The Negative Class Participant

Training is never easy, it’s called training for a reason. You are “training” your body to be stronger. The whole idea is to challenge yourself, and make a little progress each time. Over a period of weeks and months, you will get better and stronger at whatever task it is you are training for.

It is understandable that when you start training, you will struggle. This was the case for me in martial arts, weight lifting, cardio, and even when preparing for my AFAA certification. It’s harder at first, but becomes easier as time passes. Eventually, it takes more and more work for it to become hard again. That’s progress.

When it comes to progress, you have to be in it to win it. You can be going to the gym for years, and never, ever see an ounce of progress. In fact, I know quite a few people who fit this mold. They spend years training, yet their body never improves. Their cardiovascular resistance doesn’t improve, and all they ever do is whine and complain about how they can’t progress.

Those people exist, but today I want to focus on the negative class participant. You see, this person isn’t satisfied with just their lack of progress. They want others to join the ride with them, they want others to suffer just as they do.

I was running a very early morning class, and I could see that the folks were struggling and having a hard time with their conditioning, but they were trying. They were in it. I dialed my routine down to match their fitness and skill level, and they continued to try.

However, this person, who had about 2 other women with her, insisted on talking and complaining during the entire class. She wanted to leave, and was trying to encourage her friends to leave with her. Meanwhile, instead of trying to get in some work, she was just standing there trying to get her friends to agree that the class was hard and that they should leave. They said “No, we are getting a great workout, you go.” But she didn’t leave, she stuck around bringing everybody down.

Here’s the thing, if you think my class sucks, and you don’t want to take it, that’s cool. Leave. But, it bugs the hell out of me if you try and take others with you who are working hard, and enjoying the class. I understand that some people will not like my style, but that’s you. If your friends like it, and they are having a great workout, why would you ruin it for them and start your whining and nay saying? Just leave, get on a treadmill at 1.5mph, and walk while you read a fitness magazine about how hard training is necessary for progress. Leave them alone.

About 3/4 of the way into the class, she finally walked out. Thank goodness. Her energy was all negative, and I got tired of trying to win her over. Some people just don’t want to work, I just wish that those people stayed home and let the rest of us get it in! Ugh!

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