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68Chris t1_jdyc0as wrote

Reply to comment by alchmst1259 in [Image]This is what keeps me going back to the gym by Untrulybelly

No that's not what it means at all. An amateur is not a beginner. The word is being used here to convey a level of commitment and discipline, not a level of ability.

The intent here is that you approach your health and physical fitness with dedication, discipline, commitment, and sacrifice. Amateurs don't take that approach. They aren't serious about developing themselves. They make excuses or find reasons not to train.

Regardless, you don't have to be Hercules to go to a gym. You just have to want to be healthier and fitter. Strive to be best YOU can be. Any improvement at all is worth it.

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alchmst1259 t1_jdyh502 wrote

am·a·teur /ˈamədər,ˈaməˌtər,ˈaməˌCHər/ noun

  1. a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid rather than a professional basis. "it takes five years for a top amateur to become a real Tour de France rider"
  2. a person who is incompetent or inept at a particular activity. "that bunch of stumbling amateurs"

It is safe to say that ANY beginner, pursuing literally any activity, save some with natural talent, is going to be unpaid / not a professional / inept at said activity. That's how you learn to get better. As Jake the dog says, "sucking at something is the first step towards being sort of good at something."

So while I agree with just about everything you just said, it is quite literally "what it means," even if that is not what it intends to mean.

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68Chris t1_je1b1er wrote

A fair point, but I dare say Socrates didn't use an English language dictionary. Perhaps there's a more accurate way to translate the quote from ancient Greek.

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alchmst1259 t1_je1e9qm wrote

Perhaps instead of "to be an amateur," something more like "to be lackadaisical," or something closer to that.

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