Can you handle dating a Fitness Competitor?

Everyone wants to date a fitness competitor but the reality is a lot harder than some think or can handle…. Here a some realities of dating a male fitness competitor!

FOOD

This is a vital component to dating a lifter, and it won’t take you long to realize what that means. Competitive males have to eat a lot. No, really. A LOT. And they eat almost constantly. Building and maintaining muscle mass means they need to ingest large amounts of protein. It also means they will be on a very strictly regimented diet. They will not break it often, especially if they are in contest prep. You think you’ve got calorie counting skills? Wait until you see him in action. You can look forward to going to restaurants, BBQ’s, clam bakes, and fish fries where he’s going to reach into his bag, and pull out his own pre-prepped, perfectly weighed, and calculated meal rather than eat whatever is on the menu. And you need to be okay with that.

TIME

You need to understand that the gym is his passion, and he will be spending tons of time there. There are going to be plenty of times when all you want in the world is to have him come home and spend the night on the couch, or go to a movie, or out to dinner, but he’s going to say that he has to go to the gym. If he’s already a contest winning professional, he might have sponsors that pay him to work out, so you’ll see him more. But if he’s like most of them, he works 40 hours a week, and chases his dream on his own time. That time will amount to two to three hours in the gym. Every. Single. Day. You have to find a way to deal with this. It can be challenging, as it might seem like he always puts you last. But do not mistake his dedication to his passion as a sign that he doesn’t care about you. 

MIRRORS

This one might sound strange at first, but you’re definitely going to notice that your guy looks in the mirror more than you do. You will likely catch him flexing to his reflection quite frequently. Don’t judge. He spends countless hours sweating and grunting in the gym to attain a body that wins trophies. Especially considering what he probably looked like when he started. He deserves to be proud of his gains.

Not to mention, “posing” is a huge factor to winning on stage. 

SUPPLEMENTS

If he is serious about getting big and competing, then be prepared for a tornado of supplements. Making huge muscles takes more than just picking up weights. He’s asking his body to do much more than it normally would. He restricts his diet to allow for measured amounts of calories, fat, carbs, and protein, so supplementing his nutrition is necessary.

MOOD

Bodybuilders have a bad rep for their moods. This is largely due to mainstream media portraying every bodybuilder as a ‘roided out anger ball. To be frank, yes, they tend to have mood swings, but this is mostly due to their diets. If they are bulking, meaning they can eat more fat and carbs because they are trying to put on weight, you’ll have a happy guy. During cutting and contest prep, when they severely limit their carb intake…prepare yourself for Captain Bitchy. Just try to understand that it isn’t you, and it doesn’t last. You’ll need to exert some patience and understanding during these times. They’ll thank you for it later, if they haven’t eaten you.

SEX DRIVE

This one can be a positive, or a negative, depending on your perspective. Bodybuilders are rife with testosterone. They produce lots of it on their own just lifting weights, and some supplements can encourage testosterone too. This means his sex drive will be – ahem… in high gear. Depending on your own level of desire, this can either make you very happy, or drive you up the wall. If you can’t see yourself in the sheets nearly every day, a bodybuilder might not be the best choice of mate. If your sex drive matches his, however, your needs will most certainly be met!