What is a “Gymcel”? And Why Is This Term Problematic?

What is a “Gymcel”?

The “gymcel” is a new category to add to the growing list of misogynistic subcultures, predominantly found online. According to Urban Dictionary, a gymcel is “a man who takes the gym too seriously and usually has nothing to show for his efforts. ‘Cel’ is associated with ‘incel,’ referring to someone who cannot have sexual relations. Gymcels often spend countless hours and weekends at the gym hoping to improve their physique to attract women when in reality, the only issue is their face.”

Like incels, gymcels are subject to ridicule by society at large. Gymcels, in particular, face abuse from the bodybuilding community. Bodybuilding.com, the most popular internet forum for amateur and professional bodybuilders, hosts numerous threads about this small but very real gymcel community.

Gymcels are mocked primarily for their clumsy attempts to attract women through weightlifting. One user explained that “most gymcels are gymcels because they’re clumsy, insecure, and generally lack personality,” while another labels them as “prisoners of narcissism and insecurity.” Some in the bodybuilding community have begun calling gymcels “copecels” – men who, despite all their efforts to seek love or sex through physical improvement, continue to be hindered by their inferior genetics (such as height or bone structure).

Why is the term “Gymcel” so problematic?

The negativity surrounding the term “gymcel” and the concept itself is problematic for the bodybuilding and fitness industry. Associating the pursuit of female approval or the desperate avoidance of insecurities with gym culture is toxic for innocent fitness enthusiasts. But it’s happening fast. Sam West, a regular user of Bodybuilding.com and a self-proclaimed “former gymcel,” told MEL Magazine: “People posting this on these forums and on Reddit might think they’re funny, but what they’re saying is also damaging.”

West further explains how “the forum can be a toxic place. A lot of young guys come here because they want advice on their fitness. Instead, they’re exposed to all this garbage about being weak and pathetic if they haven’t succeeded in having sex.”

The gymcel subreddit, a community that once had around 350 active members but has since been banned from the platform for violating community rules, was once a fertile ground for incel ideology fueled by the gym. Much of the incel community believes that political ideas like feminism and progressivism have given women too much power and consequently undermined their ability to date, have sex, or marry the opposite sex.

To top it all off, the problematic nature of gymcel culture has repercussions beyond spin classes and toxic gym culture. It perpetuates the manosphere narrative that encourages misogyny and attacks feminism as not only acceptable but something that should be encouraged. Zoe Williams of The Guardian went as far as describing incel ideology as a movement that “targets and terrorizes women.”

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Williams also points out that the man accused of carrying out the Toronto van attack, which killed 10 people in 2018, had alleged ties to online incel communities. She concluded: “The language they use may seem absurd, but the threat they pose can be deadly.” Often, online communities can be overlooked in their tangible danger. And that’s understandable, it’s easy to think that exploring online trends, especially communities like incelism that stereotypically reside on the fringes of society, will have no impact on their behavior. But as Williams highlighted, underestimating these exact communities is what makes them so dangerously alarming.

Gymcel Trends on TikTok and Their Impact

The gymcel trend is alive and well on TikTok. Creators with Marvel-style proportions and bulging veins post videos documenting their workouts, interspersed with alarming anti-women (or anti-everyone) messages. They attract tens or even hundreds of thousands of views and comments.

One TikTok gymcel trend is the Sigma Male video. Dictionary.com defines a Sigma Male as “a popular, successful man but highly independent and self-sufficient. Another term for a Sigma Male is a lone wolf.” Patrick Bateman from American Psycho and Walter White from Breaking Bad are two of the most idolized Sigma Males.

While Bateman and White had very different trajectories in their stories, what they shared was a alarming descent into isolation accompanied by a growing rage that manifested in a disturbing and dangerous way. So when gymcels edit videos, overlaying their own image on sequences of these disturbed men, it’s… unsettling to say the least.

Some gymcels turn the camera away from themselves, including non-consenting subjects in their videos. In the content, gymcels film other people at the gym, criticizing them for doing exercises wrong, being overweight, being ugly, or all of the above.

What Is Gym Culture Supposed to Be?

For most gym regulars, it’s supposed to be a place where everyone feels supported and encouraged to work on themselves. But gymcels poison the atmosphere, fueling body insecurities and worse. If they continue, many people will start associating gym culture with eating disorders or bullying – instead of gym culture and health.

Overall, people start thinking that gymcels give a bad name to the gym culture and that simply stepping into a gym could label them as a gymcel. Unfortunately, these troubled bodybuilders are the reason why more and more people feel that gym culture is awkward when it should simply be a place to focus on becoming the best version of oneself.

The gymcel culture is not only problematic for the gym community but also has broader implications for how we perceive masculinity and relationships between the sexes. It perpetuates harmful ideologies and reinforces negative stereotypes. It is crucial to recognize and counter these trends to promote a healthy and inclusive fitness environment.