Does SOCIAL MEDIA even know what FITNESS is? 

"When I was a kid, bodybuilding was bodybuilding, it wasn't regarded as the peak manifestation of health and fitness". Absolutely spot on.

As one fitness coach stated. "Going hardcore isn't how many reps you can do at one time. Or how heavy you're lifting is. It's going for a walk everyday. Or the 80-year-old woman who's been swimming everyday for the past 30 years. That's hard core."

This really hits the nail on the head. A big turning point for my relationship with my body was someone telling me to focus on all the things your body can DO as a measure of fitness rather than the way your body LOOKS. Focusing on building strength, running faster, running longer made me much happier and fitter than focusing on getting abs.

Social Media & Fitness..... ring light, posing, selfies, thingy spandex wearables, zero sweating, and yeah WTF.... you're absolutely spot on, people need to see and wake up to more of this.

Bodybuilding, or at least the idea of being "jacked", "swole", "shredded" etc got me into exercise in general as a 17 year old. What really shook me was when my cousin, who wasn't even into fitness, invited me out for a 5k run and I almost died. I felt absolutely pathetic and moreover idiotic that I'd fooled myself into thinking I had any athletic ability just because I'd put on a few kilos of muscle. After that I found crossfit and, say what you will about the culty-ness of it and some of the less well thought out exercises, it was in general great for in terms of shifting my goals from looking a certain way to actual athletic ability. I don't do crossfit anymore but I've kept that mindset of blending strength training, traditional cardio, and hiit, with actual sports, hikes up mountains open water swims etc. Much more enjoyable and life affirming lifestyle if you ask me and definitely much better for your health and longevity.

I ran for a few miles with a 70 year old man from Saskatchewan in the Buffalo Marathon some years ago, but he left me around mile 20 and ended up besting me by 10-15 minutes. And that was my marathon PR. It's uplifting and inspiring to see people who, in your mind, shouldn't be ahead of you getting after it like that.

I'm a skinny dude who's run a few ultras with over 6000m of elevation gain. My feelings about the english-speaking "fitness" world are pretty much the same as what's expressed in the video. I think that bodybuilding and weightlifting are entirely respectable activities (except for the drugs, almost no other sport normalizes them nearly as much, for good reason), which are good for health when done reasonably, but I just don't like them being equated to fitness. It becomes especially ridiculous with guys who get so big that they can barely do anything without getting out of breath. How can you possibly be considered fit when your heart can barely pump enough blood through your body to keep it functional?

My trainer has said the worst thing for the fitness industry are fitness magazines for both men and women. I think he'd agree social media is right there too.

This version of "fitness" is creating so much body disphoria and eating disorders in men. I'm looking into it for my psychology thesis because i keep finding men bringing their secret suffering to me full of shame and it's like you are an above average athlete but the look of an (edited and facetuned) instagram posed photo is derailing their self value it's awful

For some reason, I have always retained the four components of fitness from my grade school curriculum: Muscular strength Muscular endurance Cardiovascular Flexibility It's probably several decades out of date by now, but these categories still help keep fitness influencers in perspective. Muscle size doesn't make it on the list, though of course it is correlated with a few components.

I'm all for admiring great physiques...but when did that become "fitness" in the eyes of anyone starting out? Am I just too old and moany? 🤣 EDIT: And stop asking where the T shirt is from - Jen buys them for December, I have no idea 🎄 😂

Great video! I’m 33, I’ve been lifting weights and other general exercise since I was 15. I’m naturally a pretty skinny dude, however through lifting and proper dieting I put on some significant muscle mass. However I never focused on being fit. Just bigger, always just bigger. It’s not until now, at 33, am I focused on my range of motion, endurance, flexibility and a general healthy feeling body. I wish I would have been on this path since day one.

