Paul Brian
Would you like to be a badass guy who everyone respects and women are highly attracted to?
(Apologies if, like me, you already are in this category).
If not, read on and check out this list of 21 hobbies that will help transform you into the man you’ve always dreamed of being.
21 badass hobbies for guys (the only list you need)
Pick three of these hobbies and try them.
You’ll thank me later!
1) Woodworking
Wood is all around us, and it’s great.
Woodworking is one of the best badass hobbies for guys and what’s even better is that the products of your creativity can make great gifts.
Whether it’s a statue or a crafted setting for the table, woodworking can be a great way to work with your hands and feel connected to the world.
It is also timeless: what could be more classic than a man with some wood and a knife?
2) Winter sports
If you’ve ever been skiing or snowboarding then you know the joy of flying down the slopes with the wind whipping past you…
…And the comfort of enjoying a cup of hot chocolate after in the ski lodge.
If you’ve never been, try it out!
Don’t worry, they have bunny hills for beginners, and nobody’s going to laugh (although your ass might get sore from falling down at first).
3) Weightlifting
When it comes to the best badass hobbies for guys, I’d be remiss in not mentioning weightlifting.
I know that for me, lifting weights has been a godsend: a place for me to channel frustration, build discipline, get in shape and surpass challenges, and gain self-confidence.
Working out can be a bit like washing dishes: when you think of it you may feel resistance or desire to put it off.
But once you’re in there pumping iron there’s a certain special zone that every gym rat knows. To sum it up in one word, it’s the feeling of knowing you’re a winner.
4) Car restoration
Restoring cars deserves to be very high on any list of badass hobbies for guys.
Not only is it a lot of fun, you learn a ton!
And you get to spend more time doing something very rewarding that makes you into a happier, more committed person in life.
Of course, when it comes to living the life you want to live, it’s easier said than done.
That’s what I love so much about restoring cars: it puts your ideas and blueprint into action and you even get to see and experience the finished result.
Another thing which I highly recommend to set actionable life goals is the program Life Journal, created by the highly-successful life coach and teacher Jeanette Brown.
Jeanette shows you how to turn your goals into reality and stop wasting time and energy going in the wrong direction.
She puts you back in the driver’s seat of your own life and hands you the keys.
Click here to learn more about Life Journal.
5) Brew beer
Brewing beer is a lot of fun.
I did it myself one summer, and I can say that while it may not have made me more of a man, it definitely resulted in a more manly beer belly.
All joking aside, learning to brew is a timeless tradition and it’s also very interesting.
You can buy a kit online or at your local home-brewing store.
If wine’s more your speed, I recommend trying that out as well!
6) Skeet shooting
Skeet shooting is a manly hobby if there ever was one, although there are also some amazing female skeet shooters out there as well such as Olympian Danka Bartekova.
Essentially, you stand with a shotgun and fire at a disk that is fired out.
This is almost a kind of meditation and also greatly improves your hand-eye coordination, muscle memory, and sense of timing.
Check it out and look around for a skeet shooting club near you.
7) Hunting
From their earliest days straight outta the cave, men have been hunting.
While hunting endangered species or hunting for sport is highly controversial and offends some, hunting for food is a long and respected tradition stretching back to our earliest roots.
Living in northern Canada in the province of Saskatchewan I developed a deep respect for hunting, particularly among the local indigenous people for whom it was a way of life.
As one friend told me, a single moose would produce enough meat to freeze and feed his family for months.
8) Motocross
Those crazy guys jumping over cars on motorbikes can look intimidating, but motocross also has a beginner level as well.
Think of yourself zipping along a trail all safely kitted out but also with a slight hint of danger.
What could make you feel like more of a man?
Motocross is great, though sometimes expensive, sport. Check it out!
On a related note, motorbiking in general is a very badass hobby for guys.
9) MMA
Mixed martial arts are one of the best badass hobbies for guys that I can recommend.
For that matter, any fighting sport is a great idea as long as you stay safe and focus on building skill step by step.
Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, UFC style grappling and MMA are all excellent options, as well as taekwondo or any other opportunity you can find in your community.
Join a club and take it out on the mat.
10) Muddin’
Muddin’ is especially popular in the American south and the beauty of it is that it’s really simple.
You get in a truck with four-wheel drive and you drive around in a muddy field and spray mud everywhere while hooting and hollering, and maybe while blasting some really cheesy country.
Just don’t get stuck, and put some boards and gravel in the back in case you do!
11) Trail riding
Have you ever dreamed of being a cowboy riding his horse on a trail as the stars twinkle down on you?
Maybe you have a special lady by your side, or maybe you’re more of the lonesome cowboy type.
