Friendly Reminder: People Workout for a Number of Reasons

If you’re new(ish) to the gym, you might be super conscious of what other people are thinking about your workout.

If you’re a seasoned gym vet, you might be tempted to analyze and critique other people’s workouts.

In both cases, it’s helpful to remember that people are in the gym for a number of different reasons, many of which might be different from yours, and many of which you know nothing about.

Here’s a short list of why someone might be doing the workout they’re doing, and a key takeaway at the end:

• Improving athleticism.

• Bodybuilding.

• Powerlifting.

• Cross training for running.

• CrossFit.

• Olympic lifting.

• General health.

• Rehab.

• Actively injured.

• Prepartum.

• Postpartum.

• Currently pregnant.

• New lifter.

• Old lifter.

• Having fun.

• Training.

• Mental health.

• Social hour.

• Athlete.

• Former athlete.

• Weight loss.

• Weight gain.

• In season.

• Off season.

• Learning something new.

• Technique.

• Imbalances.

• PRs.

• Volume.

• Hypertrophy.

• Depression.

• Anxiety.

• Eating disorder.

• Exercise obsession.

• Body dysmorphia.

• Disease prevention.

• Playing around.

• Sport-specific.

• Crunched for time.

• Invisible illness/handicap.

• Joy.

The takeaway:

Nobody knows what you’re doing but you. Keep doing you.

You don’t know what anyone is doing but you. Keep doing you.