Solid points. It’s just that my goals are very different when I walk into a gym. I’m there to continue making physical progress. In Asia, though, a lot of people seem to have different priorities. Many go there to decompress, as you said, while I’m there to improve, and the results usually reflect that. I grew up in a fitness culture where the gym was about getting in, getting the work done, getting out, eating right to support those efforts, then enjoying the afterglow of progress. The endorphins, lower cortisol, increased natural testosterone production, better health, and greater longevity all come from training with purpose. I think people who treat the gym mainly as a place to unwind in Asia miss a valuable opportunity to improve their overall physical condition. I’ve been observing this for years, so I’m not new to the gym culture in Thailand. Most people I see gradually gain body fat instead of losing fat and building muscle. Even she, despite being blessed with good genetics, has visibly put on unwanted weight in a surprisingly short time. If the goal is simply to switch off from everyday stress, that’s fine. It’s just unfortunate that many people end up leaving in worse shape than when they started. I genuinely wish her, and everyone else there, the best. What I struggle to understand is this. If someone is just going to sit on their phone and barely train, wouldn’t it make more sense to do that on the couch instead of convincing themselves they’ve burned enough calories to justify eating more afterward? That’s often how the unwanted and completely unexpected weight gain starts. I think many people are really there to ease the guilt of being physically inactive. That’s what gets them through the gym doors. They simply lack the conviction to train with enough purpose to make meaningful progress. There’s a group of four or five local guys in their late twenties or early thirties who come together nearly every weekday evening after work. Nearly all of them have gained what looks like at least 75 percent more body fat over the last 12 to 18 months. Some are now bordering on obesity based on BMI. One guy used to be skinny as a rail, and now you’d think he’d been overweight his entire life if you hadn’t known him before. I’m not saying the gym itself is the cause of their unwanted weight gain, but I see this pattern constantly in gyms across Thailand. It’s very different from what I grew up seeing in the West. At the end of the day, people can do whatever makes them happy. I just find it unfortunate that so many come to the gym hoping for one outcome, yet gradually achieve the exact opposite.
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