That ableist, misogynistic, fatphobic "coach" really took what you said and made a "I like pancakes" "Why do you hate waffles??"-situation out of it lmao. She's just derailing from what you said because she wants to spew hatred, not actually helpful advice.
Its a cultural difference. I think she is pretty representative of non-western way of thinking about fitness, and if she’s Russian (sounds like it) then absolutely she is giving you a Russian culture perspective of it. Its how it is there
She's either fishing for engagement or she's simply as dumb as a sack of potatoes. I can't tell which. There are people that have such a visceral reaction when their brain pattern matches with something they really care about, that it makes no sense to even try to argue with them. She understood "not everyone wants to lose weight" to mean "those lazy fat people don't want to lose weight and she's promoting that". Well, what about people that are at their optimal weight and want to get more fit? What about people who want to *gain* weight ? What about those that may be a bit overweight but that's not their main priority ? The last one was me, my doctor pushed me to exercise because of joint pain and blood pressure. Weight loss is a secondary benefit, a target of opportunity if you will. I'm barely losing weight, but fat percentage is dropping rapidly, so it must mean that lean mass is increasing. And pains are gone and blood pressure is almost normal. What now, dumbass coach? I would hate to work with a person like that. She clearly doesn't listen to her clients either. My coach understood what I was looking for and focused on that.
There isn't a language barrier. She has an accent , and she is speaking fluently and fluidly. She understood what you said and chose to manipulate it for her hateful comments. She may be ignorant, but she isn't struggling w English.
I totally agree! She knows exactly what she is saying and how she is saying. I just checked her instagram page and was horrified by the messages she puts up, not just about the fitness industry, but anti-feminist messages such as "if'you've been kicked into your teeth by narcissistic, entitled, delusional, promiscuous women, join my fitness community. I understand that there might be a cultural barrier, but this is not the issue here either. Anyway, this is the type of content that instagram should be banning...
I'm convinced her account is just rage bait. Or secretly run by a man. I mean look at some of her captions: "Men, if you've been kicked in the teeth by a toxic, narcissistic, entitled, delusional, promiscuous whoman [yes she fkin spelt it like that], join the Red Pill community....Men need a community of strong, masculine, rational brotherhood." One of her other posts even has her playing piano while singing "isn't she ugly" which she made up basically hating on women. Like yiiiikes girl.
Saying that you should reduce cortisol to zero is like saying that you should reduce estrogen to zero. The body can suffer from excess in any area but it's also not made to function with literally zero of anything that you find in a normal human body. You need some fat, some salt, and some of the hormones that, in excess, may cause you problems
I was on prednisone from august until January, before slowly weaning off the last 5mg, I had to do a cortisol test to see if my body was still producing it, if the tests would have showed that my cortisol was low, I would have needed to take cortisol m, because, guess what? With 0 cortisol, you will DIE! 🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
"I'm massive and bulky!" says the tiny woman. Seriously, though, what people mean by "you won't look bulky" is that you won't look like a bodybuilder unless you are deliberately training to be a bodybuilder.
Highly melanated people bulk up really quick. I can go do a normal workout routine with my girls for 2 months, I'm able to lift more but not much, and by the time we get to the end I look like I'm prepared for a bodybuilding competition. I can't lift weights 😂 Michelle McDaniel covers that so well
Not true at all. My trainer told me this lie and I believed her and started working upper body. I don’t even weight lift I just do a shit Tom of pull ups and dips. I absolutely hate the way I look now and it took NO deliberate effort. It is so noticeable that people have called me transgender, and all this happened in only a matter of months
Sure, it is subjective but if you weight train your muscles get bigger. Like, we accept this to be true for legs but arms are supposed to get a pass for some reason?
Nothing irritates me more than when people DONT acknowledge the points that the other person is trying to make in an argument, and only care about winning the argument lol.
Does that fitness coach realize regardless of her views on body positivity NOT everyone NEEDS to lose weight? Is she saying ALL of her clients have a weight loss only goal for working out whether they’re 180 pounds or 95 pounds?? Either I’m crazy or she is 😅 I’m 110 pounds and typically a size 2. So this chick is saying I should only workout with weight loss in mind? I guess I should Stop working out then cause right now I do it to 1. Feel good/it’s therapeutic and as Elle Woods taught us exercise makes you less likely to off your husband when you’re happy 2. To work on building muscle /stay in shape. Someone get this chick a reality check!!
Right? Just bizarre. She went so far into her copy/paste argument against fat acceptance posts that she completely lost the plot. There was no back and forth just her imposing herself.
Just a thought on the "middle aged women" clip, as I've seen this one do the rounds of various commentators: a lot of women who fit into that age bracket are taking those fun classes because they feel excluded from, or have had poor experiences of more traditional exercise and fitness instruction. Probably going back to PE lessons in school.
I feel that! I'm old and British, enough that I remember cross country running sending us off school premises and into town in our running kit, which consisted of big gym knickers and a white aertex polo shirt. I'm training for my first ultra marathon this year ;)
The whole " oh no, i trained arms and now i am bulking and ugly😢" thing make me CRAZY! I LOVE the fact that i have visible muscle on my shoulders and arms and back. I love wearing"going out " tops and having"bulky " upper body! I get that aesthetics is more personalized and not everyone likes the same things but the motivation of "i want to look tiny thats why i work out" is smelling" i have an ED but i dont want to admit it" to me. Fitness is NOT something you practise so that you can become tiny! That's soooo harmful way of thinking. Like...girl... No!
I still have conflicting feelings about this, so I don't weight lift a lot, simple, as Justina says. But I think I feel conflicted because of the influence of diet culture etc. As a result of weigh lifting and generally working more on my upper body (and lower body!) I'm bigger, heavier and stronger than ever and that has improved my ability to do so many things. My body also looks much better than the skinny version, but if you told me this 10 years ago I'd be in horror.
Also the fact that she said “you wouldnt think I have abs” when going out in normal clothes made me pause. I would assume someone with muscle tone is more likely to have abs than someone who just has skinny arms? So shes associating the bulk as FAT not even as muscle. When she says her arms are big she thinks of them as fat not as muscular arms which is so confusing
@@saraashkir5793 I kinda understand her, I love my muscle mass but when I'm not flexing my upper body just looks fat and people call me obese, chubby etc. until I show my abs and flex my arms , shoulders etc and then their jaw drops.... so I have this love hate relationship with being bulky and get triggered with all these lean pilates princess stuff, now idk what I should do to be ok in my body :(
I fully support non weight loss fitness goals. They are so much more empowering and honestly more directly linked to effort than weight loss. I grew up watching my mom yo-yo diet with WW constantly and it put a lot of weird food feelings in my head. I can’t imagine how much better it would have been to grow up with a mom that was doing things like hitting weightlifting goals, running a 5k, heck even doing that high energy workout class. I would have seen a parent gaining abilities or having fun with fitness vs a mom that said mean things about her on body and commented on things I ate
I agree. People have been so taught to link working out to weightloss, someone once seriously asked me: ”why do you keep going to the gym? You’re already skinny” which is so insane to me. Especially since my goal at the time was to gain muscle to improve in other sports.
@@catrinwesterstrom9691 I heard "you shouldn't work out more, you're skinny now and might get bulky" while I was going to the gym to get rid of my knee pain.. I don't care what I look like if it means pain. I work out so I can stand for more than a few minutes
Absolutely. My mum didn't diet, but she constantly complained about the way she looked and insisted if I was going on with friends (at age 16) that I wear a girdle, because it wasn't lady like to have a tummy!
Exactly.. it makes no sense to me at all, I started weightlifting because I wanted to gain weight! All the reasons that last “fitness instructor” stated about the benefits of losing weight (better bone/joints/heart heath etc.) is also true for people who are underweight when they gain weight! I gained 20kg and I am at a healthy weight for my height now
i really hate the word "bulky" because isnt it just becoming more muscular? probably with an increase of bodyfat too? i hate these words because they feel patriarchal. we dont use these words for men because them having muscles is seen as a good thing, but then they use these words so negatively when it comes to women. i find it insulting as someone who wants to be muscular. i train upper body about 3-4 times a week. my shoulders and arms are pretty big, though while ive started training them less to focus on my legs since the muscles there are lacking, i still dont see the big deal. one thing i have noticed, these same women will rant about toxic body standards in society, yet say these things negatively that makes it feel like theyre saying being muscular is "bad". it also feels like theyre still promoting the skinny standard (even as a naturally very skinny woman myself) its such a toxic mindset imo. its why i deleted tiktok.
It is so odd and scary to me that as a society we tell women to strive to be physically weaker than men. Don’t forget men won’t be attracted to you if they can’t tell by looking at you that they could overpower you! So gross and unsettling
Well said. It seems tangential to the women taking up space (physically in this instance) argument/phenomenon. It's a patriarchal standard for women to be small and dainty and not take up space. If some women prefer that, great! But I love the "bulkiness" from my upper body getting big and toned from strength training.
It's so annoying seeing this trend of girls having an "ick" for their bodies showing a bit of muscle. I mean, come on! Muscle is good and needed to get through life, so don't be scared if you see it a bit more on yourself. And wow that last lady, yikes!!
And it's ABSOLUTELY FINE to want your body to look a certain way. I fully believe in bodily autonomy. What I hated was the trend that started of women stating they stopped lifting weights all together because of this :(
Gosh that woman was awful, I can’t believe she actually gets clients. I have clients that don’t want to loose weight and train for their mental health and that’s the focus they don’t count calories or get in the scales and as their PT I support them 100% Then there are clients who just want to avoid the symptoms of menopause like bone density reduction and muscle loss I don’t tell them they have to loose weight. Gosh you handled that very well indeed if you ask me !!
YES!! I am going to the gym because osteoporosis and heart disease run in my family and I turned 45 last year and have started having symptoms of perimenopause. Younger people with periods: perimenopause can start often start in your 30s, and it is NOT fun. You still get your period, PLUS menopause symptoms! Doctor said I couldn’t go on hormone therapy because I was a smoker. I already have arthritis and joint instability, eg chronic pain. So losing more mobility is a big concern, and frankly being active is extra hard for me. I quit smoking, started going to the gym, and changed my diet to fit my goals: lower protein and lower sugar and saturated fat. Yes, I am “losing weight” (slowly) but that’s not my main goal. I will note that it helps that I don’t have trouble affording particular groceries in this economy, my kids are old enough and I have enough support that I can take time away from for *hours* every week, I have a great gym that I have access to, etc
Its so stupid. Im a already skinny person without doing anything cus im pretty tall. But I want to be healthier AND be stronger, and to me that includes at least 3 more kilos and muscle building. And that goal will look different from person to person. Does that woman think female athletes with bulkier builds are less healthy than pilates influencers? 😂
And your response to the last video clip is WHY I follow you. You view a person in a holistic sense. And you didn't mess anything up! Thank you for what you do in this space of health and well-being
@@JustinaErcole totally agree with this comment, thank you for being kind and understanding to all people and not a judgemental cruel person like in the video
Wow, that last girl triggered me. There is so much more to health than body size. Are there certain body sizes that are statistically more healthy, 100%, but there has to be nuance! I might be considered on the larger size of healthy, or even overweight by many in the health industry after a 20 lb weight gain as a result of an injury last year. Frustrated, I went to my doctor, a dietitian, and a PT and every single one had the same response… You have great habits, your labs look amazing, your workouts are great, and your diet is a great balance of nutrient dense food and enjoyment. It took all of them to convince me that being in a bigger body than I was used to or comfortable with didn’t mean I wasn’t healthy. I can run a 25 min 5k, I squat my body weight for reps, I have the energy to be the mom I want to be, but because society has programmed us to believe that only super thin is healthy…it’s hard to believe I can be healthy and be a size 8. Women like her are the reason it takes 3 professionals to convince me I’m ok.
