Will The Gym Turn You Right Wing? | Holistic Motion 78

Why is going to the gym being treated like a political decision? According to some media outlets, lifting weights might just be your first step down the pipeline to fascism. Sounds absurd, right? But articles like The Guardian's “Fascist Fitness” suggest otherwise, claiming that the far-right is recruiting through online fitness groups.

In this episode, I dive into these claims and break down the alleged connection between fitness, masculinity, and conservative ideology. We explore how historical figures like Yukio Mishima and even Hitler tied strength to national identity. But does getting stronger really make you more right-wing? Or is this media hysteria gone wild?

I examine the science behind these claims—discussing studies on testosterone, political alignment, and personality traits like parochial altruism. Does increasing your deadlift PR mean you're on your way to adopting far-right beliefs? Or are we oversimplifying how fitness influences personal growth?

We also take a humorous look at gym culture—from the crass jokes to the supposed "fascist gyms" like the Barbell Strength Tribe described in academic articles. Plus, I share some wild Reddit takes on why gyms skew conservative and what that says about our broader cultural narratives around fitness.

Spoiler: It's not about politics—it's about personal development. But the conversation around fitness, masculinity, and political identity is far from black and white.

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:09 The Guardian Articles
00:06:08 Why This Is So Hard To Research
00:06:44 Are There Even That Many People?
00:08:27 The "GYM FASCISM" Article
00:10:36 Is Fitness Homophobic?
00:13:18 Why Does Fitness Feel So Politically Charged?
00:15:24 How Physiology Impacts Your Politics
00:19:00 Reddit: Why Do Gyms Skew Conservative?
00:21:32 Is Fitness (and Conservatism) Selfish?
00:22:47 r/AskConservatives
00:24:34 What My Followers Thought
00:26:09 How Personality SCIENTIFICALLY Impacts Political Preference
00:26:59 Openness
00:27:58 Conscientousness
00:29:15 Extraversion
00:30:34 Agreeableness
00:32:02 neuroticism
00:34:21 Heritable Mental Illnesses
00:34:52 My Thoughts BEFORE Starting
00:38:11 Why Are Conservative Pundits Healthier?
00:38:32 Why Are Liberal Pundits Healthier?
00:38:59 Every Fitness Influencer Is Conservative
00:40:46 IS The Gym Even Masculine?
00:44:20 Final Thoughts: Can You Transcend Your Genes and Upbringing?
00:45:37 So Will The Gym Make You A Conservative?
00:46:08 SLPLASH and outro

Signal To Noise by Scott Buckley / scottbuckley
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