Double take - oh it's me!

Flexem4me · #1 September 20th, 2004, 07:58 AM

A lurker emerges -

Catching a glimpse of hard, muscular arms or a pumped chest has always caused my heart to beat a little faster, and made my head jerk around perhaps a little faster than is adivsable. And the gym has always been an embarrassing feast for the eyes (and a little hard on the neck), with all the mirrors reflecting into different parts of the workout area.

But today I had the pleasant and surprising experience of seeing a pretty decent set of arms in the mirror, and when I craned around to see where the owner of this set of guns was, I realized it was me! What a surprise. I guess the extra dedication to diet and workout has started to pay off. Extra boost of motivation too. Gave me the courage to start posting on here - which has always seemed to be a very supportive group.

A real boost for my low self image!

jacestar · #2 September 20th, 2004, 12:03 PM

Hey, that's totally cool, I remember one day that happened to me I was changing after a work out at the gym and I just caught a good look at myself in the mirror, and was just like "wow, that's actually me"it's pretty cool, when you work out for a while and then look at yourself in the mirror and almost not recognize yourself, keep up the work

Flexem4me · #3 September 20th, 2004, 12:24 PM

Thanks, I was kind of excited myself.

The first post and the heading made me sound pretty stuck up, which is not at all the case, exactly the opposite in fact. I have a pretty poor (or at least critical) self image, and it did take me by surprise that I wanted a second look at my own arms. Guess that proves that we are much less hard on ourselves if we take an unprejudiced look...

Anyone else have this kind of experience?

Mdlftr · #4 September 20th, 2004, 04:32 PM

Good thread here! My first experience along this line was when I was goofing around on some playground equipment, after I'd been working out for a few months. There were some horizontal bars around a platform that I was trying to reach. I had to squeeze through the bars to get into the space I wanted to enter. I've always been really tall and skinny, so I thought nothing of sticking my head and shoulders between the bars and starting to squirm in.......no go.. so I pulled my head out and swung my arm and shoulder in between the bars. I got in partway, then I got stuck. As a I squirmed around, trying to get in, I realized that my pecs were firmly wedged OUTSIDE the bars! Whoa! As I kept squirming, I realized that I was really stuck, and that nothing ---holding my breath, blowing my breath out and trying to flatten my chest, more squirming--was going to let me get the meat of my chest in between those bars.

I got up, red-faced, but stoked! Lemme at that bench press!

optimusx · #5 September 20th, 2004, 05:44 PM

Mirrors confuse me

My gym covers their poles in mirrors, and since the space is oddly divided you often get glimpses of a reflection from a mirror, bounced off a mirror and then another mirror.

But yeah, sometimes when I'm not paying attention I do get a little shocked when I realize that it's me I'm seeing in the mirrors. Then of course the engineer in me goes into full swing and I'll sit there and mentally calculate the distortion that is occuring based on my location relative to the mirror reflecting the original image. In the end i just smile since either way it was an ego booster for a short while.

Scott

Lucas88 · #6 September 21st, 2004, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flexem4me

Thanks, I was kind of excited myself.

The first post and the heading made me sound pretty stuck up, which is not at all the case, exactly the opposite in fact. I have a pretty poor (or at least critical) self image, and it did take me by surprise that I wanted a second look at my own arms. Guess that proves that we are much less hard on ourselves if we take an unprejudiced look...

Anyone else have this kind of experience?

Not stuck up at all! There's a major difference between a little ego boost and an over-inflated ego. As long as you remember that skinny (or not so skinny) little kid you use to be, there's nothing wrong with appreciating what you've accomplished.

A while back I kind of bloated up with stress eating to 280 pounds AND IT WASN'T PRETTY! I was home-bound for a while and started working out (on a BowFlex, Brent...LOL) and dropped about 30 pounds. One of my first trips back into town after about 4 months or so, I was walking down the street and this guy across the street caught my attention...and damned if he didn't stop and start staring at me...it was my reflectionin a store window! Talk about feeling STUPID! Then I realized, hell, that felt good!

Later!

Notbigenuff · #7 September 21st, 2004, 10:43 PM

Yep, there's nothing quite like surprising yourself in the mirror or a store window--happened to me just the other day too. I don't know if it was the angle of how I was standing but I noticed how broad my chest and shoulders were compared to the guy I was standing next to--and I thought he was pretty well built! Nice ego boost (and motivating to keep at it).

ottomun6 · #8 September 23rd, 2004, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdlftr

.. I got in partway, then I got stuck. As a I squirmed around, trying to get in, I realized that my pecs were firmly wedged OUTSIDE the bars! Whoa! As I kept squirming, I realized that I was really stuck, and that nothing ---holding my breath, blowing my breath out and trying to flatten my chest, more squirming--was going to let me get the meat of my chest in between those bars.

Mdlfter,
Was that experience a while back? Because now I'm wondering how you'd look standing there with the bars after getting even beefier.

ottomun6 · #9 September 23rd, 2004, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notbigenuff

... but I noticed how broad my chest and shoulders were compared to the guy I was standing next to--and I thought he was pretty well built! Nice ego boost (and motivating to keep at it).

No doubt the guy probably thought to himself "Jeez, look at the size of this mother standing next to me!" Maybe he was too intimidated by your size to say anything. Sounds like the tables are turning for you Notbigenuff.

Notbigenuff · #10 September 23rd, 2004, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottomun6

No doubt the guy probably thought to himself "Jeez, look at the size of this mother standing next to me!" Maybe he was too intimidated by your size to say anything. Sounds like the tables are turning for you Notbigenuff.

I doubt he was intimidated as he is someone that I've known for a while and he is fully aware of my sweet and gentle nature...

And you are right, the tables may be turning--but I don't think I'll be changing my name to "bigenuff" anytime soon!

brent · #11 October 1st, 2004, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notbigenuff

...

And you are right, the tables may be turning--but I don't think I'll be changing my name to "bigenuff" anytime soon!

I have an odd feeling that few people here have a size that they would think of as "BigEnuff"...

tricepx · #12 October 2nd, 2004, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brent

I have an odd feeling that few people here have a size that they would think of as "BigEnuff"...

i will always remember that sweet day when i saw a pair of bouncing pecs in the mirror and did a double take when i realised they belonged to me...

ottomun6 · #13 October 2nd, 2004, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brent

I have an odd feeling that few people here have a size that they would think of as "BigEnuff"...

Hmm, maybe your next name will be "2DARNBIG4U"

brent · #14 October 3rd, 2004, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottomun6

Hmm, maybe your next name will be "2DARNBIG4U"

Wow, I hope I get to that point one day soon. Hell, I hope a bunch of us get there & we have to fight-out who gets that name!

Keep lifting!