If He’s Obsessed with the Gym, Here’s What That Could Mean Emotionally

There is a distinct difference between enjoying something, needing it, and being unhealthily obsessed with it. When it comes to the gym, these are the confines in which men often exist: a healthy, balanced gym routine or utter obsession. Type A and Type B. However, there is a chance that we may run into the Type C insecure man once or twice in our lifetime.

For women, the gym becomes a promise to oneself, a place where we go to rebuild and feel confident. For men, the gym can be many things. For the Type A man, it can be a place where he goes to pledge dedication to his health. It can serve as a positive mental stimulant, or, in the case of Type B men, it can become a place to fill a void by attempting to impress others. And for the Type C man, it can become a mental prison or a form of self-punishment.

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Instead of looking at how fit a man is and how often he goes to the gym, try to examine further his eating habits, his hobbies, and his interests in areas that don’t involve physical activity but rather allow him to sharpen his intellect or soothe his mind. Signs of a Type A man who holds sincere character are often the striking opposite of the Type B fit gym rat and the Type C insecure man. Signs of a Type A man include level-headedness, emotional stability, and healthy, attainable goals that are true to who he is.

Type A men are content within themselves and in their relationships. More often than not, the Type A man is skipping the gym for a cuddle session at home. Studies have shown that men in healthy, loving relationships frequently experience a prolonged decline in gym attendance and physical activity. Often in relationships, men are constantly eating out with their significant other.

A significant number of men value establishing emotional connection and intimacy through gift-giving, date nights, and luxurious romantic gestures. So much so that a new couple may even put on what has been universally known as happy weight, where they gain weight specifically at the beginning of the relationship due to the number of outings and meals that occur at the start. You can often spot Type A men who are confident in themselves and who will most likely make attentive, stable partners by their body language and the way they interact with you.

Confident men will exhibit calm, levelheaded behavior in times of trouble and conflict. These men will be attentive and open to others’ perspectives. In a relationship, this can look like their posture toward you, the amount of eye contact they make when talking to you, their healthy communication, their respect for your boundaries, and the establishment of their own boundaries. Self-assured men in happy relationships who recognize their woman as the prize often establish healthier routines on their own merit.

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For the toxic Type B man, an unhealthy gym obsession can be a sign of a more sinister and sadistic nature and a strong character indicator. Type B men are deeply rooted in vanity and are incredibly self-absorbed. They have abandoned the art of chivalry and have attempted to rewrite what it means to be a gentleman or a real man through various forms of patriarchal behavior. These types of men are obsessed with the gym because it is the only place where they feel important and powerful.

The gym can serve as a social hierarchy for them, providing a place to feed their sense of superiority. They may create fictional contests with other men in the gym and may consciously and subconsciously compare their bodies to those of other men, paying close attention to how much they can lift. These behaviors can be closely associated with narcissism, which is an abusive tendency where people put themselves on a pedestal to make themselves feel better, often at the expense of others. It is very rare that a man’s obsession with the gym is solely about his health, and the Type B gym rat will lead you to believe that it is.

Signs of a narcissistic and patriarchal Type B man include an inflated sense of self-importance, putting himself on a pedestal to make others feel worse, a strong sense of entitlement, an inability to take criticism, viewing himself as perfect, and an overall uncompassionate nature with a blatant lack of empathy. In dating, this can look like manipulating you, forcing you to go to the gym with him even if you don’t want to, body shaming you, and forcing you to be his cheerleader. It is imperative to pay close attention to these signs and run for the hills if they begin to show up in the man you are seeing.

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When a gym habit becomes an absolute obsession, it is not always because a man is narcissistic or self-absorbed. It can be quite the opposite. In fact, it can be a direct reflection of the state of a man’s mental and emotional health. An unhealthy obsession with the gym is often tied directly to mental health issues such as depression, body dysmorphic disorder, and other body image-related struggles. This is typically where Type C men exist. Indicators of an unhealthy gym obsession and its negative impacts can include prioritizing the gym over interacting with people, especially family and friends, avoiding going out in public until a particular physique is achieved or a specific gym goal is met, or shaming themselves if they miss a workout or feel too tired to attend the gym.

Type C men tend to base their sense of self on their looks and body aesthetic rather than the things that truly matter, which far outweigh anything so mundane and trivial. Yet the question remains: what leads a man down the path of obsession with the gym? For Type C men, it can be a sign of psychological hardships such as low self-esteem and anxiety. These internal battles can stem from pivotal life moments, childhood experiences, stress, and patriarchal social pressures. If you run into this type of man, no matter how much you may enjoy him, he most likely will not make an adequate partner until he has worked through his internal struggles.

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In conclusion, emotionally and mentally healthy men will work out for themselves, may work out to impress their lady, and will also do things like schedule their annual physical exams so they can take the best possible care of their health. In closing, a man’s relationship with the gym is absolutely our business and may be a prominent factor in our intimate relationships. There is a strong possibility that it reflects how he approaches developing healthy habits, and it can be a clear indication of his mental state and overall self-confidence.

As for us ladies, to become women who are prepared for a stable partner who will recognize us as the prize and allow us to have the autonomy that is rightfully ours, we must first take care of ourselves and develop healthy habits and behaviors. We should strive to become the best versions of ourselves so that our outward behavior reflects the strength of our character. It is in these moments of self-discovery and self-improvement that we can identify a man who aligns with the healthiest version of ourselves.

by Trinity Battle