I know the first thing that comes to mind when you think of toxic is hating the gym, but going to the gym too much is also toxic.  Your gym life should be about balance, the gym should be an extension of your life, not consume it.  And if you’re spending every second you have there, you are either avoiding having an actual life, over training or a bit of both.

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Well this is an obvious one; of course hating the gym isn’t a good sign of a health relationship with keeping fit and active.  Working out is a vital part of trying to remain healthy and able, so instead of avoiding gyms altogether, try something new.  Maybe some out door training or even a sport may capture your interest more.  But whatever you do, don’t give up on working out.

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If you are only going to the gym to check out the hottie on the squat rack, you are defeating the whole purpose of working out.  Try focussing on your own workout, and getting the gains you need, then maybe she will approach you and ask for advice one day.  But if your eyes are glued to her ass the whole time and you’re not actually doing any work; it’s time to re-evaluate your life.

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If you find yourself going the gym and ONLY using one piece of equipment, then you are in a toxic relationship.  You wouldn’t commit to a relationship that you only get sex from, so why would you commit to a relationship with the gym that you only get the bench press from.  Having a balanced program is essential to keeping fit and healthy, exclusively training upper body or abs will not only give you muscle imbalances that will be harder to correct long term, but it will also have you looking imbalanced.  And no body wants to be seen with somebody that is 100% chest and arms with no legs.  Think before you train.

Spending hours in the gym is a great way to waste a lot of time; you are either not doing enough or doing too much.  An hour, maybe an hour and a half in the gym is acceptable.  But once you start hitting that 3-4 hour mark, you are either a staff member or you want to be.  If you cannot get what you want done in a reasonable amount of time, you should ask a trainer for help.  They will be able to set you up with an ideal training program to make it more time efficient and effective, allowing you to have a life outside of those 4 walls.

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This is the most toxic kind of gym member; the key to a successful gym life is to focus on yourself, your goals and how to keep improving.  Who is sleeping with whom, or who is dating who at work is not gym conversation.  If all you do is gossip about other people at the gym and get no work done, you’re in the wrong place, try re-enrolling in secondary school again because that’s childish behaviour.

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I stand corrected; laughing at other people trying to get into shape doesn’t mean you have a toxic relationship with the gym- it means you are the toxic presence in the gym.  There is a special place in hell for those that laugh at others while they are trying to get their health and fitness back on track.  As I said before, focus on your own goals, and how to improve yourself and let others do the same.  You have no right to make others feel uncomfortable at their most vulnerable.

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If you are always doing the same thing at the gym it’s time to switch it up.  Even if you are comfortable in the gym, following the same routine is still toxic because you are not getting anywhere.  The whole point to working out is to challenge yourself to grow and develop.  Even if your goal is to maintain, you should still switch it up every now and then to be able to target different muscle groups and avoid monotony.  Because that’s the best way to get bored of the gym and fall off into a bad routine of fast food, binge eating and weight gain.

So if you do have a toxic relationship with the gym I hope this helps you to realize your faults and overcome this hurdle to have a better relationship for the future.

Become the face of fitness you want to see and have a healthy relationship with thy gym.