of SHREDZ admits that they are more of a marketing firm than a supplement company. Shifting the focus of your company from self-betterment to pure profit sure does wonders for your credibility and reputation (#saidnooneever).

And yet, people continue to be hypnotized (myself included) by Paige Hathaway’s washboard abs. SHREDZ is now a multi-million dollar fitness company, and it’s all because of their digital marketing and con artists sponsored athletes.

Recently, SHREDZ did some damage control by firing one of their athletes, Devin Physique. Devin photoshopped and maneuvered his way to becoming one of the most followed fitness accounts on Instagram… but at least he apologized:

“I just want to say sorry to all of you guys if I let any of you down by touching up my photos.”

Whether this will create a fraudulent fallout is unknown. Paige Hathaway continues to gain followers and lure customers into her 30 day challenges (which cost $200 to just participate). And while no one can maintain a flawless physique year round, it’s no doubt that Adobe helps these athletes make their living.

The Takeaway?

Have someone who is an inspiration to you, absolutely! But do your research: what are these people promoting? Is fitness to them only achieving a dream body? To me, fitness is much more than that. Fitness should be making you a healthier and happier person – the bangin’ bod is just an awesome bonus. I much prefer supplement companies and athletes that recognize that. I’m a normal person. Just a regular human being who goes to work every day and goes to the gym. I don’t want to funnel all of my hard-earned money towards Paige Hathaway’s next surgery or software renewal. I might not ever compete in powerlifting or bodybuilding, but I’m using supplements to fuel, not magically sculpt, my body.