Say, what?! Who would ever want to do that, right? That was my first thought as I walked into the BSC I teach at and saw this on the digital board in the entry way:

There are so many things that make me upset about this ad and message, so I apologize if my thoughts aren’t entirely organized or if I ramble 😉

1. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want any day to suck. #notinterested
2. I never go into my workouts hoping to be so sore the next day that I am miserable. Again, #notinterested
3. How is this even supposed to be inspiring?! Personally, I don’t like being abnormally sore the day after a workout. Sure, I like to feel like I’ve worked out and challenged myself, but to be so sore it hurts to sit down to go to the bathroom or wash my hair is just not something I strive for when I’m working out.
4. On top of that, having “tomorrow suck” because of a hard workout the day before can be just the thing that throws people who are just getting back into the groove off their game. They may have been on a roll with getting to the gym X days a week and then BAM, they do an incredibly hard workout and are so sore they have to skip a few days… next thing they know a week has gone by, they are no longer sore and yet they haven’t been back to the gym. Workouts should be a sustainable activity and not leave you to a point of miserable soreness, time after time.
5. Where is the fun in that mentality or your workouts?! Let’s face it- working out to the point of “making tomorrow suck” means you’re probably working REALLY hard and while that may be fine once and a while, that isn’t going to last- nor should it! Trust me, I don’t want to go to the gym and have easy workouts that don’t challenge me (unless it’s a day where I’m just looking to zone out), but I also don’t want to live day to day being extremely sore. Nothing about that sounds fun to me. On top of that, you should really be varying the intensity of your workouts from day to day- some days harder, some days lighter- that way your body has a chance to recover and build more muscle!
6. It’s just an intimidating comment. There’s nothing friendly or inviting with that statement and while it may make some people pumped up and motivated to get to the gym,  I think the vast majority of gym goers- especially newer ones- would look at that and feel maybe like they’re making the wrong decision. It is always my goal to make people feel welcomed and comfortable… to make them feel like they are wanted at the gym and that no matter what level they’re working at, that they are doing enough for themselves that day. They are there, they are trying and they sure as hell are doing a LOT more than if they skipped out on the gym all together!

I know the media has specific reasons behind everything they do in terms of marketing things, but I just think sometimes they get it all wrong. The front of Cosmo, Women’s Health, Shape, etc. are always full of “how to lost fat faster!”, “how to get toned abs in 7 days”, “how to get a bikini body in 2 weeks!”, etc., along with airbrushed, half dressed women looking “flawless” (or at least that’s the thought behind the photo). The thing is, none of that stuff is really attainable. Why can’t they put REAL women on the cover- who are strong, not just skinny? And, on the same topic, why do workout brands need to make everything look so extreme and intense? Everyone in their ads are always super toned and thin and muscular, wearing matching clothes and “glistening” instead of sweating. I’m sure you can all agree that that’s just not realistic 😉

 I’d love to hear your thoughts, though- do you get motivated by “tough” statements like “Make Tomorrow Suck”? Or do you prefer getting excited because you’re doing something physical that you like and enjoy? Do you change up the intensity of your workouts from day to day or do you tend to do more high intensity or low intensity workouts?

 

 

sweat your butt off, literally.