10 Fitness Instagram Cliches You’re Totally Guilty Of Committing Yourself
Updated: Feb. 13, 2019
We've listed the funniest fitness Instagram clichés that you're guilty of posting too.
Fitfluencers are just like you!
No judgement. Promise. But these fitness Instagram clichés are the best thing on the Internet. Including this gem by @wellness_ted, Instagram husband to @wellness_ed, digital editor for Women’s Health UK.
How many fitfluencers have you followed that “admit” their flaws in a photo that seems flawless? And sure, who hasn’t used FaceTune on a not-so-flattering post-workout pic. But, slow clap Ted for calling this out, slow clap. (Find out which Canadian fitness influencers you should be following on Instagram.)
Pose perfect, picture perfect
I did aerial yoga once. And you’re damn right I documented it. And what the #aerialyogaphotos don’t tell you is how uncomfortable it can be to hold a pose in silks. The blood rushes to your brain. The silks pinch rolls you didn’t know you had. And you just want the person taking the photo to get ‘er done in one take. Netflix comedy queen Ilizas posted an honest (sorry, Ted) image of aerial yoga — especially if you’ve never done the class before.
#gymhairdontcare
Sometimes we take photos to mark a workout done, despite our come-undone gym ‘dos. And this post by Tommy Lenk, suggests that maybe we should care about our gym hair, especially if you’re Men’s Fitness cover model Norman Reedus sporting “the Rachael.” Reedus, however, doesn’t seem to care.
Off-the-beaten-path: The hike isn’t that unique after all
In our minds, no one’s been here. No one has taken such a beautiful photo. And we don’t want our beauty to distract from the beauty that is nature, but we need proof we were there. Turns out, that creative, artsy shot isn’t so unique after all, as Insta Repeat points out. The account rounds up clichés from the follow-me, holding hands pose to airplane views. (Here are 5 essentials that are a must-pack on your next hike.)
The things we do to sneak our cell phone in the gym
A cellphone in a gym is NBD, right. After all some of us use it to listen to music; there’s also some amazing fitness apps you can download, too. But everyone is susceptible to a bit of side-eye when they use their phone for selfies or emails. Ben Bruno, trainer to celebs like Kate Upton, doesn’t allow cell phones in his gym, and has a markerboard scrawled with the message: “If you’re on your phone for more than 30 seconds, you must be in a plank. No exceptions.” But as Chelsea Handler points out below, it’s worth the effort!
View this post on Instagram@benbrunotraining first of all, I’m happy to do a plank the whole entire hour.
Just peaches
Celebs do the funniest things, including showing off their buns. But what does it look like when a regular person (er, dog) attempt the same shot? It’s a bit silly. That said, it can also be a bit fun, as celebrity and fashion photographer Vincent Flouret shows us.
Move over sweaty selfie
Did a workout even happen if you don’t post a post-workout pic? But instead of a #sweatyselfie, GLOW actress Alison Brie posted a post-workout dance celebration with her workout partner and co-star Betty Gilpin. Must have been a nice, easy workout; I usually can’t lift my arms.
Day 1, done, dusted and posted
Social media is loaded with fitness challenges. Planks, push-ups, burpees, you name it and there’s a 30 day challenge for it. (I did the 50 burpees a day for 30 days challenge.) Toronto registered dietitian Andy De Santis invented the Food Yoga Challenge, where you do a yoga pose with food — hence his #potassiumpose. This one was a contest (now over, sorry guys!) to give away a banana phone and banana socks. However, Andy’s Homer Simpson socks would’ve been a better prize.
This #OOTD is extra AF
Your gym outfit’s cute. The leggings are new. And your kicks coordinate. Who could blame you for wanting to mark this moment, even if it is the most often posted of all the fitness Instagram clichés. But leave it to Mariah Carey to take her fitness look to the next level — in fashion and exertion. She’s wearing Fenty Puma heels on the Jacob’s Ladder cardio machine!
Booty move not so bootylicous
Exercising isn’t pretty, and yet we always aim to post a move that’s flattering. But sometimes you’ve got to mix things up on your profile and not always be in Warrior Pose. But it’s all about balance, right. A well-rounded grid includes donkey kicks and popcorn confessions, according to Tracee Ellis Ross.
Bonus: One of my own favourite Insta clichés
This one is a bit of pet peeve of mine when it comes to fitness Instagram clichés: washed out photos that are so absent of contrast it may as well be a white square. But that said, it is flattering. How good do I look?
Next, check out the top fitness trends for 2019.