Thank you for nailing it with your rant! I'm a 60yr old woman that enjoys strength training and rowing. The only women I see on Instagram in the fitness category are as you described and I always back away and feel kind of embarrassed. Not for myself but for these beautiful women who are selling themselves for likes, advertising and the like. I use and post to Instagram too but just for fun or to share that I did this on the rower or did a workout when my brain wanted me to eat cheeseburgers. And if there's a product or service I actually like, I'll sometimes give them a recommendation. Not for any other reason than I liked their stuff or service. I also post cute cat photos and what new thing I've learned how to cook. I'm not super strong, I have freaking balance issues and walk with a walker or cane. But I love my home gym and it's probably saved my life many times over. Thank you for saying what I've been thinking for so long. It's now January and I don't know if you've done the Hydrox yet but boy does it look A) INTERESTING and B) Tough! I hope you did/do well! So cool to see Concept 2 rowing and ski ergs in the mix. Cheers!

That was a refreshing take on it. Coming from the Ironman side of things, I accidentally bumped into one of the founding members who originally franchised a number of the Ironman events, who told me (before the pandemic) that Ironman was on the decline because there were too many other events where people could get their "epic selfie" at, without nearly as much training or hard work. That always struck me. But I think it's true... people more often than not just want to look epic these days. As a sidetone, I ran 400km in October, and just before the end of the month decided to squeeze in an additional 100km ultra because I thought if you could do one without any training, then surely I could... and had a blast! So thanks! :)

Yes!!! Love this video “that’s a girl meltdown” 😂 I needed this video, reminds me that more than half the shit online is fake!! I will never look like that I have had 4 kids and was pretty active for a long time until I felt so overwhelmed by the unachievable… currently trying to get out of my year long funk, slowly but surely pulling my head out of my ass lol so thank u for this video!! Love the shirt by the way!!

Thanks for this rant. I'm not very aesthetically pleasing and what irks me is when ppl get MAD at me in the gym for crushing it but not looking ""fit"", because they come in to film and show off compared to a "lazy unfit big person" and then get embarrassed. It didn't happen as much when i started in the gym but the lookie-lucy types have somehow increased soo much in the past few years

Sooo true! I've always loved weights, from starting training for rugby and now for balance, longevity and the harder jobs in the garden! As a farmers son, finess was being able to do 10hrs hard work then get up and do it day after day. But physique was an outcome not a target. In my 40s did a few tough ultras and 5x Tough Guy, always beaten by the fitter and tougher old lady, heavy bloke, skinny old man, etc, etc. Real fitness does not have an instagram pose!

When I was still in highschool, all my friends were saying we should start lifting. I went to the route of cardio and endurance. And whenever it came to every exercise tests in Gym class (Push-up, sit-up, crunches,pull-up, sprints, 1 mile run, and rope climb), I've either maxed it out or comparable score with the jocks. I didn't look athletic, fit and muscular like the jocks, but I was on par with them.

Well said! I’m 57 and when i was in my 20s and 30s i looked up to the older men that were still fit and at the gym. Now I am the older guy and have had young guys say they want to be like me when they are my age. Take what social media says with a grain of salt! I admire and respect what you said and i know after a good bloody rant i feel better….do you feel better now? I thought you were ones of these fly by night guys on here that thinks they are the next fitness god but i can see your down to earth and use common sense. I have subscribed to your channel now. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more.

I had this unhealthy expectation for almost a decade. I'm 30 now and I've realized that kind of body isn't possible for me no matter how much I hit the gym. I fell for all the natty bodybuilding motivating me to be like them and get "healthy aka jacked". Then one by one they all turned out to be on Juice. Even hodgetwins were on juice. So now I focus on actual health and fitness. Social media is to blame for all of this.

You’re so right! RU-vid fitness is such a dangerous rabbit hole which can so distort what our fitness goals should be. I’m starting now to pivot towards a mindset where I want to be happy, healthy, strong and flexible, and able to pursue the sport I enjoy without worrying about new muscle mass or how much extra calories I have to slam down.

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” ― Socrates

As a track follower, I couldn't help watching Jake Paul's Challenger Games a few years ago out of morbid curiosity. What I found extremely ironic was that there were plenty of "fitness influencers" participating, yet they struggled to do something as simple as running around a track. They had no fitness at all.

