Do You X Bro?
Bro-hoes. Gym bros. Supplement hoes. And now cycle bros and boralu boys. The changing trends around Sri Lanka are rather interesting. The fitness rage of the 2000s coupled with social media has led to a generation of men & women obsessed with looking like Schwarzenegger in his prime and women aiming for 6 packs, flat abs & bikini bods. The obsession for the gram is such that there are many educating people on the dangers of going overboard with supplements, steroids and other crazy means of removing body fat so that your muscles pop & show. Because a photoshoot of your abs on display involves not drinking water and cutting out food down to a ridiculous level. Is it worth it is a question many need to really ask themselves.
Even the fitness competitions have categories for all natural since the mania for supplements is such. Yet balance in all these aspects would be great. Added to this is the superiority complex displayed by the gym bros and hoes about how much they lift. The deadlift has become the marker of fitness (when fitness is such a complex process) with people comparing how much they have lifted – regardless of how well their form is, how suitable it is for them on their fitness journey etc. And this is the quintessential talking point which is patently absurd, especially if you understand the fundamental fact that fitness has no ‘one size fits all’ solution for people. Which is why you should be training with someone who knows what the hell they are talking about and doing. Not some Instagram wannabe or Tik Tok influenza celebrity. Sadly, a majority are even put off by fitness thanks to the fake shit that circulates on social media where people are bulked on supplements or worse, steroids, without much strength in their muscles. They eventually fall ill or fall off track because some of these are just unsustainable.
The most recent trend in Sri Lanka has become the cycling phenomena. So many have taken to cycling like it’s the next best thing since sliced bread and hence, ‘do you ride?’ is the new hot topic. Yea some of us ride and have been doing so for years. Not to talk about it but because we actually enjoy it very much. But now one is bombarded with questions on the brand of their bike, when they bought it, what their helmet is, average speed and what trails they do. If the trail is Boralu or Ingiriya or some other way off location, you have passed the approval test. Any other trail is not a trail bro. Yea right. No one cares mofo. At least those who genuinely enjoy it, don’t. Unless training for something like a triathlon or bikeathon, these names & numbers are just ego markers for those who have nothing better to do with their time.
Riding to work is another social marker promoted by a majority who are CEOs, Directors and people who don’t have a specific time to clock in. The rest who actually have to stick to time can’t be as free as the boss. But the boss sets the trend and everyone is expected to follow. Yea can do, if we all have maids, spouses and helpers to sort our food, clean our homes and have our clothes ready to just hop on and ride to eternity. Not everyone has that luxury so just asking your staff to blindly ride to work for their health, while you overload them regularly with excess work and expect them to deliver magic, is a bad joke.
There are many people in this country who do manual labour that gives them ripped and lean bodies and you don’t see them parading around like fools. Many people ride daily, for miles, on bicycles with no gears or light frames, up and down hills, and you don’t hear them talking about it like it’s some achievement. Coz that’s life for them. And here, the urbanised Sri Lankan, used to a couch potato lifestyle, expects people to be impressed when they finally move their asses for vainglory purposes.
Honestly, get a life. And learn the fine art of balance so that you know your place in the circle of life and context when it comes to certain things. This is not self esteem – this is ego. Know the difference.
