Basic Trope: Someone exercises alongside another character who is much fitter than them, and the difference in athletic ability is obvious.
- Straight: The slender nerd Carl feels like a wimp lifting his much smaller weights alongside the jacked bodybuilder Ethan.
- Exaggerated: Carl can barely lift 10-pound weights while Ethan is breezily bench pressing two plates.
- Downplayed: Carl and Ethan are running a marathon. Ethan sprints to the finish line while Carl starts slowing down around 3/4 of the way through before finishing. He's a little envious of Ethan's good time but knows they both did well by finishing.
- Justified: Ethan is Carl's personal trainer, so he is naturally in much better shape and more competent than Carl. Doesn't stop Carl from feeling bad about it, though.
- Inverted: The strong Ethan feels guilty about lifting weights and showing off next to the weaker Carl.
- Subverted: Ethan tries to humiliate Carl by sitting next to him and lifting heavy weights. Little does he know, Carl has Super-Strength and easily outlifts Ethan.
- Double Subverted: But then Ethan says "I Am Not Left-Handed" and proceeds to lift Carl, alongside the weights he is carrying.
- Parodied: ???
- Zig-Zagged: ???
- Averted: Everybody has similar fitness levels.
- Enforced: Emasculation is a part of Carl's character arc, so the producers suggest adding a scene where he feels that he isn't as manly as the strong guys at the gym.
- Lampshaded: ???
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: Ethan consciously lifts next to weaker guys to make himself look stronger and get girls.
- Defied: Carl goes to the gym very early in the day to avoid the rush hour sure to be filled with fitness nuts.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
Back to Outclassed at the Gym