Wow Mark thank you! I am a 46 year old dad who a couple years ago started training again after 20 years. Being out of shape I went online and was overhelm by the information. It actually made it harder for me to train since I was constantly stressed out about how I should train and if I was doing the right sets, eating correct. I was a runner before I got kids but when I started training again all videos said "no running. You won't lose fat, it will lost your muscle building" etc. Having GAD (general anxiety disorder) it was hard to process all this information and left my not running and feeling like I was doing the correct thing at the gym. Seeing this video made me get my old runners shoes on and tomorrow I be at the gym just lifting weights knowing it's good for me. Thank you again!

100% agree. I also find it wierd that so many feel like foods other than meat have no purpose in a human diet. I'm no vegan, but I would be in a sorry state if I didn't eat vegetables.

Yeah actual fitness, and being passed by people is a thing. I'm 56 years old and i did a 43km (actually turned out to be just under 45km) ultra on Saturday. About 30kms in there is a long hard climb (walk). My biggest focus and motivator on that climb was to not get passed by a group of nanas out for a morning stroll. They were about 50 metres behind me at the start of the climb, and close enough to call out 'hello' by the end of it. I honestly think they were pushing hard to beat me to the top - nanas are competitive out this way. ;-) In terms of how I look - well picture an old wrinkly man the size of a smurf. So yeah.... no instagram likes for me. But at least I'm fit and healthy, and likely to be so long after their likes have vanished.

Thank you for commenting on that theme, I think nowadays socialmedia pushes the definition of fitnes in the wrong direction and we should try to steer the definition of fitness in a healthy direction again! Thank you for your nice and content, I'am exited on upcoming content! Greetings from Germany

thank you. i'm also tired of couch potatoes thinking they are the epitome of fitness for having a round bottom or a 6pack despite awful performance or cyclists being called "weak" for not having huge arms despite 5w/kg FTP

Funnily enough, the pandemic pushed me on the running and feeling fit route. Before that, I was another “social media fit” person too and after dropping some excessive muscle mass on my legs and being able to run faster and longer now, I am still coming to terms with how unfit I just was before the pandemic.

As someone who grew up with this generation’s idea of fitness, I totally agree!! It’s like most people my age are aware it’s fake yet everyone still wants to look a certain way even if it means they’re less fit. It’s definitely made it hard for me as someone trying to become healthier overall and not just to look like the influencers on instagram.

Just found your channel. You nailed it. At 48, living in SW Florida, USA. I am amazed how many guys at the gym are on steroids. And pretty much all the young guys get into them. When they ask what I take...eggs, beef. They ask because I’m older, but have a respectable beach ready physique and hit the weights hard. And I should after 30 years of training. Kids now all bench 3 plates (315 lbs). 400 is the goal, which was insane when I was young. 25 years ago, I knew one guy who could bench 400+, and he was shaped like a fire hydrant. These guys don’t realize the health repercussions they are going to run into, and they all eventually do. I like to say I catch them on the way down as their bodies fall apart. As for running, I’ve competed in racing from 5k to 100 mile distance. I’ve been there when the ladies pass you when you’re 28 miles into a 50K. And physique means little in running. I trained with a woman who was 20 lbs overweight, yet was one of the top 5 women in the 50 mile and 100 mile distances in the USA.

I loved this, sportsmanship is beautiful, I feel the same when an older person runs past me, humbles right the f* down. And running is for the heart 💓. Also I genuinely think there is less of this obsession in the UK, it's very much so an american thing.

Nice choice with Hyrox, i heard about it last year as well, and as a bigger Athlete (1,92m, 100KG) was very interested in it and did compete in november in the normal MEN category. My goal was to get under 1:30 and i did a 1:19, so i was pretty satisfied with that result. One advise, try the sled push, if you are able to, because after that , my legs were destroyed and run times got significantly slower after that. Another heartrate peaker with our weight and height is obviously the burpee broad jump part, which you should be slow and steady with. But anyways, you are a way better runner than me and I believe you will crush this event, so good luck, I'mreally looking forward to see you there =)

Great videos! I just finished going through the full lot of them. And with this one, I am right there with you, social media really doesn't know fitness. Social media knows how to sell nonsense! But that race coming up, sounds like a lot of fun. 1k runs and do some fun tasks in between! I might need to search that out over here in the US, when I'm healthy again. Cheers!

