Fit chicks are in and everybody knows it. They’re filling up our Instagram discovery feeds, and for good reason! Not only are they lean and chiseled, but they’re strong and dedicated as well. That being said, if you’ve been fortunate enough to land yourself a date with one of the most dedicated of fit chick types (a fitness competitor) there are some important things to note.
Maybe your wife or girlfriend is embarking on a new fitness competitor journey. Perhaps you’ve just met an amazing girl who just so happens to be a fitness competitor. Either way you’ll notice some interesting behavior that comes with the territory of competitive fitness. In the interest of helping you better understand this fabulous new female you’re about to meet, I’ve come up with a list of the top 10 things you should know before dating a fitness competitor. You’re welcome ;)
1. She’s hungry therefore she’s easily irritated
Hangry is a real thing. If your fit girl seems a bit on edge, she’s probably just a half an hour out from her next meal. No worries though. Once she has her cup of Greek yogurt and a protein shake, she’ll be right back to her happy self.
2. No, she can’t “skip the gym today”
Each competitor’s training schedule will be different. Some women get a rest day while others use this day for extra cardio. This will depend on their coach and their goals. Either way, if she has plans to go to gym, it’s because she actually HAS to go. If she skips shoulders, she misses an opportunity to grow. She could always make this up later in the week, but that means a 3-hour gym visit on Wednesday – not fun.
3. She’s like a shape shifter…every 4 weeks you’ll see changes
This is an exciting part. Fitness competitors see significant change every four weeks or so. You’ll notice her arms getting stronger, her legs getting leaner, and her abs getting ripped! When you notice something, say something. She may not see these changes herself, so it helps when others point them out to keep her motivated.
4. She gets one cheat meal, let’s not push that
Cheat meals are an interesting thing. Depending on her program, she may or may not have one once a week. Trying to talk her into eating more cheat meals than her plan allows for will only throw her off track. She’ll let you know when she has a cheat meal, otherwise, don’t try to talk her into an ice cream outing or a pizza party.
5. She’s tired. Going out on a Tuesday isn’t her thing anymore
On top of whatever else she has going on with work, school, etc., she’s got 2+ hours to put in at the gym at least 5 days a week. Even a quick get together after her PM workout can seem as exhausting as running a marathon. Understand that her saying no to a night out because she’s tired doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s not interested. In fact, she might just prefer a night in with you and Netflix.
6. Someone needs to take her progress pics…it’s not fun
If she asks you to take her progress pics, you’re definitely moving up in terms of trust…this is a good thing. There’s just one drawback – it’s not fun. The time you’ll spend getting a “good” picture from three angles will take much longer than you ever thought possible. She’ll need to try different ways of flexing and posing to highlight her progress in each image. Bear with her, and don’t forget to tell her how fabulous she looks!
7. Sundays are for meal prep
No matter your plans for Sunday fun day, meal prepping needs to be included. The amount of time this can take varies by her method of cooking and how many days in advance she cooks. There will be lots of rice, chicken, and veggies, but no eating, just stuffing it into Tupperware – strange, but necessary.
8. Tupperware is everywhere
Speaking of Tupperware, she’ll have it everywhere! In the car, in the kitchen, at her office desk, and maybe even in her gym bag. This is because she’s toting around 2-3 Tupperware containers on a daily basis. They land in strange places before finally making it to the dishwasher at the end of the day.
9. She chooses restaurants carefully
You want to go to Olive Garden, but something about pasta and bottomless bread sticks just doesn’t seem to fit with her whole “low carb” thing. Work with her to find a place that offers tasty options with lean meat and veggies. She can still eat out, she just prefers restaurants with fewer temptations (i.e., bread sticks!) and more options for low carbs and high protein.
10. She’s extremely loyal and dedicated in all aspects of life
All of these points may have you a bit scared. Fortunately, dating a fitness competitor offers more opportunities to make up for the craziness than flaunting some pretty sweet eye candy at the pool this season. You’ve landed yourself a woman with drive, persistence, and best of all, loyalty. She takes pride in her appearance and is willing to work hard to keep a good thing going. In other words, when she commits, you know you can trust her to do what it takes to maintain a happy relationship for both of you.
Featured photo credit: Gorgeous young woman using dumbbells to work on her triceps. Lots of copy space via shutterstock.com
