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    Default Are Bodybuilders Introverts?


    by Matt Weik

    When you look at sports we watch on television, the majority of them are TEAM sports. We have things like baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and lacrosse to name a few. Sure, we have golf, tennis, and bowling on television that are individual sports, but more are team sports. With that being said, when you go to the gym, it’s not a team effort. It’s you against the weight. Some may argue that if you have a training partner or trainer that it’s a joint effort, but it’s truly only the individual working towards his or her own end goal with a support system similar to fans cheering from the stands. So, it raises the question if bodybuilders are introverts? How did all of this possibly come about for some bodybuilding competitors? Let’s take a look under the hood for some plausible reasons.

    Personal Reasons Put Them in the Gym

    While not the case for every situation, some bodybuilders found early in life that they simply didn’t fit in. They weren’t the athletic type to play basketball or football with friends. They weren’t the funny guy of the group making everyone laugh. They were simply there in the moment and nothing more – kind of an introvert of the sort without knowing what that was at the time. This isn’t taking a shot at anyone who’s like this, everyone is different and acts differently when around groups and when alone.

    For those who felt as if they didn’t truly fit in or maybe they were bullied at one point for being smaller than everyone else around them, they eventually found their way to the gym and began falling in love with the weights and the results they are getting from the work they put in. This was almost a gateway drug for many of them to eventually dip their toes into bodybuilding and competition.

    Whether they felt they were an “outcast” of the sort, extremely shy, or they weren’t the athletic type, they’ve found a way to be competitive in a different way with the you vs you mentality that we all face when we go to the gym. Some people enjoy the environment of the gym where they are surrounded by friends and like-minded people. And then there are bodybuilders who put on their headphones, flip their hoodie up over their head and get to work. They aren’t there to talk… they’re there to crush their personal bests.

    Prepping for the Stage

    Bodybuilders tend to seclude themselves from society when in prep mode (even some the entire year). That isn’t a bad thing and for many, it’s a good way for them to not become distracted or allow temptation to break their will. Some competitors will basically lock themselves in their homes if they aren’t leaving their house to strictly hit their workouts and then come right back.

    Heck, some won’t even do their own grocery shopping because of the temptation with all of the “off-limit” foods. They forgo any meals out and stick to strictly their prepped meals. They might even go to the extreme of skipping friends and family events due to their training schedule, sleep schedule, or the fact that they don’t want any temptation or distractions during their prep. And it’s their right to do this.

    But, these tendencies do seem to fall under the introvert umbrella. They are segregating themselves from everyone else and are alone unless they have a significant other or are still living at home with their parents. Life revolves around eating, sleeping, and training. Nothing more… nothing less. And heck, it’s their life. They have every right to do this. It’s made many bodybuilders a lot of money.

    Many competitors who are sponsored sign contracts that allow them to go into hibernation come prep. Whether it be 12 weeks out, 16 weeks out, whatever the timeline, they shut it down and stop doing appearances, stop doing expos and events, and place the blinders over their face so they can only see the end goal of stepping on stage and bringing the best package to the show. For many, it’s their livelihood.

    In bodybuilding, there is no blame game. You can’t look at your teammates and say, “Damn Jimmy, if you wouldn’t have dropped that pass we would have won.” In bodybuilding, it’s an individual effort. You personally either take the win or the L. If you didn’t give yourself enough time during prep, or you cheated on your diet, or you were skipping cardio sessions, or you were sandbagging during your workouts, whatever the case may be, it falls on your shoulders. You can feel the triumph or the defeat.

    Personality Types

    So, looking back on some of the stuff mentioned above, I’d love to see a study done on different athletes – bodybuilders, football players, baseball players, etc. I’d like some sort of personality test to be done as well as all the athlete to answer the question for themselves. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? And then answer these questions that will be analyzed. Everything will be anonymous and no actual names will be used in any part of the study.

    I’m not looking for anything to point the finger at here, I just think it would be interesting to see if there are personality differences between athletes in various sports and if athletes that are extroverts tend to play team sports where athletes who are more introverts tend to play individual sports (regardless of their skill or ability).

    Do the personalities of bodybuilders and golfers align more than say bodybuilders and basketball players? Maybe from such a study, we would be able to better understand why some people are in a sense “standoffish” when it comes to group settings and that we could lead them to the gym if they were looking for a personal and individual challenge.

