Lately I've been hearing and seeing lots of comments ridiculing girls who wear makeup to the gym. I do have a similar anguish when I see that girl walk by with a full face of makeup without a drop of sweat. Yes, you know exactly the girls I'm talking about.
As they walk by a thought comes to mind: "Who are you even trying to impress?" And all of a sudden, we instantly assume that any knowledge they may have regarding health and fitness simply doesn't exist. Based on her makeup alone, I’ve accused her of only going to the gym to attract men, because who can seriously lift weights or do cardio looking like they just got out of a runway show?
But then a group of guys of similar musculature walk in wearing cutoffs (with cuts larger than the actual shirt of course), and a head of hair full of product. You might even hear one mutter "bro" to his buddy in passing.
For me, I speculate the same thought as before, but in the guy's case I assume that they must be here to pick up girls or at least take a shirt-halfway-up selfie in the mirror.
It's 9 a.m. and in the same time that the girl took to apply some mascara and foundation, the guy had smoothed and spiked his hair to look just-so. Maybe I'm just crazy but I really don't see where the difference lies here.
On the other hand, you could argue that he always looks that way, or possibly he's just come from work or school. But you don't consider that in a similar way, she may have just come from a full day of classes or meetings. Many girls, if they think they will be interacting with a single living organism that day, wear makeup.
Although we have those health freaks out there that are working out seven days a week to benefit their overall health (kudos to you by the way), a good majority of us are doing so to look good in our bodies. There's a reason why that gym dude is doing every lift possible to work on his chest. There's a reason why that girl is squatting more than her body could comfortably recover from tomorrow.
Just because of how society works, the way we look matters and always has. Many women deal with this concept by painting their faces and trying to stay thin. Even if we are all aiming for the same thing, issues regarding body image do not go away just because one is working out.
As a matter of fact comments like "he skipped leg day" or "that girl can't lift more than the bar" are often heightened in the gym type of environment. Judgment of other people at the gym is part of what the gym is all about.
So to the guys who style their hair for the gym, don't judge her if the product in your hair costs the same as the product on her face.
