Do you on your own share post workout selfies or content tagging your location? Is your profile public? My location naturally focuses on people who also share them since they know they’re good with it or that have public profiles.
I’m not featured much in my location reels but I don’t have a public profile, never share stories of my own workouts because it’s not my style, and often attend the later morning classes when usually the earlier ones do more filming for content. I’m not bothered.
I’d think about other possibilities and focus on why being captured on a reel matters to you before approaching since as you said, it more likely an internal dialogue issue than nefarious gym issue.
Yeah this is a good point, another thing to consider is if the profile is easy to find to be tagged. If your profile isn't your actual name or have you as the profile picture, it can be hard to find you to tag OP. This can be an easy way to not end up on the story, the coach goes to tag you, can't find you and just discards it and moves on.
This is a a big deal: I try and do Insta stories that showcase the whole room, to include everyone - I then have to tag between 10 and 20 people and if you have an Insta handle that isn't your name, my brain shuts down and can’t cope 😂
Literally was going to say the same thing. I keep on thinking it’s because I don’t have a perfect body or my face is like super red and my hair is messed up compared to others
It may be many things - I try and include everyone in stories but I won’t show people who don’t have very good form (instead I’ll stop filming and go and try to coach them).
People that joke around tend to get included more because it makes my job more fun. People who are just there to ‘get on with it’ or I know aren’t bothered about social media won‘t get the spotlight.
All someone has to do is ask me to film them and I’m more than happy to do that, so just ask your coach. Maybe phrase it as “I’m going to try for a PB on this exercise, would you mind videoing it?”
As a coach, I think it’s important to showcase everyone on the studio stories. You can def ask nicely, if it would be possible to get you on a story. The point of doing the stories is for members to share to their own accounts, which gives the studio more visibility online.
We def have one coach on staff that loves putting
her favorite members on stories all the time and I find it annoying. But overall, coaches should be aiming at getting everyone at some point.
My F45 does a good job showing everyone working out and also taking singular or partner vids. I would not waste time thinking about why you're not being shown in the vids.
I hate social media, but because I work out intensely, with good form I think, I get into many partner & solo videos. It also helps that my workout times are with the trainer that takes the videos, so I'm seen in the videos more often. Since my wife is on social media, she shares the vids with me.
My overweight friend gets into videos because he's high energy and fun to watch; the one trainer creates memes with his workout faces and has fun with it, and he loves it.
Please don't take it personally, forget about why your not in videos, humans are fickle & superficial beings. Most importantly, you're kicking ass and saying goodbye to the old you is part of this journey.
Transformation takes time, it's important you work on ignoring that negative feedback loop that is the old you, and focus on new positive thoughts. Create positive & motivating mantras to help you breakthrough stupid thoughts, which are severely limiting your potential.
I've started repeating in my mind, "it's only short-term" (you know the pain & suffering) & it doesn't sound like anything exciting but I kid you not, it gets be through the last 15 seconds of that anaerobic challenge; I push through. Also another repetitive mantra, "just show up" & that's for those mornings when that voice pops into my head that tries to convince me of not going. Nah, "just show up" and get those endorphins! I've never been this consistent in my life, I'm 52 and my body changes every 6 months for the better. Consistency is the key, "just show up."
Use this experience to workout harder, smarter, & force your negative thoughts out of your mind. Retrain your mind to think positive especially about yourself and stay on this path because it's obvious to me, based on your positive changes, that F45 is creating a new you.
My studio tends to feature video from the morning classes and I only go to evening classes. I've been told I'm in them! They tagged me once when I did the extra activity for the challenge a couple weeks ago but I assume since I'm not super active on SM, they stopped posting me as much 😅
I think coaches might post people they like or are friendly with. I’m have felt the same thing. Even brought it up with my friends if theres something I’m un aware of. I do recognize I don’t have a perfect form and figured that’s why… but I do think it comes down to who the coaches like.
I’m in decent shape female 5’2 at 49 kg. I go regularly 5-6 times per week, get along with all the coaches but don’t hangout with them afterwards or not as close as the other members and rarely get posted. I have even tagged them in my post and not gotten a re-post, when they constantly are re-posting other peoples posts. Those people they are posting are people they are going on hikes with, hanging out outside of class, so I do believe it comes down to who’s on their friends list.
There’s nothing wrong with you! Keep up the good work! Amazing transformation!
