介绍： Visible Abs and the Millennial Midlife Crisis
Whenever I hit the leaderboard at Orangetheory, I post the triumph to Instagram stories with the same caption: “My midlife crisis is going great!”
The varietals of the millennial midlife crisis according to social media are: spiritual, relational, material, and ...

介绍： Visible Abs and the Millennial Midlife Crisis
Whenever I hit the leaderboard at Orangetheory, I post the triumph to Instagram stories with the same caption: “My midlife crisis is going great!”
The varietals of the millennial midlife crisis according to social media are: spiritual, relational, material, and physical. I can’t speak to the first three manifestations of discontent, but I can provide a couple of explanations for why many of us are choosing to spend our free time and precious expendable income battling it out at feats of athletic performance like Hyrox, a punishing fitness competition where the average athlete is a 35-year-old woman.
The biggest one is probably the pandemic. Covid forced us to touch the hot stove of mortality. This most likely led some of us to adopt healthier habits. About 50 percent of Americans 35 to 49 met the C.D.C. guidelines for aerobic activity in 2024.
But a quest for better health is not the whole story. There are just so many of us millennials clawing for what feels like a diminishing set of opportunities. We have always been somewhat cutthroat. We don’t want trophies merely for participating; we want trophies for CRUSHING the competition. We want to put in maximum, earnest effort and then also be publicly rewarded for that effort.
And yet. Sometimes I still feel vaguely pathetic about sneaking a peek at my neighbor’s machine to see how fast she is going, just to make sure I’m slightly faster. Basic fitness is important for everybody, but this is something else.
生词好句
1.abdominal muscles 腹肌
2.millennial 英 [mɪˈleniəl] 美 [mɪˈleniəl] adj. 千禧一代的（千禧一代指出生在1981到1996年之间的人）
3.hit the leaderboard 登上排行榜
leaderboard n. 排行榜，选手积分榜
4.Orangetheory 美国的一家连锁健身房
5.triumph 英 [ˈtraɪʌmf] 美 [ˈtraɪʌmf] n. 巨大的胜利，杰出的成就
Finishing that marathon was a real triumph for her. 对她来说，马拉松完赛是个巨大的胜利。
6.caption 英 [ˈkæpʃn] 美 [ˈkæpʃn] n.（图片或视频的）说明文字，配文
The caption was simply "Wanderlust". 配文是，心向远方。
7.something is going great 某事进行得很顺利
His new fitness routine is going great. 他最新的健身计划进展得很顺利。
8.varietal 英 [vəˈraɪətl] 美 [vəˈraɪətl] n. 特定品种
原本是葡萄酒行业的术语，指用特定品种葡萄酿的酒，赤霞珠Cabernet Sauvignon就是a varietal。
9.speak to something 就某事发表意见，谈论某事（尤指有权威性或基于亲身经历的谈论，discuss or comment on a specific subject）
I can't speak to the quality of their food, but the service is excellent. 他家的餐品好不好我说不上来，但服务确实很棒。
10.expendable income 可支配收入
11.battle it out （形容激烈的竞争）一决高下，拼杀到底
The two teams will battle it out for the championship. 两支队伍将展开巅峰对决，争夺冠军之位。
12.feat 英 [fiːt] 美 [fiːt] n. （尤指需要非凡勇气或技能才能完成的事）了不起的成就，壮举
an incredible feat of engineering 一项非凡的工程成就
a remarkable feat of endurance 耐力上的惊人壮举
13.touch the hot stove 亲身经历一次痛苦，才真正长记性
He had to touch the hot stove himself to learn that lesson. 他非得自己踩一回坑才能长记性。
14.mortality 英 [mɔːˈtæləti] 美 [mɔːrˈtæləti] n. 必死性，死亡率
近义词辨析：mortality vs. death
death指的是具体的“死亡”事件，而mortality强调的是凡人“终有一死”的宿命，带着一种冰冷的必然感。
15.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 美国疾病控制与预防中心
16.aerobic activity 有氧运动
anaerobic activity 无氧运动
17.quest for something 对某事的追求，探寻
近义词辨析：quest for something vs. search for something
quest for something比简单的search for sth更有目的性和文学性，常用于描述对知识、真理或人生意义的探索。
the quest for human happiness 对人类幸福的追求
his long quest for truth 他对真理的长期探索
18.But something is not the whole story. 但是，某事并非事情的全貌。
19.claw for something 拼命争夺，奋力争取某物
claw n. 动物的爪子，钳子；v. 用爪子抓
Thousands of graduates claw for a handful of jobs at top tech companies.成千上万的毕业生都在为少数几家科技大厂的工作机会拼得头破血流。
20.diminish 英 [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] 美 [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] v. 缩小，降低，削减
21.a set of something 一套，一组，一系列东西
22.cutthroat 英 [ˈkʌtθrəʊt] 美 [ˈkʌtθroʊt] adj. （形容市场、行为或人际关系）极其残酷的，不留情面的
cutthroat competition in the job market 就业市场上你死我活的竞争
cutthroat tactics in business 商场上不择手段的打法
23.trophy 英 [ˈtrəʊfi] 美 [ˈtroʊfi] n. 奖杯
24.crush the competition 碾压竞争对手，彻底击败对手
crush v. 碾碎
Our team crushed the competition in the final match. 我们队在决赛中碾压了对手。
25.sneak a peek at something 偷瞄，窥视某物
sneak v. 偷摸
He tried to sneak a peek at his neighbor's test paper. 他试图偷瞄一眼隔壁同学的试卷。
26.basic fitness 基本的健康体适能