This message is critical and this video should be played to every middle school and high school kid on the planet. I am 38 and trying to get myself into some sort of shape again and also started to follow some 'fitness' people on social media and it was SO discouraging and took me nearly a year to convince myself that it should all be ignored and just keep going on my rower.

Growing up as a millenial in the time when all this was shifting to what it is now really pulled me toward and away from fitness growing up. Too many influences giving information that contradicts another person's and studies always changing. It became overwhelming. All I wanted was to really have fun and do all that I could in terms of fitness, exercise, etc. Looking a certain way and getting into all the diet and supp fads set me back. But now I got a better mindset and do whatever I feel is right and fun and just eating healthy as in following the basic food groups and I only personally eat when I'm hungry and not necessarily a certain amount of meals or anything a day.

I just found your channel and this video hits it right on the head. Unfortunately social media has completely changed what "fitness" is. I have been riding/racing bikes for 20+ years and have always had great respect for men and women who are older than me and can kick my ass is a race.

Really nice insight. I know many guys in my gym that have hard time climbing stairs. Big, buffed, oxygen demanding machines 😁

Love the rant! You are very on point! Sometimes genetics will limit the image.

Thank you for this video. I am far from the fittest person out there, but ever since I started on my fitness journey people have been trying to sell me on how I can ‘lose weight without exercise’ and then looking horrified when I say ‘But I like exercise’. I won’t be winning any marathons soon, but I spin/cycle (indoor) 3 times a week and lift a couple times a week always proud of any little progress I see where I went a bit faster or further or lifted more then last week. I am proud of that. But whenever I post about it on social media it’s like ‘but if you use this (insert shortcut) you’ll lose weight faster’. I totally want to lose weight, but I also actually want to be fit. When I see fit (not skinny) fit women I am like ‘that’s cool, I wanna run like her or cycle like her or lift like her.’ Not do lame poses in a skinny body that still gets winded running uphill.

”It will kill your gains” was the reason I cut back on weight lifting and started running. I realized once I went to the gym and a flight of stairs made me winded that lifting weights was doing nothing for my longevity. Most pro bodybuilders are on steroids anyway,

I can relate 100% to your rant, loved it & subscribed! 😁 45yo, working out 365 days a year, also grew in the 80's😂 Greetings from Bulgaria 👊🏼

You are spot on! Also, extra kudos for getting Daley Thompson and Brian Jacks in there :D

Completely agree. That’s why I’m very selective about which people I follow. If they’re not about improving athletic performance or keeping the body mobile and flexible, I don’t care what they have to say/show . I remember about a decade ago when cross fitters were great at being “strong is beautiful” advocates and I thought that was great bc so many women are afraid of lifting weights. I feel like nowadays the fitness sector on social media has objectified women even more. You either have to pose in a sexually appealing way in your fitness attire or record an exercise video with unnecessary angles. Some women who get plastic surgery (eg BBL) will go on social media and say their body was built in the gym or even worse, sell a workout plan on how to achieve the body that was actually created by surgeon 🤦🏾‍♀️ It’s not about being fit anymore. It’s about looking sexually attractive in fitness attire. How you get that aesthetic doesn’t matter.

Nowadays, fitness is scaring away men from doing cardio because they’ll ‘lose muscle’ and look like a marathon runner when they should workout to look like a sprinter. Ignoring that form will usually follow function, (elite long distance runners, sprinters, cyclists, swimmers tend to have similar physiques suited to their sport). It’s the male version of when females were scared of lifting weights and getting bulky. I highly suggest that everyone take up a sport/hobby to compete and stay fit. Instead of taking another picture under downlighting, do something with your body.

Thanks … that was a darn fine rant !!! I also agree with you on “what is fitness” now .. Find something that gets you moving and enjoy it ….

