How wonderful that Les Mills has ‘packaged’ a few good old training principles and created a popular world-wide brand!

How very usual (and terrible) that some envious humans absolutely have to pooh-pooh such brands. Case in point: I’ve started exchanging emails with a PE teacher who has done research on the benefits of physical exercise and bipolar disorder. This gentleman’s work seems pretty interesting, but I’m no expert in the field of physical exercise. I just bust myself doing what I like, which has enormous physical and mental benefits. One of my favourite classes is CXWORX, a half-hour core muscle blaster that leaves me exhausted but happy—not to mention that my core has improved heaps over time.

While exchanging emails today, we discussed the benefits of physical exercise for people who suffer from bipolar disorder, like Lena Foch, the main female character in my novel ‘Bittersweet Symphony’.  For some odd reason, we started discussing my fitness routine (poor Lena, we forgot all about her!) and I sent this gentleman a link to a CXWORX video. I normally do that: give people as much information as I possibly can, including links.

This guy’s response astonished me: he said something about there being nothing new in that form of training (he could’ve knocked me down with a feather, really …), that it’s called ‘circuit’ (ohmyGod! FF, you’re such an ignoramus!) and that it was used by Sylvester Stallone (oh! how very, very interesting!—yawn!). Then Mr PE Teacher finished off by saying, ‘Oh, if it’s good for you, go ahead, hahahaha!’

Hahahaha??

It suddenly dawned on me: lots of so-called ‘experts’ in a field will put down whatever others contribute. It’s highly likely this gentleman considers that Les Mills’ commercial success flies in the face of ‘good’ training. I don’t know if I’ll bother replying to that email, but what I do know is that a) CXWORX is good training; b) it’s given by certified instructors who know what they do; c) it’s the sort of training that’s available to me where I live. There are other classes at KSAC (Katoomba Sports and Aquatic Centre) that I also like, which would have probably received the same ‘hahahaha’ treatment had I mentioned them in that email.

Cutting to the chase, the content of this gentleman’s email (‘hahahaha’ included) exudes what I call the Antonio Sallieri complex: oh, someone’s done something better than I have, if the world considers that they’re surely more talented and experienced than I am, it’ll be the end of me! So I’ve got to put them down and expect that the public considers me the really good one, the ‘real deal’. Gah!

I just came back from my CXWORX training, feeling great, but I thought I’d share my insights into what I believe is a sad, sad, sad human reality:  belittling someone else (or their work), so that our own appears to be better in our eyes. Weird … Hahahahaha!  FFJ 🙂