How one influencer's viral Gymshark photo sparked a major debate
A pair of high-waisted, aqua-coloured leggings. That's what prompted a record breaking number of likes (over 680,000) and comments (thousands) on one of Gymshark's recent Instagram posts – or rather, the woman wearing said leggings did. For body confidence influencer, Nelly London, smiling and showing her soft stomach on social media is nothing new. But the response to this particular image, of her posing in workout gear, was unparalleled.
"It's been seen by millions now," she tells me, when we catch up over the phone. Nelly explains that YouTubers (with armies of followers) have done 'reactionary' videos and there have been TikToks made about the post with thousands of views too. One simple photograph has crossed social media platforms and started a debate: what does fitness look like, and how should it look going forward?
If you're not one of the millions who've seen the post already, or perhaps you aren't familiar with Gymshark as a brand, it can be summarised relatively quickly. The fitness clothing company launched in 2012 and very quickly built up a strong social media presence – typically, it's core Instagram page (and various offshoot accounts, including Gymshark Train) feature bulging biceps, rock hard abdominals and shots of rippling thigh muscles. Then, on 7 September, Nelly suddenly appeared. The response was... a lot.
A post shared by Gymshark (@gymshark) on Sep 7, 2020 at 6:32am PDT
For the Brighton native, showing her body on social media is now a full-time gig – in fact, it's seen her amass 247,000 followers of her own, all of whom love her positivity and candidness. Having started her Instagram account back in 2015 (initially as a lingerie appreciation page), Nelly quit her job within the charity sector earlier this year to focus on underwear photos, outfit shots and self-love completely. I too, am a self-confessed Nelly fan, having been signposted to her page after writing a piece on hip dips, on which a reader quickly commented, "How can you do a piece like this without including Nelly London???".
Rarely, Nelly tells me, will she receive negative comments ("They can creep through via my DMs, but honestly, I wish I could show everyone the majority of my messages, there are so many from women saying 'Thank you, it's helped me so much seeing a body that looks like mine online' – imagine how great it'd be if we could all see one another?").
Under the Gymshark post, however, in true internet fashion, the reaction was not so positive. "Confidence won't unclog your arteries", wrote one man, garnering hundreds of likes. "Won't buy any more products from Fatshark after this post. Unfollowed," said another. "That girl has no business representing fitness. I’m all for body positivity, but this is supposed to be a fitness brand... that lady is not fit whatsoever. I assume Gymshark is now a brand for overweight people?" cut a third – and so on.
"When I saw that Gymshark had reposted that photo, which I'd put on my own page at the start of lockdown, I messaged my partner saying 'Oh shit'," says Nelly. "It had been shared on Gymshark's Women page before, which is a more inclusive branch off of the main one, after I messaged them just saying 'Hello, I've posted this and like the brand etc!'. I saw some of the comments start coming in and after five minutes I decided to fully stop checking my phone." There was nothing I could do, she adds.
Gymshark themselves, Nelly notes, had her back. They responded to both the trolls and all the positive comments (of which there were also plenty) that quickly joined the sea of angry voices. "No need to hang around, just hit unfollow as we plan on posting lots more like this," they said cheerfully, in response to a puking emoji. To another: "Whilst we do want to motivate people to reach their full potential, we also want them to know that if they're happy with where they are on their fitness journey, that's okay. People don't need to strive for an ideal body type or certain look."
Although initially tough to see, Nelly says she's now glad that the picture provoked such a strong reaction, as it's started an important conversation. "When I first uploaded that photo of me in the Gymshark leggings, showing them pulled up in one photo and rolled down in another, it was at the start of lockdown when there was real pressure to turn it into a bootcamp." Lots of people were talking about having a 'glow up' and emerging from the imposed time at home having shed weight, she recalls. "I wanted to share a little reminder that 'Hey, it's cool if you don't start a new plan. You're good as you are'."
That refrain – "You're good as you are" – is always at the heart of what Nelly shares online. "As a teenager I thought I had the weirdest body shape ever, I thought there was something wrong with me as I didn't really see bodies like my own." She credits part of the popularity of her content with the fact she doesn't share edited images.
On the topic of fitness, it's something that is important to Nelly. So seeing all these people suddenly become doctors in the comments, casting aspersions about her health, can't have been fun, I ask? "No picture or video can tell you someone's level of health or wellness," she says. "I could feel the levels of ignorance and didn't want to engage with it, as actually the point isn't about whether or not I work out, but rather that we need to stop judging people on how they look." For the record, she enjoys exercise a great deal: hiking, walking, gymming and "lifting heavy shit" are all part of her weekly routine.
As a recognisable name within the body confidence and self-love sphere, Nelly says it's only recently that she's opened up about that side of her life too. "I don't know why I avoided talking about what I do with my body in that respect, as I'm so open about everything else in my life." As well as posting about her day, Nelly also discusses overcoming an eating disorder and undergoing a breast reduction, which in turn allowed her to exercise pain-free. "It took me a long while to work out my healthy balance and happy level of exercise. I didn't want anybody seeing my page and feeling bad that they'd not been to the gym that day, that's really not what I'm about. But I do have a real appreciation for moving my body now, it brings me joy and I see it as a blessing."
A post shared by N E L L Y L O N D O N (@_nelly_london) on Sep 15, 2020 at 11:22am PDT
For many, the vile trolls underneath the Gymshark post could have put them off of social media, but for Nelly, she says it's water off a duck's back. "I've been online for so long now, if I need a break for the sake of my mental health then I'm good at stepping back. But I don't really do that, I feel like my page is a really positive space and I'm talking to friends all day on it." She says she's looking forward to working with Gymshark again in the future, who have pledged to be more diverse in the content they share. "I'm a gateway," Nelly says. "As a straight size, white woman, I'm the very first step in them becoming more inclusive, there's still a long way to go, but it's a good start."
Here's hoping that pair of high-waisted, aqua-coloured leggings really are the start of true change – not only for Gymshark, but all fitness brands. As consumers, we more than deserve to see workout gear on all bodies, all ages, races, genders and abilities.
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