Fitness copywriting

The essence of all fitness copywriting that can impress people is not to show off results or shout slogans, but to accurately hit the real fitness scene of the corresponding group of people, to provide steps for those who are hesitating, and to find resonance for those who are already on the road.

When I first joined the gym two years ago, the most annoying copy I read was "How can you control your life if you can't even control your weight?" At that time, I could even stand on the elliptical machine for ten minutes without breathing like a dog. Looking at the eight-pack abs posted by others, I just wanted to take out the annual pass I just applied for and resell it at a discount. Don’t think this is just me. There are two completely opposite ideas about copywriting in the circle right now: one thinks that the best results should be presented, and that only when they are exciting enough can they be motivated to take action. ； The other group thinks that this kind of content is screening out people who already have a foundation in sports, and purely blocking 90% of novices from the door. In fact, there is really nothing right or wrong. It all depends on who you are writing to.

If you create an account for bodybuilding preparations and show off your low body fat status every day and write "I will gain another 2 points of body fat this week and my lines will be sharper when I go on stage", the contestants who are following this will feel that I have found an organization.； But if you open an ordinary gym downstairs in the community, writing this kind of content is a waste of traffic. The gym owned by my friend was still posting "If you don't lose weight in March, you will be sad in April" last year, and the attendance rate was ridiculously low. Later, the girl at the front desk casually took a video of Sister Zhang, a regular visitor, doing shoulder training, with the text "Sister Zhang said that she has been practicing shoulder training for two weeks, and now she is picking up her baby." I can carry a 10-pound schoolbag up to the third floor, and my waist is no longer sore." The store attendance rate increased by 30% that week. Many mothers came to the store after seeing this copy, saying that they just wanted to develop the strength to be able to carry their babies without getting tired, and they didn't want to practice any waistline lines at all.

When it comes to this, some people may argue that professional fitness content must be rigorous, and you can't just write it randomly, right? Of course not. If you are doing powerlifting science, then the 1RM, muscle group strength, and movement standards that should be lifted must not be wrong at all, but there is no need to hold it. For example, if you change "the lumbar spine should remain in a neutral position during deadlifts" to "don't collapse your waist during deadlifts, otherwise the pain will be so painful next week that you can't even open the express delivery", everyone will remember it. I used to post on my friends circle to show off the changes in my body fat scale, but not even a single like was posted. On my butt training day last month, I went downstairs to buy water. My legs were so weak that I almost knelt down to the delivery guy. The guy stopped and asked me if I wanted to help carry the food. I casually posted this with the caption "I did my butt training today." KPI completed, my legs felt so weak when I walked down the stairs that I almost gave the delivery guy a big gift." The comment area exploded. A dozen friends who usually keep silent came out to say that they had the same experience, and some people chased me and asked me what movements I practiced. Isn't this much more useful than dryly posting a training plan?

Oh, by the way, don’t believe those who say that fitness copywriting can’t mention weight loss. If your users come here just to wear nice little skirts, they won’t listen to you telling people about the long-term benefits of strength training every day. It’s better to just write “I will train three times this week, and I won’t have to wear tight jeans next week without having to suck my belly all the time.” It will be more effective than anything else. Nowadays, many people criticize fitness copywriters for creating body anxiety. The essence is not the copywriting problem at all, but the wrong audience. If you show off your bikini model figure to a mother who has just given birth, of course she will feel anxious. If you show her "I have practiced core training for two weeks, and my waist does not hurt after carrying a 20-pound baby for an hour while shopping," she will only think "I need this too."

To put it bluntly, fitness copywriting is like handing someone water. You can hand an electrolyte drink to someone who has just finished a half-marathon. But if you hand a protein powder to a novice who has just stood in the gym for five minutes and is still wondering whether to ask the trainer how to use the equipment, they will definitely not be able to handle it. The most interesting copywriting I’ve ever seen is from a gym downstairs in an office building. The pop-up sign at the door says, “Practice for 20 minutes today, and your back won’t hurt if you work overtime at night.” Many programmers in suits pass by after work and take a second look. It’s 10,000 times more effective than writing “Self-discipline gives me freedom.”

Anyway, fitness is not a lifestyle that is superior to others, and the copywriting does not need to be too high-end. You can write whatever you feel when you practice. Even if it is "Reward yourself with half a cup of iced milk tea after practicing today, you will earn blood", it is much more down-to-earth than a copied slogan.