With that lady at the end...i think it's more than a language difference, it's a cultural difference, and she seems fixated on her point while not actually listening to what you're saying. I feel she used to be overweight when she was younger and it traumatized her so much she can't fathom all other people not having weight loss goals.
I agree there's a cultural difference, and it probably includes shaming as a (misleaded) way of motivating people to make an effort. My own culture of origin includes this! Not a good method!
100% im ukrainian, bc of the russian colonialism I know their language and was very stuck in their informational bubble. the fitness and wellness instructors are A MESS. such a fatphobic and sexist community that’s insane. when I discovered ukrainian and western instructors, I started finally caring about my spine, joints, heart, freaking mental health.
I think it’s definitely a cultural difference. For example, I’m currently 10 months postpartum and I exercise throughout my whole pregnancy and after pregnancy it’s been pretty difficult to lose the weight and BS fit as I used to. I used to lift 200 and up to the point of me giving birth I did 5 miles. Right now I can barely do a mile emotionally or physically. back to the point my mom does not stop talking about how big I’ve gotten even though I’ve only I think I’ve only sized up two sizes so I went from 28 to I think 30 or 31. And I would say it’s definitely a cultural thing you bounce back is the thing.
Enjoyment is sooooooo important for people just starting out, I’m so glad you touched on it. I had such a hard time sticking to any workout routine because I was soooo bored and hated it 😅 but I started doing The Fitness Marshall’s dance videos online and had so much fun that it stuck with me and got me into the routine of being active. Now I do all sorts of different kinds of workouts because the enjoyment comes from being active, but it takes time to get there if it isn’t a habit you have from young. 😊
An underweight person should lose more weight to be healthy? Lol nah. Everyone starts somewhere different. And calling people fat and lazy isn't an across the board motivator, either.
Yea it seemed like she doesn’t realize not everyone NEEDS to lose weight - it’s like she assumes everyone works out lose weight and if you don’t (or workout for another reason) you’re glorifying being overweight???? She honestly made no sense. She seems like one of those people who just likes to argue for the sake or arguing.
Exactly. I need to lose body fat, not weight. My hormones are screwy and my muscle tone is not there anymore, but my weight is, actually on the lower end of normal 😅. If this woman was my coach and she told me to lose weight, I'd be upset.
When I started working out 8 years ago I went to UA-cam to find workouts. I had an average to slimmer body type as that is just how I’ve always been. All the videos I saw there were pushing weight loss and I felt like these people are coaches so they must be right I will try to lose weight. I hated the exercises, and I didn’t lose any weight because I was already slim. Then I found fitness Blender and they were doing strength training, and I realized it had never occurred to me as a woman to get stronger. Only leaner, skinnier. So I researched the benefits of strength training, and I realized it would be very beneficial for me as I was already starting to have problems with arthritis. I’ve utilized fitness blender, Sydney, Cummings, and Caroline Gervin. I have been strength training along with some mild cardio for eight years now and I love it. I wish I was bulky like that one girl who was complaining ha ha but I have a very small body so I don’t tend to get a lot of mass muscle. However, I do have muscle and strength, better eating habits, better coordination, and better daily movement. This was absolutely the right choice for me as my arthritis has worsened over the years but having muscle and a strong body has helped slow this down and manage pain. So no not everybody needs to lose weight, not everybody’s goals are the same. Peoples lifestyles and health differ greatly. If I had seen a video of that lady in the beginning of my fitness journey, I would be convinced that I needed to lose weight when that was the exact opposite of what I needed. That really bothers me because that kind of misinformation is seen by people like myself who didn’t have a lot of knowledge about fitness and can send them down a track that is unhealthy and a waste of time. I’m glad I found fitness blender, Justina and all the other great influencers I did early on. I really wish there was more information for women on strength training and mobility, especially for us ladies that are getting older. I find Justina has one of the only of the few sites that talks about mobility, strength, and a realistic approach to fitness for beginners, or anyone for that matter.
Crazy, she just jumped to attacking you and calling every overweight woman ugly, y i k e s. I asked the same thing "Should it be my goal to lose weight?" because I actually have developed health issues being underweight 😐 so literally one of my goals is the opposite of weight loss so I can be healthier.
As someone who was/is middle aged, zumba or any other dance classes are super fun. You hear peppy music (most I dislike personally) and get to move in fun ways, laugh and have a community. I dont go to the gym anymore (I work out at home) but it at least had me moving an hour a couple times a week.
For real on the "fitness is for weight loss." Our bodies are made to move, and by presenting fitness as a punishment to beat your body into a specific number on the scale, it makes fitness intimidating and off-putting for a lot of people. Nothing to do with the fat acceptance movement; I see first timers at my gym all the time who are not over or underweight, but still wanted to try yoga or strength training.
My goodness. That creator is totally reading a subtext into your post/words that is just not there! The wild thing about anti-body positivity/"debunking body positivity" spaces online is if you are regularly consuming that content, you begin to see "the negative influence of body positivity" everywhere. It's not everywhere. Both the extreme side of body positivity and its extreme critics are niches; most people are just figuring how to take care of themselves and make life fun. Love your videos! 🫶
The last half was an amazing way to talk about this topic. You can exercise and form other healthy habits for the many other non-weight related benefits. Weight maintenance, loss, or gain can follow.
I was literally told by a doctor don’t focus on weight loss for my cholesterol but just focus on movement/exercise and upping healthy HDL foods. She warned against weight loss specifically because people tend to forgo trying to help their heart and cholesterol because they just think I need to be thin and people have a tendency to actually reduce HDL enriching foods. *disclaimer: it’s a genetic condition so no I cannot “cure” my cholesterol issues/lose weight to fix - but I can still keep myself from peaking and get to a good level where I can start taking medicine at a healthy point
Well I'm fit, healthy and trim and also have the genetic high cholesterol so I get you here and I also have a very supportive doctor who won't put me on meds because of my healthy/fit lifestyle. I was also informed about a "Coronary Cardiac Calcium Score" as being a much better predictor of heart health than the standard HDL/LDL blood test scores ... and also a few other tests (can't remember them off the top of my head).
Also, women can have a weight gain goal too and for that fitness is useful to make sure you're doing it in a healthy way. Sometimes these people praise being skinny and forget that being too skinny is also not healthy.
I can’t believe those things are being said by a person in the fitness industry at all but a woman in the industry?!? Doesn’t she understand the never ending shit women receive for the slightest perceived imperfection? Wow, just wow
That girl is the definition of "i just tell it like it is, you just cant handle honesty" uhm no you just have zero tact or empathy, why would anyone want to be around you 😂
Well, that creator at the end is the perfect example for why I started following you and doing your workouts. I never paid much attention to that toxic, early 2000's mindset, and I didn't grow up with an almond mom, but that type of marketing is always geared towards women regardless of what their goals are, and it is EVERYWHERE. Life is already tough enough, I don't need some skinny lady bleating at me about being a "fat, lazy bitch", as if that was going to motivate me. She seriously needs take a moment to think about what she is saying, it's a toxic model, and it probably doesn't help anyone with long-term weight loss even if weight loss *is* one of their goals.
I saw someone who said that girls shouldn’t lift heavy. That girl was a joke. Lifting heavy will give girls the body of their dreams. Besides it’s impossible to get the ifb pro bodybuilder look without take steroids and eating so many calories you have to force yourself to eat.
i honestly don’t think the girl’s arms were that big. She is just listening to social media and the fact that she started having probably some significant delts, biceps, and triceps… she’s bulky now. blows my mind
You clearly triggered that last woman!!! She went into a tailspin, my goodness! And just by DARING to imagine habits, drive, or motivation that isn't solely about shrinking oneself!!! I think that says a LOT about the things she tells herself, not just her clients. Big yikes for that trainer! What a small life they must lead, to be so obsessed with shrinking themselves and everyone else. I dunno, I find joy in movement and joy in goals that enhance my life beyond just how much I weigh on a scale, but I guess that approach is UNHEALTHY?? Also, the assumption that someone who has a goal of 10 pushups must be in an ugly obese body?? It's just wild where her head went because of your post!!!
I honestly think it's something that a lot of us have to unlearn - I have my own issues about my own body image! I agree with you that losing excess body fat can be a health promoting goal, but the way culture vilifies fatness is not a health promoting ideology. Supporting healthy habits at the individual and also the societal level is the better approach (which is why I follow you, and not this person or people like her! lol!) @@JustinaErcole
I love these videos so much. They are all the sass and education and tea that I want in a video. 😂 I saw that Jo posted a strength training + deep core program. I commented and said: “I swear nobody knows what “deep core” is. It’s just another trendy way of saying “abs” and it’s so misleading. I seriously doubt this program focuses on pelvic floor exercises and stabilization for muscles that stabilize the spine like the multifidus, rotatores, and QL. It’s literally going to be crunches and planks and I hope someone proves me wrong. Bc this screams, “I’m an influencer and have no idea what I’m talking about.” She responded and said, “I’m a kinesiologist who had 2 pregnancies and c sections. Please don’t assume before you know just because you’ve seen other influencers doing things incorrectly. There are no crunches and planks in these workouts.” I said, “Fair enough. Though you must admit, it’s been a buzzy way to say “abs,” in the current fitness influencer space. It’s definitely misleading. Also, having children doesn’t make anyone an expert in physiology. I’ll trust your kinesiology background, but that’s as far as the trust goes.” And her minions jumped on and said I need to pray the hate out of my heart. Nobody knows what hate is anymore. Critique and criticism isn’t hate. 🤷♀️ I respect Jo and to be honest, I think we share a similar faith - so it’s funny when her Christian followers are praying the hate demons away. I certainly don’t hate her. I hate her branding. I do genuinely respect her for not doing the TSwift and Bey workout if her convictions are telling her not to. I wish so hard though that she was educating people correctly.
I am so glad we have you. There are so many toxic trainers and information around. Sometimes we become blind. So thank you for this video showing a good understanding of the fitness trend.
Wow a lot of these triggered me lmao the one with the bulky arm girl had a lot of red flags of body dysmorphia too. and then the last one just really represented the reason a lot of people in bigger bodies avoid the gym and public spaces. That was a horrific watch but thank you for posting these!! I think these are my favorite of your series. Honestly think you explained your opinion really well. (Also saw a video on tik tok of someone rubbing magnesium on their feet and I thought of you 😂)
@@JustinaErcoleomg it’s so bad! “Cures anxiety, stops 3pm crashes, stops bloating, stops cravings etc etc” it’s so bad!! I thought it was satire when I first saw it and then I saw the comments 🤦♀️ it’s all like snake oil
Saw a few people making fun of the cardio drums videos recently and your response was exactly what mine was - looks fun and they're moving, that's a positive! I also looked it up and found a bunch of videos done by a muscled male fitness instructor with loads of energy that would clearly get you a decent cardio workout (I'd be flat out halfway through his Uptown Funk routine), and I have my suspicions as to why those videos didn't go viral as opposed to heavier, older women doing more introductory sessions. I have leg issues that get worse every so often and when I last had severe knee/hip pain that made gym sessions too painful (and also potentially very harmful) I tried out an Aquafit class and had a total blast bobbing about and waving pool noodles to music with a group with an average age of 65, would go again. It was way better for me than sitting at home as my joints and muscles were getting some resistance exercise and the water helped to support things, even if it wasn't as taxing as a 'normal' weights and cardio session. Here's to the middle aged ladies having fun.
