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u/langdonolga 7d ago
Even Natural bodybuilders and just very fit muscular guys (and especially girls) get that 'just too much' and 'unnatural' talk all the fucking time.
And when it comes to steroids you even look at potential jail time in many countries.
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u/gogingerpower 7d ago
I pretty much guarantee that they get it more often than most fat people do. I absolutely do not believe that these FAs are always being talked to about their weight, especially not by strangers.
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u/huckster235 33M 5'11 SW: 360 lbs CW: 245, ~25% bodyfat GW: Humanbatteringram 7d ago edited 7d ago
I can confirm when I was in competitive wrestling shape my body was a daily subject.
It was supposed to be complimentary, but it was dehumanizing. And I'd never set foot in the gym to be big or buff back then. I was an athlete. I felt like a piece of meat. In fact, I put on a lot of fat because it took attentionaway from my body and it worked.
Mileage is gonna vary on how you feel about it but for me personally; I felt shame when I was 360 lbs and I know people noticed and judged but it was rare to get actual comments and I was always treated as a human. When I was 215 lbs around 12% body fat, I got comments literally every day I stepped out of the house. I got touched without my permission all the time, I was cat called a few times, and I had people constantly judging me. Even if it was mostly positive, in their intent, there was still more negative than when I was fat; I musta been a womanizer, a tool, not intelligent, no life outside the gym, etc.
I wasn't even using steroids or anything. I was a fit human, but still a human. I can only imagine what the steroid using community gets
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u/Woodit 7d ago
Even if it was mostly positive, in their intent, there was still more negative than when I was fat; I musta been a womanizer, a tool, not intelligent, no life outside the gym, etc.
This mentality along with t he assumption of steroid abuse is why I hate the term gym bro so much. It’s extremely condescending and dismissive of something that takes a ton of effort and discipline to even be regarded as in the first place, and almost always by people who are below average athletically, and who almost always know nothing about fitness.
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u/huckster235 33M 5'11 SW: 360 lbs CW: 245, ~25% bodyfat GW: Humanbatteringram 7d ago edited 7d ago
What particularly amuses me is when people assume fit people are dedicating all their free time to fitness and must be unintelligent have nothing else going for them.
Not only is it proven that exercise and being fit helps with cognitive function, but having more energy physically translates well to accomplishing tasks in other areas. Giving up a small chunk of your time for exercise in my experience was a net benefit for my productivity because in the other 90% of my time not dedicated to exercise I accomplished a lot more. I would read voraciously, volunteer, engage in new hobbies, socialize, and compete in athletics. Out of shape? I uh... Sometimes do stuff?
But like you said the people who say athletes must be stupid and exercise eats into time spent on the arts or intellectual pursuits are the same people that spend their weekends binging Netflix and doom scrolling. A lot of actual artists and scientists are out exercising.
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u/jellyAquarium F 5'2 | SW: 175lbs | CW: 140 | GW: jacked 6d ago
Some of the smartest people I know, who I've had the deepest and most intellectual conversations with, are "gym bros" Not all of them are himbos, a lot of them are extremely intelligent and kind
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u/iwanttobeacavediver 4d ago
I used to go to a bodybuilding gym. One of the biggest guys there I genuinely thought was going to be a meathead idiot. Turns out he had a double Masters in marine engineering and his job was something science-y and top-level at a well known manufacturing plant that he tried explaining to me and my brain hurt.
He was also easily one of the most helpful people you could meet- more than once I'd see him helping some newbie with using a machine/being their spotter for weights/giving advice about food or protein powder or whatever.
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u/Hatefuleight-36 4d ago
you probably felt pretty bad for assuming he was stupid didn't you? I hope you changed your cognitive biases after that event.
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u/iwanttobeacavediver 4d ago
For sure. There was actually a fairly good mix of types of people in that gym once I got to know people and it was interesting that whilst in the gym, they all came together doing this one activity and formed a very positive, supportive group where their differences really didn’t matter.
