In our language we have four different words for “workout/training/practice”:
1. Addestramento Working out in order to reach proficiency in the activity you are practicing. For example, a professional musician practicing piano 8 hours a day. He is not doing that for fun (ᵹinnàstika), to program faster at the computer (allenamento) or to have more beautiful hands (fassoniʃmo).
2. Allenamento Working out in order to improve in another activity. For example, a boxer skipping a rope. He is not doing that because his body needs it (ᵹinnàstika), to become a rope skipping champion (addestramento) or to lose weight (fassoniʃmo).
3. Ᵹinnàstika Working out because your body needs it (or for fun: two sides of the same coin). For example, a hamster running on a wheel. It is not doing that because it is preparing for a hamster marathon (addestramento), because it is preparing himself for the outside world (allenamento) or to have a beautiful body (fassoniʃmo).
4. Fassoniʃmo working out because you want to make your body more attractive. For example, a bodybuilder lifting weights to look better. He is not doing that to improve his weightlifting skill (addestramento), to become a better farmer (allenamento) or because it is part of his happiness (ᵹinnàstika).
Ᵹinnàstika, allenamento and addestramento are encouraged in our culture, only fassoniʃmo is not, because we don’t like cosmetic arts on ourselves (but we are not against foreigners doing them: they are interesting).
Since it is a matter of purpose, things may be ambiguous. Purposes are usually interwoven. But it is usually pretty easy to spot fassoniʃmo: photos showing your muscles, wearing tight clothes, having strange eating habits, being shirtless when you are not supposed to…
When it is not, when it is difficult to spot it, then it is not a real problem, since our intention is to avoid excesses: if you lift weights for looking better and you behave normally (you eat with your friends, you don’t show off, you have other interests…), you are not causing any problem. The only problem is that you lack a bit of confidence, but it is a minor problem only evident to you.
Il Vento d'Oriente 