"Are we just yelling at people now? Is that how we motivate them?" Exactly! I absolute hate these "motivational" workout-videos where people loose tons of weight by hrd work and then there is this aggressive louder getting music and a guy shouting and screaming about how you are a looser if you don't show up even when feeling ill. Props on these people that get their work done and reach their goal. But I HATE the aggression in the speech and music. It makes me dislike working out because it's no fun.
This is the first video I've watched from you and everything you said in response to that last tiktok was on point. I'm fat. But I can run a half-marathon. I have greater upper body strength than some slim people I know. I want to be healthier but struggle with keeping up healthier habits, but I also love movement (running, swimming, dancing, etc.) I'm autistic and have ADHD, so it's a real struggle. I don't need someone telling me what I need to do unless I've asked them! After a minor injury at the start of the year, it's been really hard to restart, but I'm hoping that getting back to the exercise that I love and replacing certain unhealthy foods will help me get back on track to my goals. And I'm definitely going to watch more of your videos for inspiration and tips!
It’s scary the amount of BS out there, well done for calling it out. I find it so damaging & frustrating. Coaches that care & put the client first would never act this way. You are a breath of fresh air & the only fellow trainer I follow - positive vibes only 😊
Well done Justina ... hearing the trainer talking about people needing to lose weight is why there are a lot of disordered eating problems out there. I always remember telling a gym instructor off when he told me that he encouraged his client to feel guilty because they ate "bad" food.
That last video was a lot, that woman doesn't have a language problem she has a communication problem she doesn't listen to what other people are saying lol. I know I don't have to say this, but I want to, Justina you DO help people, you've helped me a lot. ALL the best
Love the unscripted, raw truth with a side of humor. Also, cortisol of 0 --> adrenal crisis and death. And I dream of the day someone calls me bulky. That is going to take many more years of lifting. A girl can dream, right? 😃💪
Your post was so benign…. It’s crazy how people hear what they want to hear. Thank you for your post too because I thought weight loss would make me happier. What I learned is weight loss is a byproduct of consistency, loving moving your body, and providing your body with nourishing food.
I can hands down say that if my coach talked to me the way the coaches did in these videos, I would LEAVE. I train powerlifting. I'm a newbie that started powerlifting last fall, and I started strength training with a barebell in 2022 so I'm a beginner. I was terrified when I first entered powerlifting because I was scared that everyone would think of me as a loser for being at a beginner's level. My trainer took me seriously from day ONE. Even if I couldn't do a bech properly, and even though my weights were and still are a lot lighter than many members in my sports club, he takes me seriously and treats me with the same respect as his more experienced athletes. Because of him I feel empowered when I go to the gym, even if I'm not as strong as everybody else. I feel motivated to get better, improve my skills and get stronger and really enjoying the process, and I'm super greatful for having him as a coach. The fact that he believes in me makes me believe in myself. I can truly say that personal trainers and the way they speak with their clients matter.
18:37 A fitness goal can also be gaining weight in terms of gaining muscles. There are people who are underweight and search for a way to gain weight because it's so difficult for them. I remember a few years ago when I googled how to gain weight and not one result was about weight gain but only about weight loss. And also now when I search for healthy high calorie recipes I need to click through several pages until I find a healthy recipe with many calories because "being healthy" is still so much associated with weightloss and not maintaining or gaining weight.
Cortisol fluctuates throughout the day. Unless you’re doing a 24hr saliva test you’re not going to know if it’s “fine” or “normal.” Most doctors will just run an AM blood level which only shows that one hour out of the day.
You are such a huge inspiration to me!! As a young woman who is focusing on strength training, it gets so overwhelming to constantly have adds targeting us for silly workout programs or fat-loss products. Your videos help keep me sane! Thank you for every one of these videos!!❤❤❤
As an anorexic about to enter residential treatment (my desire for recovery in very large part motivated by my desire to learn how to lift weights and just regain strength and fitness in general), it is WILD to watch that coach cause such a commotion about the very normal take of “don’t promote exercise in an exclusively weight loss context to women.” Especially considering the health consequences of EDs & restrictive EDs in particular. For the longest time, anorexia was THE most lethal psychiatric condition until the opioid crisis nudged it out of first place.
I really liked your comment on the girl who was mentioning becoming very bulky on her upper body. I loved that you mentioned how 2-3times a week for upper body is crazy and I'd like to add 2 things: 1) Totally agree that "bulky" is subjective. I'd say that still today, many people associate "bulky" with male muscle size, which a biologically born woman could likely only achieve if she either is a freak of nature or some extra juicing. 2) Another extra help she might have had is being in a caloric surplus (basically being in a bulk phase). If she were in maintenance, it would have been less likely to gain that much muscle.
I so thoroughly enjoy these breakdowns! Re: the "middle-aged white women" one. YES...love your reminder that finding movement you enjoy is the only way you'll stick to it, AND also giving yourself allowance to give in to novelty or changing up a routine. I started working out regularly 12 years ago with walking, then I did Zumba for a bit, then a friend from that class got me into the KB class & yoga at our gym. After loving how strong I felt, it gave me the courage to join roller derby (a full-contact sport) and started weight-lifting & hiking to cross-train. After a few years of that the pandemic happened and I stopped derby, but I ramped up my hiking distances then started running & trail running. I ran 4 races last year! All this to say that keeping fitness fun, impactful, balanced & interesting is the key to longevity. It doesn't always have to be the same activity for years on end!❤️
Zero or very low cortisol is a medical emergency. People with Addison’s can become really unwell due to insufficient cortisol and aldosterone. Chronically high stress hormones, including cortisol, is also bad for your health. Moderation is key. Find a balance.
When I was trying to find a personal trainer a couple of years ago, I was worried they would push me toward weight loss even though it wasn't my goal. I wanted to feel more physically capable but I had never been overweight. Luckily I did find a great trainer who just focuses on helping me be stronger, and through working with her, we identified things that weren't normal for me and helped me get an asthma diagnosis in my 20s. I felt extremely validated at my first check in where my trainer did ask me about my weight and took measurements. My weight hadn't changed at all but my waist and hips had lost 1-2". Her response was that it was totally normal because it meant I had likely lost fat but gained muscle. But 100% most exercise and fitness targeted toward women focuses on weight loss and there are a lot of women who don't have that goal, and personally I struggled with figuring out how to approach fitness to feel stronger and more physically capable when everything was about "lose 10lbs" or "get a snatched waist".
In my dream world, I would look like a model and be able to lift a car. But that is not real life. I am 5'5" with naturally thick limbs, and for me if I had to choose, I would rather have a body that does what I need it to do than one that looks exactly how I want. I am trying to run a 5k under 40 minutes and do a 100 lb overhead press. I want to have the energy to play sports. I think I will probably lose weight in chasing these goals. But if this size 14 body can do all those things, okay. That's okay.
Love the way you handled the last discussion about health goals. The way I'm getting my body back to healthy is by focusing on habits, if I focus on how I look, I'll get overwhelmed
I just wanted to leave this here about cortisol. Elevated cortisol, where it remains high and loses its circadian rythm throughout the day, is called cushings. There's 2 kinds: cushings syndrome (like a secondary cushings that has a few causes, the primary one being corticosteroid use), and cushings disease (primary cushings caused by a tumour). Cushings disease is quite rare, and doctors often don't catch it. It has a very typical physical presentation, that comes on slowly and can also look like PCOS or hypothyroidism. We're talking male pattern hair loss and growth, central obesity, cystic acne, blood pressure problems, irregular periods or amenorrhoea, depression etc. Etc. If you think you have it, a one off cortisol test by your doctor won't catch it, because not only do cortisol levels change throught the day, but a one off test can show cortisol within a normal range even though it is actually remaining elevated through the day. That person in the comments of that video mentioning they think they have elevated cortisol might be right, even though the test looked normal. What needs to happening is actually a cortisol "challenge" test, but doctors don't know this. So if you're worried, ask to go see an endocrinologist because there is help to be had. ( I've done a lot of research because I'm currently going through this with my sibling, but they won't listen to me. They're tired of seeing specialists.)
She said she would walk up to any obese person and tell them to lose weight, yet how does she know they’re not on a weight loss journey. People like her just like feeling superior over other people, there’s no reason to be rude to bigger people.
All I wanna say is that I had no idea there could be other fitness goals than losing weight before I started my fitness journey. I thought it’s the nicest thing to do is to comment on people’s bodies when they lost weight and the likes… that’s what I learnt all my life before anyhow. (Cringe now) You and some other people and many discussions with trusted friends really opened my eyes and I’m so grateful for this education. I agree with some of the other comments as well, that there might be a cultural background to her thinking, and those are difficult to get rid of. Having said that my cultural background was probably more similar to hers, but one thing I find is that some people are just at different stages of their journeys and may not be ready to hear certain things, but may well be later. I’m saying this bc this has happened to me as well. I don’t think I heard a lot of things before, even thought they may have been loud, but then all of a sudden I just got it. I don’t know what it is, I guess we could all benefit from learning to be more open, tolerant, and more empathetic. Anyhow, thanks so much for all the hard work you put in to help us think and know better!
I'm a person in a larger body. I occasionally get blood work done and often shock the healthcare professionals who assume I have high blood pressure, to have normal, often low, blood pressure. One professional once joked that I "had the blood pressure of a 14-year-old". I have no desire to lose weight and would prefer to lose inches by converting a lot (not all) of my hanging fat into muscle. I don't have a personal trainer, so it's largely been a slow journey, but I'm strong. I can plank for longer than my friend who's an ex-firefighter. I can squat 220lbs. I go hiking up steep mountains at least 3x a week. But I'm still quite flabby lol. And my hips have suffered because I focused more on my outer hips and glutes than my inner thighs. I'm halfway to 30 now, so it's normal the wear and tear is begining to show a bit. But I won't quit. I enjoy the workouts I have. Now that I have some sort of financial stability, my next goal is to get a gym membership that will enable me to swim. Swimming has resulted in the most loss in inches and weight maintenance for me. My journey is my own and unlike any other's journey. Do not let these fearmongering, money-hungry influencers bully you into not believing you can live a full life
Something that is puzzling to me is all the talk about "bloating". The only time I have a problem with bloating is when I have a stomach bug or on my period. Is that really such a common problem? I have heard that the food in the US causes more bloating than here in Europe, but I've never been to the US, so I can't verify if that's really the case.
I’m an elementary school music teacher, and I did not know that the cardio drumming from the middle aged white women was done outside of schools. I’ve never tried it, but some of the other teachers in the district have incorporated glow in the dark and cool lights and kids eat it up! I just don’t know where I’d store more drum-adjacent equipment or I might have to give it a try.
Some people really do have non weightloss goals. I dropped to 97 lbs a couple of years ago after having some severe health issues. I'm still trying to recover the weight I lost. Working out has been slowly getting me there by building muscle mass. I still have more weight to gain before I start feeling good again. There is another side of weight issues that doesn't get talked about enough.
if i met a fitness instructor and the first thing they told me that i needed to prioritize was weight loss instead of asking me my goals i would not be seeing them again 😊
Imagine hiring this girl as a coach/trainer and then you find her tiktok page 😐 why is it necessary to be so antagonistic? Anyway loved your pov, you have a very down to earth demeanor.
