Gym bro mentality and self-improvement

[local_believer]

What do you guys think about the whole gym bro movement that's popular on the internet for people struggling with mental health, especially guys? Personally, I believe that the gym is a healthy way for someone to try and improve themselves so they can come to peace with their inner struggles. This past year I've been going to the gym frequently, and my visible progress is a pretty awesome way to boost my mood and encourage me to persevere.

What do you guys think about this whole idea? Have you guys tried working out as a way for improvement in the past, and what did you think of your entire ordeal?

 

[Remeer]

I have no idea about that movement that you mention, I don't have social networks and I live more calmly like this
Exercise is always a good idea for all kinds of people, obviously always being prudent, starting little by little and being progressive and constant.
Exercising has helped me a lot, I really like aerobic exercises
I do not support gyms, because I think it is a totally necessary expense because you can exercise in your own home, in a public square or in nature (which is what I like the most), the other reason why I don't I like it is that you begin to compare yourself with others and you begin to compete, and surely from that competition they can sell you all kinds of supplements and similar things
If it works for you, well, but be careful, see that I have a friend who is at the gym and eats too much, in addition to the nutritional supplements and the wrong rest, totally distorted
greetings

 

[nronksr]

What do you guys think about the whole gym bro movement that's popular on the internet for people struggling with mental health, especially guys? Personally, I believe that the gym is a healthy way for someone to try and improve themselves so they can come to peace with their inner struggles. This past year I've been going to the gym frequently, and my visible progress is a pretty awesome way to boost my mood and encourage me to persevere.

What do you guys think about this whole idea? Have you guys tried working out as a way for improvement in the past, and what did you think of your entire ordeal?

i dont believe in broscience much but i do know working out is good for you.
first started weight training in therapy and i would go hard just to punish myself. i still do sometimes. back then it was part of borderline therapy and my so called skill chain to calm me down. but the results of being consistent made it easier to not hate myself in the mirror.
and now i feel bad when i skip or dont improve pr :>

 

[bijou]

my one gripe with online gym culture is it's totally riddled with orthorexics of all genders...
stay far away from the diet advice. watch, or visit, registered dieticians instead for this. don't cut out foods you love, it's unsustaiable in the long run!!

proud that you found progress in this though :)
i haven't gone to the gym in years out of sheer embarrassment, and fear. when i was severely anorexic i was constantly told i couldn't work out at all or i'll drop dead of a heart attack. i hope i can go back one day, or do adult ballet again and face my fears!
remember that it's not all about the physical, be conscious of how it makes u feel mentally as well.

 

[local_believer]

i dont believe in broscience much but i do know working out is good for you.
first started weight training in therapy and i would go hard just to punish myself. i still do sometimes. back then it was part of borderline therapy and my so called skill chain to calm me down. but the results of being consistent made it easier to not hate myself in the mirror.
and now i feel bad when i skip or dont improve pr :>

I think working out is a tool that many people use for their own unique purposes. Since you were pushing yourself to your absolute limit in order to punish yourself, I wonder if what you were doing was a negative or a positive for yourself. There's that mental aspect where it has slight negative implications, but at the same time you're greatly improving yourself and building mental fortitude in a sense.

That's great to hear that you're viewing yourself more positively in the mirror though, and I totally relate to feeling bad when I miss a workout day and start to stagnate on my progress lol

my one gripe with online gym culture is it's totally riddled with orthorexics of all genders...
stay far away from the diet advice. watch, or visit, registered dieticians instead for this. don't cut out foods you love, it's unsustaiable in the long run!!

proud that you found progress in this though :)
i haven't gone to the gym in years out of sheer embarrassment, and fear. when i was severely anorexic i was constantly told i couldn't work out at all or i'll drop dead of a heart attack. i hope i can go back one day, or do adult ballet again and face my fears!
remember that it's not all about the physical, be conscious of how it makes u feel mentally as well.

Totally agree, a lot of those diets you see online are super harmful and only cause people to relapse into bad habits. You can't realistically expect someone who isn't a body builder to cut out all "unhealthy" foods and expect them to live a life of boiled chicken and broccoli.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been pushed away from the gym due to outside pressure, I hope to see you get over that mountain and face your fears head on! If you're into ballet, you only live once so try and get out there and explore your interests!

You could also maybe start to work out from home before taking that leap of faith towards returning to the gym. Buying a set of adjustable dumbbells and just doing the exercises you're interested in could help develop your body and your confidence to the point where you can return without any fears!

 

[hungry_ghost]

I think the vast majority are extremely obnoxious.

Many of them end up falling into the "Sigma Grindset" hivemind bullshit.

Although, there is certainly nothing wrong with fitness.

