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Why You Shouldn't Take Her to the Gym With You

by Robert Anthony

There are plenty of reasons you should not workout with a girlfriend. Men and women have different philosophies when it comes to working out. What seemed like a neat idea to spend time together can quickly turn toxic when you workout with your girlfriend. It’s important to keep your body healthy, but not at the expense of your relationship’s health.

There are several key reasons you should not workout with a girlfriend to keep in mind before you decide on a fitness routine.

Sweat & Odor:

You want your girlfriend to see the end result of the workout, but she doesn’t need to be there for the whole nasty process. You don’t want to be self-conscious about your appearance when you’re trying to get a good burn or a good pump. And after the workout is over? Come on, you know you stink. And for that matter, do you really want to see your girlfriend all gross and sweaty?

Spotting:

If you’re a weight fanatic, your probably going to spend some significant time with free weights. When you’re benching 260 pounds, do you want your girlfriend spotting you, or do you want a guy who can hold that weight by himself spotting you? Your girlfriend may get upset that you want to exclude her from your workout, adding extra stress to what is supposed to be a stress-relieving activity.

Motivation:

Men and women have different psychological approaches to motivating each other when it comes to exercise and physical activity. How many times you were called any number of derogatory names by coaches and trainers because they knew that their comments would motivate you to prove them wrong? Don’t try that with a woman. What you think of as “aggressive encouragement” may come across “being really mean” to her. Likewise, her “Great job, honey!” may not be what you need to hear in order to squeeze out a few extra reps.

Your Fitness Goals May Differ:

According to a study published in “The Journal of Social Psychology,” males and females strive to attain different physical results through exercise. Men want to increase their upper body muscles, specifically their shoulders and their chest, in order to create a “V” shaped torso. Women typically seek to decrease their overall mass to appear slimmer and smaller. The result is that she’s going to spend a lot more time on the cardio equipment and a lot less time with the weights. A workout with your girlfriend gets tougher when you and your partner don’t have the same goals.

She May Feel Insecure:

The gym can be an intimidating place. If your girlfriend isn’t in great shape to begin with, seeing all the fit and trim people in there may serve to make her feel worse about herself. And heaven forbid she asks you how she compares to the other women in the gym. That’s a minefield you don’t want to have to tiptoe through, because there’s no good answer to that question.

And last, but not least...

You Can't Talk to Other Girls:

Forget about cheating and all that fun stuff. You can’t even have a casual if slightly flirtatious conversation with another girl in the gym while you are working out with your girlfriend. You’ll catch all kinds of flack, and she may even try to forbid from going back to that gym.

It may be tempting to bring your girl along, but the negatives definitely outweigh the positives. You have too many reasons not to workout with your girlfriend. Buy her a yoga mat for the home or a membership to apilates studio and keep working out with your buddies, or alone. You’ll be healthier in every possible way.

Elite.