I really can’t put it any better than this guy does:

The chap whose video you just watched has been on teh YouTubez for a long time- if you look at his list of videos, it numbers in the thousands. And his content is solid; he’s an all-natural bodybuilder who is very freakin’ strong. While his accent and, shall we say, sometimes tenuous grasp of English is amusing at times, it doesn’t detract from the value of what he’s saying.

Masculine men must never, ever, ever apologise for being that way. It is our genetic inheritance and birthright. Those who would seek to tear us down because we want to become stronger, fitter, and better are nothing but imps and trolls, to be ignored for as long as possible, and then destroyed when that is no longer feasible.

If you are trying to get stronger, good for you. It’s worth the pain and sacrifice- even if it doesn’t always feel that way.

(As I write this, I’m nursing a very sore tendon in my elbow, which prevents me from straightening it properly, and a long-term injury in my left hip that prevents me from squatting too far below parallel. As a result, deadlifts and squats, my two favourite lifts, are very difficult to do properly right now. I know of what I speak.)

Masculinity is not something to be ashamed of. It is something to encourage, cultivate, and be proud of.