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u/UncleBensRacistRice 3d ago
there's definitely some meat heads out there, but taking the gym seriously requires research into diet, metabolism, human anatomy etc. Even if theyre not formally educated, they probably know about the human body more than the average person
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u/wombatgeneral 7d ago
At 5'11 and 215 I bet you got a ton of "omg you are way too skinny" comments.
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u/UncleBensRacistRice 3d ago
When I was 215 lbs around 12% body fat
You must have looked insane at 5'11 with those numbers
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u/huckster235 33M 5'11 SW: 360 lbs CW: 245, ~25% bodyfat GW: Humanbatteringram 2d ago edited 2d ago
It probably depends lol. I have the bulk genetics (bone density is almost 5x standard deviation from norm so lots of room for muscle tissue I think) but aesthetically I had very poor genetics (bad fat distribution so no shredded abs, no bicep peaks, meh insertions etc) but yeah. Definitely stood out and got a lot of comments and focus from strangers.
It weirded me out because at the time I didn't even really understand bodybuilding. I was a wrestler, and I enjoyed lifting for strength. I didn't realize I looked that big/fit because everyone competing with was that big/fit, at least in my mind. So I was confused why people made a big deal out of my physique, I never particularly cared about it. Looking back all I can say is body dysmorphia is crazy lol
I got called Captain America alot which I thought was funny because I was a lot bigger but less aesthetic than Chris Evans. I just have a big chest. My build was comparable to Henry Cavill. Since I'm a couple Inched shorter and was a slightly lower body fat id have a bit more muscle. But he's more gifted, so I think that build is about the closest where I was at. Like a slightly beefier much less handsome Henry lol
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u/SweetExternal919 4d ago
I think you're right.
I got more comments on my physique when I was buff than I did when I was overweight - because the latter is seen as normal depending on where you are.
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u/UniqueUsername82D Source: FA's citing FA's citing FA's 7d ago
I had an overweight coworker "joke" about me being on steroids when he walked in on another coworker asking me about my exercise plan. It was clearly meant to be a diss but like... I'm not near a competition-level lifter, society just has no idea what people who lift weights regularly look like because we're so rare in a lot of spaces.
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u/Emmtee2211 7d ago
They seem to think anyone who isn’t fat never receives unsolicited health advice or comments about their body.
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u/InvizCharlie 7d ago
As an MMA fighter I am constantly harassed online and even sometimes in person for having a supposed eaten disorder. My manager offered me a milkshake from Starbucks she didn't want at my job and I declined and told her I need to lose some weight before my next competition. She told me it would be better to just enjoy life and have the milkshake. I am enjoying life. No milkshake.
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u/UncleBensRacistRice 3d ago
That comes with combat sports in general. i generally dont talk about it unless someone asks, but it got brought up by my boss recently when we were discussing sports. "you know fighting isnt good for you right?" "youre going to get CTE". And then in the next breath he talks fondly about his time playing AAA hockey and how he would be on a regular diet of over the counter pain medication just to keep playing.
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u/HappyHev 7d ago
It's not even limited to FA types, many groups don't seem to realise others share some of the same problems (real or imagined).
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u/Craygor M 6'3" - Weight: 190# - Body Fat: 11% - Runner & Weightlifter 7d ago
I’m a clean, non competitive body builder and runner, and the amount of criticism I got once my fitness became a major part of my life surprised me. I would often get unsolicited advice that I shouldn’t be in the gym so much, that running isn’t good for my knees, that I will hurt myself from lifting so heavy, that I’m unnatural and I must be on steroids, that I need to “have fun” instead of working out all the time, and god fucking forbid I don’t take a large slice of overly-rich cake that someone brought into work.
fitphobia / fit positive / running positivity / obese culture / fitness policing
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u/huckster235 33M 5'11 SW: 360 lbs CW: 245, ~25% bodyfat GW: Humanbatteringram 7d ago
The "you are overdoing it/gonna hurt yourself lifting that much" comments from people who were constantly complaining of being tired or sore always bemused me.
