Media Influences on the Male Physique

A topic that is commonly talked about is the influence of media on the body of a woman, but it is not as common to talk about the same problem which have consequences on men. This has escalated since the increase of popularity of superhero films in which the lead male role is primarily jacked beyond belief with a six pack abs and large bulging arms. This then set a new “standard” for male figures in action style movies, which can also bleed into other genres as well.

This has brought an increased unhealthy standard for us as men to face; why can’t I look like Thor with my shirt off? We want to have that six pack and large arms, but seems like an impossible task for most all. But that is primarily because it almost is.

Many personal accounts from these actors detail the grueling work they had to go through and the dehydration and fasting they had to do before these shirtless scenes. One actor described it as torture, and reported he would never be doing another shot like this again. Most dread these shirtless scenes because lets face it, its not normal to look like this.

In order for your abdominal muscles to jut out like you see in movies and tv, the human body has to lack water and hydration, which generally softens or even covers the muscles. You can be in peak health, and not see any jutting out abs. Your body needs to feel good rather than just look good. Don’t compare your body to those you see on action characters, because they don’t even look like that 98% of the time.