It’s a growing phenomenon, and Ibiza is no exception: groups of teenage zoomers who have found a new ecosystem for socializing in the gym. The fitness industry has been analyzing this trend for some time, and it’s now firmly established among centennials. We spoke with five young people between the ages of 14 and 18, all students at Morna International College, who told us what motivates them, what their relationship with phones and social media looks like and how the gym has become one of their favorite places. We brought them together for this interview at Dojo Roig Pi, where some of them train. It’s Sunday morning, rain is falling outside, but nothing stops this small sample of a generation that moves through weights and machines as naturally as fish through water.
To talk about them as one homogeneous group would be unfair, because it would erase the details and nuances that make them special. To take them as a reference for all of Ibiza’s youth would be impossible too, given that they attend one of the island’s most exclusive schools and some of them, especially the older ones, already have a clear idea of what comes next. Still, the varied testimonies of this diverse group of boys and girls offer a fascinating glimpse into a generation that has embraced sport as a way of life and seems to be moving in a healthy direction.
Evie Henry (17) and Betsy Young (16) go to the gym five or six days a week.
Hayden Ham (14) is one of the youngest in the group. He spends around two hours at the gym, three times a week, one of those sessions with his father. His motivation is his brother, who lives in England and is encouraging him to get in shape. Although he uses his phone to follow his training plan, he says gym time pulls him away from social media. “I come to get fit, but I also make new friends, like Noah. It helps me emotionally, especially when I’m stressed about exams. I come to build muscle and work on endurance because I play football. I also train my legs a lot.” Hayden says he doesn’t feel social pressure about his appearance and, for now, if he had to choose, he’d rather go to the gym than a nightclub.
Noah Martin (18) trains every day except Sunday, spending almost 90 minutes a day there – around eight hours a week. “I’ve been coming to the gym for three years. Two-and-a-half years ago I started bodybuilding and now I’m taking it even more seriously. I want to go professional and build a career, so I push myself as hard as I can.” Noah says the gym is “definitely” his place to socialize, and a great place to release stress. In his case, training and social media go hand in hand. “Because I’m building a career in bodybuilding, I have social media centered around bodybuilding fitness. I also want to be an influencer, so I try to post as much as possible.” He wouldn’t hesitate to skip other plans or important activities to come to the gym because it’s the “most important moment of the day.” And although he does enjoy going out, gym always comes first. “I always plan it. If I’m going out, I go to the gym beforehand.”
Leo Stepniewski (14) started going to the gym two months ago, just after his friend Hayden, and trains between one and two hours a day, three or four times a week. He was inspired by his friends as well as by social media. “I come to get fit with friends, to socialize, have fun and take the stress of school off my mind. I also play football, so I come to build muscle and stay strong in general.” Although he brings his phone with him, he admits he disconnects far more on gym days than on days when he misses a workout. Leo says training helps him switch off from school responsibilities because he has to focus fully on the exercises. But he also enjoys his social life and admits he’d probably skip a workout for an event he really didn’t want to miss.
FOR THEM, THE GYM IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO SOCIALIZE AND RELIEVE STRESS
Standing, from left to right, Betsy Young (16), Evie Henry (17), Leo Stepniewski (14) and Hayden Ham (14). Seated, Noah Martin (18).
Evie Henry (17) grew up close to gym culture – part of her father’s family is involved in bodybuilding – so fitness has always been present in her life. She trains for an hour-and-a-half a day, six days a week, motivated by her health and by the need to escape the stress of school and exams. “Through fitness and the gym, you meet new people, but for me that’s not the reason I go,” she explains about the possibility of socializing in the gym, where she focuses on cardio and cross-training, the combination that motivates her most. “I tried combining social media with my workouts, but I realized it distracted me from why I was there – to train – so I decided to keep them separate.” Evie openly acknowledges the pressure of social media. “On social media I definitely feel pressure as a teenager, and especially as a teenage girl. I think that’s always going to be there.” Although she admits she has missed events because of training, she wouldn’t hesitate to skip a workout for something truly important. For her, balance matters.
SOME OF THEM SHARE THEIR FITNESS ON IG TO CREATE A COMMUNITY
Leo Stepniewski (14) started training inspired by his friends and social media.
Betsie Young (16) used to dance for around 15 hours a week before switching to DEKA, a different kind of functional fitness. “I go to training classes five times a week and I love competing. Last year I went to the world championship, so I love training for competition.” Betsie believes the gym is “a great place to forget your worries and focus on improving yourself – it’s an escape.” She combines DEKA training with HYROX, hybrid training and extreme hybrid sessions, and she also loves running. She says socializing can be difficult at her training center, where most of the roughly 100 members are much older than she is, but she has a strong connection with her coaches. She also has an Instagram account dedicated to sport but uses it outside training hours to avoid distractions. “I don’t train for a specific physique. I think your physique comes naturally from the amount of training and effort you put in.” For Betsie, socializing outside school and outside the gym matters too. “I think I’ve found a good balance.”