Either way, learning to ride is an excellent and very badass hobby, especially if you buy some cool cowboy boots and a hat to go along with it.
Let’s ride.
12) Rafting
White water rafting and all kinds of rafting are some of the best badass hobbies for guys that I can think of.
You get on a raft, grab a paddle and ride the rapids.
Just make sure to be fully geared out and start out on lower-rated rapids. You don’t want to take too hard of a tumble (at least not right away).
13) Paintballing
Growing up I had neighbors who were obsessed with paintballing.
They also raised llamas, and evidence of their love for the sport could sometimes be seen in colorful displays on the flanks of said beasts.
I never quite got the draw: firing balls of paint that explode? What could be so fun about that?
Well, quite a lot actually!
Once I finally went paintballing with them I saw why they loved it so much. It’s a real adrenaline rush, and you get a fun and tangy experience of what it’s like to defeat your enemies face to face (with a mask and jock on!)
14) Coaching
Have you ever thought of coaching a sports team?
It’s one of the best badass hobbies for guys. It’s also a big responsibility and commitment.
But you can also think about becoming an assistant coach.
Pick your favorite sport and go for it: a criminal check, a quick chat with the league, and you’re in!
So, what will it be? Hockey, baseball, Aussie rules football? Maybe tennis?
15) Be a blacksmith
Blacksmiths still exist! At least as a hobby.
If you’ve never pictured yourself hammering a red-hot chunk of iron, now’s the time to give it a thought.
Blacksmithing is a lot of fun, and if you’re ever out of work you can show up at the local Renaissance fair and be a blacksmith carny (hopefully with an epic beard).
16) Learn to dance
Dancing as a badass hobby for a guy? Absolutely!
Whether it’s ballroom, tango, salsa, samba, or anything else, learning to dance is an extremely valuable and enjoyable skill.
Plus, it makes you an even bigger catch for whatever lucky lady gets her hands on you!
17) Get your grill on
Grilling goes back to man’s earliest roots and it also has very tangible rewards.
Tasty steak, shish kebabs, burgers, and hot dogs are calling your name…
The key implements are barbecue and grilling tools along with seasoning and hopefully a few friends or neighbors to invite over.
Take up grilling, it’s grill-tastic.
18) Learn to tattoo
Tattooing has a fascinating global history. It has long existed in many indigenous cultures as a mark of rites of initiation and tribal roles and gained popularity in Western society through the army, navy, and prison culture.
Tattooing is now something that many people love to do and have done on them, especially in places here like Brazil where I currently live.
If you take an interest in tattooing, it’s a very badass hobby you can consider taking up with a medium-sized investment in equipment and inks.
If you’re not quite ready to take that big of a step yet, start out by sketching tattoo ideas in a notebook and chat with a tattoo artist to see what he or she thinks of your inky inclinations.
19) Leatherwork
Are you a fan of leather?
I think it can be pretty cool, especially red leather pants and blue suede shoes.
Leatherwork is a pretty great hobby to do as a guy, and it will impress the heck out of people around you.
Plus you can learn to craft some very unique fashions for much less money than buying them in the store.
If you’ve always been into leather, think about becoming a leatherworker in your spare time and making yourself a leather jacket that’s exactly what you’ve always dreamed of.
20) Keep bees
Beekeeping is a very excellent hobby, plus you’ll be doing your part to pollinate our planet.
With bees dying out in many places, beekeeping is a useful and humanitarian gesture that keeps crops growing and protects our buzzing buddies.
Don’t worry about getting stung either, with the right equipment you won’t be getting stung.
But you will be able to collect some delicious and healthy honey!
Consider beekeeping if you’re looking for a new hobby that’s relatively inexpensive to get into.
21) Playing music
One of the most badass hobbies for guys is to learn to play music.
The choice of instrument is entirely up to you: it doesn’t need to be typically masculine instruments like drums or electric guitar.
You could take up cymbals, harmonica, or piano. Or you could even invent a new instrument of your own, or try out playing the washboard and play in a zydeco band!
The key to music is practice, of course, which is something I’m still working on mastering myself.
Wanting immediate results has always been a hindrance of mine.
This in and of itself is a good exercise in self-discipline and consistency. What’s even better is that once you can play the music you have a consistent ability to bring joy into the lives of people around you.
Putting it all together
I suggest picking a few of the above hobbies and trying them out!
If one’s not for you or proves too expensive or difficult, try a different one.
The great thing about hobbies is that you can always try something new and you’ll never get bored or complain about having nothing to do again!
Trying hobbies really is underrated, and I highly recommend any man looking to find his way in life to try out a new hobby and see where it takes him and what new friendships it leads to.
