FAT-WHYME

Is Fitness Manly?

Like many people, I’ve often associated male gym-going with several contradictory stereotypes; the first is a grunting, swearing, and not particularly aesthetically-pleasing mountain of a guy lifting stacks of barrels/kettlebells/prepubescent children, and enduring massive physical pain in order to improve his strength: we imagine he exercises in a typically male fashion, embodying masculine characteristics such as mental simplicity (let’s be honest) and power. The second expends his allowance on body-oil and protein, poses before every reflective surface which confronts him, and enters bodybuilding contests. Clearly there is a huge difference in the way these two characters are perceived – since wearing tight underpants and flexing parts of your anatomy to a crowd of observers is frowned upon by mainstream society, and ridiculed (justifiably, maybe), whereas moderate feats of strength are apparently quite impressive. Confusingly though, the two varieties of gym frequenters train in a totally similar way – they both move heavy weights from one position to another, repeatedly. I decided to explore this issue of mystification by writing a screenplay, which I have since abandoned. I’ve got this article as well.

The third type, which I deliberately excluded to make a point, is the endurance athlete. In a gym scenario, this is the guy that spends an hour on the treadmill, then the bike, then the treadmill – or some comparable assemblage of cardiovascular devices. Although he trains excessively, the fact is not visible in his appearance; this puzzles most male exercisers. Perusal of a men’s magazine such as ‘Men’s Health’ suggests to me that the purpose of training is either to “loose weight (NOW)” or “gain muscle (IN 10 MINUTES)”. I learned, in the forums, that being a skinny man is generally regarded negatively: “it’s a bad look, mate”; further, the reason most men with ectomorph (naturally thin) bodies train is to avoid looking slim. This is probably a blow to overweight supporters of the narcissist position – who will shed pounds, only having to bulk up again later. This fixation with appearance, although vehemently promoted by mannish publications, was actually considered a feminine characteristic until relatively recently, and still is, by some; it’s called ‘metrosexual’ now.

So we have three fitness positions to deal with: the man who builds strength at all costs (the powerlifter), the man who builds muscle at all costs (the bodybuilder) and the man who builds cardiovascular fitness at all costs (the man who builds cardiovascular fitness at all costs). I should make it clear now that I’m not evaluating the manliness of anyone who uses anabolic steroids or any other illegal substance to aid development – they’re just morons.

Is it manly to be strong? It is, in biological terms, on average, an attribute more generously awarded to men than women – heralding from our more primitive years as a species, when cavemen would open cave-jars-of-pickles and carry the grocery bags when the car broke down. So it is manly in the literal sense. But society and culture play an important role in shaping our prejudices, and the way strong people are portrayed in the media isn’t always positive: I just did an image search for ‘strong’ which mostly came up with Victorian men wearing leotards, and pictures of amusingly large, cowbell shaped weights. Men who aren’t strong perhaps shed light on this discussion: they’re usually called ‘nerds’, and show an inexplicable affection for speculative fiction. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Muscularity is another equivocal quality. In small doses, according to the grapevine, it’s fine, but there’s a point – and this is different for everyone, but I assure you it’s universal – when we’re inclined to shout ‘freak’. (Well, maybe not shout; you wouldn’t like to anger the guy; but I think we’d all silently judge him for being overly developed.) Personally, I think it’s how you package it – wear sleeveless tops and admire yourself fervently and there’s a lot less room for manoeuvre in the social disapproval zone. But then again, it’s not my area.

Deep down, we all prefer Lance Armstrong to one time Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it’s not for political reasons (although I like to call myself liberal…but that’s another story). Athletes, training solely to win, are too important to care about exterior considerations: and it’s a good thing, because we see them when they’re so deep in fatigue’s debilitating clutches that…but that’s also another story.

In conclusion: manliness is an arbitrary and outmoded construct formed by society, which I guess I already knew before writing this article. Fitness is also subjective, and can be achieved in a variety of ways, many of which are prone to mockery. I suppose I should end with some closing pearl of wisdom, but nothing’s coming to me at present. ‘Don’t do drugs,’ that’s sufficient.

About the Author

I’m an English student from England. I write things occasionally. Influences include: Thomas Hardy, John Irving, Philip Larkin and Fernando Sorrentino. Favourite quotes: “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” “either this man is dead or my watch has stopped” and “don’t do that I’m asleep”. My website’s at: http://sites.google.com/site/outputemporium/

Powerful Beyond Measure