You could say just generally that all things are done for status, but of course it's a combination of everything, since anything you are dedicated to is something that you get something out of: achievement, appearance, attention from others, etc. Since there is some truth to the simple evo bio idea of live/procreate/die, you can always appeal to that.The same can be said about getting fit, or many other aspects of the choices men make in the modern world. The truth is, most things men do are for women, whether they admit it or not. The whole self-improvement thing is kind of a joke, because it always has an ulterior motive, and so it's not really self-improvement, it's just an ego trip. The entire reason most men go to the gym is for women (or men).
I will say, I do like the definition of masculinity as being/having a mindset of outcome independence. Still, your actions have to be rightly directed.
It's an important point. Anything else is a distraction from who you actually are, at least in this veiled world, and testifies to something you inherited - good, bad or ugly.One last point, many people seem to think our bodies aren't "us" but merely contain "us", but we are as much our bodies as anything else, in some sense we are our bodies.
By the way, even those that know they'll never look all that good, might still exercise for feelings or energy, or with the hope of added longevity.