 Ten
Benefits of Having a Buffly Partner
By Hannah Bunce
Throughout
the history
of storytelling, muscular men (and women) have usually been cast as
the romantic hero; slaying
the dragon, rescuing the Princess, saving the kingdom, and all with
their biceps straining nicely
and their abs glinting attractively in the sunshine. But what the
stories don’t tell you is that the
Prince manfully downed protein shake several times a week and left
his Princess to wander aimlessly
around the castle while he hit the gym for hours on end. If your
partner is dedicated to working
out, it could be that you are facing the realities of sharing your
relationship with their muscles, of
which there are many small and annoying side effects. Like watching
them strain in a bid to show
off every single one of their muscles. Or sitting through the huge
number of action films that they
enthusiastically show you. Or having that conversation, over and over
again,where they tell you, in
detail, why Arnold Schwarzenegger is such a success. Brilliant.
Dating a Bodybuilder
For
most of us, most of
the time, it can be easy to feel happy for our partner; they are
enjoying what they are doing, they
are maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and they look good for it. But
then there can come dark days
where you finding yourself screaming into a pillow because they are
spouting the Arnold
Schwarzenegger conversation to your parents who are clearly bemused,
or you are left feeling a little
nauseous after you watch them down raw eggs “for the protein”. Banging
your head, or their head, against
a brick wall at these times can certainly help, but sometimes it can
be more beneficial to try to
look on the brightside and remind yourself of why it is a good thing
that your partner has muscles.
Luckily for us the muscles provide certain perks, and below I have
collated my top ten favourites.
10 Benefits of Dating a Bodybuilder
1)
Your partner is
looking good! Unless you are a real fan of the skinny frame (and if
so, maybe it’s
time to think
things over) it is always possible to appreciate your partner’s
muscles. Broad
shoulders, strong
arms, toned abs, it’s all good really! Of course, other people can
see how
good your partner
is looking too, so you are able to enjoy feeling smug when they tell you
just how lucky you
are to have such a buffly partner. And if you don’t like the way
that other
people are
checking out your partner, you get to be the one to put your arm
around them
and flash a glare!
Always a little moment of win!
2)
If you have ever
been picked up by someone who stumbles, complains about their back giving
out, or drops
you, then you will always appreciate it when your partner picks you up
as if you weighed no
more than a small tub of protein shake. Being able to romantically sweep
the princess up
into their arms is an important skill for all muscular heroes, and
this experience
is always
very flattering to the ego.
3)
While it may seem
that you partner goes on and on (and on) about their different
weights, the
supplements that
they are taking, Sylvester Stallone’s life history, and the muscles
that they
will be working on
today, you are actually picking up a lot of information. If you are a closet
geek (or just a
geek) this could be interesting for you and you could enjoy all sorts of
intelligent
conversations with your partner. If, however, your attention switches
off the minute
your partner
says “workout”, it can sometimes be worthwhile listening to them
just a
little bit. Just
think how impressed your partner’s muscular buddies will be when
you start discussing
the benefits
of pull-ups with them, or how intelligent you will look on a quiz
team when
you are able to
answer all the scientific questions. Definitely perks.
4)
Some of the action
films your partner forces you to watch are actually quite good! I
recently found
myself watching
The Expendables without my partner there asking me to watch it with
him or reminding
me just how amazing Sylvester Stallone is. After the initial “what’s
happened to me??' moment, I realised that I was actually enjoying
the film. While (and all buffly
partners take
note) an action film every night may not feel like fun, a good action
film
every now and then
is good entertainment. And if you still don’t see the perks of
action films....
5)
You are in the
perfect position to ogle at other muscly men. If your partner is
showing you action
sequences full
of half naked and muscle-clad men, there is a definite perk for you there.
Sit back and let
the good times roll....
6)
Sometimes in all
relationships it’s good to have some separation and some “me
time”. If you need
some peace and
quiet, your partner heading off to the gym will work in your favour, giving
you some time
out to do just what you want to do. Lovely.
7)
On the other hand,
if you want to spend more time with your partner, it can be possible to
use their work outs
in your favour. For example, if you are a gym fan yourself you could both
do some
cardiovascular work together or go running together. You could take
some frustration
out on your
partner through gentle words of encouragement while they lift weights
(“Try harder!
This is pathetic!”) You could even offer to be bench pressed by
your partner,
provided you
can stay very still and don’t mind being flung around a bit. These may
not be the most
romantic of ways that you and your partner can share time, but it
will certainly
be quality
time spent together.
8)
There are always
ways that your other half’s strength can be useful for you. Once
they have taken
all that time to
perfect their physique, your partner will be keen to show off just
how strong
they are, and
this can often benefit you. These benefits can be small, such as
opening a
particularly tight
jar or carrying heavy boxes for you, or they could be big benefits,
such as
popping you on their
shoulders for hours to give you a better view at a concert or being able
to move heavy
furniture while you sit back and direct them. Not only will this help
you in
your hour of need,
it will also massage your beloved’s ego and leave them feeling
cheerful too.
Everyone’s a
winner.
9)
Sometimes it can be
worth sitting back and thinking about how happy and content the muscles
are making your
partner. They are feeling strong, confident, and their body is looking
pretty good
too. While you may not be the biggest fan of the process of gaining muscles,
you should be
able to see the positive impact they have had on their partner. And there’s
more....
10)
As your partner has
probably told you already multiple times, there are many benefits to working
out aside from
those muscles. These include weight management, improved mood, increased
concentration, a longer life, and stress-relief. Let’s face it, who
wouldn’t want a streamlined,
stress
free and cheerful partner, able to focus on a game of chess for hours
and by
all accounts likely
to live to 100? Muscles might not be so bad after all....
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