 

[Lament]

I think it's all in good fun for the most part. Incentives and movements are good bursts to latch on to and engage with if you're looking for motivations or reasons. From my experience, being a 'gymbro' seems to more often be an in-joke in itself, and there is a general kindness found in its community of people. It's good that there are gym-oriented content creators as a means of giving that community its own second layer of in-jokes, idols, celebrities/micro-celebrities, and popularizing beneficial information. And like everyone else is agreeing with, the fitness aspect is good too. :)

 

[nronksr]

I think working out is a tool that many people use for their own unique purposes. Since you were pushing yourself to your absolute limit in order to punish yourself, I wonder if what you were doing was a negative or a positive for yourself. There's that mental aspect where it has slight negative implications, but at the same time you're greatly improving yourself and building mental fortitude in a sense.

That's great to hear that you're viewing yourself more positively in the mirror though, and I totally relate to feeling bad when I miss a workout day and start to stagnate on my progress lol


Totally agree, a lot of those diets you see online are super harmful and only cause people to relapse into bad habits. You can't realistically expect someone who isn't a body builder to cut out all "unhealthy" foods and expect them to live a life of boiled chicken and broccoli.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been pushed away from the gym due to outside pressure, I hope to see you get over that mountain and face your fears head on! If you're into ballet, you only live once so try and get out there and explore your interests!

You could also maybe start to work out from home before taking that leap of faith towards returning to the gym. Buying a set of adjustable dumbbells and just doing the exercises you're interested in could help develop your body and your confidence to the point where you can return without any fears!

i dont know so much about the positive or negative. i know theres never only one side to it. and it takes both for balance.
the aspects that couldve been considered self harm kinda went away? the damaged muscles i couldnt use for a week.
it is still hurting your own fabric to increase mass by healing. but ye get to listen to your body more and the frame of force against self gets healthier.

i think your willingness to suffer is directly related to your potential happyness. endorphines and dopamine are having a seesaw moment.

 

[StillBreathing]

That 1 hour in the gym is the only time I get some peace from all the suicidal thoughts. It makes me feel alive. I think only others who excercise and push their bodies to the extreme will understand. Your body releases a lot of chemicals making you feel good. I wish I could feel like that all the time.

It's a strange thing, my depression helps me push harder during the workouts. I see other people just sitting on their phones between sets while I'm struggling not to scream in pain (good pain). I recently injured myself and have to take a couple of weeks off from the gym. This has made me more depressed so I do think it helps, even if it's just temporary happiness.

 

[redisblue]

I think it's awesome, and the fact that it genuinely helps a lot of people is great, and I'm happy for them. I would love to be able to go to the gym as a way of coping and helping myself, but I lack motivation. Maybe someday I will.

 

[Grav]

Exercise can be really good, I need to get back to it. Not sure on the gymbro stuff since I have all my equipment at home but if you're fine in that environment and it works for you there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[darkwater]

Weight training has helped me go from adiposas to normal weight. In the meantime, I look in the mirror and almost see a six-pack. This makes me happy for a short moment and then I fall back into old thought patterns. Fresh air helps me more.

 

[coolintheshade]

stay far away from the diet advice. watch, or visit, registered dieticians instead for this. don't cut out foods you love, it's unsustaiable in the long run!!

This is a very solid advice, especially the part about not sacrificing the food you love.

 

[StillBreathing]

This is a very solid advice, especially the part about not sacrificing the food you love.

Agreed, I pretty much eat what I want. Just watching calorie intake to gain or loose weight and a protein source with every meal.

 

[coolintheshade]

Agreed, I pretty much eat what I want. Just watching calorie intake to gain or loose weight and a protein source with every meal.

This is exactly my approach. Food and safety health guides claim the 'average' adult male needs 2500 calories/day.

 

[kindalone]

As someone who has been part of the gym culture for 10 years, I'd say you have to be careful. Weight training is absolutely a healthy activity in and of itself but it has been used as a tool to promote some harmful ideas. Basically, it sets a standard on how a person should look like and can cause self-esteem issues and body dysmorphia. As a man, I never felt big enough, lean enough or strong enough. I had to push myself every day and put more weight on the bar. At the same time, I felt superior to people who weren't in the gym trying to get as big and strong as they can. My male friends at the time absolutely encouraged this idea. The industry is also inundated with salesmen who try to push their products and tell you that only with all these supplements you can attain their physique, while they are genetically gifted or using performance enhancing drugs. The self-improvement industry and the manosphere are especially guilty of that.

I nowadays just use bands and I run outdoors. Equipment is mine and I don't have to pay a monthly fee. I train only for the good feeling and my health. If you wanna use the gym to improve the quality of your life, then do it. It's good for your mental health. But distinguish it from the desire to improve your worth. Don't fall for salesmen and follow knowledgable people who give out quality information. I haven't been part of the online gym community but I've heard it's much better now with the information that is out there. If you have preexisting body image issues, be careful about comparing yourself to other people's bodies or performance. Your progress is the right progress. There's nobody to compete with.