Who might you be?

In the Gym Advisor's continuing quest to bring you hard-hitting analysis of all things “gymly”, we think it is appropriate to comment on an oft heard criticism of "gym culture." The complaint is as follows: "I hate going to the gym, it has all those huge guys preening and looking at themselves in the mirror, and it really bothers me." (Refer to previous post for importance of investigating demographics before choosing a gym).

There are several things to be said here. The first is that we have found that the majority of people who offer this critique seem to be offering it as an excuse for why they don't go to the gym more regularly. As the Gym Advisor has noted, being comfortable in a gym is important, but we don't want to overstate the necessity of having everything just so---far be it for us to provide you with any excuses. In our experience the majority of these hulk-haters embrace this excuse a little too eagerly.

Secondly, making this complaint says more about your own workout than it does about anyone else's. If you have the time and energy to not only notice when other members are constantly looking in the mirror, but also to be irritated by it, turn the treadmill speed up, rep out another set, and cut your rest times in half because you aren't working hard enough.

Many FIGs (Fresh In the Gym) wonder why all gyms even have mirrors everywhere. Please allow us to enlighten you as to the threefold purpose. The first is a fairly obvious interior design reason: mirrors open up a room and gyms have a vested interest in making their space look as big as possible. The second and typically offered reason is so that members can check their exercise form to ensure proper execution (we advise that you use this feature). The third reason is psychological and can also be the most important. During exercise, watching yourself can provide you with the concrete perception that you are really doing something and this can inspire you to work even harder. In the longer term having mirrors allows gym-goers to see themselves going through physical changes (the ostensible goal of most fitness programs). Yes, looking at the physical manifestation of your accomplishments will fill you with pride; after all you are looking at the result of weeks, months, and years of effort. But most people we talk to admit that they constantly check the mirror to see where they are still lacking so they can continue to improve and meet their goals. We don't ask artists to sculpt while wearing blindfolds, so why do we expect that others working toward aesthetic improvement not be able to look at their work?

Next time you go to the gym try looking at yourself in the mirror, take notes, plan improvements, and don't worry what everyone else is doing. In a few months, you may find yourself constantly checking out your successes and planning your next goals.