Why is America so obsessed with being "buff"?

sushijerk · #1 09-03-2006, 06:30 PM

Why is it that a good portion of the *edit* younger guys *edit* just cannot stop working out? Guys who seem to have huge necks/pecs, and arms so large they can't put them straight against their bodies...ever since high school I've started seeing these guys almost everywhere. I think it has gone from being fit to almost grotesque.

My friends' little brothers who are 12-15 are all lifting/benching instead of playing sports. A couple of my friends who had normal (not skinny) physiques in freshman year of college have gained at least 20-30 pounds of muscle and are still drinking protein shakes. There is no way they can fit into any of the shirts they wore 3-4 years ago.

To any OOT gym-rats....why do you do this? Is it like the social pressure that women have with being thin? Do you guys get more chicks this way? Does it just becomes routine and you have to do it?

P.S. I live in NJ and suspect this phenomenon might be particularly bad due to proximity to the Jersey shore. Are other parts of the country also like this? I know that Asia and the parts of Europe that I've seen are definitely not.

guids · #2 09-03-2006, 06:34 PM

I get way more of a rush deadlifting a quarter of a ton than when I did playing hockey, baseball, or soccer. Whats grotesque is the shape of 99% of americans, not weightlifters. Lifting is a sport, just like any other. Im assume that you are fat and out of shape since your first train of thought is that its social pressure or chicks, rather than lifting for the enjoyment. Am I right?

Khaos4k · #3 09-03-2006, 06:35 PM

I go to the gym to improve at sports, and of course be more attractive. Definetly don't understand the gym as only exercise type thing.

cookie · #4 09-03-2006, 06:37 PM

I go because I like it. And after a couple of years a national record((benchpress, junior)Denmark) is not that far off, so thats a motivation too.

siccjay · #5 09-03-2006, 06:37 PM

Uhhhh have you been outside around people lately? Most americans are fat and out of shape. You are definitely wrong about a "good portion" of the population being obsessed with working out.

edit: I seen you mentioned it may be because of where you are at. I am still willing to bet that a large % of people there are fat.

theben · #6 09-03-2006, 06:38 PM

I dont know, but I hate it personally. I've noticed this to a huge degree at college. Most of the freshmen who enter school are all small, tiny and weak. After 1-3 years of hitting up the gym, they all become gigantic meatheads. Literally all of the US resident students at my college (sophomore+) are ripped out of thier skulls.

In fact, nearly 100% of the people I was close friends in high school with started going to the gym on a regular basis for at least a few months. We were all nerds too.

It sickens me. Everybody has to get huge and in the process, most of the dudes because jackass meatheads who don't know what the word 'polite' means

Phoenix1010 · #7 09-03-2006, 06:41 PM

I want to look good naked!

guids · #8 09-03-2006, 06:42 PM

You must be really tiny, because anyone who works out for 1-3 years, is not going to be big, well, at least enough that they look like "gigantic meatheads". There seems to be a lot of jealousy since you labeled everyone who works out as not being polite, you probably just attract douche bags to begin with, and it has nothing to do with working out.

By-Tor · #9 09-03-2006, 06:50 PM

So in your opinion, a handful of skinny little punks from NJ are representative of 'America'?

It must be hard keeping the national media away.

sushijerk · #10 09-03-2006, 06:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Im assume that you are fat and out of shape since your first train of thought is that its social pressure or chicks, rather than lifting for the enjoyment. Am I right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Social pressure and chicks is the only reason 99% of the male population from 14-35 does anything on a regular basis. You might lift because you love it but I know all the college freshmen are not thinking "lets goto the gym 3 times a week and only work out our pecs, arms, and abs because we are going to have a ton of fun."

I'm 5'8" and 150 pounds. I do have some lovehandle chub that I'm not fond of but I think I'm far from fat by US standards. I actually have rather large shoulders which I'm no fond of because I like wearing skinny clothes.

Also, this post was made with current college-aged guys in mind. I will most definitely agree that if anything, the general, older, population should start hitting the gym more.