9 Gaming Protagonists Who Definitely Hit the Gym

Video game characters come in all shapes and sizes. You have characters like Mario, who is known for stomping on enemy heads, or Steve, who is known for his blocky texture and ability to lift an impossible amount of weight.

Have you ever put thought into the daily habits of these characters? Sure, some of them may be able to perform amazing feats of strength, but do they actually have the muscle to perform these feats? Which gaming protagonists can perform these absurd tasks and have the muscle mass to back them up by showing that they hit the gym in their off time?

Let's take a look at some gaming protagonists who efinitely hit the gym.

9 Chris Redfield

Punching Boulders

Let me give you a bit of background on Chris Redfield. He trained in the air force, and during this time, he learned to fly both planes and helicopters. Along with this, he retrieved training with guns and knives.

After the air force, Chris went on to join the Special Tactics and Rescue Service, also known as S.T.A.R.S. He was given the position of point man on alpha team. Since then, he has been through multiple bioterrorism attacks, fought countless zombies, and even punched a boulder or two into dust.

If there is anyone in all the Resident Evil series who has regularly gone to the gym to stay in top physical condition, it is Chris Redfield.

8 Little Mac

Boxers Need to Train

If you haven't played the original Punch-Out game, you aren't missing a lot except for one of the most fit characters in all of gaming, and that is Little Mac. This 17-year-old kid was discovered by Doc Louis one day, and quickly began training to be the best boxer out there.

Multiple training sequences later, and he was ready to take on some of the greatest boxers of all time, leading him to becoming the World Circuit Champion. He even went on to fight the legendary Mike Tyson.

Obviously, with how much Little Mac has trained, he hits the gym constantly, keeping up with his physique for the next time he has to defend his title against some other powerful, and possibly unnamed boxer.

7 Tifa

Squats and Pull-Ups

Tifa is one of the most iconic female protagonists in any video game, and she is beloved by many in the gaming community. She undoubtedly needs to be on this list because, well, you actively see her go to the gym.

When Tifa isn't punching bad guys and monsters, you can travel to the gym in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to challenge the bodybuilders to various physical tasks. These consist of tasks like pull-ups and sit-ups.

Tifa is such a fitness icon that she is rewarded with the knowledge that she single-handedly increased female gym memberships. If that doesn't show how much of a gym icon she is, I don't know what does.

6 Zangief

Swinging Around Heavy Weights

Zangief is one of the most massive characters in the entire Street Fighter franchise, and that is saying something, considering the franchise is known for having characters who could take down anyone in a fight.

Zangief, however, is the go-to character when it comes to training. In Street Fighter 6, you get some one-on-one time training with him. It is here that you see what he is capable of.

As you start your training, you learn to do pistol squats, and then you move on to using some small weights. Meanwhile, Zangief is performing these squats while holding massive dumbbells and swinging them around like they are nothing more than marshmallows.

Before anyone says Zangief isn't a protagonist, he can technically be chosen as a character for the main story of many Street Fighter titles, including Street Fighter 6.

5 Master Chief

Superhuman Without His Armor

Master Chief is best known for rocking the Mjölnir Powered Assault Armor, but he doesn't need that armor to prove that he is one of the strongest characters around. Good ol' Chief began training at the age of six.

During this time, he went through intense workouts that left his body beaten and worn down. The training lasted years, and by the end of it, Master Chief was able to lift hundreds of pounds with ease.

The suit may increase his strength beyond what it naturally is with only his augments, but there is no doubt that he has spent countless hours hitting the gym, and his body in an absolute unit because of it.

4 Commander Shepard

Record of 182

Commander Shepard is the well-known protagonist of the Mass Effect series, well, at least for the first three games. Anyway, being a commander in the Systems Alliance Navy, Shepard clearly has some training.

This training is tested at the Citadel in Mass Effect 3, where you can head to the gym for a friendly pull-up challenge. James Vega will tell you that his record is 182 pull-ups.

At this point, you can stick around and perform a grueling 183 pull-ups to beat this record. Of course, not just anyone can perform a feat of this magnitude, making it obvious that Commander Shepard hits the gym hard.

3 Lara Croft

Her Mansion Has a Gymnasium

Lara Croft is perhaps the most popular female protagonist of all time. She has been raiding tombs since 1996, which gives her an impressive 30-year track record in gaming.

It is obvious that Lara Croft hits the gym, as you access her personal gym in multiple Tomb Raider games. It famously acts as a tutorial area, and was redesigned as an obstacle course in a later title.

Obviously, someone doesn't just magically have the ability to perform impressive jumps and flips, so Ms. Croft needed to hit the gym at some point. At least now you know she doesn't need to travel far to train.

2 Agent 47

Lean, Mean, Killing Machine

Agent 47 from the Hitman series is known for his ingenious methods of killing hit targets, his superior stealth, and excellent disguise skills. Of course, being able to traverse maps, take out targets from a distance, and drag bodies around doesn't come naturally. He needs to train, and train he does.

Agent 47 has a safehouse in Hitman, and said safehouse is home to some of the gear he uses to keep in shape. Said safehouse has a personal gym with an exercise bike, treadmill, punching bag, dumbbells, and more.

Agent 47 even has a basketball hoop for when he feels the need to get a few shots in. Obviously, this killing machine keeps up with his workout routine so he can make each mission as easy as the last.

1 Zarya

Champion Weightlifter

Zarya is one of the many heroes that you can play as in Overwatch. She focused on weightlifting and bodybuilding in her early life, and even became a champion weightlifter. Oh, and she won competitions despite having a town trapezius.

All of that doesn't come easy, which is why she trained extensively for years. When she finally joined the defense force, she was given her particle cannon, which was deemed too heavy for any standard soldier to carry.

There are also plenty of mentions of Zarya hitting the gym in the comics, showing that she maintains her weightlifting power. She has to if she wants to consistently carry around that massive weapon.