The Hypocrisy Of Women’s Fitness: Introducing A New Fitness Magazine
By admin
I don’t think it’s a shocker that the media says one thing but does another.
I think we all know that at the end of a long day, all the media really wants us to do is get our panties in a wod and to open our wallets.
When it comes to the female body, “they” promote this ridiculously over processed, unrealistic images of beauty.
Of course they do, because men love looking at women and so do women. We eye them, we idolize them and we beat ourselves up because we don’t….
No…
We can’t…
Look like them.
Take a look at these images from my personal stash of fitness magazines and tell me what you see:
The Female Body
Like the Victoria Secret photo, I think it’s safe to say the photoshop job on her legs is a bit over done. I am sure they are long, but really?
What do all of these ladies have in common?
None of them look like “real” women.
They’re far too thin. Far to “made up”… I mean who looks like that when they sweat?
Clearly, not me… Freckles, sun spots and wet hair. That’s me when I workout.
Can we please discuss my sweating issues? Anyone else a heavy sweater?
Now, check out these headlines in these same magazines and tell me what you see…
The Female Body
Trainer harder? Why are the battling ropes thicker than she is? Don’t confuse this as saying she’s not beautiful she is, however is she the right person to tell us to train harder?
NO.
Seems battling ropes are in this year with the fitness magazines:
Fitness Magazine is also on board with them as a way to increase strength, muscle and tone.
Moving on…
I would love to train like an athlete, however if I starved myself to look like a model, I would pass out after the first ball rotation.
Unlike the first set of pictures which seem to promote severe dieting and excessive amounts of cardio (at least for most of us to ever even dream of having a body like those gorgeous ladies)…
The magazine articles are promoting something else.
- They promote health.
- They promote strength.
- They promote muscle.
- They promote “woman-hood”
Do you think they read their own magazines?
Shouldn’t They Make What They Write & What They Depict Match?
I sure as hell think so.
If they did, more pictures would look like this…
Real women… Being…
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
REAL WOMEN!
Media SAYS to get strong, toned and increase muscle…
They have declared “Strong The New Skinny”…
Then why do they continue to show images of unachievable bodies?
Studies show that after reading fitness magazines we tend to have a decreased confidence in ourselves. Suddenly, we aren’t good enough, fit enough, thin enough. We want to try harder, workout longer, and eat less.
We read magazines to pass time, which in my eyes in a hobby! Hobbies are suppose to help us feel better.
I would love for a publication to make just 1 issue where every image was of an actual reader. Not a model with a portfolio or a stock image that was purchased.
Real women, doing real fitness.
There Is A Fitness Revolution
I truly believe that over the past few years, women’s fitness has changed for the best.
There are so many more fitness opportunities for us and I feel as if the glass ceiling is breaking in the fitness world.
From finding an inviting door to the weight room, to experimenting with more intense programs that promote strength, encourage growth, and deliver results that allow us to keep our feminine curves while sporting defined, toned muscles.
I might not be a Crossfit fan, however, I do love the fact that they have had a great impact on showing women that we can be strong, we can have muscle, we can have curves, be fit in all difference sizes and shapes, and we can still look like ladies.
Magazines Are Trying To Keep Us Thinking Old School
While studios and gyms are promoting strong, independent women, is it safe to say that magazines are still stuck in the 80s?
Stuck promoting aerobics and “Twiggy” like goals.
We have gyms (like mine) telling women to do one thing, while big publications are telling them something different.
They are stifling growth and change.
Making us still seem frail. And simultaneously still making women nervous about being stronger.
Just the other day I had a client tell me she didn’t want to do push-ups because she was scared of getting her upper body too bulky.
I’m sorry but that’s old school thought. We don’t get bulky unless we train to get bulky and eat to get bulky.
But I can see when looking at the publications every day at the grocery store check out, how this fear would still be alive.
So let’s end this conniption with a survey…
A.
OR
B.
I might not be as good as Dan, but I’m impressed with my photoshop skills! 