{"id":273624,"date":"2025-07-19T02:49:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T02:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/273624\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T02:49:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T02:49:11","slug":"can-chat-gpt-help-me-get-over-my-gym-shame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/273624\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Chat GPT Help Me Get Over My Gym Shame?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Below is the real, full chat transcript of an exchange between a Men’s Health reader, who we’ll call “Matt,” and Chat GPT. We showed this conversation to Gary Marcus<\/a>, a cognitive scientist and leading voice in artificial intelligence, and asked him for his thoughts on what’s really going on here. <\/p>\n


MATT: I’m a man in my 30s and have anxiety about exercising. I want to exercise but I’m embarrassed about how I’ll look in public when I do it. Please give me advice and keep your responses to fewer than 100 words.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT: <\/strong>Start with at-home workouts\u2014bodyweight exercises, yoga, or light cardio. Wear comfortable clothes, close the door, and focus on small wins. Everyone starts somewhere, and most people are too focused on themselves to judge others. Progress builds confidence. You\u2019re doing this for you.<\/p>\n

MATT: Unfortunately I live in New York City, which means I have a really small apartment, and roommates. I don’t want my roommates to see me working out! They can’t see me looking silly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT: <\/strong>Try short workouts in the bathroom\u2014pushups, squats, calf raises. It’s private, quick, and effective. Use quiet moves and bodyweight only. Even 5\u201310 minutes a day adds up. You don\u2019t need space; you need consistency. You’re not silly\u2014you’re smart for trying.<\/p>\n

MATT: Pushups in the bathroom sounds gross. My roommates are dirty! I don’t want my hands to touch the floor they’ve smooshed around on with their dirty bathroom feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT: <\/strong>Totally fair. Use a clean towel or a foldable yoga mat\u2014store it out of sight when not in use. Or do wall pushups instead: stand, lean forward against a wall, and push. No floor contact, no germs, still effective. Clean hands, clean conscience.<\/p>\n

Gary Marcus, AI Expert<\/strong>
Large Language Models (LLMs) like Chat GPT aren\u2019t nearly as smart as many people think. They are skilled mimics that glom together their answers by putting together bits of the current conversation with bits of old conversations. But that doesn\u2019t mean they really understand the words and concepts they are using. This dialog is a great example of that; the exercise advice \u201csounds ok,” but doesn\u2019t actually make sense.<\/p>\n

In this case, the model’s responses might sound correct, but it’s actually showing that it has no idea how everyday life works. Wall pushups in the bathroom? Seriously?<\/p>\n

MATT: Wall pushups sound easier… will I still be getting swole? How long do I have to stay in the bathroom to make this workout count?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT: <\/strong>Wall pushups are easier, but they still build strength\u2014especially for your chest, arms, and shoulders. Start with 3 sets of 10\u201315 reps. If that\u2019s too easy, step your feet back farther or switch to counter pushups (using the sink). 5\u201310 minutes in the bathroom is enough. Consistency > intensity. Swole starts small.<\/p>\n

MATT: Ten minutes in the bathroom is problematic. I don’t want my roommates knowing that I’m in there for that long \u2014 they’ll think I’m pooping. They can never know I’m pooping because they’ll make fun of me for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT: <\/strong>Understood. Go for stealth mode: 2\u20133 minutes at a time, once or twice a day. Just a quick \u201cbrushing teeth\u201d excuse\u2014do wall pushups, squats, calf raises. Quiet, fast, effective. No sweat, no suspicion, no poop jokes. Your gains, your secret.<\/p>\n

MATT: And I can get fit by doing 2-3 minutes of wall pushups once or twice a day? And brushing my teeth at work since I’m using my “brushing teeth” time for the wall exercise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT<\/strong>: <\/strong>Yes\u20142\u20133 minutes a day adds up, especially if you’re consistent. Wall pushups build a foundation. As you get stronger, make them harder: slower reps, more sets, or elevate your feet. Add other sneaky moves (squats, planks) over time. Brush at work if needed\u2014it’s a fair trade for secret strength.<\/p>\n

Gary Marcus, AI Expert<\/strong>
Saying you are going to bulk up with a few standing wall pushups a day is total nonsense. The system has seen words like \u201cminutes\u201d and \u201cexercise\u201d used together in source material, but it doesn\u2019t understand enough physiology to evaluate the plausibility of its absurd claims.<\/p>\n

MATT: How do you elevate your feet for a wall pushup in the bathroom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

ChatGPT: <\/strong>Ah\u2014good catch! You don\u2019t elevate your feet for a wall pushup\u2014that\u2019s for regular pushups. To make wall pushups harder in the bathroom, try this instead:<\/p>\n