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Are you looking to impress friends, a date, or people at work? Do you want everyone to notice your hard work in the gym without seeming like an arrogant jerk? Take these less obvious routes to get them to see the "gun show!"
How to Showcase Your Muscles Discreetly
Lift your shirt to wipe your face to show abs, fold your arms so your chest and biceps pop, or pretend to stretch. Roll up your sleeves and wear fitted clothes in professional settings or wear a smaller T-shirt and shorts in casual places. Tailor your workouts toward the muscles you want to show off.
Steps
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Do a face-wipe. Is it a little bit hot out today? Wipe your face with the bottom of your shirt to show off the ab muscles. Make sure you have them flexed before you lift your shirt. Be careful you don't get a lot of sweat on a cotton tee-shirt or else everyone will notice a big wet spot when you lower your top!
- This move works well in the gym when you don't have a towel handy.
- Be sure that your target audience is nearby and in your line of sight.
- Make the motion quick but deliberate so it doesn't seem rehearsed.
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Perform an arm-fold. Slowly fold your arms across your chest and push your wrists upwards a little bit.
- This move accentuates both your biceps and, if you're wearing short sleeves, your forearms.
- An arm-fold is a strong body language move. It conveys confidence!
- It's also a movement that can be held for several minutes without seeming intentional.
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Pretend to stretch, yawn, or scratch the back of your head. This also shows off all the muscles in your arms. Because it's such a quick motion, save it for moments when you want to get the maximum effect from whoever is watching.
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Interlock the fingers of both arms. If you're wearing a T-shirt or tight-fitting top, interlock your fingers while facing the target audience. For extra flexing, keep your fingers interlocked and flip your hands around so that your palms face outward.
- This pose shows off a combination of muscle groups in the upper body and makes you appear larger than normal.
- It can be performed while standing or sitting down.
- For added effect, raise your arms and turn the move into an overhead stretch.
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Lean and shift your weight to turn your body into a work of art. Lean against a wall with one arm fully extended and the palm of your hand flat against the surface. Bend your hips just a little bit.
- Supporting your upper body with your arms holds your triceps muscles in a constant
- Standing with all of your weight on one leg bends your body into a slight curve. This curve of your body is called contrapposto and is a pose used by artists for thousands of years!
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Pay attention to your walk. When you land on your left foot, your left leg should be straight and supporting most of your weight. At the same time, your right leg should be naturally bent. It may take some practice to make this look natural and unrehearsed.
- When done right, it makes your quad muscles tense just before you land on your foot, causing your leg muscles to bulge when you walk. If done wrong it just looks awkward and jerky.
- This works best if you are wearing knee-length shorts, or tight pants in a thin material or light color.
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Dress professionally while still looking fit. A suit, shirt, and tie can make even the fittest man look boxy and shapeless. A few easy tricks can show off your physique in the office without resorting to a pricey tailored suit:
- Remove your jacket and hang it on the back of your chair. That's one less bulky garment between your build and your coworkers' eyes.
- Long day at the office? Roll up the sleeves of your button down shirt to show off a bit while you get work done.
- Men's' jeans and slacks of come in different cuts and styles. Find a pair that is your size but will show everyone your muscular thighs. Ditch the straight leg and relaxed fits for a boot cut or tapered leg.
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Dress to show off that bod while you're out on the town. When you go out with friends or on a date, it's best to strike a balance between comfort and a fit snug enough to get attention. Avoid clothes that are so tight they look painted on. Not only are they less comfortable, but it could also look like you're trying too hard to get noticed.
- Wear a tee shirt that's a size lower than what you usually wear. If you're a large, go for a medium. V-neck tees are also a good way to show off your chest definition.
- Tank tops are a good way to put your arms, shoulders, and chest on display. Even in colder weather, wear a tank top under an open button-down shirt to show off a little chest definition.
- If you've really been hitting leg days hard, show off with a short bathing suit at the beach. Board shorts are popular but don't show off anything above the knee. Try some shorter, square cut trunks instead.
- Does cold weather gear make you feel bulky in the worst way? Keep the heavy winter coat around for the dead of winter, but in cool autumn weather just layer your upper body with some long sleeve tees or thermals.
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Maintain your image to complement your physique. You may have the muscles, but other features can distract from your bulk if left unchecked. Make other features complement, not compete. Do your best to keep your image clean cut.
- Intensify your level of hygiene, especially if you work out all the time. Shower every day and shave as often as you need to.
- Some scruff is okay, but keep beards neat and trimmed. Unkempt facial hair will draw attention away from your build.
- Get a haircut. Hairstyles come and go, but short or trimmed hair is usually a look more associated with athletic guys.