That creator is just being willfully obtuse. She understands perfectly what you said, she just prefers to play dumb in order to promote her weird agenda. I'm having a hard time believing she is really a trainer, but whatever...I wouldn't give her any attention if I were you, I'm sure she can start making money in more productive ways than this if she tries really hard. ❤❤❤
If you don’t want to be “bulky” (however you define it for your personal goals), you can go into a maintenance phase to keep it around where you want to be
What that one girl at the end didn’t even think about is, some girls work out to GAIN weight because they are very underweight, I had to after I got out the hospital for severe anorexia, I worked out 4x a week to gain weight in muscle and it honestly saved my life. Losing weight is not always a solution or good for people, because , yk, underweight ppl exist ☠️
That "fitness instructor" did not listen to anything you said in video. I bet she made a video about you get more followers. I love your videos and learn so much from them. I never comment on your videos but that "fitness instructor" literally made my blood boil.
100% controversy content gets views and as a content creator, some only do it as a way to make more money. Same with fear-mongering (THIS common “health food” is actually K!LL!NG you and keeping you FAT!!”) That doesn’t mean that creators should avoid controversy entirely but when I see (yet another) video saying that *their program* is the ONLY way to get fit and that everyone else is wrong about everything.. it’s suspect for sure. So is engaging just to be hostile and sh*tty for no reason, which that last “trainer” is absolutely doing.
My coach is helping me gain weight, I am (and was) at a little bit of a lower body fat percentage, just how my genetics work. With my primary goal of getting strong, I build muscle mass. And then losing weight? Would make no sense at all, would drive me into a less healthy spot. I am glad that woman is not my coach
Tbh, I am kinda sick of people misunderstanding body positivity and what it started as, as someone who had an eating disorder and body dismorphia (still current), it actually really helps me, its about loving your body, no matter at what point you are atm and to treat it right, because you love it, you cant treat your body right if you hate yourself, you will only do things to hurt yourself, even if that leads to weightloss. Treating your body right would naturally lead to weightloss but its not the main goal, its to be kind and thankfull for your body and be okay with the state its in at the current time, even if its not the shape you want it to be. Hating myself and thinking I need to lose weight was what caused extreme damage to my body and mind and I still live with the consequenses, like losing my gallbladder and still struggling sometimes with the restrictive eating, even tho its been like 10 years now since I have recovered. And part of that recovery was me gaining weight and becoming overweight again and struggling with my image but its been so much better since I am actually trying to be kind to my body and listen to it and have my goals at being healthy and not being skinny. Body positivity was never about being fat being healthy or that you shouldnt change anything, because if you are actively overeating every day, then thats not being kind and loving to your body, I wish people would stop this body positivity shaming. I feel like body nutrality only really exists, because people didnt understand what body positivity was actually about. And we shouldnt shame or hate on people for their body, we literally dont know them, we only see a snapshot of their life, shaming and bullying is what lead to me having an eating disorder and it harms others as well, even if it might not go as far, a lot of people still start treating their body badly just in another way and then they get praised if they lose weight, even if its unhealthy what they do, instead of incuraging people to be healthy, people only care about how thin someone is, but thats not an indication that said person is healthy, there is many skinny people who eat terribly and are just lucky that it hasnt caught up with them yet and so many people are focused on losing weight fast, when thats not a good thing, we shouldnt promote to lose more than 1 kg a week unless the person is really obese, I see so many people losing way too much, way too fast and then they wonder why they gain it back or why they get health issues.
The girl with body positivity speech is probably Russian. Once I had a workout in the gym. I was not the most slim girl in the world, bud I was in a really good shape. My height was 163cm, weight - 58kg. A random fitness coach approached me and told me that I was too fat, had obesity and needed to start to lose weight right this minute. I changed the gym
My goodness to the woman who thinks that every fitness plan should be about weight loss, if all I wanted to do was stay small because by the way I don't need to lose any weight, I could remain stressed out and therefore not eat which leads me to lose weight. Or I could choose to exercise to help myself feel better and get stronger so I can gain muscle as I age rather than lose it. I eat healthier and exercise in a more productive manner when I am not paying attention to a scale.
19:04 no language barrier. Listening is a skill. She doesn’t know how to listen. She’s projecting her own narrative on you and picking and choosing which words she wants to hear and filling in the rest from her narrative to paint you as some anti-health villain for her content.
Justina, you are absolutely correct. Becoming and staying fit does not always mean that someone is trying to lose weight. I weigh 115 lbs and work out to stay fit and to maintain bone strength. That influencer is either being purposefully obnoxious and argumentative or she isn’t very smart. Hopefully most people see that because you made perfect sense in your video. There was no reason for this chick to argue. As for the girl with the silly video about becoming bulky, she should have worn a t-shirt instead of a baggy sweatshirt so we could see her upper body. She should legitimize her claim because I suspect she looks perfectly fine. Many of these types of videos are made for the sole purpose of creating shock and attention that result in views.
My arms are huge by influencer standards and I love wearing going out clothes. I hear people all the time saying "she looks like she can kick my ass." It's great! Garbage men mostly leave me alone!
Saying lifting heavy made her bulky without taking into account that she was lifting heavy for upper body 4 DAYS A WEEK and she was probably eating a lot of protein from the looks of her page, literally doing what people do when their goal is to grow muscle, and also saying it had nothing to do with her diet 🙄 she should just say that she didn’t know how to build a workout plan for her own goals because she was just doing things she saw on social media without any actual knowledge of exercise science. I wish people would encourage others to find an actual trainer or coach when it comes to these things.
Thanks for the video, this is so interesting to me. Reminded me of a situation that happened to me at a new gym I had just joined. I did a fitness evaluation with a coach and he asked me about my goals. I said I just wanted to keep fit (I'm already a fit person) and that I just liked exercising (which is not acceptable, apparently). He continued to push me to say I wanted to lose weight and when I didn't he turned aggressive and said I had given up on myself. I was like whaaaat? What part of joining a gym to work out, not to lose weight says I have given up on myself?🤷
I love how they push your cortisol levels to be non-existent. I just started seeing a naturopath in prep for surgery and I will be doing the urine test to check my cortisol levels because she feels they're non-existent and I'm primarily running on adrenaline your body cannot run on adrenaline for prolong periods of time
That sneaky trick of responding by asking the person to DM them is so annoying, like if you have a legit answer then put it here publicly for all to see
As an overweight woman with many health goals which include weightloss and other things, I think that the way you talk about weight is exactly right! I have excellent blood panels, blood pressure, etc. but I'm also 33. And I think more fitness channels needs to be talking about how we can be healthy, but that maintaining health as we age is also so important! Even with those healthy panels and everything else, each year my body gets a little more stiff, I get a little more back pain, etc. And I know that it will be better in the long run to lose weight while I'm young since and while I still have those healthy blood panels, blood pressure, etc.! Glad I found your channel, girl!
I don't know how the algorithm brought you to my front page but I'm so happy it did! I'm approaching my 40s and nothing is more important to me than functional fitness. My goal is to make my body healthier and stronger when I work out, and I honestly try to keep the aesthetic goals out of my head. My goal is for my body to be it's best whatever that happens to look like.
That type of workout class is what got me into fitness. Like everyone I had no idea what I was doing in the gym. I started trying out group fitness classes to see what worked for me. I ended up learning a lot about lifting and form and started training on my own but when able I still like to incorporate them. I like lifting but I also like spin classes, yoga, and functional workouts. Its great for overall fitness. For the next video saying everyone should want to lose weight, weight loss is one of my goals. However I weigh around 100 pounds, so it is not my primary goal as I only need to lose a few. Not lifting isn’t going to make me obese and lazy. But I have other goals as well. Getting a pull up, being able to run comfortably, being able to participate in active hobbies, mental health, better sleep/skin, better energy, confidence, etc. Not to mention just being able to function on my own. I don’t need to want to be a certain size to be able to do anything in my daily life that includes strength. That could be anywhere from opening a jar to picking up a sick/child or dog. I don’t care my weight when my dog has surgery and needs to be carried into the car
That ableist, misogynistic, fatphobic "coach" really took what you said and made a "I like pancakes" "Why do you hate waffles??"-situation out of it lmao. She's just derailing from what you said because she wants to spew hatred, not actually helpful advice.
WAIT this is the best comparison yet lol
Yes. Happens on Twitter all the time 😆
Its a cultural difference. I think she is pretty representative of non-western way of thinking about fitness, and if she’s Russian (sounds like it) then absolutely she is giving you a Russian culture perspective of it. Its how it is there
She's either fishing for engagement or she's simply as dumb as a sack of potatoes. I can't tell which.
There are people that have such a visceral reaction when their brain pattern matches with something they really care about, that it makes no sense to even try to argue with them.
She understood "not everyone wants to lose weight" to mean "those lazy fat people don't want to lose weight and she's promoting that". Well, what about people that are at their optimal weight and want to get more fit? What about people who want to *gain* weight ? What about those that may be a bit overweight but that's not their main priority ? The last one was me, my doctor pushed me to exercise because of joint pain and blood pressure. Weight loss is a secondary benefit, a target of opportunity if you will. I'm barely losing weight, but fat percentage is dropping rapidly, so it must mean that lean mass is increasing. And pains are gone and blood pressure is almost normal. What now, dumbass coach?
I would hate to work with a person like that. She clearly doesn't listen to her clients either. My coach understood what I was looking for and focused on that.
@@KGG2 Hi! Eastern European here! it absolutely isn't, her reading comprehension is just piss poor
There isn't a language barrier. She has an accent , and she is speaking fluently and fluidly. She understood what you said and chose to manipulate it for her hateful comments. She may be ignorant, but she isn't struggling w English.
Agreed.
I totally agree! She knows exactly what she is saying and how she is saying. I just checked her instagram page and was horrified by the messages she puts up, not just about the fitness industry, but anti-feminist messages such as "if'you've been kicked into your teeth by narcissistic, entitled, delusional, promiscuous women, join my fitness community. I understand that there might be a cultural barrier, but this is not the issue here either. Anyway, this is the type of content that instagram should be banning...
I'm convinced her account is just rage bait. Or secretly run by a man. I mean look at some of her captions: "Men, if you've been kicked in the teeth by a toxic, narcissistic, entitled, delusional, promiscuous whoman [yes she fkin spelt it like that], join the Red Pill community....Men need a community of strong, masculine, rational brotherhood."
One of her other posts even has her playing piano while singing "isn't she ugly" which she made up basically hating on women.
Like yiiiikes girl.
she is icky and clearly needs the attention lol. ignore her
@@erikamt4633 Yes I saw that too!
Saying that you should reduce cortisol to zero is like saying that you should reduce estrogen to zero. The body can suffer from excess in any area but it's also not made to function with literally zero of anything that you find in a normal human body. You need some fat, some salt, and some of the hormones that, in excess, may cause you problems
THIS!
I was hospitalized once with low cortisol. It’s a necessity. I’ve never been so exhausted in all my life.
Crazy. Low cortisol is called adrenal insufficiency, and in its severe form, is life threatening.