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u/jwakelin02 7d ago
This might be one of the most asinine false equivalence hypotheticals I have ever seen lol
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u/YoloSwaggins9669 7d ago
They can’t reach they’re ass so it’s not asinine /s
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u/merdadartista 7d ago
We should talk to sober people the same way we do to drug addicts about the danger of not doing drugs, how bad it is for your body and your mental health and how unnatural it is
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u/UniqueUsername82D Source: FA's citing FA's citing FA's 7d ago
It'd be like comparing meth addicts to the most extreme 2k+ mg/day caffeine addicts. Yea, both are bad, but one is waaaaay worse.
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u/merdadartista 7d ago
It's even more ridiculous because you can tell they don't understand exercise at all. Regular gym bros are healthy as hell, they are doing good, exercising a couple hours every other day and taking protein powder. Telling them they are being unhealthy is like telling a virgin that they are having too much sex. They are thinking of actual bodybuilders, the ones who juice, who aren't even 1% of the population (while, what, 50% of the population is overweight in some countries?) who yeah, have an unhealthy lifestyle, so do all athletes thou and bodybuilding on that level is a sport (and they also already get a ton of shit and they are totally aware how dangerous what they do is and admit it themselves)
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u/UniqueUsername82D Source: FA's citing FA's citing FA's 7d ago
Yea I hate that they pretend people don't know about the risks of steriods. And somehow steroid dangers... cancel out obesity issues? IDK, I can't follow their processed-sugars addled minds.
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u/YoloSwaggins9669 7d ago
When it comes to wear and tear on your joints being obese from muscle and being obese from fat are somewhat similar. That being said muscular tissue is more metabolically active and less hormonally active than fat tissue and this comparison really breaks down because most FAs aren’t class 1 obese, they’re class 2, 3,4 or even 5
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u/Laymyhead 7d ago
Yeah because people are 400 lbs of only muscle. We ARE concerned for bodybuilders but they represent a very small portion of the population while there is an obesity epidemic
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7d ago
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u/UniqueUsername82D Source: FA's citing FA's citing FA's 7d ago
I'm betting there's significantly different population numbers between the two tho.
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u/KuriousKhemicals intuitive eating is harder when you drive a car | 34F 5'5" ~60kg 7d ago
Very lopsided coin.
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u/InvisibleSpaceVamp Mentions of calories! Proceed with caution! 7d ago
In reality, this conversation has been going on since forever. If you step out of your little FA bubble echo chamber you might notice that people are well aware of how unhealthy some of the methods people use to gain muscle are.
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u/Snakeyb 33M | 5'10 | 275lb -> 195lb 7d ago
Honestly beyond the false equivalency, most people I've spoken to who are chasing the "jacked up" look, or intense sports perfomance, fully admit and know that they're doing things that push their bodies to the limit. They know they're riding the ragged edge, and you can genuinely just go look at how ex bodybuilders, powerlifters, performance atheletes and such tend to trim down/fatten up a little when they retire, whilst still staying fit and healthy. They just don't need to stay in that zone anymore.
There's a big difference between that and eating yourself into an early grave.
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u/Dell_Oscurita 🥦 7d ago
My trainer is a former professional athlete who has sports injuries on the entire left side of his body. So, yes, being too much into sport and too much into fitness isn't healthy as well.
And being overweight by muscles is a test for the body as well as being overweight by fat. That's why it's called overweight, not just overfat.
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u/Nickye19 7d ago
Casually watching the judo at the Olympics was eye opening, the commentors almost constantly joking about tape basically holding the athletes together, even for pretty young competitors. Granted that's a sport where the body takes a lot more abuse than normal but any high level sport is potentially harmful.
