Is toxic gym culture turning fitness into a performance?

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What initially started as a place to improve health and relieve stress has now recently taken a concerning turn toward a stage for seeking validation. When walking into a gym, the toxic culture is widely prevalent, driven by the chase for an unrealistic body aesthetics promoted by fitness influencers. This toxic gym culture often rewards working out for attention from others instead of what is good and healthy for your own body.

Ego lifting, which is when people dangerously load more weight than they can handle, is a perfect example. The goal for going to the gym no longer becomes a personal goal to grow stronger but rather a seek for applause because the numbers look good. For example– in my experience– I have seen many people lift heavy weights at the gym, but it becomes apparent that they are going far above the weight they can handle. Many people simply do a couple reps with questionable form, such as benching, every time I go to the gym. The proper amount of reps usually ranges from 7-10 consecutive reps with stable form.

In the short term, ego lifting may give gym goers a sense of accomplishment, but in the long term, it comes with significant risks. It can lead to damaged nerves and increased rates of injury, such as the joints and ligaments to name a few. Because of ego lifting now, adolescent weightlifters are especially susceptible to sustaining serious head injuries, according to The Washington Post.

This culture encourages a sentiment that recklessness equates to strength. The proliferation of social media fitness influencers exacerbates this issue. While these influencers make themselves look superhuman through perfect angles and lighting, people want to achieve similar physiques. It also encourages a mental health crisis where people are constantly fixated on comparing themselves to ‘perfection,’ which is evident in the profuse amount of recording and posting new personal records. It feeds into body dysmorphia– a common condition where people spend a lot of their time worrying about their looks. 

A healthier alternative starts by changing the mindset. Workouts should be personalized to each individual’s needs instead of trying to replicate others. Train for yourself as an individual and practice workouts that are challenging yet still repeatable. Instead of ego-driven lifting, utilize progressive overload to slowly acclimate the muscles to increasingly heavier weights. When watching workout tutorials, make sure to focus beyond the results and into the process itself. Warming up, rest between sets and patience are all important to maximizing gym time and preventing injuries. Ultimately, it is crucial to resist the culture of short-term validation and prioritize working on long-term health.