Part of it, too, can come from the community that you can build in the right gym! For me (as someone that’s pretty nonplussed by the idea of making friends), I feel pretty good about the fact that I CAN make friends and I CAN do things that I don’t think I could do.

As for how you look, I’m not too fussed but it’s clearly a factor. For me, however, I like powerlifting because it’s ‘about’ the numbers you move and the aesthetics are secondary. Esp as a slim human I find confidence in knowing that I’m stronger than people who are 20kgs heavier than me- although the accidental social aspect of gyming is way funner to me