Trying to fit into a certain something, by a certain date......
One of my cosplay friends wanted to share his take on the topic.......
Cosplay Fitness: Winning
and Losing
by Ryan Roper
Ever catch
yourself staring at a character you adore, thinking about how great it would be
to cosplay them… only to take a step back and think “if only I was _______
enough…”? (Insert generic: thinner, taller, bulkier, etc. as needed.) In a
community that is quite prevalently dominated by “sexy” cosplays, and attention
to detail, it’s been noticed that sometimes the fitness aspect of cosplaying
oddly manages to slip under the radar. Much to the point, a cosplayer has every
right to do what they will with themselves and their costume, but I often
wonder why such insane amounts of effort and attention to detail go into the
costuming and getting into character, while opting out of certain characters
due to a difference in build. I’ve heard on many occasion something along the
lines of: “mannnnnnn, I would TOTALLY rock a Goku cosplay, too bad I’m a bit
too scrawny.” I should know, the same words have come out of my mouth; and I,
too, have been guilty of choosing cosplays that tailor to my build, vs.
tailoring my build to cosplays I’d like to do.
Therein lies the issue that I have a hard time grasping, in that if it’s so engrained in this so-called cosplay culture to go above and beyond… To painstakingly craft entire suits of armor… To spend day after day styling a wig so that the lines are just right… To wrapping yourself in saran wrap and duct tape just to have a working mannequin… Where’s the drive to lift some weights in order to achieve your cosplay goals? Where are all the people reeling and beaming with excitement after finally reaching their fitness goals, letting them do the cosplay they had set out to do? I’ve had the good fortune of talking to/working with some fellow cosplayers recently who were looking to get into better shape for some upcoming cosplays. At first they were a bit on the fence, so to speak, and weren’t whole-heartedly committed to a hard routine to get them where they wanted to be.
I’m reminded of the old film Rocky, starring Sylvester Stallone, and how he was a fighter with an awful lot of heart and potential, but only ever took fights he knew he could win… Until, that is, he had his shot at greatness, and decided to make a go-for-broke attempt at changing himself for something he believed in… And in the end, he actually lost. It happens. You could run on a treadmill every day for a month and still not hit the time you set as your goal. You could lift like crazy for a month and still not bench as much as you thought you would be able to… But it’s not always about winning, it’s about what you’re willing to go through to see your goal come to life, even if it’s not on schedule. Let’s be serious, we’ve all had cosplay deadlines that we ultimately just couldn’t meet, and got pushed back. Wasn’t it a great feeling, though, when that cosplay finally got debuted? I can assure you, it’s an equally impressive feeling when you finally hit the goals at the gym that you set for yourself.
That’s not all, either, as I soon found out. Those friends that were originally on the fence about a hard gym routine, they decided to jump headfirst, and haven’t quit since. They’ve acquired a new-found confidence in themselves and what they’re capable of, and that’s something that they absolutely bring to the table when they put their costumes on. Oh, it spreads, too. Fast. Before I knew it there were at least a dozen cosplayers I was speaking with that were starting to realize that it was very possible to cosplay characters that they wanted to do, as well.
As cosplayers, we’re a group of such extremely dedicated and passionate individuals, that I *guarantee* you will be impressed by what you’re capable of. So if you’re someone, like myself, who has ever turned down a cosplay (or numerous ones for that matter) because you weren’t lean enough, or muscular enough, or just downright felt like your waist was a couple sizes too big? If being those things would give you the satisfaction you require to bring those characters to life, then apply your already-amazing-and-talented skills, and be those things. You don’t owe it to anyone but yourself, and that’s what makes it so great.
Believe in yourselves. Every kid who sees you in costume already does.
Therein lies the issue that I have a hard time grasping, in that if it’s so engrained in this so-called cosplay culture to go above and beyond… To painstakingly craft entire suits of armor… To spend day after day styling a wig so that the lines are just right… To wrapping yourself in saran wrap and duct tape just to have a working mannequin… Where’s the drive to lift some weights in order to achieve your cosplay goals? Where are all the people reeling and beaming with excitement after finally reaching their fitness goals, letting them do the cosplay they had set out to do? I’ve had the good fortune of talking to/working with some fellow cosplayers recently who were looking to get into better shape for some upcoming cosplays. At first they were a bit on the fence, so to speak, and weren’t whole-heartedly committed to a hard routine to get them where they wanted to be.
I’m reminded of the old film Rocky, starring Sylvester Stallone, and how he was a fighter with an awful lot of heart and potential, but only ever took fights he knew he could win… Until, that is, he had his shot at greatness, and decided to make a go-for-broke attempt at changing himself for something he believed in… And in the end, he actually lost. It happens. You could run on a treadmill every day for a month and still not hit the time you set as your goal. You could lift like crazy for a month and still not bench as much as you thought you would be able to… But it’s not always about winning, it’s about what you’re willing to go through to see your goal come to life, even if it’s not on schedule. Let’s be serious, we’ve all had cosplay deadlines that we ultimately just couldn’t meet, and got pushed back. Wasn’t it a great feeling, though, when that cosplay finally got debuted? I can assure you, it’s an equally impressive feeling when you finally hit the goals at the gym that you set for yourself.
That’s not all, either, as I soon found out. Those friends that were originally on the fence about a hard gym routine, they decided to jump headfirst, and haven’t quit since. They’ve acquired a new-found confidence in themselves and what they’re capable of, and that’s something that they absolutely bring to the table when they put their costumes on. Oh, it spreads, too. Fast. Before I knew it there were at least a dozen cosplayers I was speaking with that were starting to realize that it was very possible to cosplay characters that they wanted to do, as well.
As cosplayers, we’re a group of such extremely dedicated and passionate individuals, that I *guarantee* you will be impressed by what you’re capable of. So if you’re someone, like myself, who has ever turned down a cosplay (or numerous ones for that matter) because you weren’t lean enough, or muscular enough, or just downright felt like your waist was a couple sizes too big? If being those things would give you the satisfaction you require to bring those characters to life, then apply your already-amazing-and-talented skills, and be those things. You don’t owe it to anyone but yourself, and that’s what makes it so great.
Believe in yourselves. Every kid who sees you in costume already does.
Thanks for the perspective Ryan! It's always inspiring to hear that I'm not in that boat alone. Push forward. Achieve your goals. Believe in yourself.
Cheers,
~7
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