By Radley West
Things I Never Thought I’d Say as a Coach in the Summer
- “You cannot out-train three margaritas and a key lime pie.”
- “Sweating more does not mean you’re losing more fat. It’s South Carolina. Everyone’s sweating.”
- “Flip-flops are not performance footwear.”
- “Hydration is not just iced coffee.”
- “No, mowing the grass shirtless does not count as a full upper body workout.”
- “You still need water even if you’re in the lake.”
- “Sunburn is not a sign of athletic effort.”
- “If your pre-workout melted in the car, don’t drink it.”
- “Beach walking is cardio. Beach sprinting after a runaway umbrella is conditioning.”
- “You can, in fact, pull a muscle getting out of a pool float.”
- “A vacation tan and dehydration are not the same thing as looking fit.”
- “Please stop trying to ‘detox’ from vacation by suffering.”
- “Yes, pickleball injuries are real. No, I’m not surprised.”
- “A hot dog at the ballpark will not ruin your progress. Calm down.”
- “You do not need to ‘make up’ for missing workouts while on vacation.”
- “Cornhole is many things. A mobility warm-up is not one of them.”
- “Just because you bought new workout clothes doesn’t mean you trained.”
- “If you haven’t run since last summer, today is not the day to test your sprint speed.”
- “Your body would really appreciate it if you stretched before trying to become a weekend athlete.”
- “No one has ever said, ‘I wish I had drunk less water today.’”
- “And finally… if it feels like the surface of the sun outside, maybe don’t schedule your longest run at 2 pm”
Radley West is married to Dr. Andrew West and together they own Anytime Fitness Lake Murray and 33/18 Chiropractic Associates. Radley is a gym owner and personal trainer with more than 20 years of experience helping people achieve non-traditional health goals. She and her team approach fitness by teaching clients to build better habits and create sustainable, feel-good fitness and nutrition routines—no need for intense six-pack aspirations (unless that’s your thing).
