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Relatedly, if anyone is looking for something fitness related but IMO way less toxic, I recommend rock climbing (once things open up again :)) Not that it's perfect or anything, in a sense 'bro culture' manifests in a different form, but rock climbing gyms IMO have way better vibes than powerlifting spaces. The main difference I see is that climbing encourages creative movement rather than just brute force muscle (and all of the issues that result).
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).
Patrick Wyman is cool and good. Go check out his history podcasts. They're top tier. He was on Chapo recently, as well.
Not really, the history podcast is pretty academic with most of the emotion coming from him nerding out on a topic. But I will definitely second the recommendation, Tides of History is really good.
