Not everyone who goes to the gym and lifts weights or cycles is a gym rat. What is a gym rat? Is it good or bad?
A gym rat is someone who takes fitness very seriously. They go to the gym often, research and try the right supplements, and talk to other gym rats about how to get in great shape.
Gym rats tend to be very intense about their workout regime.
What Is a Gym Rat?
A gym rat is obsessed with working out and spends a lot of time in the gym.
Gym rats know a lot about fitness and the science behind it. They know how different exercises, supplements, and vitamins affect their body. They make fitness their most important hobby.
Are Gym Rats Good or Bad?
Being a gym rat is often good because health and fitness are important. Someone who is in shape will look better, feel better, and live longer. However, it can be a bad thing for some people.
There are a few gym goers that take fitness too seriously. This can be dangerous for their health. Sometimes, a person will focus only on fitness because they don’t want to deal with other things in their life, at which point going to the gym would turn into an obsession. However, most very fit people are not anything like that.
While hard exercise is usually healthy, it can be unhealthy for some people. Someone can harm themselves if they take steroids or if they train too hard. Other people greatly improve their health and never get any real injuries.
Gym Rats Spend a Lot of Time at the Gym
Sometimes, a gym rat might spend most or all of their free time at the gym, even if they don’t have that much time. Some of them are at the gym for hours each day.
This isn’t always a good idea because they should do a variety of different things. Also, spending hours at the gym isn’t always effective. Short but intense workouts tend to work better.
Gym Rats Don’t Always Have Other Hobbies
Some people make fitness their only hobby. In the short run, this might be right if it gets you in great shape. In the long run, it might be bad because you should do a variety of different things.
A person should try to be well-rounded and interesting. They should not only have one thing that they are passionate about.
Gym Rats Seek Efficiency
Gym rats not only want to know what works but what works the best.
They might test countless different workouts and find the best one, or know which of two similar machines is the best. They might add supplements to their supplement stack or take them away to find the right combination.
Being a Gym Rat Can Be Expensive
You might start with only one or two supplements and then go from there to an expensive “supplement stack.” You might start buying expensive premium supplements instead of lower-priced ones. Protein powder, pre-workouts, amino acids, and many other things add up to a lot of dollars each month.
You might also start buying higher-quality food, which is certainly more expensive. Some people might spend more than they can afford on food and supplements.
Spending money on food and supplements can be a good thing. You might greatly improve your overall health if you buy high-quality food. You can avoid health problems and think more clearly if you get better nutrition and avoid bad food.
Seek Balance
Fitness is supposed to make you happy and healthy, not unhappy and with health problems. However, sometimes gym rats are so preoccupied with their workout that they neglect other areas of their life.
Don’t give other hobbies up when you start taking the gym seriously. Again, shorter but more intense workouts are often better than longer ones. The gym shouldn’t take up that much of your time, not even if you take it seriously.
You want the gym to make you stronger and healthier, not weaker. You also want the gym to give you more energy to do other things, not replace the other things in your life. Use the gym to make new friends, not to replace your social life.
Conclusion to Gym Rats
Being a gym rat can be a good thing. Taking the gym seriously can get you in great shape. However, it can be unhealthy for some people.
You can make a lot of new friends as a gym rat. However, some people that go to the gym all the time avoid other people. Don’t let the gym replace the rest of your life. Also, don’t injure yourself by training too hard or potentially taking steroids.
