The 10 Realities of Dating a Bodybuilder

So you've bagged yourself a bodybuilder. Good for you. If you're after someone with drive and focus, then you've more than likely got them. What you may not have realised is that bodybuilding is more than a hobby or job, it's a full-time lifestyle. It involves keeping the body on more than top form, which means a lot of food and time in the gym. Think you can become a bodybuilder's bae? Read on to find out...

Food

This is a vital component to dating a lifter, and it won’t take you long to realize what that means. They 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. Imagine what you might eat for dinner on an average night. Now, imagine eating that amount of food every two hours, all day long, and you’ll start to understand how much they actually eat in a 24 hour period.

It also means they'll be on a very strictly regimented diet. They won't break it very often, especially if they're in contest prep. You think you’ve got calorie counting skills? Wait until you see your significant other in action. You can look forward to going to restaurants, BBQ’s, clam bakes, and fish fries where they reach into their bag, and pull out a pre-prepped, perfectly weighed, and calculated meal rather than eat whatever is on the menu — and you need to be okay with that.

BONUS: You've bagged yourself a great cook! Prep cooking is something you can expect. Ever seen a kitchen with every available surface covered with freshly baked chicken breasts? Or a freezer stuffed to capacity with containers that only represent a few days worth of meals? Don’t worry, you will.

Time

This could be a bit of an issue when learning to love a bodybuilder. You need to understand that the gym is how they work on that buff bod, so they'll be spending tons of time there. "How could that be a challenge?" you ask. Well, you may want to do activities with them outside of the gym. such as spend the evening cuddled up on the couch, or go to a movie, or out to dinner, but they're going to say that they have to go to the gym.

If they're already a contest-winning professional, they might have sponsors that pay them to work out, so you’ll see them more. Unfortunately most work 40 hours a week and chase their dream in their 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 they're not prioritising you. Don't, however, mistake dedication to their passion as a sign that they don’t care about you.

They probably care about you more than anyone else in their life, but being a bodybuilder is their passion and trying to get in between them and their gym time is how exes are made. Supporting their dream, however, will make them see you as the one in a million guy or girl who just GETS them. Don’t try to make them choose between you and the thing they love, and they'll appreciate you more when you do get time together.