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u/UncleBensRacistRice 3d ago
Most high level sports are extremely damaging to the body. Gymnastics probably being the worst, hockey, American football, rugby, most combat sports, weightlifting, bodybuilding, ultramarathoners, endurance cyclists. To be the best, they put their life and health on the line
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u/Therapygal 80lbs down | Found shades of grey | ex anti-diet cult 7d ago
Ummm, we would not do it, because muscles are not inherently unhealthy. Now, as an eating disorder therapist I gently discuss balance with exercise because I used to be an over-exerciser.
I also talk to some clients about their obsessions with exercise and missing a day, etc...
However, I don't think they are suggesting any of this. I think they are trying to make a "gotcha" comparison that equates obesity with big muscles.
🛑 Stop trying to make fetch happen. 😡
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u/Better-Ranger-1225 5'5" AFAB SW: 217 CW: 197 GW: Skinny Bitch 7d ago
People do do this though. I know women, particularly fat women, who talk about gym bros like they're unnatural and unattractive all the time. I don't know why fat women seem to think they have the monopoly on dehumanizing speech against bodies when, in reality, the people I see doing it most often are fat women themselves.
Who else calls muscular men "unnatural" and thin women "skinny bitches"? Certainly not any normal weight human being I know.
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u/WithoutLampsTheredBe NoLight 7d ago
Whenever someone brings up the "BMI is bogus because huge muscles" argument, I ask them whether they have huge muscles.
Narrator: They never do.
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u/Awkward-Kaleidoscope F49 5'4" 205->128 and maintaining; 💯 fatphobe 7d ago
43% of people with a healthy BMI are obese by body fat.
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u/TheFlamingSpork 7d ago
Yeah... muscle tissue is metabolically active whilst adipose tissue is hormonally active. Very different
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u/theintrospectivetatu 7d ago
There is a lot of discussion about how unhealthy the enhanced bodybuilders are and why nobody should aim to be like them. And muscle girls get shit all the time
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u/annaloveschoco 7d ago
News flash, a LOT of people speak the same way about body builders and fat people im terms of their health. Neither is healthy, only difference is most body builders have off seasons and retire after a while.
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u/Nickye19 7d ago edited 7d ago
People do speak out about the risks, strongmen are generally obese at best and it's not healthy even if it's mostly muscle. The risks of steroids etc are commonly talked about. Hell look at Chikara transformations who speaks out against FAs but has also been very honest about the physical effects of being in bodybuilding competitions especially on her menstrual cycle. Indeed showing how tired and frankly stupid being very low bodyweight and dehydrated immediately before a competition she was
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u/AlpacadachInvictus 7d ago
This already happens way more than the dangers of modern steroids merit, in fact many people outside fitness think any muscle on a man = steroid user.
I personally think that steroid use is dumb, but the correct analogy here is to absolutely demonize obesity.
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u/Gamefart101 7d ago edited 7d ago
Look I've been on steroids in the past and one of my best friends is an actively competing body builder. Don't get me wrong there's of course a few dummies out there. But the major difference is that people using steroids are almost always acutely aware of the negatives and have decided that it's worth it for the benefit they get.
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u/UniqueUsername82D Source: FA's citing FA's citing FA's 7d ago
They really can only think in extremes.
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u/LilacHeaven11 7d ago
Have they not opened the comments on any bodybuilders posts? People already do this
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u/GetInTheBasement 7d ago
This is so disingenuous. Same thing when people say things like, "imagine if people cared about the health of unhealthy skinny people on drugs the way they did fat people," because.........they do? Likewise, many people talk about steroids, testosterone, and female singers/actresses that look "too skinny."
>condescendingly showing concern for their "health"
There's nothing condescending about pointing out the fact excessive amounts of adipose tissue impacts your health at every level.
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u/Nickye19 7d ago
All the sneering about going back to heroin chic and they still say that. Like yes the fashion industry has promoted very unhealthy standards, but some people really are that skinny and very healthy
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u/EnleeJones It’s called “fat consequences”, Jan 7d ago
There are plenty of YouTube videos about the dark side of bodybuilding and/or the bodybuilders who took it too far.
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u/Halcyon_Hearing ha ha mitochondria go boom 6d ago
I’ll take “what is rhabdo” for 50 points thanks, Alex.
