This Is What It’s Like to Navigate the Gym as a Deaf Man
Fred Cuevas has never let being deaf hold him back. But having discovered first-hand the power health and fitness can have, he recently found himself butting up against a barrier that’s stopping him from sharing his unique perspective with others.
This story is part of Men’s Health’s #FitForEveryBody initiative, which aims to explore the challenges that keep men from participating in sports and fitness – and what training communities can do to foster greater inclusivity.
I started training back when I was living in the Dominican Republic. As an 18-year-old factory worker, I was obsessed with basketball, but I didn’t know how to build muscle. I was always slim. I was inspired to go to the gym by a man I worked with. I marvelled at the sheer size of him.
When I moved to the UK in 2012, I saw Pumping Iron, the documentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger. That fuelled a new passion: muscle building.
I started going to gyms around Essex and fell in love with how it made me feel. It also gave me a path into modelling. Now I train four days a week for 45 to 90 minutes, targeting specific muscle groups. I’ve found that’s all I need.
I don’t believe that being deaf has hindered me. I think it has actually heightened my experiences.
It wasn’t always easy – I had to build up and learn how to use the equipment. Thankfully, the gym is a visual environment; all the equipment had pictures on it. Once I started progressing, people started sending me messages of support on social media, which gave me confidence. Sometimes people ask me for help or tips.
My dream now is to become a personal trainer – not specifically for deaf people, but for everyone. It’s rare that a deaf person wants to become a PT. Unfortunately, my first application was recently rejected, as they weren’t able to provide me with an interpreter for my sessions. That’s my barrier – it’s not in the gym. But I’m not giving up.
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