The Truth Behind the "No-Smile" Selfie: Authentic Fitness Coaching

If you’ve been following my posts for a while, you might have noticed a recurring theme: I don’t always lead with a beaming grin. Even members are starting to get on my case because I don’t smile in selfies and apparently look like a misery…which they then assure me that I’m not

Firstly I agree with them, I’m not a misery!

Socially I avoid anyone or anything which is remotely negative or doesn't make me laugh. Regardless of pressure or other's opinions, if there's a high likelihood that I wont enjoy myself, I can't see the point in doing it.

My late Nan never went to funerals because “everyone is always so miserable there”. Yes there's paying your respects etc but in her words, "they would never know because they were dead." It's always seemed a fair logic to me, so I’m good to keep the 'enjoyment first' tradition going.

I’ve frustrated countless people over the years because I just don’t take things as seriously as they do, I can’t see the point. Whatever we do and however wonderful we may be at doing it, it will all end one day. For me there’s only really death or terminal illness that are actually serious, the rest are just inconveniences which can be resolved.

Secondly and probably more importantly, I find it all very fake. Let’s be really honest—most of those perfectly timed, mid workout smiles you see on social media are fake. They’re a performance designed to make you think someone is enjoying themselves, more than they actually are.

I was at Paradise Bay last summer, spent ten minutes watching someone doing the lips and getting the hat angle right, just for a selfie. In the same time, I had got myself one of those cold coffee things (that I don’t know the name of) and drank it. Who had the more enjoyable 10 minutes of life there?

To me, if you have to force a smile just to impress, you’re just lying to both yourself and everyone else… and that’s not for me. If we spend all our time pretending a problem doesn't exist or masking it with a fake smile, we’ll never solve it.

It was always my biggest frustration in corporate life…rather than tell the truth because it would upset someone senior, it was preferred that I kept quiet or lied. Basically, if I told the truth I annoyed people and if I didn't, I looked incompetent and annoyed people.

I deal in honest reality…If you know what you’re dealing with, it’s a lot easier to actually resolve the issue. When it comes to my work and my online presence, I choose honesty first and everything else comes after.

I will happily admit that I can’t identify with most of the nonsense of today’s society, I’m very much old school and probably a bit too blunt. My focus isn't on the "theatre" of fitness or being your new best friend; it's on results because that’s what you are paying me for

So, if you’re looking for a trainer who will blow smoke and give you a participation trophy for showing up, I’m probably not the one for you.

But if you want someone who is pragmatic, results driven and won't waste your time with "fake" fitness, then it could be your lucky day...just don't expect a cheesy grin in every post, I'm too busy getting the work done.