    The iron has helped many people through some very rough times. If the weights can keep people from feeling like they just want to be alone and give them a platform to succeed, I feel like it would be wise to help introduce more people to the gym earlier in life.
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    In my ahem younger days I was very sociable now not so. I was thinking I burned myself out as thats all I did was party which I rarely do now. Now I'm pretty much this:
    https://istps.com/

    I can be pretty personable when needed but mostly prefer to be left alone unless I initiate contact....whats the old joke about introverts, whats the introverts longest 5 seconds of the day? When you get on the elevator alone and waiting for the door to close hoping no one gets on
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    The older I get, the less I like being around stupid people. This leads to self isolation. Not always a good thing.
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    Quote Originally Posted by drtbear1967 View Post
    The older I get, the less I like being around stupid people. This leads to self isolation. Not always a good thing.
    That sums it up nicely. I seem to be surrounded by stupid people
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    Not to get off point but running a gym and at times training amongst yr members isnt all its cracked up to be. I much prefer to train alone unless my training partner is in town (a rare thing ) and I try to train at times when theres hardly anyone around. I love my clients dearly but many times they get chatty, they ask questions during my set, and just in general can be a pain. But I need the $! There are times I get caffeined up, thinking I can hit it in 30 min and boom, about 5 people walk in.....so I just wait it out till the annoying ones leave

    What a shitty attitude to have, maybe I should just retire
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    Yeah, im an introvert. As i got older i secluded myself away more and more. I am not a people person much anymore. in my 20's major extrovert , party and social animal. Now im a ghost and i like it that way
    Are Bodybuilders Introverts?

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    ISTP personality type description – traits

    ISTP (introverted – sensing – thinking – perceiving) is one of the 16 MBTI and Keirsey personality types. This type is primarily focused internally, although ISTPs in general tend to like action and adventure (but not as much as ESTPs). That internal focus makes them quite tolerant to being alone and they often even enjoy getting away from people to sort things out in their head.

    ISTPs

    Even though they are sharp introverted thinkers they aren’t too big on theories. If a theory has no visible application in real life it won’t hold an ISTPs interest for too long. They are a type that usually has a good grip on reality because they are concentrated on the present and are well aware of their surroundings. The bad side of this is that it may make them lousy at long range planning.
    When faced with making a decision they lean towards logic, principles and reason rather than the feelings of others. They are not very decisive though, and will often delay a decision out of fear of overlooking important facts.

    ISTP strengths

    • usually very skillful with physical stuff (sports, operating vehicles, machines, using tools)
    • good listeners
    • like to figure things out by themselves
    • usually easy going, optimistic and fun to be around
    • observant (constantly gather tons of details about the environment and process them)
    • generally good at problem solving and coming up with solutions on the spot
    • not afraid to try new things
    • independent and determined
    • able to stay calm in crysis situations (because of this many ISTPs end up as firefighters, detectives, ambulance drivers, in rescue teams…)
    • usually quite self-confident
    • as introverts they don’t have trouble respecting other’s needs for privacy or alone time
    • don’t run away from conflict or criticism
    • able to dole out discipline although they’re not interested in doing so
    • practical and have a good grip on reality and what’s going on around them


    ISTP weaknesses

    • tend to avoid talking about feelings (especially male ISTPs, but might get better at it as they age)
    • can sometimes be too impulsive or irresponsible
    • may engage in dangerous, risky activities in search of excitement
    • sometimes too independent and disrespectful of rules or even laws
    • not naturally in tune with what others are feeling
    • can be quite stubborn or disobedient as kids
    • because they live “one day at a time”, they might have problems with long range planning and commitment
    • can sometimes be harsh and mean to others, usually without intent

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    Are Bodybuilders Introverts?

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    You guys love the Meyes Briggs don't you. LOL
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    Yepp and I didn't really listen to trainers/coaches when I was doing other sports. I never liked being in a team and all that crap. That's probably why I like going to the gym.
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    After working in retail for 30 years I have come to hate people! My gym offers a after hours key that I purchased without hesitation. It's funny, my wife and I pull into the gym and she says well we better turn around there is already a car here. Lol.
     
