Why is Fitness Culture so 'Toxic?'

Is the fitness industry "toxic?" Or - if you dislike that word - is it negative or harmful? If so, why? What are some things we can do to change it?

Legal Notice: Consult your doctor before beginning any kind of exercise program. This video does not replace a physical therapy program or consultation with a medical professional.

#hybridcalisthenics

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[HybridCalisthenics]

Hope you're all having a good day!

[SpokoR]

I love how this channel isn't just about physiological fitness but also psychological.

[robertjr]

One thing I hate is when there are those who mock or record or laugh at others who are obviously beginners. If they can’t do certain amount of weight with the proper form, I see a lot of people laugh at them or be pissed bc they’re doing it wrong. I think people tend to forget that we were all beginners once.

[Man_Who_Found_Peace]

If everyone in the world were as pure as this man, it would be a way better place. You're a true role model, Hampton

[sirrivet]

I think one of the biggest problems in the fitness community is the lack of understanding towards people who are unfit. Pe in middle-school was genuinely traumatizing because I just couldn't do most of the exercises and instead of giving me easier exercises the coaches and kids acted like I was fuckijg insane or faking it. To make matters worse I had autism and anxiety and so when they yelled I literally couldn't not cry. And then they yell at me for crying. And wonder why It doesent stop.

[dill_pickle_]

gym culture might be toxic but this guy sure as hell is not

[lavenderhoney]

This channel brings back my faith in humanity. My 14yr olds gymn teacher called her fat, told her she needed to work out and ' lose that flab' because she wore hoodies all the time. She is under Dr care for being underweight due to a autoimmune issue. She is underweight, brutally so. When I confronted the teacher she said it was my daughter's fault for not ' showing off her body' 🤢 Now this channel is my go to for all of us.

[probably_not_jim]

Fitness became a lot more fun for me when I stopped focusing on what I looked like and started paying attention to what I'd like to be able to do. My dad is super into weightlifting, so I've been doing that to spend time with him. I did my first triathlon with my mom last year. I go for walks with friends. Being able to do stuff is fun. I'm still not thrilled with the way I look, but that's okay. My body feels better, and it's getting stronger, and that's enough.

[HanaTheRussell]

three main things you didn't touch on i think make fitness culture toxic:
(1) monetary ambitions- fitness gurus being more focused on making money, getting brand deals, getting views, than actually helping people the most effective and healthy way possible
(2) ableism- i was a d1 athlete in college. it was a hardline no-nonsense no excuses get it done attitude. then my health fell apart and i became disabled. my d1 days did SO much bad to me that took years of therapy to undo. people in disabled bodies have different fitness needs and most most most fitness gurus don't account for that. (hampton isn't most gurus)
(3) feeling of superiority / lack of understanding that some people just don't care about exercise- some fitness people think that this is some enhanced way of life and if you're someone who works out, that automatically makes you healthier and more disciplined than someone who doesn't. when that's not necessarily true.

[KSGomez]

This was such a thoughtful take on fitness. I know for me, I was chubby growing up and my my mom was my soccer coach. She would say "you'd be better if you lost weight". I dropped soccer then started over-exercising. I stopped eating too. Now, 20 years later, I'm married with 2 children and I'm bulimic and still hate my body. I never got the help or support I needed.

[terryenby]

I am severely disabled and I have been told not to lose weight quickly or I will have to be tube fed again.

You and Ben Carpenter are about the only fitness people I watch. Because I want to be healthier in the body I have. I don’t want to be a muscle machine, I just want to be a happier person with better control over my wheelchair/crutches. I just want to feel less exhausted when I can make a small routine and stick with it. I just want to be a stronger, healthier version of me, not anyone else.

None of us know how long our lives will be, but the more complex our health becomes, the worse outcomes we have. So I really want to have as much physical health and mental health as I can. I want to enjoy what I can now, and prepare what I can for the future.

[HenNgTr]

I switched to rock climbing last year after 12 years of weightlifting and all the body dysmorphia melted away. Really glad to have moved away from that. My physical health feels so balanced, it’s way more social, and my insecurities have really gone down since.

