Bodybuilders Obsession with Mirrors3
FROM GYM TO STAGE
I don’t know why bodybuilders don’t know this, because it seems so obvious, but you should know about it. Implant this sentence into your mind: Whatever you look like in the gym, expect to look slightly less like that onstage. Your tan will be about 40% less, your definition will be 20% less, your density will be about 30% less. Okay, now that I’ve told you, I’ll now tell you why.
Regardless of the light sources in a gym, they are never as bright as they are onstage. Unless of course, someone is shooting a movie in your gym. Otherwise, the difference isn’t even close. Stage lights are super harsh, cut through your color like nothing, and show the judges everything. What you saw in the mirror on Friday suffers a serious meltdown on Saturday. Those mild gym lights treat your body better in the mirror than those harsh stage lights do during prejudging.
SEE REFLECTIONS ACCURATELY
Psychologists conducted a study whereby the subjects were placed in front of a grossly distorted mirror and then asked to correct the image until it resembled them most closely. They were shown how to manipulate two controls so that the mirror could change its shape. They were given as much time as was necessary to change the mirror’s shape and therefore master the task. Keep in mind that none of these people were mentally deficient. The result? The subjects tended to choose a reflection that represented more of a mental picture than a realistic one. They "enhanced" their looks, for example, by pulling receding jaws forward or pushing protruding ones backward. In short, they "corrected" themselves.
As a whole, bodybuilders are a bit more critical than the average citizen. This has to be the situation if improvement is to occur. However, it seems quite clear that, regardless of the lighting, time of day, or the shape some bodybuilders are in, they’ll only see what they want to. If you suspect that you may be one of these types, don’t worry. Ask someone with a known reputation for telling it like it is for a critique, and you’ll probably start winning contests.
SOLO SYMMETRY
Assuming everything is ideal, you can still look into the mirror and fall prey to a common mistake. So common, in fact, that you can’t really call it a mistake. It happens when you look into the mirror and simply assess yourself without comparison to someone beside you. This is also very likely to occur if you’re the only one in your gym getting ready for a show. As soon as someone who’s out of shape attempts to stand beside you, you’ll blow him away. Consequently, you’ll appear "extra" freaky. In essence, you are standing alone when you look in that mirror, you are doing a solo assessment. This can be dangerous because you have nothing substantive to compare yourself to.
When you go to that show, you may suddenly feel that you need some more size, or better symmetry or even deeper separation, simply because you now have someone to compare yourself to. Worse yet, many bodybuilders cannot see how they look standing in a lineup, so even though they may be contest ready but don’t place well because of some structural flaw, they start blaming the judges. After all, they flash back to how they looked in the gym mirror and how often everyone said "You’re gonna win." Assessing your physique from a solo standpoint requires a strong piece of advice: Make sure you know what you’re doing, and that means how you stack up as well.
I’ve reflected on many valuable points for bodybuilders, so consider them well for future successes. And remember, when you spot a competitor at a show who’s huge, cut, full, separated, dense and deeply tanned, you can confidently tell yourself, "It’s all done with mirrors!"
