Instagram is a great place for fitness inspiration. The #fitspo hashtag has more than 37 MILLION entries, but one user is reminding us that not all those photos are what they seem.
GirlxFit is a 21-year-old fitness guru who regularly uses Instagram to document her diet and fitness, Popsugar reports. A few days ago, she also let us all in on a secret. While looking at #goals pictures can be good motivation, they're definitely not the end-all be-all of how you should look. This isn't just because everyone's bodies are different, but also because there's one simple trick people use to make their muscles more prominent.
The social media star posted this side-by-side to illustrate what a little flexing can achieve. "Not a transformation photo," she captioned it. "I took these seconds apart."
"On the left I'm flexing pretty hard and on the right I'm not even pushing out, I'm just relaxed as you'd find me at any other moment in the day," she continued. "Just a reality check."
Well, it was a reality check we needed. The comments are filled with people thanking her for her honesty and giving us that much-needed reminder that it's not worth basing our bodies off of what we see online. They're constantly changing, and that is what makes each and everyone's fitness journey unique.