Tag: Bodybuilding

The ‘Extrovert’ and The Arnold

The ‘Extrovert’ and The Arnold

davidpwahr

Back in 2011 I first went to the Arnold Sports Festival, affectionately know simply as “The Arnold,” and was in many ways awestruck. The event is huge and more over very crowded! I got it into my head that I wanted to go again this year. So, last Saturday off I went – along with a young man on my staff who has recently decided to give bodybuilding a try (and who, in my humble opinion, probably has better genetics and will power to succeed in bodybuilding than anyone else I’ve ever known – except for one other person who also, coincidentally, worked for me a few years ago. But, I digress…).

We got to Columbus without incident quickly found parking near the convention center and followed the crowd to the doors. There we found the convention center literally packed with people! I’ve seen smaller crowds at Big Ten football games. However, the event did not disappoint.

The Expo was the centerpiece of the day and there were plenty of supplement companies there. The ones you’ve heard of and ones you haven’t heard of. Compared to last time I noticed that there were fewer exercise equipment companies which was a shame since I’m not much into supplements anymore. The amateur bodybuilding finals were going on most of the day at one side of the Expo hall and the WWE “experience” crowded them in at the other. There were lines everywhere! So much so that we didn’t get much in the way of supplement samples – and I gave most of what I had away to my young protege (ha) since chocolate was the flavor of the day and I don’t do chocolate. The longest line of the day appeared to belong to Bodybuilding.com and a lot of people seemed willing to wait probably two or more hours to get a t-shirt and a picture with a celebrity or two. But, not us!

However, we met some famous people in the bodybuilding world include Ed Corney who competed until he was about 70 years old. An inspiration for us older lifters.

We broke away from the Expo a couple times to see some gymnastics, martial arts, boxing, almost saw fencing, artwork, and I caught a glimpse of the jump rope finals (yes, really). All for the $15.00 entry fee – and there was more going on in other venues around Columbus. This event seems to take over Columbus. I’m impressed with how many people it draws.

Oh, and the extrovert part of this? Despite my usually reserved nature around strangers my brother-in-law insists that I am an extrovert. Not because I am gregarious and outgoing (unless I know you) but because he has noticed over the years that I seem to be drawn to crowds and am energized by them. It was late afternoon at The Arnold while surrounded by a crush of humanity that I realized something. I felt good. I wasn’t tired and actually seemed more energetic than I was in the morning. This led me to think about the places I like to frequent in general, amusement parks, NYC, etc. and it dawned on me…son of a gun, my brother-in-law is right. I am an extrovert.

I hate when he’s right…

Oh, and I finally got my picture taken with Jay Cutler. I seemed to be the last gym goer on earth to not have a picture of him! Nice guy but by the time I got to meet him at the end of the day it was clear to me that he’s an introvert!

Onward!

Jay Cutler and I at the 2015 Arnold.
Jay Cutler and I at the 2015 Arnold.
Oh the humanity!
Oh the humanity!
Body Illusions

Body Illusions

davidpwahr

I’ve always had a problem, unrelated to my Crohn’s and other health related issues, in that I tend to measure my successes against other people. I suppose we all do this to some degree, but it can really be a problem/bother when working on physical changes. Not so much with weight loss, I don’t really get worried if someone else loses weight faster than I do (even when competing with them a la “Biggest Loser”). But with things less under my control. Like “why don’t my biceps look like that guy’s” or “why can’t I bench as much as him?” and other things like that.