I was on prednisone from august until January, before slowly weaning off the last 5mg, I had to do a cortisol test to see if my body was still producing it, if the tests would have showed that my cortisol was low, I would have needed to take cortisol m, because, guess what? With 0 cortisol, you will DIE! 🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Exactly this!
There is an intelligence barrier. She didn't get it.
"I'm massive and bulky!" says the tiny woman. Seriously, though, what people mean by "you won't look bulky" is that you won't look like a bodybuilder unless you are deliberately training to be a bodybuilder.
People tell me ALL THE TIME that I’m what they think is bulky and they don’t want to look like me. Im like….ok cool good for you lol
Highly melanated people bulk up really quick. I can go do a normal workout routine with my girls for 2 months, I'm able to lift more but not much, and by the time we get to the end I look like I'm prepared for a bodybuilding competition. I can't lift weights 😂 Michelle McDaniel covers that so well
Not true at all. My trainer told me this lie and I believed her and started working upper body. I don’t even weight lift I just do a shit Tom of pull ups and dips. I absolutely hate the way I look now and it took NO deliberate effort. It is so noticeable that people have called me transgender, and all this happened in only a matter of months
@@alexia964 !!!!! Exactly
Sure, it is subjective but if you weight train your muscles get bigger. Like, we accept this to be true for legs but arms are supposed to get a pass for some reason?
Nothing irritates me more than when people DONT acknowledge the points that the other person is trying to make in an argument, and only care about winning the argument lol.
The internet in a nutshell
Yep I think it’s called making a straw man argument. Once you recognise it you see people do it all the damn time!
Your eyes when that girl said she does upper body three to four days per week.🤣🤣🤣
I mean....I'm not one to use the work bulky but you will GROW doing that much upper body work lol
Yep....🤣🤣🤣
Does that fitness coach realize regardless of her views on body positivity NOT everyone NEEDS to lose weight? Is she saying ALL of her clients have a weight loss only goal for working out whether they’re 180 pounds or 95 pounds?? Either I’m crazy or she is 😅 I’m 110 pounds and typically a size 2. So this chick is saying I should only workout with weight loss in mind? I guess I should
Stop working out then cause right now I do it to 1. Feel good/it’s therapeutic and as Elle Woods taught us exercise makes you less likely to off your husband when you’re happy 2. To work on building muscle /stay in shape.
Someone get this chick a reality check!!
We love an Elle Woods reference!
Right? Just bizarre. She went so far into her copy/paste argument against fat acceptance posts that she completely lost the plot. There was no back and forth just her imposing herself.
Seriously, the logic was extremely flawed. And it shows sadly that she links movement 100% to weight loss.
Just a thought on the "middle aged women" clip, as I've seen this one do the rounds of various commentators: a lot of women who fit into that age bracket are taking those fun classes because they feel excluded from, or have had poor experiences of more traditional exercise and fitness instruction. Probably going back to PE lessons in school.
100%! I have clients tell me all the time that PE class scarred them and they’re terrified of push ups.
I feel that! I'm old and British, enough that I remember cross country running sending us off school premises and into town in our running kit, which consisted of big gym knickers and a white aertex polo shirt. I'm training for my first ultra marathon this year ;)
The whole " oh no, i trained arms and now i am bulking and ugly😢" thing make me CRAZY! I LOVE the fact that i have visible muscle on my shoulders and arms and back. I love wearing"going out " tops and having"bulky " upper body! I get that aesthetics is more personalized and not everyone likes the same things but the motivation of "i want to look tiny thats why i work out" is smelling" i have an ED but i dont want to admit it" to me. Fitness is NOT something you practise so that you can become tiny! That's soooo harmful way of thinking. Like...girl... No!
Same. I love looking buff. It's a manifestation of all my hardwork. Also it's good for scaring people away.
I still have conflicting feelings about this, so I don't weight lift a lot, simple, as Justina says. But I think I feel conflicted because of the influence of diet culture etc. As a result of weigh lifting and generally working more on my upper body (and lower body!) I'm bigger, heavier and stronger than ever and that has improved my ability to do so many things. My body also looks much better than the skinny version, but if you told me this 10 years ago I'd be in horror.
Also the fact that she said “you wouldnt think I have abs” when going out in normal clothes made me pause. I would assume someone with muscle tone is more likely to have abs than someone who just has skinny arms? So shes associating the bulk as FAT not even as muscle. When she says her arms are big she thinks of them as fat not as muscular arms which is so confusing
Yeah that was a weird comment @@saraashkir5793
@@saraashkir5793 I kinda understand her, I love my muscle mass but when I'm not flexing my upper body just looks fat and people call me obese, chubby etc. until I show my abs and flex my arms , shoulders etc and then their jaw drops.... so I have this love hate relationship with being bulky and get triggered with all these lean pilates princess stuff, now idk what I should do to be ok in my body :(
I fully support non weight loss fitness goals. They are so much more empowering and honestly more directly linked to effort than weight loss.
I grew up watching my mom yo-yo diet with WW constantly and it put a lot of weird food feelings in my head. I can’t imagine how much better it would have been to grow up with a mom that was doing things like hitting weightlifting goals, running a 5k, heck even doing that high energy workout class. I would have seen a parent gaining abilities or having fun with fitness vs a mom that said mean things about her on body and commented on things I ate
THIS RIGHT HERE!
I agree. People have been so taught to link working out to weightloss, someone once seriously asked me: ”why do you keep going to the gym? You’re already skinny” which is so insane to me. Especially since my goal at the time was to gain muscle to improve in other sports.
@@catrinwesterstrom9691 I heard "you shouldn't work out more, you're skinny now and might get bulky" while I was going to the gym to get rid of my knee pain..
I don't care what I look like if it means pain. I work out so I can stand for more than a few minutes
Absolutely. My mum didn't diet, but she constantly complained about the way she looked and insisted if I was going on with friends (at age 16) that I wear a girdle, because it wasn't lady like to have a tummy!
Exactly.. it makes no sense to me at all, I started weightlifting because I wanted to gain weight! All the reasons that last “fitness instructor” stated about the benefits of losing weight (better bone/joints/heart heath etc.) is also true for people who are underweight when they gain weight! I gained 20kg and I am at a healthy weight for my height now
No language barrier, she’s just piece of work
it’s so funny bc your cortisol is literally what wakes you up in the morning 😅
hahahaha wait that's actually hilarious
Yeah, was that clip trying to say that people with “high cortisol” can’t get up in the morning?! That makes no sense!
I've also recently learned it and that was quite funny to hear 😂
i really hate the word "bulky" because isnt it just becoming more muscular? probably with an increase of bodyfat too? i hate these words because they feel patriarchal. we dont use these words for men because them having muscles is seen as a good thing, but then they use these words so negatively when it comes to women. i find it insulting as someone who wants to be muscular. i train upper body about 3-4 times a week. my shoulders and arms are pretty big, though while ive started training them less to focus on my legs since the muscles there are lacking, i still dont see the big deal.
one thing i have noticed, these same women will rant about toxic body standards in society, yet say these things negatively that makes it feel like theyre saying being muscular is "bad". it also feels like theyre still promoting the skinny standard (even as a naturally very skinny woman myself) its such a toxic mindset imo. its why i deleted tiktok.
Very well said! Thank you for watching ❤️
It is so odd and scary to me that as a society we tell women to strive to be physically weaker than men. Don’t forget men won’t be attracted to you if they can’t tell by looking at you that they could overpower you! So gross and unsettling
Well said. It seems tangential to the women taking up space (physically in this instance) argument/phenomenon. It's a patriarchal standard for women to be small and dainty and not take up space. If some women prefer that, great! But I love the "bulkiness" from my upper body getting big and toned from strength training.
THIS!!!
@@spOOkytimesyes exactly, i love feeling and looking strong and TAKING UP SPACE AS A WOMAN!
It's so annoying seeing this trend of girls having an "ick" for their bodies showing a bit of muscle. I mean, come on! Muscle is good and needed to get through life, so don't be scared if you see it a bit more on yourself. And wow that last lady, yikes!!
And it's ABSOLUTELY FINE to want your body to look a certain way. I fully believe in bodily autonomy. What I hated was the trend that started of women stating they stopped lifting weights all together because of this :(
Gosh that woman was awful, I can’t believe she actually gets clients.
I have clients that don’t want to loose weight and train for their mental health and that’s the focus they don’t count calories or get in the scales and as their PT I support them 100%
Then there are clients who just want to avoid the symptoms of menopause like bone density reduction and muscle loss I don’t tell them they have to loose weight.
Gosh you handled that very well indeed if you ask me !!
Thank you!
YES!! I am going to the gym because osteoporosis and heart disease run in my family and I turned 45 last year and have started having symptoms of perimenopause.
Younger people with periods: perimenopause can start often start in your 30s, and it is NOT fun. You still get your period, PLUS menopause symptoms!
Doctor said I couldn’t go on hormone therapy because I was a smoker.
I already have arthritis and joint instability, eg chronic pain. So losing more mobility is a big concern, and frankly being active is extra hard for me.
I quit smoking, started going to the gym, and changed my diet to fit my goals: lower protein and lower sugar and saturated fat.
Yes, I am “losing weight” (slowly) but that’s not my main goal.
I will note that it helps that I don’t have trouble affording particular groceries in this economy, my kids are old enough and I have enough support that I can take time away from for *hours* every week, I have a great gym that I have access to, etc
Its so stupid. Im a already skinny person without doing anything cus im pretty tall. But I want to be healthier AND be stronger, and to me that includes at least 3 more kilos and muscle building. And that goal will look different from person to person. Does that woman think female athletes with bulkier builds are less healthy than pilates influencers? 😂
And your response to the last video clip is WHY I follow you. You view a person in a holistic sense. And you didn't mess anything up! Thank you for what you do in this space of health and well-being
And thank YOU for being here ❤️
Totally agree!❤
@@JustinaErcole totally agree with this comment, thank you for being kind and understanding to all people and not a judgemental cruel person like in the video
I'm
Wow, that last girl triggered me. There is so much more to health than body size. Are there certain body sizes that are statistically more healthy, 100%, but there has to be nuance!
I might be considered on the larger size of healthy, or even overweight by many in the health industry after a 20 lb weight gain as a result of an injury last year. Frustrated, I went to my doctor, a dietitian, and a PT and every single one had the same response… You have great habits, your labs look amazing, your workouts are great, and your diet is a great balance of nutrient dense food and enjoyment. It took all of them to convince me that being in a bigger body than I was used to or comfortable with didn’t mean I wasn’t healthy. I can run a 25 min 5k, I squat my body weight for reps, I have the energy to be the mom I want to be, but because society has programmed us to believe that only super thin is healthy…it’s hard to believe I can be healthy and be a size 8. Women like her are the reason it takes 3 professionals to convince me I’m ok.
You’re doing a great job! ❤️❤️❤️
With that lady at the end...i think it's more than a language difference, it's a cultural difference, and she seems fixated on her point while not actually listening to what you're saying. I feel she used to be overweight when she was younger and it traumatized her so much she can't fathom all other people not having weight loss goals.
Definitely a cultural difference at play! But it’s still concerning to hear a coach talking about people in such a hateful manner.
yea she was hella triggered by justinas video. it was weird
I agree there's a cultural difference, and it probably includes shaming as a (misleaded) way of motivating people to make an effort. My own culture of origin includes this! Not a good method!