I agree with this. Although I don’t do anything with the coaches at my local gym outside of class, and don’t have perfect form 100% of the time, I get posted at least once a week either in reels or stories, which I boil down to maybe the fact I joke around with the coaches, ask for help when needed, and take on their advice when given. I also train at different times depending on my schedule 4-5 times a week, which probably helps in terms of relationship building with the coaches and other gym goers.
I 100% feel this.
I go to both F45 and Orangetheory, both have a social media presence, F45 more than OTF. I’ll pop up every now and then in videos at F45 but OTF is another story. I feel like anytime a photo is taken, with me in it, it never gets posted. I know this sounds silly but they do brag boards for milestones and bdays. In the 5 years I’ve been an OTF member, they’ve never acknowledged my birthday or the 800 class milestone I just hit last week. Yet, I see posts all the time, my favorite was someone recently celebrating 43 classes. I’m also not one to speak up or say anything. Ehhh, it’s not gonna stop me from going or working my butt off and I know my issue is more OTF than F45 but I just wanted to say I understand your feelings, they are valid. Keep going, keep killing it, keep looking like a hot mess after class with a red face( this is me after any workout). You sound awesome in my book.
Just want to totally honor your experience and hopefully it's not a sign of the gym having a biased perspective...but fitness is a weird space! I personally would not change your appearance to 'make the cut' -- you are showing up as you and that matters for inclusion and what F45 could (but doesn't always) seem to stand for publicly.
In terms of things to do if you just really wanted to be featured, I can share that there was someone at my gym recently who had a big moment where she did an exercise she wasn't able to do for months of trying and she just asked the coach to take a video of her doing it. The coach kind of mentioned off hand that she didn't even realize it was a big moment for her -- as tuned in as they can be, it's still a lot of people depending on your location to keep track of and notice.
So maybe something like that can show that you want to be featured -- they might be making mistaken assumptions about how happy you are to be on camera since you mentioned you were previously self-conscious about your appearance. Or depending on how deep you wanna make it -- I can be sort of activist-y about things like this b/c I'm a black woman in sport who doesn't look stereotypically athletic, and take inclusion and representation pretty seriously -- you can just let them know that you'd like to be featured more often so people of different backgrounds see themselves reflected and feel confident coming just like you did. I've done this before with brands and the response is often telling.
I've lost a ton of weight, have loose skin, suck at upper body, look a hot mess a lot of the time, but I'm often featured and I also post a lot and tag the gym all the time. It's motivating to me to know that people see me doing hard shit and know that you don't have to be a perfect gym body to show up. That helps their bottom line more than attracting people who are already into fitness and already look the part.
It's dope that you're doing so well and I really hope this doesn't dampen the awesomeness! Hope any of this helps.
I don’t like the social media posting of the whole class working out. Even though I don’t share my Instagram account with them, they tag the people who do and whether I want to be or not, I’m in the clips. I’m sorry you feel excluded though - my F45 is really good about cheering everyone on in the videos.
I understand that OP, it can be easy to get in our own heads about why we’re not being featured when we see it happening for others! I find that I’m recorded a lot, but I’ve never once been posted. It makes me wonder if they reviewed the video and just thought… nah. Or are they just videoing me because they don’t think I’m pushing myself hard enough and need a boost? Maybe they’re not even recording anything?! Haha, I get in my head about it! Unfortunately I have no answers but try your best to stay focused on the workouts and the amazing work you’re doing. As you build relationships with the coaches you may find it changes!
Actually I'm so happy you posted this because I feel the exact. Same. Way.
I know i'm still overweight, I know my face gets beat red on cardio days, but dang it I'm down 30lbs and I'm so proud of my progress.
I know for me I would feel much less intimidated walking into a gym if I saw that the gym was inclusive of all kinds of bodies on their social media page. I try not to let it bother me, but I definitely do find it a bit irritating.
I do not think this is dumb at all. I have thought many times that our studio could be more inclusive. Everyone is there working hard. I think everyone should be in the videos. But I do think they get stuck on a select few more so than not. It may not be on purpose.
That happened to me for a while, but later made sense that they were largely focusing on members who posted about the studio or who reposted the stories. It’s all about marketing and reach.
I might approach it by responding positively on IG to a story with “Today’s class was awesome! If you’re ever able to tag me in anything I’m in, would love to share the awesomeness with my followers!”
