Guys vs. Girls Exercising Edition
Bro do you even lift? Ya, bro I bench four plates because I gotta be ripped for when baseball season starts so I can get that starting catcher’s spot.
Omg I did so many squats, sit-ups, ran three miles, and only ate salads all week and I still don’t have my summer 2k17 body.
When it comes to working out men and women have very different ideologies, goals, motivations, and styles of fitness. The differences concerning the concepts of fitness and health between the two sexes largely has to do with the variation in societal pressures that encompass the male and female worlds of fitness. I’ll first begin talking about how all the male Muscle Milk drinkers and exercise bros go about living their fitness lifestyles.
Being a girl and not a boy, I’ve always assumed that the reason for why guys are always trying to max out on bicep curls and bulk up using ridiculous amounts of protein powder was solely done in order to either maintain a hot body or to be able to be the best at their particular athletic sport. Well after reading a peer reviewed article written by three Australian researchers, I learned that only one of my assumptions was actually correct. One of the real reasons for why guys engage in fitness is simply because they enjoy exercising and sweating (Macdonald, O’Flynn, Wright, 2006). I know right such a complex ideology for why one should work out!! Another reason why men workout is, as I guessed earlier, to be able to prosper in their said athletic competition (Macdonald, O’Flynn, Wright, 2006). I mean if Derek Jeter never worked out how else do you think he would have become one of the best baseball players in the MLB?
I was, however, surprised to find out that improving one’s body physique is not one of men’s top goals when it comes to fitness (Macdonald, O’Flynn, Wright, 2006). Men simply just want to workout because it makes them feel good, helps them be on top of their game, and it lets them engage in healthy physical activity that the average bro craves. It seems as if men could care less about what society thinks concerning their body physique and fitness routine.
Describing the reasons for why women work out, on the other hand, is a more complicated explanation than that of men. Well, actually it isn’t really that complicated because sadly for a majority of women the reason for why they work out is because they want to maintain and/or obtain a certain body physique that society has claimed to be the most valuable and attractive (Macdonald, O’Flynn, Wright, 2006). For me personally, as a fellow female, I can validate that this reason is very spot on. I mean don’t get me wrong I love to work out solely for the pure joy of engaging in physical activity and sweating, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that the societal pressure of having an attractive body wasn’t present in my mind every time while I hit the gym or went on a run. In our society, it has been deemed that “…a slim body shape…” is one that everyone should have (Macdonald, O’Flynn, Wright, 2006). While I fantasize over having this body, I have accepted the fact that I will never be as perfect as society wants me to physically be and honestly I am 100% okay with this. Unfortunately, many of my fellow females are not okay with who they are physically. In order to obtain this so called “perfect body” many of my fellow females resort to partaking in impractical eating habits, such as limiting one’s caloric intake, and/or life threatening eating habits such as throwing up after they eat (Macdonald, O’Flynn, Wright, 2006). The fact that women are so pressured to have to look their best all the time that they resort to health threatening practices, such as those that indicate possible eating disorders, is utterly ridiculous.
I AM OKAY WITH HAVING TUMMY FAT IF THAT MEANS I CAN BE HEALTHY, HAPPY, AND OCCASIONALLY EAT PIZZA.
Therefore, to all my cardio bunnies and fitness sisters out there please know that working out shouldn’t be done only to improve your physical appearance. Rather it should help you to better your health, mind, and spirit. Thus, please do me a favor and look in the mirror and tell yourself you look great while eating a double double from In-N-Out because girl you deserve it.