100% im ukrainian, bc of the russian colonialism I know their language and was very stuck in their informational bubble. the fitness and wellness instructors are A MESS. such a fatphobic and sexist community that’s insane. when I discovered ukrainian and western instructors, I started finally caring about my spine, joints, heart, freaking mental health.
I think it’s definitely a cultural difference. For example, I’m currently 10 months postpartum and I exercise throughout my whole pregnancy and after pregnancy it’s been pretty difficult to lose the weight and BS fit as I used to. I used to lift 200 and up to the point of me giving birth I did 5 miles. Right now I can barely do a mile emotionally or physically. back to the point my mom does not stop talking about how big I’ve gotten even though I’ve only I think I’ve only sized up two sizes so I went from 28 to I think 30 or 31. And I would say it’s definitely a cultural thing you bounce back is the thing.
that ‘coach’ needs a KIND bar and a hug. 🙅♀️🙅♀️
Right?? I'm like... girl, grab a Snickers.
LMAO
Enjoyment is sooooooo important for people just starting out, I’m so glad you touched on it. I had such a hard time sticking to any workout routine because I was soooo bored and hated it 😅 but I started doing The Fitness Marshall’s dance videos online and had so much fun that it stuck with me and got me into the routine of being active. Now I do all sorts of different kinds of workouts because the enjoyment comes from being active, but it takes time to get there if it isn’t a habit you have from young. 😊
OMG I love Caleb so much - he's the perfect entryway into joyful movement!
An underweight person should lose more weight to be healthy? Lol nah. Everyone starts somewhere different. And calling people fat and lazy isn't an across the board motivator, either.
Amen
Yea it seemed like she doesn’t realize not everyone NEEDS to lose weight - it’s like she assumes everyone works out lose weight and if you don’t (or workout for another reason) you’re glorifying being overweight???? She honestly made no sense. She seems like one of those people who just likes to argue for the sake or arguing.
Exactly. I need to lose body fat, not weight. My hormones are screwy and my muscle tone is not there anymore, but my weight is, actually on the lower end of normal 😅. If this woman was my coach and she told me to lose weight, I'd be upset.
When I started working out 8 years ago I went to UA-cam to find workouts. I had an average to slimmer body type as that is just how I’ve always been. All the videos I saw there were pushing weight loss and I felt like these people are coaches so they must be right I will try to lose weight. I hated the exercises, and I didn’t lose any weight because I was already slim. Then I found fitness Blender and they were doing strength training, and I realized it had never occurred to me as a woman to get stronger. Only leaner, skinnier. So I researched the benefits of strength training, and I realized it would be very beneficial for me as I was already starting to have problems with arthritis. I’ve utilized fitness blender, Sydney, Cummings, and Caroline Gervin. I have been strength training along with some mild cardio for eight years now and I love it. I wish I was bulky like that one girl who was complaining ha ha but I have a very small body so I don’t tend to get a lot of mass muscle. However, I do have muscle and strength, better eating habits, better coordination, and better daily movement. This was absolutely the right choice for me as my arthritis has worsened over the years but having muscle and a strong body has helped slow this down and manage pain. So no not everybody needs to lose weight, not everybody’s goals are the same. Peoples lifestyles and health differ greatly. If I had seen a video of that lady in the beginning of my fitness journey, I would be convinced that I needed to lose weight when that was the exact opposite of what I needed. That really bothers me because that kind of misinformation is seen by people like myself who didn’t have a lot of knowledge about fitness and can send them down a track that is unhealthy and a waste of time. I’m glad I found fitness blender, Justina and all the other great influencers I did early on. I really wish there was more information for women on strength training and mobility, especially for us ladies that are getting older. I find Justina has one of the only of the few sites that talks about mobility, strength, and a realistic approach to fitness for beginners, or anyone for that matter.
Crazy, she just jumped to attacking you and calling every overweight woman ugly, y i k e s. I asked the same thing "Should it be my goal to lose weight?" because I actually have developed health issues being underweight 😐 so literally one of my goals is the opposite of weight loss so I can be healthier.
As someone who was/is middle aged, zumba or any other dance classes are super fun. You hear peppy music (most I dislike personally) and get to move in fun ways, laugh and have a community. I dont go to the gym anymore (I work out at home) but it at least had me moving an hour a couple times a week.
Yesss the fun community aspect is amazing!
Zumba is a fantastic workout!
For real on the "fitness is for weight loss." Our bodies are made to move, and by presenting fitness as a punishment to beat your body into a specific number on the scale, it makes fitness intimidating and off-putting for a lot of people. Nothing to do with the fat acceptance movement; I see first timers at my gym all the time who are not over or underweight, but still wanted to try yoga or strength training.
My goodness. That creator is totally reading a subtext into your post/words that is just not there! The wild thing about anti-body positivity/"debunking body positivity" spaces online is if you are regularly consuming that content, you begin to see "the negative influence of body positivity" everywhere. It's not everywhere. Both the extreme side of body positivity and its extreme critics are niches; most people are just figuring how to take care of themselves and make life fun. Love your videos! 🫶
Thank you for watching!
Wow that last video. That Trainer sounds unhinged!!! I love these videos, thanks so much for the great professional legit advice.
You're so welcome!
The last half was an amazing way to talk about this topic. You can exercise and form other healthy habits for the many other non-weight related benefits. Weight maintenance, loss, or gain can follow.
I was literally told by a doctor don’t focus on weight loss for my cholesterol but just focus on movement/exercise and upping healthy HDL foods.
She warned against weight loss specifically because people tend to forgo trying to help their heart and cholesterol because they just think I need to be thin and people have a tendency to actually reduce HDL enriching foods.
*disclaimer: it’s a genetic condition so no I cannot “cure” my cholesterol issues/lose weight to fix - but I can still keep myself from peaking and get to a good level where I can start taking medicine at a healthy point
Your doctor sounds amazing!
Well I'm fit, healthy and trim and also have the genetic high cholesterol so I get you here and I also have a very supportive doctor who won't put me on meds because of my healthy/fit lifestyle. I was also informed about a "Coronary Cardiac Calcium Score" as being a much better predictor of heart health than the standard HDL/LDL blood test scores ... and also a few other tests (can't remember them off the top of my head).
Unfortunately many fitness influencers conflate honesty with rudeness. STOP IT!! Thank you Justina for your compassioned honesty.❤
Also, women can have a weight gain goal too and for that fitness is useful to make sure you're doing it in a healthy way. Sometimes these people praise being skinny and forget that being too skinny is also not healthy.
100%!
16:21 WOWWWWW that is a wild take from that monster
It's....definitely not a good take lol
I can’t believe those things are being said by a person in the fitness industry at all but a woman in the industry?!? Doesn’t she understand the never ending shit women receive for the slightest perceived imperfection? Wow, just wow
This is what happens when a high school mean girl grows up 😢 now she bullies people for a career
That girl is the definition of "i just tell it like it is, you just cant handle honesty" uhm no you just have zero tact or empathy, why would anyone want to be around you 😂
WOW. That lady really just heard what she wanted to hear and didn't listen to you at all. Sorry you had to put up with that, great video as always!
Well, that creator at the end is the perfect example for why I started following you and doing your workouts. I never paid much attention to that toxic, early 2000's mindset, and I didn't grow up with an almond mom, but that type of marketing is always geared towards women regardless of what their goals are, and it is EVERYWHERE. Life is already tough enough, I don't need some skinny lady bleating at me about being a "fat, lazy bitch", as if that was going to motivate me. She seriously needs take a moment to think about what she is saying, it's a toxic model, and it probably doesn't help anyone with long-term weight loss even if weight loss *is* one of their goals.
100%!
I saw someone who said that girls shouldn’t lift heavy. That girl was a joke. Lifting heavy will give girls the body of their dreams. Besides it’s impossible to get the ifb pro bodybuilder look without take steroids and eating so many calories you have to force yourself to eat.
No it won’t lol. All it does is build muscle
i honestly don’t think the girl’s arms were that big. She is just listening to social media and the fact that she started having probably some significant delts, biceps, and triceps… she’s bulky now. blows my mind
And even if you did think her arms were big, it doesn’t matter!
You clearly triggered that last woman!!! She went into a tailspin, my goodness! And just by DARING to imagine habits, drive, or motivation that isn't solely about shrinking oneself!!! I think that says a LOT about the things she tells herself, not just her clients. Big yikes for that trainer! What a small life they must lead, to be so obsessed with shrinking themselves and everyone else. I dunno, I find joy in movement and joy in goals that enhance my life beyond just how much I weigh on a scale, but I guess that approach is UNHEALTHY?? Also, the assumption that someone who has a goal of 10 pushups must be in an ugly obese body?? It's just wild where her head went because of your post!!!
It makes me think she has her own fear to face in regards to body size. Hopefully she can work through that!
I honestly think it's something that a lot of us have to unlearn - I have my own issues about my own body image! I agree with you that losing excess body fat can be a health promoting goal, but the way culture vilifies fatness is not a health promoting ideology. Supporting healthy habits at the individual and also the societal level is the better approach (which is why I follow you, and not this person or people like her! lol!) @@JustinaErcole
I love these videos so much. They are all the sass and education and tea that I want in a video. 😂
I saw that Jo posted a strength training + deep core program. I commented and said: “I swear nobody knows what “deep core” is. It’s just another trendy way of saying “abs” and it’s so misleading. I seriously doubt this program focuses on pelvic floor exercises and stabilization for muscles that stabilize the spine like the multifidus, rotatores, and QL. It’s literally going to be crunches and planks and I hope someone proves me wrong. Bc this screams, “I’m an influencer and have no idea what I’m talking about.”
She responded and said, “I’m a kinesiologist who had 2 pregnancies and c sections. Please don’t assume before you know just because you’ve seen other influencers doing things incorrectly. There are no crunches and planks in these workouts.”
I said, “Fair enough. Though you must admit, it’s been a buzzy way to say “abs,” in the current fitness influencer space. It’s definitely misleading. Also, having children doesn’t make anyone an expert in physiology. I’ll trust your kinesiology background, but that’s as far as the trust goes.”
And her minions jumped on and said I need to pray the hate out of my heart. Nobody knows what hate is anymore. Critique and criticism isn’t hate. 🤷♀️
I respect Jo and to be honest, I think we share a similar faith - so it’s funny when her Christian followers are praying the hate demons away. I certainly don’t hate her. I hate her branding. I do genuinely respect her for not doing the TSwift and Bey workout if her convictions are telling her not to. I wish so hard though that she was educating people correctly.
Hopefully the program is well done!
I agree, as a Christian myself. I cringe every time someone says pray the hate away 😖 True, people really don't know what hate is.
@@JustinaErcole me too, but I won’t even bother with it. If I even do a Jo workout, it’s a walking workout bc it’s raining outside.
I am so glad we have you. There are so many toxic trainers and information around. Sometimes we become blind. So thank you for this video showing a good understanding of the fitness trend.
Im so glad you’re here!
Wow a lot of these triggered me lmao the one with the bulky arm girl had a lot of red flags of body dysmorphia too. and then the last one just really represented the reason a lot of people in bigger bodies avoid the gym and public spaces. That was a horrific watch but thank you for posting these!! I think these are my favorite of your series. Honestly think you explained your opinion really well. (Also saw a video on tik tok of someone rubbing magnesium on their feet and I thought of you 😂)
hahaha wait what's the claim with magnesium on the feet??
