In his prime, Flex Wheeler was one of the top bodybuilders in the world. Now the his life has changed dramatically though, he has realized that the fitness industry focuses too much on aesthetics.
Wheeler went from a legendary bodybuilder to a figure of knowledge, motivation, and inspiration when various health issues forced him to get a partial amputation on his leg. Since then he has proven that he has a courageous spirit and a motivational mindset.
He used that same mentality to speak up about the fitness industry and their tendency to favor aesthetic workouts that make you look good over practical exercises to help with life, with a post to his Instagram. Here he used his own experience as an example, pointing out the type of workouts that he needed to do to help make using a walker a little easier.
“Train “PURPOSEFULLY.” For me, it can’t just be all about aesthetics, my life has changed too much. Try using a walker, tricep and shoulder stability, wrist strength, all extremely important.
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BUT, check out the video. You might think that presses and tricep extensions are the answer…but how similar are those two exercise movements to what your arms do using a walker? Not close at all…triceps are more isometric, not at all like a press down,” Wheeler wrote.
“Point of the post, the industry has been too ‘bodybuilder focused.’ We put together gyms and programs for people that are basically physique programs. Let’s open our horizons, might even be fun.”
This is a powerful statement from Flex Wheeler, who has been using his platform to spread a lot of positivity in the bodybuilding community for a long time. He has also been voicing his slightly unorthodox opinions on training and fitness.
The main point he has been driving home, is the idea that training should be just as much, if not more, about performance, as it is looking good. This is interesting to see, especially coming from a man who made a living from looking good on stage, as one of the top bodybuilders in the world at one point.
At the end of the day, Flex Wheeler will always be a valued member of the bodybuilding community, and his opinions are always worth giving attention to. That being said, there are certainly some benefits, both to training for appearances like traditional bodybuilding, and training for performance, based on one’s specific needs.
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