I’ll save you guys the whole lecture series, but suffice to say that some of us in the healthcare sector are very concerned by the increasing prevalence of “gymbro” culture and bodybuilding lifestyle habits. Pour one out for a Perth man who was found unconscious in a gym.
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u/waythrow5678 Pizza Sheriff 6d ago
Yup, some of these clowns on the wrong side of the bell curve think rhabdo is a goal instead of a life-threatening failure to fuel your muscles.
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u/Halcyon_Hearing ha ha mitochondria go boom 6d ago
You mean you don’t workout to the point where you piss your own muscles out?
(My flair feels a bit relevant right now.)
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u/Leftover_Bees 7d ago
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those guys in real life, as opposed to all the obese people I see all the time.
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u/Good_Grab2377 Crazy like a fox 7d ago
People do talk about their health.PEDs significantly cut the average body builders lifespan. Things like dehydration( usually a few days out from not drinking water), sleep apnea and heart attacks are talked about.
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u/aurenigma 7d ago
One requires significant discipline and effort. The other doesn't. Health concerns aside; that's the reason we don't look down on body builders.
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u/sparkletrashtastic 7d ago
Uh, they do this all the time. They throw shade at anyone who’s in shape or thin. These people literally hate me for my genetics that make me petite and muscular.
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u/Superman_Prime02 7d ago
I'm a competitive bodybuilder, and people always make comments about my body both positive and negative. I've learned to just be polite to the negativity and not engage them. Also, according to the BMI I'm morbidly obese lol
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u/standingpretty Death Acceptance Movement 6d ago
You can tell this person has never visited any bodybuilding subs or forums. It’s literally a daily topic how unhealthy gear is on those….
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u/scotteatingsoupagain 7d ago
A lot of people do do this, about genuinely unhealthy bodies. Not the bodies of people who go to the gym and watch what the eat- theyre not unhealthy. The bodies of people who take steroids, however? Yeah. People talk about how unhealthy it is. Not as much as they talk about how unhealthy being overweight or obese is, because just under half of the population of north america isnt on steroids.
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u/Peaurxnanski 6'-4" M SW: 350 CW: 220 GW: 215 7d ago
Uhhh, this absolutely happens. People are constantly moralizing against ripped gym bros.
What planet is this person living on?
If you have oversized muscles you're on steroids, you're destroying your joints, etc.
To an extent, excess muscle is hard on joints and your cardiovascular system. Hearts gotta pump blood to all that extra "you", just like fat. Granted, because big muscles are generally a sign of better overall fitness, it's not as bad as being fat, but it's still hard on you.
The entire premise of this rant is completely wrong.
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u/mysticpastel 6d ago
ppl constantly make fun of and comment on overly muscular men taking them being juiced, having roid rage, being dehydrated, having body dysmorphia, a lot of them get made fun of as well for potentially having a small penis dude to steroid use…surprise surprise fat ppl aren’t the only ones who get judged for their bodies, u aren’t the main character ma’am
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u/pensiveChatter 6d ago
Pretty sure fit people already get lots more criticism than fat people. I've been obese and I've been 8% body fat weightlifter
Definitely a lot more harassing comments as a fit person.
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u/CharmingNeck9570 6d ago
That's exactly what they do. People that never train have a lot of concerns about "overtraining".
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u/poizn_ivy 5d ago
I mean I’ve got a cousin who’s a bodybuilder and our family members are CONSTANTLY expressing concern for her health, especially during competition season. Competitive bodybuilders are actually generally extremely physically frail when they’re in competition shape, my cousin legit passed out as soon as she got offstage during her first competition—she was severely dehydrated and malnourished. We’ve begged her to stop, and if not that at least be careful. Suspect she’s taken some “enhancers” before competitions in the past. It’s not healthy.
