We all have that one friend who seems to be in a deep relationship with…themselves. Posting heaps upon heaps of shirtless pictures whether at the gym, home, or bathroom.
An embarrassing, narcissistic compendium made infinitely worse by a litany of ridiculous captions and hashtags #flexonem #fitnessmotivation #lookatmenowma. *Smh*
While you look at these pictures and ponder how they got onto your timeline and what you could do to possibly stop it, do some of you quietly admire the selfie generation’s courage and wish you had the figurative cojones to do the same?
After all you’ve been working out too and it isn’t for that upcoming triathlon.
Your inner self is telling you to just take the plunge and deal with the social backlash later, and the other voice is telling you, if you go down that route, there could be no coming back…
With that in mind, for all the men out there looking to market themselves with a little more subtlety, here are a few tricks for you to show off that newly honed gym bod without being ‘that guy’.
Strike the Right Poses
We know, you’re a man’s man, with most of your pictures looking like you just got arrested, selfies aren’t your cup of tea.
Truth be told, these are really easy to implement, no contouring required whatsoever.
- Fold your arms to highlight your guns. Combine with a soft smile; you don’t want it to look like you’re carrying one.
- Sit down half way on a bench and support your weight by extending your triceps. Quick tip, easy on the curls in the gym, while no doubt the bicep is one of the most popular muscles to work out, the triceps actually account for about 2/3rd of the arm.
- Try placing your arms behind your back and bring that chest out.
- Scratch the back of your head (with one hand), once again highlighting the arms and part of your chest
Taper To Fit
Time to refresh your wardrobe. Â Try and opt for stretch fit clothing, depending on your body type of course. Especially when it comes to pants, these are quite adaptable and look great for when bulking or cutting.
Kind of vague, but you will know when you find the right T-Shirts, shirts jackets, etc. Too loose, and that defeats the purpose of this entire exercise, but not too tight, gives off the impression that you’re trying too hard.
Lastly, when you do find them, hold on to them and consider purchasing extra.
Workout Snipits
Rather than the post workout bathroom selfies with your homeboys, take short vids or pics of you breaking your personal records…who’s going to know if you haven’t. You’re not showing off, you’re just “really proud of your accomplishments and want to share it with those close to you”. You just happen to be wearing a tight-fitted compression t-shirt while doing it…they’re really comfortable, you know.
Transformation Photos
Ah yes, the before and after photos… social media gold. Once again, just really proud of your accomplishments, and depending on how far you’ve come, you absolutely should be. Don’t worry about whether you’ve missed the boat, just dig up a couple of pictures from a couple years ago. They’re still relevant…
Pick Up A Fitness Related Hobby
Aside from gyming of course, as great as showing off your record breaking workout sessions may be, your timeline can get stagnant pretty quick if that’s all you’ve got. So why not get another hobby? It needs to be something you a) enjoy and b) puts your athletic ability and body on display.
Yes, that disqualifies paper mache art. Â For couples, try MMA, gymnastics, or calisthenics.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Ethan Zach.