Title: The state of mind of contemporary male gym-goers: goals, inspirations and motivations

Authors: Weng Marc Lim; Ding Hooi Ting; Angel Merzalia Shandy; Stephanie Kay Ann Cheah; Natalie Net-Ti Ooi; Nabilla Hana Azlan

Addresses: Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. ' Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. ' Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. ' Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. ' Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. ' Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract: Investment of effort and financial resources into enhancing and maintaining the physical state of the body is often attributed to cosmetics and beauty enhancement products in the women's market but is reported to differ for the men's market. Instead, such efforts were reported to take place in gyms as it engages men with facilities that enable the enhancement of body image and projection of body impression to others. While the increasing concerns to be physically attractive is obvious among contemporary men, the question of what are the underlying motivations that has transpire such vain sporting behaviours remains in the dark. The current research is quantitative in nature (using survey research and regression analysis) and attempts to fill in this gap by providing insights on the goals, inspirations and motivations that subsides in the mind of contemporary male gym-goers. Implications and recommendations from the research findings are also provided.

Keywords: contemporary men; physical attraction; health consciousness; media influences; body image; body satisfaction; gym patronage; contemporary males; goals; inspiration; motivation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2012.047143

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2012 Vol.11 No.3/4, pp.239 - 256

Received: 30 Sep 2011
Accepted: 10 Feb 2012
Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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