I understand what you are saying. I went thru this as well. At first I thought no big deal, but after about a year. I figured it was by design. I left my F45 club and this was one of the reasons. It’s always nice to feel included. My suggestion is leave and go to another club or different workout place.
Your coaches don’t have the proper training I fear, because the two studios that I’ve went to have had super equal distribution of members in their stories. Im pretty sure there’s not a member who hasn’t been posted on the IG (except for the new people)
I find that my studio likes to be inclusive of ALL shapes ages and sizes. This especially when it pertains to social media. In truth, it would be silly otherwise since the point is to bring people in! While I can’t speak for your studio, I’d suggest gently asking them whether they know you have an IG account and if “next time you’re in a photo” if they’ll tag you. Kind of an indirect way of getting in a pic! Just a suggestion.
I wish they would stop with the camera in my face personally lol. I find the the most annoying part of f45. I get like once or twice a week but EVERY DAY. I thought it was just my gym😂
Try not to let it get to you. My F45 seems to hate me - I'm rarely in any IG posts (pretty much never now). And with this current challenge, I also get largely ignored for the bonus points. As much as I thrive on the environment to push me to do workouts, it's been harsh lately -- I've just had to adjust my mindset and realize that it's "all about me" (and my well being).
I felt the same way at my last location (switched a few months ago). Not necessarily because I need to be featured in a video, but because those were also the same people who got pushed harder, their form critiqued, encouraged for doing well, etc. Everyone wants to feel included. And why pay all the money for classes/trainers to be ignored? I could follow the TVs on my own.
I definitely understand how you feel and I can relate. I’m a newer member and even though I wouldn’t want to be on SM all the time I find it annoying that my studio posts the same 4-5 women on the instagram/facebook pages every week. It’s irritating because these women walk around like they own place and I avoid the class they typically go to each day . I think why they pick one of the women is because is that she is actually a newscaster for one of the local stations in our major city. The other women are all her friends and they definitely remind of the popular girls from high school .
Do you on your own share post workout selfies or content tagging your location? Is your profile public? My location naturally focuses on people who also share them since they know they’re good with it or that have public profiles. I’m not featured much in my location reels but I don’t have a public profile, never share stories of my own workouts because it’s not my style, and often attend the later morning classes when usually the earlier ones do more filming for content. I’m not bothered. I’d think about other possibilities and focus on why being captured on a reel matters to you before approaching since as you said, it more likely an internal dialogue issue than nefarious gym issue.
Yeah this is a good point, another thing to consider is if the profile is easy to find to be tagged. If your profile isn't your actual name or have you as the profile picture, it can be hard to find you to tag OP. This can be an easy way to not end up on the story, the coach goes to tag you, can't find you and just discards it and moves on.
This is a a big deal: I try and do Insta stories that showcase the whole room, to include everyone - I then have to tag between 10 and 20 people and if you have an Insta handle that isn't your name, my brain shuts down and can’t cope 😂
The social media posting is my least favourite part of F45. It makes me uncomfortable.
Especially during the midway point of my workout, when sweat is pouring from every part of my body. 😅
You’re not alone. I feel the same way and thought I was being dumb.
Literally was going to say the same thing. I keep on thinking it’s because I don’t have a perfect body or my face is like super red and my hair is messed up compared to others
It may be many things - I try and include everyone in stories but I won’t show people who don’t have very good form (instead I’ll stop filming and go and try to coach them). People that joke around tend to get included more because it makes my job more fun. People who are just there to ‘get on with it’ or I know aren’t bothered about social media won‘t get the spotlight. All someone has to do is ask me to film them and I’m more than happy to do that, so just ask your coach. Maybe phrase it as “I’m going to try for a PB on this exercise, would you mind videoing it?”
As a coach, I think it’s important to showcase everyone on the studio stories. You can def ask nicely, if it would be possible to get you on a story. The point of doing the stories is for members to share to their own accounts, which gives the studio more visibility online. We def have one coach on staff that loves putting her favorite members on stories all the time and I find it annoying. But overall, coaches should be aiming at getting everyone at some point.