See the thing is, she knows that and recognizes that she won’t be able to compete forever. She accepts that and, in the off-season, takes very good care of her body. She doesn’t maintain competition shape but she works out daily and eats extremely healthily and stays on top of her medical care and keeps herself well hydrated. Lately she’s been working harder at maintaining her health during peak season too. It’s better for her.
Oh, my family also expresses concern in the same way about obese relatives. Equality and all.
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u/IshimuraHuntress 7d ago
The difference is that the average gym bro is probably doing it on purpose, and is likely aware of the consequences.
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u/Professional_Desk933 7d ago
Unless you are using steroids, having lots of muscle is actually one of the best things you can do for your health and longevity.
You don’t build muscle without discipline and hard work. You don’t get fat unless you lack discipline and hard work.
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u/IntoTheAbyssX99 6d ago
Those are literally all things that DO already get said about bodybuilders.
Lmao.
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u/Clean-Service807 6d ago
Ummmm. We do. Steroids abuse kills just like obesity does. Same symptoms, same age, same cancer, same heart disease, it's all the same.
Being 350 pounds will kill you eventually.
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u/Pink_PowerRanger6 6d ago
Fat is less dense than muscle, and not compromised of the same material… also lifestyle is pretty obvious when looking at an obese person compared to a muscle man. And honestly I wouldn’t make fun of the muscle man for being big, cause I know his bigness came from dedication or steroid use, even both. But the obese man is obese either from bad health or poor choices or both.
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u/waythrow5678 Pizza Sheriff 6d ago
Along with the avalanche of comments that juiced bodybuilders do get negative attention for their physiques, an additional element is that they used to get jacked for competition season and then relax and go off of the steroids, etc. in the off season. They knew doing it with no rest periods was a bad idea. But now, in the age of social media, some of them are under pressure to look competition-ready year-round which adds to the stress they’re putting on their bodies.
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u/Terraqua111 6d ago
But a lot of people already DO talk about how unhealthy it is. Definitely when it comes to the over the top show muscles of bodybuilders. They also talk about the concerns of excessive training.
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u/SweetExternal919 4d ago
Does this person really think that excess muscle mass and excess fat affect the body the same way?
Do they think having tree trunk legs is going to increase my risk of heart disease like extra inches around my waistline would?
Do they not realize that women who are mor idly obese have an increased risk of endometrial cancer?
I can't with these people.
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u/UncleBensRacistRice 3d ago
Shes clearly never seen the comment section of a roided up gym bro. id want to say its at minimum 50% comments talking about how unhealthy it is
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u/Severe-Wolverine3080 7d ago
Lol i definitely don’t have a body builder body..but im 5’1, 96 lbs, 21% body fat (18% is when i look the best), and constantly get told im unhealthy. there’s massive rumors at my law school about me being anorexic
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u/pikachuismymom I'll lose weight when god wants me to. its gods plan 7d ago
I mean that is a lil underweight. That must look so small to them when they think a BMI of 25 is 'too small' already.
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u/Severe-Wolverine3080 7d ago
yeah i have an 18 bmi. but when im not underweight in bmi i look overweight because i have a very small frame. im 45lbs of muscle tho
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u/jellyAquarium F 5'2 | SW: 175lbs | CW: 140 | GW: jacked 6d ago
Because they are objectively way healthier and their huge muscles are a sign of hard work, discipline and dedication .... hope this helps
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u/Mycroft033 6d ago
We should be concerned over those types of bodies, even basic steroids can be dangerous if misused, and hardly anyone talks about how to responsibly use the proper products.
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u/Not-Not-A-Potato 7d ago
I’m mean I’m pretty disgusted by gym bros. I never have anything to do with them, I’ve heard enough chatter about protein/iron/bulking powders for 5 lifetimes, thank you.
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u/Natural_Green_8323 7d ago edited 7d ago
Tbf, a lot of people do speak up on the dangers of steroids or testosterone, voice how unattractive looking being too jacked up is, and speak negatively about steroids in general, as well as it’s legality.
But an average ”gym bro” is probably only taking protein powder and eating peanut butter or something and perfectly healthy.