Has anyone else noticed a new-ish gym routine?
Sure, I’m in my 70’s (may I add “early?”), but certainly I’m not the only one who has recently noticed so many young men standing in a corner or – better yet – finding an empty classroom, taking their T-shirts off and shooting several selfies of themselves in weight-lift competition mode.
By that, I mean they are tilted to the side and flexing every muscle noticeable from their chests upwards.
This phenomenon has occurred so many times in the last several months that I wonder if there is a new ad somewhere online, recruiting young (and even not-so-young) men to submit photos for an electrolyte beverage or a deodorant ad.
My husband and I have been going to the gym consistently since 2015 (admittedly, late bloomers) and never noticed the above behavior until last year. What’s different?
Some women participate in this activity too, but it’s mostly men that we’ve seen.
While I haven’t done a direct-person survey, I’ve been reading about the phenomenon in different magazines and online sites.
One reporter suggested that a reason for the at-gym selfies is to track progress. A person can take a picture in April and see what, if anything, is different in August.
Another individual suggested that it can be used to make oneself proud of his image and the work completed to get to a certain look, thereby building self-esteem.
Then, there is the all-encompassing social media and the need to be validated from the outside world rather than just for yourself.
That would include getting “likes” on platforms that reward good-looking body photos with attention. It would also include fitting in, since many fitness influencers and friends post the same style of photos.
At first, we thought the whole thing was ridiculous, but we had to confront our own pasts at that age and our own antics.
Back then, young men had to have long hair and at least some facial hair to be considered cool.
Young women wore halter tops and Earth shoes to fit in. I remember that my biggest rebellion as a later teen was wearing a denim skirt to a wedding. It seems silly now but, then, I was asserting my “rights.” And then there was the no-bra policy, which we will quietly put to rest here.
Back to the current gym-selfie topic, perhaps we can look at some red flags surrounding the phenomenon.
They may include:
Constant posting: Sharing mirror flexes daily can come across as self-absorbed or attention-seeking;
Disrespecting others: Taking up equipment just for a photo shoot while blocking other members is poor gym etiquette; and
Using a shirtless gym selfie as the primary photo on a dating app may be viewed by users on social media as sign of shallowness or an over-focused ego.
The suffix “maxxing” also has become a part of our lexicon. It means to optimize, improve, or obsessively focus on a specific trait, habit, or activity to its absolute limit.
Quoting from AI: “Maxxing” spelling and suffix were popularized in the mid-2010s within online male subcultures, notably with “looksmaxxing” (optimizing physical appearance).
Mainstream & meme usage spread widely on social platforms. While it is often used genuinely for self-improvement goals, it is frequently used ironically or humorously for trivial everyday things.”
At our house, we often play Scrabble. I checked the official Scrabble dictionary (seventh edition), and the word “maxing” (one “x”) showed the definition as: “to reach the upper limit.”
It appears that, in our 2023 version of the dictionary, “maxxing” has not yet been accepted. Something tells me it will. However, since there is only one “x” tile in Scrabble, a player would have to use a blank tile to receive a correct score on that word.
I will truly date myself with this next reference. I lived in a city in the early 1980’s when male dance reviews were pervasive.
According to Wikipedia, “a Chippendales dancer is a male performer in the famous world-wide touring and resident dance troupe. They wear a signature costume of a bowtie, soft collar, and shirt cuffs on a bare torso. Shows feature high-energy choreography, acrobatics, and audience interaction.”
Back in that Cenozoic era, my co-workers and I attended a couple of these shows until we realized it would be in our better interest to get ourselves to a gym rather than watching a dozen or more men who, apparently, went every day.
I must disagree with a couple of friends who define flexing behavior as a symptom of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
The most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) was published in March 2022 by the American Psychiatric Association.
It defines Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.”
So what if guys want to flaunt their toned bodies? So what if they mostly want to do this for social media or any other reason?
Maybe it’s the former flower-child in me who does not see this activity as grandiose or lacking of empathy. Maybe the era of young people rolling around mostly naked in the mud at Woodstock in 1969 is enough “scandal” to last a lifetime.
Or another way to put it, I will reference author and journalist Frank Bruni’s sandwich board suggestion of walking around announcing one’s hidden struggles. He said his would read: “Compromised eyesight, Could go blind.”
Mine could state: “Former hippie, Trying to Maxx.”
Andrea Elise is an Amarillo resident and regular column contributor.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: At-gym selfies abound as more people flex | OPINION
Reporting by By Andrea Elise, Special to the Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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By Andrea Elise, Special to the Amarillo Globe-News | USA TODAY Network