I like your content dude. I'm 43 and got into fitness 18 months ago, and for a good portion of that time I've been wading through all the fitness bs to try and make sense of it all. So grateful I'm now finding some real shit to inspire me. Cheers 😊

Love you videos Mark. Daley Thompson was one of my athletic heroes too! Fully understand the "woman beating me" type thing, however, had two experiences that resolved that... (1) As an 18 or 19 y.o. I turned up for the local "Plum Pudding Plod" (10K run on Boxing Day) to find Liz Lynch / McColgan lining up with us for the gun... it was the last time I saw her! (2) In my late-20's I used to do the FNB/Investec marathons in Jo'burg, South Africa (ultra-marathon courses run by teams of amateurs). Was through 2K in under 4:30 (it was mostly down hill) but then had to watch as a young woman pulled away from me on a brutal 1K uphill slog about one and a half k's from the end of our 7.4K leg.... Humbling.

I really am starting to wonder how RU-vid knows what I'm thinking. I do not really care about social media "fitness," to each their own, but I had personally just revamped my entire workout routine to remove any workout that did not simulate "work". So for example, bench press changed to standing chest press where you have to lean into it and use your legs and core. I always focused on isolating to build muscle, but realized I really do not care about that. I want to be better at "life" not "looks" and in life I never push my back against something and try to push something away from me, rather I stand next to it brace my legs and core and drive it away (I still do pushups because of course). I really only thought about this, and then BAM, here's this video with a sport containing most of my new exercises. Really funny how often this happens. Anyway, Hyrox looks awesome. Looking forward to more of your content.

Completely agree with you here. It's about look and nothing else. I'm a cyclist and I love big calves and get jealous when I see people with bigger calves than my own (most people) but it's not a necessarily an indication of cycling fitness and ability. I feel really sorry for teenagers these days with all those Love Island bodies and Instagram influencers getting loads of free stuff, 'living their best lives', when all I had in my day was Men's Health magazine which was hard enough reading for a skinny kid like myself. It was only when joining a boxing club at uni, primarily for fitness but also for hardness, that the trainer favoured someone like me, who had speed, agility and power, more than the big lads who'd spent ages in the gym benching 100kgs and moved like an oil tanker in the ring, that I realised it's guns for show, wins for pros.

Thank you Mark, this is very meaningful! I started my fitness journey almost four years ago and I am very very consistent and active! However, there are many moments that I wonder why I don't look like 'fit men' that we see in the media? This video is very helpful, thank you!

Mark, i'll kmow you are truly channeling '80's fitness when i see you in leg warmers. Brilliant rant, spot on.

This is very well said! The current "fitness industry" and social media influence is pretty concerning.

Keeping it real -awesome vid! Also love ‘The Bioneer’, Kneesovertoesguy, Bodyweight Warrior, less asthetics, More Athletics! 😎💪👍

Mark, your a prophet. Fantastic Content as always. Showing this to my friends , keep up the good work!

This was the most refreshing video I have ever watched. Thank you, Sir!

Yes! I have a huge problem with the concepts of ‘cardio’ and ‘resistance’ training. What happened to sport?? Fun? Team games? Enjoyment?? The outdoors? Challenge? I’m a triathlete (not very good) and started doing a bit of gym work to support that and got 3 PT sessions free. The guy kept saying ahhh but you’re a triathlete you’re only doing ‘cardio’ so you won’t lose any weight. I hadn’t even mentioned weight. Not even once. I’m far from perfect but my weight isn’t a stand out feature I’d say and certainly wasn’t why I went to the gym. They just assumed. Also please can someone say to any pro (or age group ) triathlete that they ‘just do cardio’??? Try doing one people. Try the training. Arghh. I don’t take my mobility for granted and am desperate to keep moving for as long humanly possible.

This was healthy and good talk. Yesterday I coincidently googled if running would make my gym experience go to waste. Silly. It probably came from the mindset of "needing to be big". But now I don't care, I love being healthy and love fitness/sports, so running, football etc. + gym it is me.

Fully agree with your sentiment re: social media fitness. Majority are full of lies, particularly the guys trying to sell their fitness programs without fessing up to their own look having been substantially aided by "supplements".

