Bulging biceps. Watermelon-sized shoulders. Abs so defined you could see them from outer space.
No, I’m not describing myself. Well, I guess I sort of am. I’m trying to describe the image in my head of the “ideal me.” I can’t tell you exactly when this image popped into my head, but I have a hunch about how it got there. It came from watching Batman effortlessly cream bad guys with his tree-trunk-sized arms. It came from reality TV shows where the super buff guy always ends up with the girl. It came from being overweight in middle and high school and all the negative attention that entails.
While I’m not saying watching TV is a sin, many shows and movies, plus my real-life experiences, hammered into me the unspoken message that real men are measured by the size of their muscles. And though it seems almost taboo for guys to talk about having a warped self-image, I’m guessing I’m not the only one.
