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The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Boredom, injuries and ‘weird guru vibes': seven signs it's time to change your workout
It's an uncomfortable feeling: you walk out of your fitness class and know the vibe was off but can't say exactly why. The coach was perfectly polite and the workout itself was fine, but you're sure you won't go back. How come? The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I have a few hunches because I've spent a lot of time in gyms. I played three sports in high school, was on the swim team in college, started CrossFit in 2016 and have been a CrossFit coach and personal trainer for the past four years. I've written for Men's Health for almost a decade, and dropped into at least 50 gyms, from luxury boutiques to basement sweat boxes. I've seen a lot of bad coaching, but even worse, I've noticed that members don't know what to look for or what's reasonable to expect. As a result, they assume they're the problem: the reason they can't do the workouts as written, keep getting injured or don't see progress. Below are seven red flags to look out for while working out – and what to do if you spot them. 'Boredom in training isn't always a red flag,' says Leanna Carr, a strength coach, owner of Rain City Fit in Seattle and director of Pride Deadlift Party. 'But, if you're bored and unsure why you're doing what you're doing, that's probably worth questioning. Repeating exercises without any progression, challenge, or explanation may signal lazy programming or disengaged coaching.' Solution: Fitness can be so much more than a 3K run, the same push-pull-legs routine or another YouTube HIIT class. Instead of focusing just on strength or endurance, embrace the other components to fitness, including flexibility (touching your toes or learning the middle splits), power (Olympic lifting) and coordination (such as dancing). Do something you enjoy, such as walking, water aerobics, tumbling, boogie boarding, cycling or tai chi. Companies such as ClassPass are a great way to try new activities without having to commit to a full membership. Ultimately, fitness that you enjoy (or, at the very least, don't dread) will be more 'effective' than grinding through something you hate, only to quit a few months later. As a coach, I know it's satisfying to see people learn new skills or hit personal bests – but only if that's what they want. 'Pushing goals like weight loss, muscle gain or competition prep without asking reflects a top-down coaching approach,' says Carr. 'That can make clients feel unheard, disempowered or even pressured into chasing outcomes that they don't really care about.' Solution: Come into the gym with a specific goal in mind, perhaps one related to what your body can do, not just how it looks. For example, you could learn a skill (a headstand) or a movement (like a clean and jerk), lift a certain weight (80kg squat) or train for an event (a half marathon). 'Having the strength to play football with your friends or chase your grandkids around is a healthier goal than an arbitrary weight or size,' says Alyssa Royse, co-owner of Rocket Community Fitness. To state the obvious: coaches should coach, which is much more than reading the workout off the whiteboard, demonstrating the movements and encouraging everyone to 'go all out'. It means offering specific, personalised feedback to everyone in the studio (and yes, that feedback can be positive!). Even at boutiques where a single class costs $45, I've seen coaches never once interact with the attendees. At that point, you might be better off doing a workout video from YouTube instead. 'Without clear instruction and feedback, you could be repeating poor movement patterns, increasing injury risk or spinning your wheels on ineffective exercises,' says Carr. Solution: When I first started CrossFit, I would wait and hope the coach would watch one of my lifts. Then I realised I could ask them directly (when they had a free moment) and tell them what, specifically, I was trying to improve. Coaches should be proactive, but they aren't mind readers, so be the squeaky wheel and give them as much information as possible to help you succeed. 'I think a good coach might tell you to add weight or pick up the pace, but they'd do it with a question, not a command,' says Royse. Carr agrees: 'When the default cue is to increase intensity without checking your form, asking how you're feeling or explaining the purpose, it's a sign that a coach might be chasing effort over progress.' Solution: You should be the one who decides how much weight and at what intensity. That's easier said than done, especially with a pushy coach and a roomful of athletes who may be more experienced, so feel free to deflect. 'Thanks, but the shoulder's a bit wonky today,' you can say. Or, 'I barely slept last night, but next week I'll give it a try for sure.' Though many people go to the gym to lose weight, a coach should never assume that's your goal or push you in that direction – especially when they rarely have the credentials or the depth of knowledge to offer that kind of advice. 'Unless you understand what's going on with a person metabolically and emotionally, coaches have absolutely no business talking about diet and lifestyle with people,' says Royse. Solution: It may be time to look for a new studio or coach. 'Diet advice is way outside the scope of practice,' says Royse. 'If a coach can't respect boundaries there, I'd question their ability to respect any boundary.' You should understand a workout as a suggestion that can be modified based on factors such as how much you've slept, how much energy you've got to burn, your technique and confidence, and any lingering or recurring injuries. For example, if you're at a yoga class and can't do sarvangasana (shoulder stand) because of back pain, perhaps you could try legs up the wall instead. If an instructor never offers adjustments, or insists you do exactly what's written, it's likely a red flag. However, if they're open to accommodating you but don't know exactly how, that can be a green flag, says Carr. 'A coach who knows their limits and outsources to a specialist or someone more qualified is showing professionalism, not failure.' Solution: Identify any potential movements that may be a problem then discuss these with the coach before class starts. This may be partly on your instructor – especially if they never correct your form – but it's likely on you as well. 'Without proper recovery, nutrition and stress management, fatigue can outweigh fitness, leading to burnout or injury,' says Carr. Solution: Take enough time to recover, and if you're consistently injured in the same place, you likely need to change your movement pattern or do more mobility, prehab and rehab. If you exclusively work out at home, it may be worth visiting a studio or a gym where someone can evaluate your form. Personal training is expensive but ultimately worth it if you go into the session with a specific purpose, such as asking for three ways you can improve deadlifts, squats and bench presses. Similarly, physiotherapy isn't cheap, but the earlier potentially serious issues are spotted, the less it may cost in the long term.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Slimmed down Jelly Roll packs on PDA with wife Bunnie XO after shedding an incredible 200lbs
Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie XO put on a loved-up display while walking the Academy of Country Music Awards red carpet on Thursday. The 40-year-old Best For Me hitmaker packed on the PDA with his longtime spouse, whom he wed in August 2016. For the star-studded occasion the singer, who has dropped 100lbs, wore an all-black outfit topped with a Western-inspired jacket with lace embroidery. Bunnie coordinated with her husband, stepping out in a lacy black dress with cutouts at the chest and midriff. She wore her blonde tresses in a flirty, 90s-inspired updo reminiscent of a young Pamela Anderson. She flashed her tattooed thigh in the gown's high-cut slit, and the look was punctuated with open-toe black heels. The beauty, real name Alyssa DeFord, arrived in a full face of sultry makeup that included a heavy smoky eye, contoured cheeks, and nude pink lipstick. Jelly, born Jason DeFord, was nominated for three awards on Thursday night: Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. In December he unveiled a new health and fitness goal. In a conversation with his wife on her Dumb Blonde podcast, the music artist said he wants to land the cover of Men's Health magazine. 'I wanna be on the cover of Men's Health by March of 2026. That's my new goal,' he announced five months ago. The star declared: 'I wanna have one of the biggest transformations.' He added that he was 'so glad' to be having the discussion in front of an audience. 'I did this publicly for a reason. I wanna be honest about my struggles with it with people,' he noted. The musician explained about body image and fame, 'I think that people that become as big as I became, when they lose the weight, they're kind of ashamed. 'They're so ashamed that they go hide and lose the weight, and then they come back out [and] they don't really know how to interact with the world looking different or feeling different, and they kinda gotta find their whole new way. 'I wanted to lose it in front of everybody. I wanted to talk about it.' Jelly emphasized about losing weight in the spotlight, 'I wanna bring people along with me…I didn't become successful because of my weight. I became successful in spite of it.' He also acknowledged, 'I somehow managed to be this successful with carrying 550 pounds. That's insane.' Bunnie affirmed her husband, sharing, 'I think it's awesome that people get to watch your transformation too because they get to feel like it's not alone. 'And people need that right now because in a world where there's so many surgeries, there's a shot you can take, which again, we're not – I wish I could take the shot – I can't. It makes me sick. But there's so much that you can do in the shadows, and instead, you're just like, "This is me. Here it is. This is my cross to bear, and will you help me carry it?'' ACM Awards 2025 WINNERS Entertainer of the Year Kelsea Ballerini Luke Combs Cody Johnson Jelly Roll Chris Stapleton Morgan Wallen Lainey Wilson — WINNER Female Artist of the Year Kelsea Ballerini Ella Langley Megan Moroney Kacey Musgraves Lainey Wilson — WINNER Male Artist of the Year Luke Combs Cody Johnson Jelly Roll Chris Stapleton — WINNER Morgan Wallen Chris Stapleton beat out a tough crowd to win Male Artist of the Year Duo of the Year Brooks & Dunn — WINNER Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Muscadine Bloodline The War and Treaty Group of the Year Flatland Cavalry Little Big Town Old Dominion — WINNER Rascal Flatts The Red Clay Strays New Female Artist of the Year Kassi Ashton Ashley Cooke Dasha Ella Langley — WINNER Jessie Murph New Male Artist of the Year Gavin Adcock Shaboozey Zach Top — WINNER Tucker Wetmore Bailey Zimmerman
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jelly Roll Showcases New Look, Reveals Who He Wants to Win Entertainer of the Year at the 2025 ACM Awards (Exclusive)
Jelly Roll is manifesting who he wants to see win at the 2025 ACM Awards. Speaking with PEOPLE on the event's red carpet, the "Save Me" artist — born Jason Bradley DeFord – says he's rooting for one particular peer to win the Entertainer of the Year award. Jelly, 40, reveals that he has "a lot of acquaintances" in the music industry and "very few friends," but notes that Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson are two of his best friends. In fact, he's rooting for the "Dirt Cheap" musician, 37, to take home the coveted award at this year's ceremony. "I love Cody Johnson so much," says Jelly. "Since Lainey won it last year, I'm cheering for Cody to win Entertainer [of the Year] this year." The "Need a Favor" artist also showcased his slimmer physique on the red carpet, just one month after he shared a milestone regarding his ongoing weight loss journey while appearing on Pat McAfee's Big Night AHT live show. 'It looks like you've lost a person,' McAfee, 38, told his guest in front of the live audience as Jelly stepped back to show off his new look. "I started at 540 lbs.,' he said. 'I'm 357 lbs. [as of] this morning, baby!' Check out all of PEOPLE's full ACM Awards coverage Jelly then revealed that planned to lose another 100 lbs. "to go skydiving with my wife in Sweden, baby!' In December 2024, he joined his wife, Bunnie Xo, on her Dumb Blonde podcast where he opened up about his weight and his goal to lose more of it. 'I wanna be on the cover of Men's Health by March of 2026,' said Jelly, which made his wife, 45, "giddy." He added, 'That's my new goal. I wanna have one of the biggest transformations" The country star is nominated for three awards at this year's ceremony, including entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and album of the year for his 2024 LP Beautifully Broken. The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, are streaming live on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Read the original article on People
