Beer might be the sacred chalice of frat bros, backyard barbecues, and half-baked masculinity, but for me—and for the body I’ve spent over a decade sculpting into a homoerotic temple—it’s a hard no. Not because I don’t enjoy a good drink (I do, and I’ll get to my favorites), but because beer sits at the intersection of everything wrong with modern manhood: hormone sabotage, sexual suppression, and the lie that getting bloated in a lawn chair is somehow masculine.
Beer, Sex, and Bodybuilding: Why I Don’t Drink from the Patriarchy’s Cup – Bodybuilding 101 with Maxwell Alexander, MA(FIT)/BFA(SVA), Certified Bodybuilding Coach, Wellness Writer, Homoerotic Artist, and Master of the Post-Gym Thirst Trap – Longevity – Emotional Wellness – Presented by GUY STYLE MAG (18+)
If that sounds dramatic, good. This isn’t just a health article—it’s a reckoning.
Beer and the Death of Desire
Let’s get clinical for a moment. Beer is full of phytoestrogens—especially from hops—that have estrogen-like effects on the male body (source). Combine that with alcohol’s testosterone-suppressing qualities and its role in elevating cortisol (research here), and you’ve got a perfect storm of sexual self-sabotage.
As I explored in The Incredible Connection Between Bodybuilding and Sexuality, lifting weights isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s erotic, primal, and deeply connected to desire. Testosterone is the lifeblood of that energy. Without it, muscles deflate, sex drive dips, and your gym membership becomes nothing more than an expensive guilt trip.
Beer? It’s the liquid equivalent of a wet blanket thrown over your libido.
Man Boobs and the Myth of the “Dad Bod”
Let’s get something out of the way: yes, it’s natural for men to carry a bit more belly fat with age. Metabolism slows, hormones shift—but what’s not natural is the normalization of bulging guts and breast tissue as some kind of “charming” masculine archetype. That’s not aging gracefully. That’s hormonal neglect.
Beer, with its phytoestrogens and carb overload, is a major contributor to gynecomastia—aka man boobs. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s a visible sign that your hormonal balance is off. When testosterone drops and estrogen takes the wheel, your chest starts to soften in all the wrong ways. And no, calling it a “dad bod” doesn’t make it sexy or healthy. It just makes the problem socially acceptable.
The mainstream celebration of the dad bod—framed as this approachable, relaxed ideal—isn’t just about a soft stomach. It’s a smoke screen for what’s really happening: the slow hormonal unraveling of the modern male body. In my world, we don’t shame bodies, but we also don’t glorify dysfunction.
If you want strength, vitality, and a sex drive that doesn’t clock out by 7pm, it starts with ditching the beer—and the excuses that come with it.
But here’s where it gets cultural. Somewhere along the line, American men were told that getting soft and giving up was “relatable,” even sexy. Enter: the “Dad Bod” myth. We traded in lean, virile strength for cheap jokes about beer guts and erectile dysfunction commercials.
In Bodybuilding, Testosterone, and the Art of Longevity, I lay out what real masculinity looks like: discipline, desire, and decades-long vitality. Beer culture? It sells you slow decline disguised as relaxation.
The Queer Truth: We’re Not Afraid of Looking Hot
As a gay man, I’ve always had a complicated relationship with mainstream masculinity. It taught me that caring about your body was “vain,” that sensuality was “feminine,” and that enjoying your own reflection somehow made you weak. What a load of yeast with a gallon of estrogen.
In Bodybuilding for Gay Men, I talk about how stepping into the gym—and into the spotlight of my own aesthetic—isn’t about fitting in, it’s about breaking out. And let’s be honest: nothing screams liberation like wearing a jockstrap under a tailored suit and knowing exactly what’s going on underneath.
Beer culture tells men to dull their edges. My world? It’s about sharpening them—and then oiling them up for the photoshoot.
What I Drink Instead
Now let’s get to the fun part: I’m not a monk. I love to drink—but not in ways that compromise my hormones, sex drive, or physique.
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Hard Cider – It’s lean, clean, and comes without the hormonal baggage of hops. Plus, it tastes like orchard sex in a bottle.
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Hard Kombucha – Lightly fermented, rich in probiotics, and just edgy enough to feel like you’re drinking something your straight roommate would side-eye.
I drink for pleasure, not to check a box of performative masculinity. And when I raise my glass, it’s in celebration of muscles that took years to build, testosterone I fiercely protect, and sexuality I refuse to shrink to fit anyone’s idea of “normal.”
Final Sip
You don’t need beer to be a man. You don’t need hops to have a good time. You need hormones that work, muscles that move, and confidence that comes from knowing you’re living as the realest version of yourself. So next time someone hands you a beer, ask yourself:
Am I drinking for me—or for the men who want me to stay small?
I’ll toast to your freedom—but only if it comes in a glass of hard cider and tastes like rebellion.
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Maxwell Alexander is a natural bodybuilder, queer wellness coach, homoerotic art creator, and author at Hudson Valley Style Magazine, where he writes about testosterone, bodybuilding, sex, and smashing outdated gender norms with every rep.
