effort

I thought this was still worth posting:

I've lifted on and off since high school. I hit my 1/2/3/4 and beyond and continue to maintain my membership in the 1000lb club. My clean and jerk was higher than Arnold's ever was because I never learned I wasn't supposed to be able to do it. I did team sports and XC in high school. I primarily focus on combat sports these days. People seethe when I get their head in the clinch in muay thai. All this to say that I have a really good working relationship with my fitness. I don't think anybody ever quite hit the nail on the head when it comes to the downsides of body building as a primary pursuit as this guy, Braden Wellman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BhlgWZz7_w

Bodybuilding is a silly and selfish thing to put the glut of your focus into. ESPECIALLY if you don't like it. Vanity is not fulfillment. The reality of vanity is bringing your own cake to birthday parties (with no allergies), declining going out with friends because of your sleep schedule, you can't track your macros at the local pub, alcohol inhibits muscle growth, or white knuckling through shit sleep for an early workout. "I'm sorry your mother is mad at me, babe. I know that this food is something you've eaten for generations for celebrations, but I'm having chicken and rice again instead." Couple that with the Instagram game (which absolutely trickles down into your fitness forum) with photoshop, steroids, anglefraud, perfect lighting, etc. and it effects you.

There's nothing quite as ubiquitous as lifting as a means of finding affection. You could probably nick a couple rightoids from the gym for leftist causes if you explained alienation & atomization in an engaging way. They probably think socialism is when the government pays for Ozempic and takes 30% of your gains to give to people who watch Desperate Housewives. If you put dedicated gym goers in a society that isn't plagued by forever wars, where their extended family doesn't have 5 vets with PTSD, 8 people who can't afford healthcare, an upbringing defined by their parents' work stress and instead had a walkable city, nutritious food, and things to do, I bet 85% of them will find something else to focus on other than maintaining <10%BF.

Could many of us stand to be more active? We're on an internet forum, there's no doubt! It would not only be good for the body, but for the mind. But would there be diminishing returns? Not only would there be, it could leave you worse off than when you started if you obsess over it. Hiking is a beautiful thing that doesn't give you an aesthetic body. Traditional martial arts have a rich history and lore, but doesn't help you in the street fight they're always droning on and on about. Combat sports are the most fun thing I've ever done, but I get hit in the head, my joints hurt, and it's not anabolic. Yoga could help you with a bad back or a lack of mindfulness. Aerial sports/pole dancing will attract their ire despite being badass and thrilling. Regular dancing is the most consistent anti-depressant activity[1], but invaded by those same people trying to get female affection while they learn how to talk to a woman for 4 minutes for their progressive overload. Triathalons are. Swords are fucking sick whether it's fencing, kendo, HEMA, or LARPing.

The fash are obsessed with aesthetics. It's no wonder they'd be willing to do all the legwork it takes to be the one that stands above the others (for their body). That's their whole shtick. The difference is that I don't look down on someone for going to the party, eating a slice of cake, finding someone cute, falling in love by accident, and realizing it doesn't work 3 years later. I think for every 1 person who has truly made something special out of their life with aesthetics, there are 9 other people who scrubbed away magic and social fulfillment from their living. I think, for many people, they'd be better off really engaging with themselves and interrogating why what they have and who they are isn't enough. Maybe they'd realize that aesthetics aren't everything and a better future is possible.

TL;DR: Exercise is only as useful as it is liberating. If you like bodybuilding, you should continue, but if the sacrifice isn't worth it, then you'd make a rational decision to avoid it, likely in exchange for a different type of physical activity.

[1]https://www.leafie.co.uk/news/dancing-best-exercise-treating-depression-study/