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    Quote Originally Posted by blacktail View Post
    After working in retail for 30 years I have come to hate people! My gym offers a after hours key that I purchased without hesitation. It's funny, my wife and I pull into the gym and she says well we better turn around there is already a car here. Lol.
    My sentiments exactly! After dealing w people for 30 plus yrs or even after being around people for 12 hrs, when I get home the last thing I want to do is interact w another human being, thank God for dogs

    It makes my dream retirement (set at age 89 I might add ) job wanna be a lighthouse keeper on an island where I see people every 10 days to collect my food LMAO
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    Quote Originally Posted by Presser View Post
    ISTP strengths

    • usually very skillful with physical stuff (sports, operating vehicles, machines, using tools)
    • good listeners
    • like to figure things out by themselves
    • usually easy going, optimistic and fun to be around
    • observant (constantly gather tons of details about the environment and process them)
    • generally good at problem solving and coming up with solutions on the spot
    • not afraid to try new things
    • independent and determined
    • able to stay calm in crysis situations (because of this many ISTPs end up as firefighters, detectives, ambulance drivers, in rescue teams…)
    • usually quite self-confident
    • as introverts they don’t have trouble respecting other’s needs for privacy or alone time
    • don’t run away from conflict or criticism
    • able to dole out discipline although they’re not interested in doing so
    • practical and have a good grip on reality and what’s going on around them

    These describe me VERY well. I am a volunteer firefighter also. There are people I see in the gym day after day for years who I have never spoken a word to. Actually I don't speak to anyone in the gym, unless I have met them somewhere outside the gym.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ox 51 View Post
    These describe me VERY well. I am a volunteer firefighter also. There are people I see in the gym day after day for years who I have never spoken a word to. Actually I don't speak to anyone in the gym, unless I have met them somewhere outside the gym.
    I have no interest in socializing when I'm training, so I can relate. I'm in there for one thing....now after done, then I can chat for a bit
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    Living in a small town has it own set of issues, especially at the gym. Thank goodness that people respect your training. They will walk by, give a fist bump or at least wait until you have finished your set to say hello. They understand that when the ear buds are in, it is time to get work done. Great gym and better people!!
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    To prove that 95% of the people are clueless when it comes to BB training (as we all know), when I'm the only one here at the gym running the show, I will go back and start training and will put a sign at the front desk stating I'm back in the iron room and come get me if you need assistance....well a while back I was doing some heavy (at least at my age heavy) squats and right smack in the middle of a set, a tanning customer comes over to the power rack and proclaims she wants to tan causing me to almost spill the bar as I didnt see her coming

    The sign got pitched that day
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    You cannot fix stupid!!
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    Quote Originally Posted by drtbear1967 View Post
    You cannot fix stupid!!
    Kinda like Stupid is as stupid does? My fav Forest Gump line
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    Dam well at least I k ow it’s not just me that’s this bad! I’m going to have to let my wife read this lol the one car in parking lot comment is spot on funny!

    i just joined a new gym last week and it’s a get down and train type of gym which I love ! Has 24 hour access code so I can get in there whenever after hours, like one of those sleepless trenbolone nights lol BUT......it has a lot of ghetto hoppers that like to stare at the women until they’re uncomfortable
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    Are Bodybuilders Introverts?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Presser View Post
    Dam well at least I k ow it’s not just me that’s this bad! I’m going to have to let my wife read this lol the one car in parking lot comment is spot on funny!

    i just joined a new gym last week and it’s a get down and train type of gym which I love ! Has 24 hour access code so I can get in there whenever after hours, like one of those sleepless trenbolone nights lol BUT......it has a lot of ghetto hoppers that like to stare at the women until they’re uncomfortable
    just curious, whats the latest or earliest you train? I would consider 24 hr thing but I still cant help but think 90% of the people WO during normal biz hrs
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    My gym closes at 10pm and I go at 10pm. The parking lot is full all day long but at 10pm the most cars I have seen is 5. Most of the time only 2 or 3 other people working out.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Presser View Post
    Dam well at least I k ow it’s not just me that’s this bad! I’m going to have to let my wife read this lol the one car in parking lot comment is spot on funny!

    i just joined a new gym last week and it’s a get down and train type of gym which I love ! Has 24 hour access code so I can get in there whenever after hours, like one of those sleepless trenbolone nights lol BUT......it has a lot of ghetto hoppers that like to stare at the women until they’re uncomfortable
    I have a buddy that trains with his .45 on his hip everyday. That would really cut down on ghetto hoppers gawking.
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    Mine is 24 hours too, but I don't take advantage of it these days. When I was a teen, I definitely would have been up there at midnight all the time.
    "Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but don't nobody wanna lift no heavy-ass weight!"

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