The Gym Athlete is here to stay—accept it. Is it even a bad thing?

I have been fortunate over the last 15 years to coach a wide variety of clients with diverse goals. Among these, I’ve worked with individuals who have discovered a newfound passion for participating in fitness events. As a result, the term "gym ‘ATHLETE’" has emerged.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of a gym ‘ATHLETE,’ it’s a label often applied to individuals who train in private or commercial gyms catering to the general population. These athletes go beyond exercising for general health and well-being; their focus is on performance improvement, training with specific goals in mind, such as excelling in fitness events or other related competitions.

For example, HYROX fitness races, functional fitness events, CrossFit, and OCR (obstacle course racing) are all examples of fitness events that people are now signing up for to test themselves against other athletes. I use the term "athlete" somewhat loosely in this blog; however, make no mistake: the title of "athlete" shouldn’t be casually assigned to someone who goes to the gym 3–4 times a week, signs up for a fitness event, and wears a sponsored T-shirt with "ATHLETE" emblazoned across the back.

That said, these T-shirts—and the name they represent—are increasingly worn by many, rightly or wrongly. Here’s why I believe the term is here to stay—and why, arguably, it should be.

Firstly, I’m not going to lie—I do feel the term "ATHLETE" is sometimes taken out of context when it’s applied to someone like Sue down the road. Sue, whose occupation is a bank clerk, spends more time walking her dogs than she does training and follows a program delivered via an app shared across an online platform with thousands of other users.

With that said, you’re probably thinking, “What on earth could he possibly think is positive about being a gym ‘ATHLETE’?” Well, in my experience helping clients over the years train for these events, I’ve observed some pretty cool things happen. These include the growth of gym culture, the development of gym communities, and providing more reasons for training beyond purely aesthetic goals. Most importantly, it has given people the confidence, guidance, and accountability they needed when they felt down about themselves—and that I am fully here for.

I have personally trained several clients, both in person and online, who have participated in some of the fitness events mentioned in this blog. Make no mistake, I gave them some stick when they sent pictures on competition day wearing their 'ATHLETE' T-shirts—that’s just my sarcastic nature, and it won’t change. However, some really good things have came out of the training for these clients. For example, I noticed that nearly all of them began to prioritize fitness markers over aesthetic ones. They also started holding themselves accountable, recognising that their performance depended on showing up for each session. It also increases self-efficacy, as clients begin to value their health and mental well-being more. This stems from the importance of recovery when pushing hard in the gym, leading clients to take steps outside of the gym to better prepare for their next training session. Additionally, it helps shift their perspective on nutrition, allowing them to see food more as fuel rather than something to constantly scrutinise and reduce to meet an arbitrary number on the scale.

Clients were no longer avoiding certain foods because they thought the foods were "bad" for them. Instead, they were making conscious decisions about whether those foods supported their training goals. Furthermore, clients have become more aware of health markers such as resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, and sleep scores. While these metrics are commonly used in the world of performance, they can also be incredibly useful for the average person aiming to live a healthier lifestyle

In addition, it’s building friendships, communities, support networks, and much more. It’s been so nice to see clients receiving support from family, friends, and other gym-goers, making connections with people they’ve trained alongside for these events. The camaraderie it has brought to the training environment has created a whole new dynamic, transforming their experience of what training in a gym can be like.

Honestly, I think more good has come from the rise of the gym ‘ATHLETE’ than bad. It has helped people see past some of the industry’s crappy fitness gimmicks, poor marketing, and, above all, the stigmas attached to training in gyms. For example, it challenges the perception that gyms are only for bodybuilders, that the gym is solely a place to lose weight and get a six-pack, or, worse still, that eating less and training hard will make you ‘LEAN.’ It won’t; it will make you ill.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but sometimes this industry doesn’t offer much beyond these stigmas. With its poor marketing campaigns that bombard inboxes with images of ripped bodies, protein shakes, and fat-loss challenges, it fails to provide much reassurance for those lacking confidence but wanting to take action.

The gym ‘ATHLETE’ is here to stay. The events are growing, more and more people are signing up each year, and the word is spreading fast. You’ll either be on board or you won’t—but, honestly, it doesn’t really matter. The ‘ATHLETES’ are happy, and that’s what counts. After all, it’s them who are taking action.