@@JustinaErcoleomg it’s so bad! “Cures anxiety, stops 3pm crashes, stops bloating, stops cravings etc etc” it’s so bad!! I thought it was satire when I first saw it and then I saw the comments 🤦♀️ it’s all like snake oil
Saw a few people making fun of the cardio drums videos recently and your response was exactly what mine was - looks fun and they're moving, that's a positive! I also looked it up and found a bunch of videos done by a muscled male fitness instructor with loads of energy that would clearly get you a decent cardio workout (I'd be flat out halfway through his Uptown Funk routine), and I have my suspicions as to why those videos didn't go viral as opposed to heavier, older women doing more introductory sessions.
I have leg issues that get worse every so often and when I last had severe knee/hip pain that made gym sessions too painful (and also potentially very harmful) I tried out an Aquafit class and had a total blast bobbing about and waving pool noodles to music with a group with an average age of 65, would go again. It was way better for me than sitting at home as my joints and muscles were getting some resistance exercise and the water helped to support things, even if it wasn't as taxing as a 'normal' weights and cardio session. Here's to the middle aged ladies having fun.
HERE HERE!
"Are we just yelling at people now? Is that how we motivate them?" Exactly!
I absolute hate these "motivational" workout-videos where people loose tons of weight by hrd work and then there is this aggressive louder getting music and a guy shouting and screaming about how you are a looser if you don't show up even when feeling ill. Props on these people that get their work done and reach their goal. But I HATE the aggression in the speech and music. It makes me dislike working out because it's no fun.
This is the first video I've watched from you and everything you said in response to that last tiktok was on point. I'm fat. But I can run a half-marathon. I have greater upper body strength than some slim people I know. I want to be healthier but struggle with keeping up healthier habits, but I also love movement (running, swimming, dancing, etc.) I'm autistic and have ADHD, so it's a real struggle. I don't need someone telling me what I need to do unless I've asked them! After a minor injury at the start of the year, it's been really hard to restart, but I'm hoping that getting back to the exercise that I love and replacing certain unhealthy foods will help me get back on track to my goals. And I'm definitely going to watch more of your videos for inspiration and tips!
I’m so happy to have you here Maria!
It’s scary the amount of BS out there, well done for calling it out. I find it so damaging & frustrating. Coaches that care & put the client first would never act this way.
You are a breath of fresh air & the only fellow trainer I follow - positive vibes only 😊
I love that you addressed this in a classy way. Just sending you some positivity ☺️
Bre you’re the best ❤️
Well done Justina ... hearing the trainer talking about people needing to lose weight is why there are a lot of disordered eating problems out there. I always remember telling a gym instructor off when he told me that he encouraged his client to feel guilty because they ate "bad" food.
THIS
That last video was a lot, that woman doesn't have a language problem she has a communication problem she doesn't listen to what other people are saying lol.
I know I don't have to say this, but I want to, Justina you DO help people, you've helped me a lot. ALL the best
❤️❤️❤️
To answer your question, no I don’t think that last lady is ok 😂
Love the unscripted, raw truth with a side of humor.
Also, cortisol of 0 --> adrenal crisis and death.
And I dream of the day someone calls me bulky. That is going to take many more years of lifting. A girl can dream, right? 😃💪
BULKY WOMEN UNITE
I love when you call out all
Of the nonsense Justina! Keep making these please 😅
Will do!
Your post was so benign…. It’s crazy how people hear what they want to hear.
Thank you for your post too because I thought weight loss would make me happier. What I learned is weight loss is a byproduct of consistency, loving moving your body, and providing your body with nourishing food.
I can hands down say that if my coach talked to me the way the coaches did in these videos, I would LEAVE. I train powerlifting. I'm a newbie that started powerlifting last fall, and I started strength training with a barebell in 2022 so I'm a beginner. I was terrified when I first entered powerlifting because I was scared that everyone would think of me as a loser for being at a beginner's level. My trainer took me seriously from day ONE. Even if I couldn't do a bech properly, and even though my weights were and still are a lot lighter than many members in my sports club, he takes me seriously and treats me with the same respect as his more experienced athletes. Because of him I feel empowered when I go to the gym, even if I'm not as strong as everybody else. I feel motivated to get better, improve my skills and get stronger and really enjoying the process, and I'm super greatful for having him as a coach. The fact that he believes in me makes me believe in myself. I can truly say that personal trainers and the way they speak with their clients matter.
It sounds like you found an incredible coach! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Bulky is a weird word that when repeated loses all meaning. But yet I find myself thinking of Balki from Perfect Strangers now.
18:37 A fitness goal can also be gaining weight in terms of gaining muscles. There are people who are underweight and search for a way to gain weight because it's so difficult for them. I remember a few years ago when I googled how to gain weight and not one result was about weight gain but only about weight loss. And also now when I search for healthy high calorie recipes I need to click through several pages until I find a healthy recipe with many calories because "being healthy" is still so much associated with weightloss and not maintaining or gaining weight.
Cortisol fluctuates throughout the day. Unless you’re doing a 24hr saliva test you’re not going to know if it’s “fine” or “normal.” Most doctors will just run an AM blood level which only shows that one hour out of the day.
You are such a huge inspiration to me!! As a young woman who is focusing on strength training, it gets so overwhelming to constantly have adds targeting us for silly workout programs or fat-loss products. Your videos help keep me sane! Thank you for every one of these videos!!❤❤❤
Thank you so much for being here!
Damn that last lady is UNhinged. Having two entirely different conversations. Good for you for holding your ground.
You showed great restraint on that last video. (Not sure I could have.) I was expecting super sassy. 😂 You rock!!
These are my favorite videos you do each month. They just bring me much joy.
so glad you enjoy them!
Me too!! Justina speaks my mind about fitness industry (or I think the way I think bcs of Justina lol)
As an anorexic about to enter residential treatment (my desire for recovery in very large part motivated by my desire to learn how to lift weights and just regain strength and fitness in general), it is WILD to watch that coach cause such a commotion about the very normal take of “don’t promote exercise in an exclusively weight loss context to women.” Especially considering the health consequences of EDs & restrictive EDs in particular. For the longest time, anorexia was THE most lethal psychiatric condition until the opioid crisis nudged it out of first place.
I really liked your comment on the girl who was mentioning becoming very bulky on her upper body. I loved that you mentioned how 2-3times a week for upper body is crazy and I'd like to add 2 things:
1) Totally agree that "bulky" is subjective. I'd say that still today, many people associate "bulky" with male muscle size, which a biologically born woman could likely only achieve if she either is a freak of nature or some extra juicing.
2) Another extra help she might have had is being in a caloric surplus (basically being in a bulk phase). If she were in maintenance, it would have been less likely to gain that much muscle.
I so thoroughly enjoy these breakdowns! Re: the "middle-aged white women" one. YES...love your reminder that finding movement you enjoy is the only way you'll stick to it, AND also giving yourself allowance to give in to novelty or changing up a routine.
I started working out regularly 12 years ago with walking, then I did Zumba for a bit, then a friend from that class got me into the KB class & yoga at our gym. After loving how strong I felt, it gave me the courage to join roller derby (a full-contact sport) and started weight-lifting & hiking to cross-train. After a few years of that the pandemic happened and I stopped derby, but I ramped up my hiking distances then started running & trail running. I ran 4 races last year!
All this to say that keeping fitness fun, impactful, balanced & interesting is the key to longevity. It doesn't always have to be the same activity for years on end!❤️
I loveeee this journey!
Zero or very low cortisol is a medical emergency. People with Addison’s can become really unwell due to insufficient cortisol and aldosterone. Chronically high stress hormones, including cortisol, is also bad for your health.
Moderation is key. Find a balance.
100%!
When I was trying to find a personal trainer a couple of years ago, I was worried they would push me toward weight loss even though it wasn't my goal. I wanted to feel more physically capable but I had never been overweight. Luckily I did find a great trainer who just focuses on helping me be stronger, and through working with her, we identified things that weren't normal for me and helped me get an asthma diagnosis in my 20s.
I felt extremely validated at my first check in where my trainer did ask me about my weight and took measurements. My weight hadn't changed at all but my waist and hips had lost 1-2". Her response was that it was totally normal because it meant I had likely lost fat but gained muscle.
But 100% most exercise and fitness targeted toward women focuses on weight loss and there are a lot of women who don't have that goal, and personally I struggled with figuring out how to approach fitness to feel stronger and more physically capable when everything was about "lose 10lbs" or "get a snatched waist".
I have legitimately been dealing with burnout and chronic stress. It's really frustrating with all of these influencers selling programs around it.
I'm sorry you've been dealing with so much stress!
In my dream world, I would look like a model and be able to lift a car. But that is not real life. I am 5'5" with naturally thick limbs, and for me if I had to choose, I would rather have a body that does what I need it to do than one that looks exactly how I want. I am trying to run a 5k under 40 minutes and do a 100 lb overhead press. I want to have the energy to play sports. I think I will probably lose weight in chasing these goals. But if this size 14 body can do all those things, okay. That's okay.
Love the way you handled the last discussion about health goals. The way I'm getting my body back to healthy is by focusing on habits, if I focus on how I look, I'll get overwhelmed
I just wanted to leave this here about cortisol.
Elevated cortisol, where it remains high and loses its circadian rythm throughout the day, is called cushings. There's 2 kinds: cushings syndrome (like a secondary cushings that has a few causes, the primary one being corticosteroid use), and cushings disease (primary cushings caused by a tumour).
Cushings disease is quite rare, and doctors often don't catch it. It has a very typical physical presentation, that comes on slowly and can also look like PCOS or hypothyroidism.
We're talking male pattern hair loss and growth, central obesity, cystic acne, blood pressure problems, irregular periods or amenorrhoea, depression etc. Etc.
If you think you have it, a one off cortisol test by your doctor won't catch it, because not only do cortisol levels change throught the day, but a one off test can show cortisol within a normal range even though it is actually remaining elevated through the day.
That person in the comments of that video mentioning they think they have elevated cortisol might be right, even though the test looked normal.
What needs to happening is actually a cortisol "challenge" test, but doctors don't know this. So if you're worried, ask to go see an endocrinologist because there is help to be had.
( I've done a lot of research because I'm currently going through this with my sibling, but they won't listen to me. They're tired of seeing specialists.)
She said she would walk up to any obese person and tell them to lose weight, yet how does she know they’re not on a weight loss journey. People like her just like feeling superior over other people, there’s no reason to be rude to bigger people.
All I wanna say is that I had no idea there could be other fitness goals than losing weight before I started my fitness journey. I thought it’s the nicest thing to do is to comment on people’s bodies when they lost weight and the likes… that’s what I learnt all my life before anyhow. (Cringe now) You and some other people and many discussions with trusted friends really opened my eyes and I’m so grateful for this education. I agree with some of the other comments as well, that there might be a cultural background to her thinking, and those are difficult to get rid of. Having said that my cultural background was probably more similar to hers, but one thing I find is that some people are just at different stages of their journeys and may not be ready to hear certain things, but may well be later. I’m saying this bc this has happened to me as well. I don’t think I heard a lot of things before, even thought they may have been loud, but then all of a sudden I just got it. I don’t know what it is, I guess we could all benefit from learning to be more open, tolerant, and more empathetic. Anyhow, thanks so much for all the hard work you put in to help us think and know better!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
I'm a person in a larger body. I occasionally get blood work done and often shock the healthcare professionals who assume I have high blood pressure, to have normal, often low, blood pressure. One professional once joked that I "had the blood pressure of a 14-year-old". I have no desire to lose weight and would prefer to lose inches by converting a lot (not all) of my hanging fat into muscle. I don't have a personal trainer, so it's largely been a slow journey, but I'm strong. I can plank for longer than my friend who's an ex-firefighter. I can squat 220lbs. I go hiking up steep mountains at least 3x a week. But I'm still quite flabby lol. And my hips have suffered because I focused more on my outer hips and glutes than my inner thighs. I'm halfway to 30 now, so it's normal the wear and tear is begining to show a bit. But I won't quit. I enjoy the workouts I have. Now that I have some sort of financial stability, my next goal is to get a gym membership that will enable me to swim. Swimming has resulted in the most loss in inches and weight maintenance for me. My journey is my own and unlike any other's journey. Do not let these fearmongering, money-hungry influencers bully you into not believing you can live a full life
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! ❤️❤️❤️
I love that you mix it up and add some funny or thought provoking clips!