For example: there’s this guy I know who from my earliest memories of meeting him gave me a big case of bicep envy. Of course, over time memory does embellish things, but back in college on the rare occasions I would see him flex I remember being struck by how high and peaked his biceps were – to the point that you could even see the split in the peak. His arms weren’t especially large at the time, about 16 inches or so, but to an even skinnier me they seemed huge. Over the years I worked on my biceps until eventually my arms were just as large as his were back then. But, to my surprise, my arms didn’t look like his at all. I knew that I had muscle as I had gained strength and my arms were hard to the touch, but instead of high “peaks” my biceps retained a flatter “football” shape. Back to the weight room…

Some time later we began to work out together. Doing a heavy bench routine that we both responded well to – though to be fair he responded much better to than I did. By this time however, though I was still envious of his gains (his arms swelled from about 16 inches to well over 18 inches in just a few months – mine from just under 16 to about 17) I was also truly happy for him and his gains (though he never really gave the impression of caring about gains in size the way I did/do). But I noticed something else. Once again, my arms never got the peak I so desired but the peak that he had in his youth was not nearly as evident either. When he flexed I could see that his biceps were still decidedly more peaked than mine, just not as much as before. What happened? Science tells us that you can’t change the shape of the muscle, so why weren’t his now much larger arms (and solid) more dramatic as they were before? That’s when it occurred to me. It’s an illusion.

What caused his arm growth wasn’t this time so much a change in his biceps but instead that his triceps grew to match. As a result, the biceps did not stand out as much because they were balanced by the larger muscle underneath. This is part of my issue as well since my triceps actually to a degree overshadowed my biceps (something my friend had to point out to me).

These body illusions occur in other ways, too. I know another young man who when you meet him you realize that he is fit. You know, wide shoulders and thin waist, the classic “V” shape. But he’s not very large so fully dressed you don’t think of him as being overly muscular. It wasn’t until he posted a “selfie” on Instagram one day (which apparently is a thing you are supposed to do nowadays) that I realized he was very muscular – complete with six pack – and looked huge. I know he’s not “huge” but a lack of body fat actually adds to the illusion of size when there isn’t anything else for a point of reference (like another person).

I once play Lenny in “Of Mice and Men” and if you’ve read the book you know that Lenny was a big hulking brute of a man. I’m not so much of a hulk. I was going to be aided in creating the stage illusion of size by wearing some thick books (I was already the tallest in the cast except for one guy), but I went to a personal trainer friend of mine and asked what do I do to add size quickly? He suggested just focusing on the back and shoulders as those muscles will give the greatest illusion of size.

Where am I going with all this? I’m not sure. The big lesson is don’t compare yourself to others. That way leads to disappointment especially when you don’t understand that some of what you admire or envy in another person is an illusion.  Instead compare yourself with yourself with your training and fitness goals as there are fewer illusions involved (except for the self-deception many of us have when looking in a mirror – but that’s another topic).

Also, I’ve been talking about physical illusions. There are other illusions too. For example: like many Crohn’s sufferers, I try to give the illusion that I’m not in some sort of pain or discomfort every day. I have a feeling that this is true of many other people with other conditions physical and mental. So maybe when approaching someone else we all should keep in mind that the person we see on the outside is just an illusion. We can’t know what’s going on inside – they may be in just as much pain as we are and perhaps should be treated as such.

Onward!

Reflections on a Visit With a Doctor

davidpwahr

I recently started seeing a couple of new doctors (general and a gastro) and I just want to know one thing,when did they start letting teenagers practice medicine? Yeah, I’m officially getting old everyone looks like a kid to me these days…but despite his obvious youth I have to admit I liked both of them (her and him) and am willing to trust them with my overall health care. I especially liked that the first doctor wasn’t sure how to maintain my health with my disorder (Crohn’s) and sent me to someone else who knew more (the gastroenterologist).

Anyway, things went well, and there were no real surprises. Still some of the same old concerns (Crohn’s – which is being rechecked again, overweight, a touch of asthma and now a patch of eczema to add to the ever growing list). Then we started talking about my workout routine – or lack of it. Here’s where the doctor asked me a question that I don’t think a health care professional had ever asked me before: what exercise do you like to do?

Believe it or not, I don’t think I ever really thought about exercise in terms of liking it or not but mostly as a means to an end. Want bigger biceps? Lift. Want lower bodyfat? Run.

