Posing for Pleasure and Motivation!
When I started at the gym I’d see well-built guys flexing their biceps in front of the mirror and I’d think ‘what an ego they have’ or ‘they must think they’re some hot piece of stuff to be doing that in public’. Almost four years later I now find myself occasionally flexing my own biceps at the gym, and wanting to do more!
For most of my life, the mirror has not been my friend. I’d avoid looking at my body, since all I could see was the flab. I felt ashamed and guilty, since I knew in my heart that I could do better. I’d also see bodybuilders on television and in magazines, and I’d wonder what was motivating them to make their body look so different from most other people. I just didn’t see what the big attraction was about muscles, and it went against my way of thinking about life to want to stand out from other people. I’d see them them flexing and posing and think they it was mainly just showing off. It wasn’t a sport in my mind like baseball or hockey.
I started working out almost 4 years ago and since then my attitude about my body and bodybuilding in general has totally changed. As my body began to transform I started to feel better about how I looked and those positive feelings have increased over time to the great feelings of pride and accomplishment I have today. Three months ago I discovered bodybuilding.com. I have spent a lot of time reading and learning about weight lifting and nutrition. I have been able to improve my results significantly, and the progress I’ve made motivates me to keep working hard.
I’ve looked at a lot of the photo galleries and have been inspired by the transformations and muscular bodies I’ve seen. I have felt a sense of community by reading about other members’ struggles and accomplishments. It’s great knowing there are thousands of people out there just like me and that they are succeeding in reaching their goals. I know I can too.
I’ve learned about posing too. Many of the photos show people in various stages of fitness posing their different muscles. I watched videos on the site showing the basic poses used in competition and giving tips on how to pose. I found in very interesting, but since I’m not interested in competing I didn’t really give it much thought.
Then, one day not too long ago, something amazing happened. I was standing in front of a full length mirror about to get dressed when I stopped and took a really good look at my body. Stopping to gaze at myself is not something I ever would have done in days gone by, but at that moment I felt extreme pride in myself. I’ve made significant progress over the last three months thanks to better workouts and nutrition, and that progress really caught my eye that day. I could see my muscles starting to get some definition, and the body fat left on my stomach was the least I could remember it in 20 years. Feeling proud, I flexed my biceps. It felt good! I then proceeded to try several of the basic poses and I really liked what I saw! The flexing and stretching required by posing made my muscles feel like they were coming alive! Those movements are a type of workout in themselves, and the way my body felt that day was something I had never experienced before. Posing improves circulation, flexibility, muscle tissue health, and gives more physical benefits that others more qualified can explain better than I can. I just know that something that feels so good and me makes me feel good about myself can’t be ignored!
Now, I pose a little every day since it feels so great and for the first time in my life I always get positive feelings when I look at my body. I still have a long way to go in my body transformation, but posing has added a new dimension to the bodybuilding lifestyle that I am trying to lead. It’s something I can do to make me feel good even on the days I don’t go to the gym. Through posing I can see the continued changes in my body like never before. Posing acts as a great motivator for hitting the gym again and for sticking to my food management strategies.
If you’ve never tried posing, you’re missing out an a beneficial activity that will increase your motivation. Start flexing those biceps and celebrate your progress!