Glad you enjoyed!
i tend to avoid wellness content on youtube as someone with ocd but your energy has convinced me that this is a safe space
It’s safe! So happy to have you here ❤️
Something that is puzzling to me is all the talk about "bloating". The only time I have a problem with bloating is when I have a stomach bug or on my period. Is that really such a common problem? I have heard that the food in the US causes more bloating than here in Europe, but I've never been to the US, so I can't verify if that's really the case.
I’m also not sure how common it is because too many influencers and companies profit off of the notion that we’re all chronically bloated 🫠
I’m an elementary school music teacher, and I did not know that the cardio drumming from the middle aged white women was done outside of schools. I’ve never tried it, but some of the other teachers in the district have incorporated glow in the dark and cool lights and kids eat it up! I just don’t know where I’d store more drum-adjacent equipment or I might have to give it a try.
I love that!
There is a group fitness class called Pound that uses drumsticks to music for the entire class. It looks like tons of fun.
Some people really do have non weightloss goals. I dropped to 97 lbs a couple of years ago after having some severe health issues. I'm still trying to recover the weight I lost. Working out has been slowly getting me there by building muscle mass. I still have more weight to gain before I start feeling good again. There is another side of weight issues that doesn't get talked about enough.
if i met a fitness instructor and the first thing they told me that i needed to prioritize was weight loss instead of asking me my goals i would not be seeing them again 😊
Imagine hiring this girl as a coach/trainer and then you find her tiktok page 😐 why is it necessary to be so antagonistic? Anyway loved your pov, you have a very down to earth demeanor.
I had never seen one of your videos before but I subscribed after watching this video and only this video. Your perspective is refreshing.
I’m so grateful to have you here!
Wow! She’s super rude. She’d be the last person I’d look to for weight loss coaching 😮 She totally missed your point 😂
It’s literally apples and oranges 😂
That creator is just being willfully obtuse. She understands perfectly what you said, she just prefers to play dumb in order to promote her weird agenda. I'm having a hard time believing she is really a trainer, but whatever...I wouldn't give her any attention if I were you, I'm sure she can start making money in more productive ways than this if she tries really hard.
❤❤❤
If you don’t want to be “bulky” (however you define it for your personal goals), you can go into a maintenance phase to keep it around where you want to be
What that one girl at the end didn’t even think about is, some girls work out to GAIN weight because they are very underweight, I had to after I got out the hospital for severe anorexia, I worked out 4x a week to gain weight in muscle and it honestly saved my life. Losing weight is not always a solution or good for people, because , yk, underweight ppl exist ☠️
That "fitness instructor" did not listen to anything you said in video. I bet she made a video about you get more followers. I love your videos and learn so much from them. I never comment on your videos but that "fitness instructor" literally made my blood boil.
100% controversy content gets views and as a content creator, some only do it as a way to make more money. Same with fear-mongering (THIS common “health food” is actually K!LL!NG you and keeping you FAT!!”)
That doesn’t mean that creators should avoid controversy entirely but when I see (yet another) video saying that *their program* is the ONLY way to get fit and that everyone else is wrong about everything.. it’s suspect for sure. So is engaging just to be hostile and sh*tty for no reason, which that last “trainer” is absolutely doing.
My coach is helping me gain weight, I am (and was) at a little bit of a lower body fat percentage, just how my genetics work. With my primary goal of getting strong, I build muscle mass. And then losing weight? Would make no sense at all, would drive me into a less healthy spot. I am glad that woman is not my coach
Tbh, I am kinda sick of people misunderstanding body positivity and what it started as, as someone who had an eating disorder and body dismorphia (still current), it actually really helps me, its about loving your body, no matter at what point you are atm and to treat it right, because you love it, you cant treat your body right if you hate yourself, you will only do things to hurt yourself, even if that leads to weightloss. Treating your body right would naturally lead to weightloss but its not the main goal, its to be kind and thankfull for your body and be okay with the state its in at the current time, even if its not the shape you want it to be. Hating myself and thinking I need to lose weight was what caused extreme damage to my body and mind and I still live with the consequenses, like losing my gallbladder and still struggling sometimes with the restrictive eating, even tho its been like 10 years now since I have recovered. And part of that recovery was me gaining weight and becoming overweight again and struggling with my image but its been so much better since I am actually trying to be kind to my body and listen to it and have my goals at being healthy and not being skinny. Body positivity was never about being fat being healthy or that you shouldnt change anything, because if you are actively overeating every day, then thats not being kind and loving to your body, I wish people would stop this body positivity shaming. I feel like body nutrality only really exists, because people didnt understand what body positivity was actually about. And we shouldnt shame or hate on people for their body, we literally dont know them, we only see a snapshot of their life, shaming and bullying is what lead to me having an eating disorder and it harms others as well, even if it might not go as far, a lot of people still start treating their body badly just in another way and then they get praised if they lose weight, even if its unhealthy what they do, instead of incuraging people to be healthy, people only care about how thin someone is, but thats not an indication that said person is healthy, there is many skinny people who eat terribly and are just lucky that it hasnt caught up with them yet and so many people are focused on losing weight fast, when thats not a good thing, we shouldnt promote to lose more than 1 kg a week unless the person is really obese, I see so many people losing way too much, way too fast and then they wonder why they gain it back or why they get health issues.
Oof. That last lady is unhinged.
The girl with body positivity speech is probably Russian. Once I had a workout in the gym. I was not the most slim girl in the world, bud I was in a really good shape. My height was 163cm, weight - 58kg. A random fitness coach approached me and told me that I was too fat, had obesity and needed to start to lose weight right this minute. I changed the gym
My goodness to the woman who thinks that every fitness plan should be about weight loss, if all I wanted to do was stay small because by the way I don't need to lose any weight, I could remain stressed out and therefore not eat which leads me to lose weight. Or I could choose to exercise to help myself feel better and get stronger so I can gain muscle as I age rather than lose it. I eat healthier and exercise in a more productive manner when I am not paying attention to a scale.
19:04 no language barrier. Listening is a skill. She doesn’t know how to listen. She’s projecting her own narrative on you and picking and choosing which words she wants to hear and filling in the rest from her narrative to paint you as some anti-health villain for her content.
PREACH
Justina, you are absolutely correct. Becoming and staying fit does not always mean that someone is trying to lose weight. I weigh 115 lbs and work out to stay fit and to maintain bone strength. That influencer is either being purposefully obnoxious and argumentative or she isn’t very smart. Hopefully most people see that because you made perfect sense in your video. There was no reason for this chick to argue. As for the girl with the silly video about becoming bulky, she should have worn a t-shirt instead of a baggy sweatshirt so we could see her upper body. She should legitimize her claim because I suspect she looks perfectly fine. Many of these types of videos are made for the sole purpose of creating shock and attention that result in views.
My arms are huge by influencer standards and I love wearing going out clothes. I hear people all the time saying "she looks like she can kick my ass." It's great! Garbage men mostly leave me alone!
Mine too haha
Saying lifting heavy made her bulky without taking into account that she was lifting heavy for upper body 4 DAYS A WEEK and she was probably eating a lot of protein from the looks of her page, literally doing what people do when their goal is to grow muscle, and also saying it had nothing to do with her diet 🙄 she should just say that she didn’t know how to build a workout plan for her own goals because she was just doing things she saw on social media without any actual knowledge of exercise science. I wish people would encourage others to find an actual trainer or coach when it comes to these things.
Yes! And it’s so unfortunate it started a trend of women ditching the gym altogether.
As a guy that does a lot of Instagram, UA-cam, TikTok, I appreciate your honesty about these the influencer culture. Thank you for doing this.
You’re so welcome!
Thanks for the video, this is so interesting to me. Reminded me of a situation that happened to me at a new gym I had just joined. I did a fitness evaluation with a coach and he asked me about my goals. I said I just wanted to keep fit (I'm already a fit person) and that I just liked exercising (which is not acceptable, apparently). He continued to push me to say I wanted to lose weight and when I didn't he turned aggressive and said I had given up on myself. I was like whaaaat? What part of joining a gym to work out, not to lose weight says I have given up on myself?🤷
I’ve been there too. Sorry that happened!
Wow these people made me pretty mad. I dont think i could watch crap like that. I really appreciate how you explain the misinformation.
I love how they push your cortisol levels to be non-existent. I just started seeing a naturopath in prep for surgery and I will be doing the urine test to check my cortisol levels because she feels they're non-existent and I'm primarily running on adrenaline your body cannot run on adrenaline for prolong periods of time
That sneaky trick of responding by asking the person to DM them is so annoying, like if you have a legit answer then put it here publicly for all to see
YES it annoys me too. I get it helps their algorithm but it also deters me from interacting lol
As an overweight woman with many health goals which include weightloss and other things, I think that the way you talk about weight is exactly right! I have excellent blood panels, blood pressure, etc. but I'm also 33. And I think more fitness channels needs to be talking about how we can be healthy, but that maintaining health as we age is also so important! Even with those healthy panels and everything else, each year my body gets a little more stiff, I get a little more back pain, etc. And I know that it will be better in the long run to lose weight while I'm young since and while I still have those healthy blood panels, blood pressure, etc.! Glad I found your channel, girl!
And I’m so happy to have you here Maggie!
I don't know how the algorithm brought you to my front page but I'm so happy it did! I'm approaching my 40s and nothing is more important to me than functional fitness. My goal is to make my body healthier and stronger when I work out, and I honestly try to keep the aesthetic goals out of my head. My goal is for my body to be it's best whatever that happens to look like.
I’m so happy to have you here!
That type of workout class is what got me into fitness. Like everyone I had no idea what I was doing in the gym. I started trying out group fitness classes to see what worked for me. I ended up learning a lot about lifting and form and started training on my own but when able I still like to incorporate them. I like lifting but I also like spin classes, yoga, and functional workouts. Its great for overall fitness.
For the next video saying everyone should want to lose weight, weight loss is one of my goals. However I weigh around 100 pounds, so it is not my primary goal as I only need to lose a few. Not lifting isn’t going to make me obese and lazy. But I have other goals as well. Getting a pull up, being able to run comfortably, being able to participate in active hobbies, mental health, better sleep/skin, better energy, confidence, etc. Not to mention just being able to function on my own. I don’t need to want to be a certain size to be able to do anything in my daily life that includes strength. That could be anywhere from opening a jar to picking up a sick/child or dog. I don’t care my weight when my dog has surgery and needs to be carried into the car