This is a foundational text of American Bro Culture: two large men shooting the shit about lifting weights, working in references from everything to guns to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to football in the process. The subject of the day is the squat, and whether one of the two participants - Echo - neglects this essential lift.
Yeah I always felt this way about some of these guys. That comment about Sephora is spot on. They act like either lifting (I lift and run, I get it) or doing MMA is pounding out anvils at the anvil factory. Nah, you just have a bunch of free time, money for huge amounts of food, and get an enormous dopamine hit off the entire thing. Most of these people get absurdly high off exercise but they leave the part about this being elaborately masked hedonism out.
Huh, I've never seen excessive weightlifting framed as hedonism but it definitely tracks. Theres common connections to body dismorphia but its seen as "healthy" and productive so it doesn't really get a nuanced take like that
I am a recovered drug addict for over a half a decade. I wouldn't say I get the same head from lifting as I do from opiate use, but I come out of the gym fucking flying. These dudebros have largely never fucked with drugs so for them it's probably even more intense. It's definitely a high. If you're doing it five days a week? Eating 7,000 pounds of chicken breast? It's the most insane level of pleasure self indulgence. They all want you to think it's working in the coal mines levels of misery and self sacrifice. I could make a similar argument for men that like being punched in the head (that's a thing).
Yeah I always felt this way about some of these guys. That comment about Sephora is spot on. They act like either lifting (I lift and run, I get it) or doing MMA is pounding out anvils at the anvil factory. Nah, you just have a bunch of free time, money for huge amounts of food, and get an enormous dopamine hit off the entire thing. Most of these people get absurdly high off exercise but they leave the part about this being elaborately masked hedonism out.
Huh, I've never seen excessive weightlifting framed as hedonism but it definitely tracks. Theres common connections to body dismorphia but its seen as "healthy" and productive so it doesn't really get a nuanced take like that
I am a recovered drug addict for over a half a decade. I wouldn't say I get the same head from lifting as I do from opiate use, but I come out of the gym fucking flying. These dudebros have largely never fucked with drugs so for them it's probably even more intense. It's definitely a high. If you're doing it five days a week? Eating 7,000 pounds of chicken breast? It's the most insane level of pleasure self indulgence. They all want you to think it's working in the coal mines levels of misery and self sacrifice. I could make a similar argument for men that like being punched in the head (that's a thing).