I was born in the 80s and I really giggled at your comment about “girls beating you”, as I grew up with a big brother who hated it when I beat him at 100m sprint hehe. I’d just discovered this vid and it was so nice to find a normal, relatable fitness person on RU-vid, whose also funny! Can’t wait to watch more of your content Mark!

I needed this today. Tomorrow I add running backing in. Running is life.

I've always held that being fit has more to do with your endurance and ability to push yourself to/past your limits over just strength or looks. I know many people who are much stronger than me and look much "better" than me who are not nearly as fit, and I know many who look "better" than me who are both less fit and not as strong as I am.

You won my subscription today. Great video mate.

i suppose it comes down to "do you want to be fit" or "do you want to look fit" social media is about the looks. these days we use the term fit to denote how someone looks anyway.

I’ve watched three or four of your videos after YT algorithm recommended this channel. But THIS is the video that made me subscribe. Like your approach to sharing positive messages relevant to real people in real life to real situations. Keep it up 👍🏻

As someone who has interacted with high level military personnel and some amazing combat athletes, I can say YOU look far more fit than the vast majority of fitness influencers I've ever seen. All around healthy and fit

Your channel and content is 100 times better than any youtube fitness guru. What I like about your channel is you give practical advice as you have a full time job and a family life that is realistic and reasonable.

Love this! Good luck to Jen for next year.

Nice thoughts Mark. Growing up in the 1980s too, yeah, fitness sure has changed over the past two decades. Exercise and fitness have become quite different when viewed in the Social Media Realm...

This is exactly why I train in various activities in order to achieve a well rounded fitness model which includes looking good, fitness, strength and stamina. Boxing training is ideal as is a combination of running, weight lifting, cycling, swimming etc. Extremes of anything are usually bad. Elite bodybuilders can barely walk up a flight of stairs whilst elite cyclists have the upper body development of a small child. Neither is good for overall health and fitness and usable strength. Boxers and gymnasts are probably the best examples people should aspire to with regard to overall physique.

Looking forward for the bench training debrief (I guess you will keep the secret for the rep scheme you are using until the release..) and this Hyrox race seems so nice, wish to see it coming to France.

I just discovered your channel. Your direct reasonableness is refreshing and infectious. Thank you and cheers.

As a real fitness enthusiasts, trying to become an 'influencer' has negatively affected my actual training.i spend at least 1 'workout' per week just trying to make content and ignoring my actual training program. Trying to compete with these influencers is super hard because you're just drowning in a sea of sex appeal.

Hi Mark. Isn't Hyrox just circuit training? This used to keep us fit in the RAF, Fridays at 6pm in the gym in Kuwait (only around 35°C). The regiment guys used to run it and they always started the session with "let's laugh at you officers doing star jumps" 😂😂. No gainz, no photos, no pouting, no coordination, no likes, just brutal circuits and a gallon of sweat. Happy days eh? Oh and kudos for the naff t-shirt too 👍🏼👏🏼🎄🤦🏼‍♂️

Love this! 👍🏻 I run marathons, often for charity, and base my goals on my times and what I want to achieve. When close to the yearly marathon season I get a body progressively closer to that of Mo Farah… it’s a rare thing for someone to said ‘wow, Mo’s got a hot bod!’ (Sorry Mo!) but the fitness gains drive me, and the appearance is a consequence (I do do some weights as I don’t want to be that slender mind you!🤣)

This was great man, thanks for sharing your perspective on this. Keep it up! God bless you and your wife :)

Great rant. Loved your (often witty) comments on what constitutes fitness in the 21st century. Keep up the useful and provocative reflective thoughts and opinions. So necessary to give a sober insight on health and it’s meaning in a world dominated by money grabbing multi media. So necessary to keep a perspective.

This is excellent commentary 👌🏿 You've got a great & cheeky sense of humor!