[briarwentling]

You got me thinking of how I've treated one of my friends. I was a super skinny cross country runner in highschool, and then covid hit and I gained a lot of fat weight. Ever since then, I've been working on getting leaner, and I've discovered rock climbing, so having a lot of strength in that area is something I've been working towards. I think, coming from a cross country background, I prefer endurance over pure strength, so I don't train for muscle mass, I train for lots and lots of reps (3x25 diamond pushups for example).
I'm realizing that I have an image of what I want to be, and I project that image onto others. I have one friend who's like a body builder and values raw power over leanness, so I constantly make fun of him because even though he's stronger than me, he's far from lean. I need to learn to stop projecting my own values onto others. I need to focus on how people are improving themselves in the way they want, and not the way I want.
Thanks for the wakeup call.

[ElyseofEndrion]

What I dislike is that a lot of people in this industry will say: "you're making excuses - if you wanted it badly enough, you would acchieve it". I always use(d) this sentence to beat myself up even when I was really fit and didn't have chronic pain. I often ignored my boundaries because if I did not, it made and still makes me feel like I failed. Now I have fat pad impingement and therefore I'm in a lot of pain and my mobility can be pretty limited due to fluid build up. Of course I could ignore the pain and give it my all, making my problems way worse. How is that going to help? I'd like the fitness industry to be more like you: gentle and offering a realistic starting point, from which you can climb your way up. Healthy challenge and kindness to your body..

[Eletrocinese]

Ive tried changing myself out of shame several times in the past and never actually achieved anything
Now im in a much better place and i can happily say im healthy and i only managed that once i started my self improvement journey out of love for myself

[MichaelaRtoS]

I find when people are being negative, especially when they have good intentions, it's simply okay to say, "I appreciate that you're trying to help, but I personally don't find that helpful."

I'm in a situation where I tend to get a lot of advice from people who don't actually understand what I'm going through and their advice simply doesn't apply. So I use that line a lot.

[NoLimitSquad]

Gym bro here. I see a ton of "tryna be like you bro" irl💪which is great! It seems as soon as we leave irl and go online, it turns upside down. Not all the time but most. It's bc people have otherworldly confidence behind a screen. Just my observation over the years. We definitely need to uplift online lot more☹️

[joss]

Thank you for this video. Personally, I experienced a lot of toxicity. When I signed up at a new gym, the trainer asked me how often I used to work out (twice a week) and what my goal would be (go three times). And he just looked down at me and went, 'well you gotta start somewhere'. I mean, I do my best to find the time with a regular job and a family. Another girl in the gym was standing next to me saying how she would consider herself fat if she weighed over 60kg. I was a bit heavier than that at that time while being shorter than her and this comment really hurt at lot. It's these looks and comments where people really make others feel bad.
The most welcoming experience I had was at a gym that was more like a healthcare provider. There were some really fit younger people, but also elderly people, people on rehab after surgeries or with visual impairment etc. So everyone just went there to work out, not to show off or to fight their own insecurities by belittling others. I wish this would be more common among gyms.

[johnslike]

I love that Hampton treats every perspective with dignity and gives credit where it's due. That is a skill that is extremely rare, and direly needed today. Thanks for what you do, Hampton!

[indiomie]

Toxic culture is one of the reasons why i almost quit trying to improve my body... I was really shamed at my local gym for being unable to squat even just the bar or just from the sheer sight of a fat man running/walking on the treadmill. I still don't know how people say that people in the gym are the nicest of people because in my experience, they weren't... it simply felt like going back to highschool, being bullied as the fat guy.

I have since funded for myself a home gym with spaces for both free weights and calisthenics (most of which are thing you hampton started for me) 1 year hence and i am still somewhat fat, less bloated but still fat. many bodily functions have been regained in the process though, I can actually stand from my bed on the floor using just my legs! 1 thing's for sure though, i will never step again inside or near a gym ever again... my 1 month stay at my past gym has ruined each and every gym for me.