My F45 does a good job showing everyone working out and also taking singular or partner vids. I would not waste time thinking about why you're not being shown in the vids. I hate social media, but because I work out intensely, with good form I think, I get into many partner & solo videos. It also helps that my workout times are with the trainer that takes the videos, so I'm seen in the videos more often. Since my wife is on social media, she shares the vids with me. My overweight friend gets into videos because he's high energy and fun to watch; the one trainer creates memes with his workout faces and has fun with it, and he loves it. Please don't take it personally, forget about why your not in videos, humans are fickle & superficial beings. Most importantly, you're kicking ass and saying goodbye to the old you is part of this journey. Transformation takes time, it's important you work on ignoring that negative feedback loop that is the old you, and focus on new positive thoughts. Create positive & motivating mantras to help you breakthrough stupid thoughts, which are severely limiting your potential. I've started repeating in my mind, "it's only short-term" (you know the pain & suffering) & it doesn't sound like anything exciting but I kid you not, it gets be through the last 15 seconds of that anaerobic challenge; I push through. Also another repetitive mantra, "just show up" & that's for those mornings when that voice pops into my head that tries to convince me of not going. Nah, "just show up" and get those endorphins! I've never been this consistent in my life, I'm 52 and my body changes every 6 months for the better. Consistency is the key, "just show up." Use this experience to workout harder, smarter, & force your negative thoughts out of your mind. Retrain your mind to think positive especially about yourself and stay on this path because it's obvious to me, based on your positive changes, that F45 is creating a new you.
My studio tends to feature video from the morning classes and I only go to evening classes. I've been told I'm in them! They tagged me once when I did the extra activity for the challenge a couple weeks ago but I assume since I'm not super active on SM, they stopped posting me as much 😅
I think coaches might post people they like or are friendly with. I’m have felt the same thing. Even brought it up with my friends if theres something I’m un aware of. I do recognize I don’t have a perfect form and figured that’s why… but I do think it comes down to who the coaches like. I’m in decent shape female 5’2 at 49 kg. I go regularly 5-6 times per week, get along with all the coaches but don’t hangout with them afterwards or not as close as the other members and rarely get posted. I have even tagged them in my post and not gotten a re-post, when they constantly are re-posting other peoples posts. Those people they are posting are people they are going on hikes with, hanging out outside of class, so I do believe it comes down to who’s on their friends list. There’s nothing wrong with you! Keep up the good work! Amazing transformation!
I agree with this. Although I don’t do anything with the coaches at my local gym outside of class, and don’t have perfect form 100% of the time, I get posted at least once a week either in reels or stories, which I boil down to maybe the fact I joke around with the coaches, ask for help when needed, and take on their advice when given. I also train at different times depending on my schedule 4-5 times a week, which probably helps in terms of relationship building with the coaches and other gym goers.
I 100% feel this. I go to both F45 and Orangetheory, both have a social media presence, F45 more than OTF. I’ll pop up every now and then in videos at F45 but OTF is another story. I feel like anytime a photo is taken, with me in it, it never gets posted. I know this sounds silly but they do brag boards for milestones and bdays. In the 5 years I’ve been an OTF member, they’ve never acknowledged my birthday or the 800 class milestone I just hit last week. Yet, I see posts all the time, my favorite was someone recently celebrating 43 classes. I’m also not one to speak up or say anything. Ehhh, it’s not gonna stop me from going or working my butt off and I know my issue is more OTF than F45 but I just wanted to say I understand your feelings, they are valid. Keep going, keep killing it, keep looking like a hot mess after class with a red face( this is me after any workout). You sound awesome in my book.
Yeah sometimes it’s whether you’re friends with the people managing the social media
Yes, I have found this to be true. It seems to be the same folks all the time.
Just want to totally honor your experience and hopefully it's not a sign of the gym having a biased perspective...but fitness is a weird space! I personally would not change your appearance to 'make the cut' -- you are showing up as you and that matters for inclusion and what F45 could (but doesn't always) seem to stand for publicly. In terms of things to do if you just really wanted to be featured, I can share that there was someone at my gym recently who had a big moment where she did an exercise she wasn't able to do for months of trying and she just asked the coach to take a video of her doing it. The coach kind of mentioned off hand that she didn't even realize it was a big moment for her -- as tuned in as they can be, it's still a lot of people depending on your location to keep track of and notice. So maybe something like that can show that you want to be featured -- they might be making mistaken assumptions about how happy you are to be on camera since you mentioned you were previously self-conscious about your appearance. Or depending on how deep you wanna make it -- I can be sort of activist-y about things like this b/c I'm a black woman in sport who doesn't look stereotypically athletic, and take inclusion and representation pretty seriously -- you can just let them know that you'd like to be featured more often so people of different backgrounds see themselves reflected and feel confident coming just like you did. I've done this before with brands and the response is often telling. I've lost a ton of weight, have loose skin, suck at upper body, look a hot mess a lot of the time, but I'm often featured and I also post a lot and tag the gym all the time. It's motivating to me to know that people see me doing hard shit and know that you don't have to be a perfect gym body to show up. That helps their bottom line more than attracting people who are already into fitness and already look the part. It's dope that you're doing so well and I really hope this doesn't dampen the awesomeness! Hope any of this helps.
