Costume ideas for a gym enthusiast

It’s that time of the year again where everyone dresses up as their favourite pop star or a scary monster, but a fitness enthusiast isn’t going to just cover up all of their hard work in the gym with some cheap plastic costume.
You’re going to want to show off the gains you’ve made over the past year. Here is some inspiration for you gym rats who want to show off your progress without looking like you’re trying too hard.
Superheroes: Every fitness buff’s true desire is to look better than other humans — we want to look superhuman.
So why not show off your muscles as Wolverine or Thor? Sure these might be popular, but they are for good reason: they are physical freaks. What will set you apart are the minor details in your costume, and of course, having a giant set of guns (meaning muscles of course, these two guys would never use guns).
Ladies, look no further than Wolverine and Thor’s close friends. Storm is always a great option. With the proper makeup, this costume can be a real showstopper. If you want to go for a more menacing look, Black Widow from the Avengers in her all-black jumpsuit can be quite the attractive costume idea.
Famous warriors: Know that saying “He went Rambo on his ass?” Well, there’s a reason that phrase caught on. Rambo is a universally known badass who will destroy anything the world throws at him. You don’t get that reputation without looking like a man-made machine. Like Rambo, being a Spartan warrior gives you a good excuse to walk around shirtless and show off your six-pack. You can’t go wrong with either. Both represent powerful beings no one wants to meet in a back alley.
Jacked cartoon characters: Cartoon characters have the unique gift of never needing to hit the gym. They can be as big as the cartoonist wants them to be. A guy like Johnny Bravo is slick with the ladies and can barely fit a T-shirt over his bulging muscles. All you need is a little black tee, some big muscles, a little hair gel, and you’re good to go. If you’d rather go for a more athletic, intimidating look, why not Goku from Dragon Ball Z? The guy looks like he works out 24/7, and karate attire always kicks the cool factor up a couple notches.
A little self-deprecation: You want to have a good time, but you also want to show off your muscles. A funny costume is a solid way to show off your hard work but still look as friendly as a teddy bear. Why not try being a gym rat? Wear your normal gym attire — maybe wash it a few times first — then attach a cute little mouse snout to your face. It’s clever, it’s funny, it shows off your beautiful body and it’s cute; it’s near perfect.
One very important don’t: Please do not dress up as anyone from Jersey Shore. Do you know how many Pauly Ds and Situations there will be and have been downtown Toronto the past few years? A lot, and half of them aren’t even in a costume. We get it. “Gym, tan, laundry.”
But the joke is over — it’s unoriginal and straight up lame now. Ladies, the Snooki and JWoww costumes are also played out now, and thank the gods for that. Unless you plan on making a complete ass out of yourself on Halloween, just stick to the suggestions above.
Ryan McCabe
Sports and Health Editor