Active5 signs you’re turning into a gym ratLook out for these tell-tale signs before it’s too late!When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Active5 signs you’re turning into a gym ratLook out for these tell-tale signs before it’s too late!When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Look out for these tell-tale signs before it’s too late!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Getty images)

Determined muscular guy looking in the mirror in the gym before his dumbbell workout commences

(Image credit: Getty images)

It’s too late; you’re already a gym rat. Your transformation is complete. You are one of the chosen ones, a person whose life will revolve around the gym from now on. Your snack will beprotein powdermixed withweight gainers, washed down with aprotein bar. You’ll be curlingdumbbellsbefore breakfast, pressingbarbellsfor lunch and doingpush-upsfor dinner.

Not sure if you’re a gym rat just yet?  Look out for the below tell-tale signs before it’s too late!

1. You check your physique in any reflective surface

You did your research and know how crucial the muscle-mind connection is, so you make sure to stare at the mirror continuously while in the gym. Even the slightest movement of your arm is etched into your nervous system; you canseeyour biceps growing as you curl that E-Z bar.

But it doesn’t stop there. You are now a gym rat, and your reflection is your best friend, so you’re looking at it on every reflective surface: a polished cabinet door, a car’s glossy paint, water in a brook. You stopped caring about whether people find you weird for flexing in front of turned-off Macbooks in the Genius Bar; all that matters is that you can see your veins poppin' in the dark grey box of the display.

Whatever it takes to get your fix!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Midsection of female chef packing food on kitchen counter in restaurant

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2. Refuse to have a meal that contains less than 20 grams of protein

People use messaging apps on their smartphones the most, but not you. The first app you open after you wake up is MyFitnessPal to check what your first meal of the day is and what time you are supposed to have it.Counting macrosis your second nature, and you can’t imagine having a meal that doesn’t contain at least 20-25 grams of protein.

Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox

Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts

Ordinary people might have lunch whenever, but you’ll have it precisely three hours after you had your mid-morning meal of rice, chicken, and broccoli, even if you’re on the move or in a middle of a meeting. Nothing matters but supplying your muscles with the right macronutrients at the right time to maximise muscle-building potential. =

3. No hair is allowed on your body

Hair is the ultimate evil. It started with shaving your hair, then moved on to removing any hair from the legs and chest, too. Lately, you have started shaving your body from top to bottom; it might take longer to get ready in the morning, but it’s the least you can do to emphasise those muscles as much as possible.

You also started visiting tanning saloons because, without the hair, your body started to look a bit too… pale. You know tan beds are terrible for the skin, but so is looking like a bright-white glow stick in an underground cave. And just like a hairless body, the tan helps you display those guns and pecs more efficiently. Perfection.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Person performing a sumo deadlift in a gym

(Image credit: Getty Images)

4. ‘I’ll do leg day next week’

Leg days are theworst. People won’t ever notice your legs, andDOMSis just terrible to experience on a weekly basis – hence why you decided to do leg day next week. Strangely, you made the same decision last week and the week before. As a matter of fact, you can’t remember the last time you had a full-on leg session; it could have been last month or a year ago, for all you know.

Nevermind! You’re sure you’ll get around to working on those toothpicks eventually. You must get a couple more pecs and arm sessions out of the way first. And once you get to a point where your upper body is big enough, you’ll focus on the legs. Soon. Maybe next year. Or the year after.

5. Your last rest day was 6 months ago

Rest days are necessary – or so do people say who don’t want to grow muscle. You, a pro, know very well that you can train pull muscles one day and push muscles the other day, giving each group at least 24 hours of rest before you hit themhardagain. Rest days are for losers and people with no discipline. You’re different from them. You’rebetterthan them.

It doesn’t matter that even pro athletes sometimes have off-season; you know your body and your limits and are happy to hover around the thin line that separates hard work from getting injured. Sure, sometimes you overwork yourself and tear a muscle or two, but it’s just the name of the game. Injuries are temporary. Gains are forever.

Samsung Galaxy S25 family leaked

Samsung Galaxy S25: every leak, rumour and spec we’ve heard before the launch eventThis is everything we’ve heard about the new handsets

This is everything we’ve heard about the new handsets

Astropad Bookcase – girl reading

This case turns your iPhone or Android phone into an e-reader, but there’s a catchActually, there are a couple…

Actually, there are a couple…