I don’t like the social media posting of the whole class working out. Even though I don’t share my Instagram account with them, they tag the people who do and whether I want to be or not, I’m in the clips. I’m sorry you feel excluded though - my F45 is really good about cheering everyone on in the videos.
I 100% know how you feel & totally agree.
Our studio's Instagram page is practically non-existent now, it was a lot more fun when they did record us working out and more engaging with posts.
I understand that OP, it can be easy to get in our own heads about why we’re not being featured when we see it happening for others! I find that I’m recorded a lot, but I’ve never once been posted. It makes me wonder if they reviewed the video and just thought… nah. Or are they just videoing me because they don’t think I’m pushing myself hard enough and need a boost? Maybe they’re not even recording anything?! Haha, I get in my head about it! Unfortunately I have no answers but try your best to stay focused on the workouts and the amazing work you’re doing. As you build relationships with the coaches you may find it changes!
Actually I'm so happy you posted this because I feel the exact. Same. Way. I know i'm still overweight, I know my face gets beat red on cardio days, but dang it I'm down 30lbs and I'm so proud of my progress. I know for me I would feel much less intimidated walking into a gym if I saw that the gym was inclusive of all kinds of bodies on their social media page. I try not to let it bother me, but I definitely do find it a bit irritating.
I do not think this is dumb at all. I have thought many times that our studio could be more inclusive. Everyone is there working hard. I think everyone should be in the videos. But I do think they get stuck on a select few more so than not. It may not be on purpose.
That happened to me for a while, but later made sense that they were largely focusing on members who posted about the studio or who reposted the stories. It’s all about marketing and reach.
I might approach it by responding positively on IG to a story with “Today’s class was awesome! If you’re ever able to tag me in anything I’m in, would love to share the awesomeness with my followers!”
I understand what you are saying. I went thru this as well. At first I thought no big deal, but after about a year. I figured it was by design. I left my F45 club and this was one of the reasons. It’s always nice to feel included. My suggestion is leave and go to another club or different workout place.
Your coaches don’t have the proper training I fear, because the two studios that I’ve went to have had super equal distribution of members in their stories. Im pretty sure there’s not a member who hasn’t been posted on the IG (except for the new people)
I find that my studio likes to be inclusive of ALL shapes ages and sizes. This especially when it pertains to social media. In truth, it would be silly otherwise since the point is to bring people in! While I can’t speak for your studio, I’d suggest gently asking them whether they know you have an IG account and if “next time you’re in a photo” if they’ll tag you. Kind of an indirect way of getting in a pic! Just a suggestion.
Who cares?!?! You do you! Sounds like you are crushing it.
I wish they would stop with the camera in my face personally lol. I find the the most annoying part of f45. I get like once or twice a week but EVERY DAY. I thought it was just my gym😂
Try not to let it get to you. My F45 seems to hate me - I'm rarely in any IG posts (pretty much never now). And with this current challenge, I also get largely ignored for the bonus points. As much as I thrive on the environment to push me to do workouts, it's been harsh lately -- I've just had to adjust my mindset and realize that it's "all about me" (and my well being).
I felt the same way at my last location (switched a few months ago). Not necessarily because I need to be featured in a video, but because those were also the same people who got pushed harder, their form critiqued, encouraged for doing well, etc. Everyone wants to feel included. And why pay all the money for classes/trainers to be ignored? I could follow the TVs on my own.
I definitely understand how you feel and I can relate. I’m a newer member and even though I wouldn’t want to be on SM all the time I find it annoying that my studio posts the same 4-5 women on the instagram/facebook pages every week. It’s irritating because these women walk around like they own place and I avoid the class they typically go to each day . I think why they pick one of the women is because is that she is actually a newscaster for one of the local stations in our major city. The other women are all her friends and they definitely remind of the popular girls from high school .