- Get some new eyewear. Instead of staring at your guns, people might be starting at your thick Coke bottle glasses. Contact lenses or Lasik eye surgery are options if you're tired of glasses.
- A well-placed tattoo on a bicep or shoulder is a feature that will help draw eyes toward your arms.
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A confident attitude may be the most subtle yet powerful way to show off your muscles. Body language speaks volumes. Don't shrink your body by slouching. Stand up straight and pull your shoulders back. Look people in the eye when you talk to them. When combined, these small actions let others know that you are someone worth noticing!
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Put in extra time working on muscles that stand out. If there's a feature of your build that you want to accentuate, really focus on it at the gym! The quickest and most effective way to really build up a specific muscle is to target it with isolation exercises. [1] X Research source An isolation exercise uses one muscle group almost completely. The movements isolate one muscle so it is doing all of the work to lift a weight.
- Isolate a muscle that you're already proud of and would like to pump up even more!
- Isolation exercises are the opposite of compound exercises, which require the use of multiple muscles and joints at once. [2] X Research source
- Most experts recommend starting a workout with compound exercises first, followed by isolation exercises that zero in on one specific muscle. [3] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Focus on isolating one muscle group at a time. Devote about 4 weeks per area to really see results.
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Blast your triceps. When it comes to big arms, biceps get all the glory. But a double bicep flex is also an obvious, over-the-top way to show off your muscles. Biceps and triceps are opposing muscle groups; when one is working and flexing, the other is relaxed. [4] X Research source The secret to noticeable arms is your triceps - when you stand with your arms at your sides, triceps are the ones doing the flexing! Work them hard in the gym with dips:
- Grasp each parallel dip bar with one hand, palms facing inward.
- With your feet suspended in the air, slowly lower your body by bending your elbows. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Press upward to raise your body back to the starting position where your arms are fully extended. That is one repetition, or rep.
- Perform 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
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Build up your chest. A ripped chest is a physical feature that is noticeable with or without a shirt. You'll see a lot of guys in the gym waiting in line for the bench press just to get those perfect pecs. It's a time honored compound exercise, but fly's are a chest isolation exercise:
- Lie with your back flat on a bench with a dumbbell in both hands. Hold the dumbbells over your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells toward your sides, keeping your elbows bent. Stop when your elbows stick out in an "L" shape away from your torso.
- Raise the dumbbells back up until your arms are fully extended over your chest. That's one rep.
- Perform 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Changing the slope of the bench while doing dumbbell fly's will isolate different areas of the pectoral muscles. Use a bench with an adjustable angle.
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Tone your calves. Your legs have a lot of different muscles, but most people only see them below the knee when you're wearing shorts. Your calves are the most visible part of your legs during warm weather and in the gym. Get them toned and defined for next summer by doing calf raises:
- Sit on a bench, box, or chair holding a dumbbell on top of each knee.
- Keep the dumbbell still and slowly raise your knee until your lower leg is on tiptoe.
- Lower the knee until your foot is flat on the floor again. Repeat the motion with your other leg. That's one rep.
- Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg.
- Unlike a lot of other muscle groups, for best results you only need to devote one exercise in your workout to calves. [5] X Research source
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Strengthen your back. Back muscles don't often get a lot of whistles and second looks, but they serve a crucial role. The best back exercises have a positive effect on your posture. [6] X Research source A strong back will help you stand up straight and show off a lot of other muscles in the process! Good posture also makes you appear more confident to others. Try this classic barbell row:
- Lean forward with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. To help keep your back flat, raise your head and look forward.
- Hold a barbell in an overhand grip with your hands about shoulder width apart.
- Slowly pull the barbell upward until it touches your belly. Do your best to keep your elbows tight against your body while you pull.
- Lower the bar back down to the starting position. That's one rep.
- Perform 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhy are the pictures only of guys? Some girls might have muscle, too, you know!MaxTheGamer 001Community AnswerYes, that is true. The author of this article chose which images to insert. Men are naturally stronger and bigger than women, so while women have muscles, using images of men recognizes the fact that it is mostly men who do bodybuilding.
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Warnings
- Don't neglect any of your muscles when weightlifting. Compound exercises and isolation exercises are meant to be used together.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about physical fitness, check out our in-depth interview with Dean Theriot .
References
- ↑ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/4-training-mistakes-that-might-be-hindering-your-muscle-growth.html
- ↑ http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/teenage-weightlifting-guide
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445252/
- ↑ http://www.ifafitness.com/book/kinesiology.htm
- ↑ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw50.htm
- ↑ http://www.askthetrainer.com/best-back-exercise/
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