Great Video couldnt agree more!!! i was that body builder type work out guy back in the day .. had no cardio and carried more fat with me than now .. although all i do now is zwift ;) would love to see you in one of the Herd Races (winter series has short races

Have my first ultra this May and stumbled across your channel. Love this rant. Subscribed. Id say the only youtube fitness influencer is Nick Bare or Sweat elite

I like Dan John's comments that fitness is task specific, as opposed to health, which is optimal functioning of the body's systems. As an example, I'm active in powerlifting, and know a lot of guys who are well fit for a heavy 1RM in the squat, bench, and deadlift, but unfit to run a 10K or compete on a bodybuilding show. Likewise, fitness for running ultramarathons typically doesn't translate to success in a strongman competition. And neither case necessarily implies anything about general health.

First video of yours I've seen. Makes sense. I'm just trying to get healthy so I don't get hurt at work. If I happen to start looking better, it's just a bonus.

Thank you for creating this. It’s not a projection it’s a healthy observation

Loved this rant, completely congruent with my view of today’s skewed fitness industry.

What a great discussion! Fantastic perspective and reality check for anyone who strives to lead an athletic lifestyle.

Mate just found your channel recently I am a bit older than you 54 but have always valued fitness couldn’t agree more than the points you make here

I like the “above average” mindset. I like many of your videos and agree on your point of Sex sells Vs real fitness role models. I am older then you at 64 started dropping weight 2 years ago from 265lbs and I am currently 207lbs @ 5’11”. I have done this with bicycling and diet. I have gotten above average for my area. Then did EVO Sprint on Zwift and ran the D category because I am at 2.4 W/K. Pushed har for the 8 mile race and ended up 13 out of 23. The top 3 were over 3W/K. I say this to say I like you push and drive and hope to continue my journey just getting above average and truly being in shape. Keep pushing.

This is such a great video. I use RU-vid to look up certain workouts, like yoga or back pain or how to do a pistol squat. I don’t do instagram because I am worried it will give me a comped about how I look even though I know most things on instagram are highly edited.

Good one Mark. Some chuckles over breakfast down under with the rant and very true. No social media when grew up and played a lot of squash. Nowhere to hide when coach telling you to run faster, hit harder/smarter and recover. As for Zwift, will have to follow you and see if we end up in a Crit one time so you can tow me around the course! Have a good break.

“Never used one before but went sledging as a kid” nearly killed me 😂🤣

You are so very right frighteningly right in fact. Keep up the great work and I am finding plenty of inspiration from watching your channel, this is what social media should be about.

I agree fully - thanks for making this rant!

Good luck with the challenges! Brilliant fun. :-0

Couldn't agree more. When I was a kid at school, we were mostly all interested in SPORTS. Now I've noticed that it is more about getting in the gym, not even to become a competitive bodybuilder, but just to look like one. If an alien came down to earth and said "what happens in the gym?", I would have to answer "It's a place where men go to get bigger and women go to get smaller. In order to increase their chances of having a "nice time" together". It's mostly about looking like you're an athlete now, rather than actually being one.

Refreshing video. I see loads of "influencers" who go from fatty to narcissist in a bout 6 months after weight loss. They don't care about fit they just want to look good.

Lmfao 🤣 went sledging as a kid. Love the vid. Keep up the good work. The event looks awesome.

Makes some actually honesty to the scene. I wish you the best of your abilities in the future.

I’ve felt the exact same way for years, for both men and women social media ‘fitness’ is more about aesthetics than having a good cardiovascular system. What saddens me is how mainstream it all is, would Mens Fitness magazine for example ever feature a marathon/triathlon/Tour de France champion shirtless on their cover? Hell no. I’m a regular cyclist and runner who does the occasional triathlon. I do strength training for injury prevention. The head personal trainer at a gym I used to be a member of was huge in the ‘fitness’ world, I’m talking over 8mio instagram followers. I once brought my sister, who knows nothing about fitness, to the gym on a guest pass. She saw the trainer and said ‘wow, look at that guy, you should do a PT session with him’. My reply was ‘why would I want any fitness tips off someone who couldn’t beat me up a flight of stairs’.

Genuinely LOLed at an Olympic Sport being named after a sports shop. Probably true. Agree with the rant - fitness if you don’t look hard enough can just be a game of aesthetics.

A very important rant! Neck was hurting from agreeing so much. I was beaten by a 13 year old girl on a local hill last week. Hated it but not if my kid did the same, I'd be proud.