So what exercise do I like to do? I’m still thinking about it. On on hand I do like lifting – especially when I’m making progress. There’s a certain thrill from watching the weight on the bar go up, pushing myself against a previously immovable object and then moving it. You know what I’m talking about I’m sure. Plus, you know, the bulging biceps.

Running…eh. Never liked that. But I used to enjoy bicycling (unless it’s on an exercise bike). Then I kind of run out of exercise options. Sure there are the sports, but I don’t really like basketball and most everything else takes some sort of organized team (not too many guys playing games of pick-up rugby/soccer/hockey you name it in my neighborhood). Rowing/canoeing/kayaking I like but you need a river/lake…golf gets expensive…softball is seasonal.  I would like to swim more but don’t have good access to a pool.

I’m in a quandry. What else can I try? I do agree with my doctor when he said “if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it.”

So here’s my question for all of you – other than weightlifting/bodybuilding what do you enjoy doing? I’m looking for ideas!

Musings of a Grumpy Old Man and Why Kids Today Have It So Darn Good (at Least in the Gym)

davidpwahr

So, I was just sitting here earlier today, shooing some young whipper-snappers off my lawn, when it occurred to me that kids really do have it better today than when I was growing up.

Not so much in terms of jobs, economic mobility, etc. (heck, even us old folks don’t seem to have that anymore), but in terms of training and especially in terms of lifting.

Way back when dinosaurs roamed this great land and you couldn’t stand still for long without melting the soles of your shows (the Earth was still cooling you see) – so basically before 1985 – if you said out loud to someone that you wanted to be a bodybuilder you would have been ridiculed. The only reason anyone went to a gym was to…well actually almost no one went to the gym. Weight training was not a part of high school sports because “bulk” (aka “muscles”) only slowed you down. It might be okay for the occasional high school line backer to lift weights but even he couldn’t do it often for fear that those muscles would not only slow him down but tighten him up so badly that he couldn’t move. And a girl lift weights? Not even if everyone thought she was a lesbian (which she would never admit back in those days by the way).

Nutrition consisted of pretty much anything you could put into your mouth, well sweets weren’t good so you only had them after dinner, but there was no real talk of protein, fats, carbs, or anything else.

Now, some people may still be ridiculed for wanting to be a bodybuilder, but today you have guys (and gals) openly talking about working on their “six pack,” adding a few pounds for the summer, and proudly taking pictures of themselves while locked in their bathroom to show off any new gains (okay, so maybe bodybuilding isn’t completely out of the water closet yet). And it seems that everyone is aware of their diet these days (did you see what I did back there with “water closet?” cute, huh?). Though most of us clearly don’t pay attention to nutrition despite knowing the rules.

So, all in all, I think that there are advantages to training in the early 21st century, even without flying cars. What do you think?

Next up: why you are driving to gosh darn fast!

Early Inspirations

davidpwahr

Even though I’ve obviously never been a serious bodybuilder/weightlifter, for as long as I can remember I’ve had an interest in the sport. Though there are those who don’t really think it’s a sport. But at the very least it’s a competition, albeit a subjective one from a judging point of view. Much like boxing is when I come to think of it (barring a KO). I’ll call it a sport anyway as it is a competition, it does involve training and much like professional football and baseball they like to pretend that there is no steroid use or abuse (“no, really, I just naturally have 23″ arms and can bench press a Ford F-150 judge…”). But, I digress…

As I was saying I’ve always had an interest and I must say it was this interest that first led me to pick up a weight in my teen years when my father one day bought a weight set (I suspect that he was a bit of a frustrated bodybuilder himself looking back on it). That and the fact that I never really identified with the “jocks” in high school and was actually afraid to work out with them. Of course, back then weight lifting was not really advocated by the coaches, especially for those of us on the track team who were not in the strength related field events (i.e. shot put). Also, my high school was not well equipped in the weight room department. I remember we had one Universal Lifting machine in a small store room just off the gym near the custodian’s office. It was tough in those days. Today, by comparison, I understand that the weight room at my old high school takes up what used to be the entire wood shop. But, again, I digress…

Anyway, I’ve often wondered if my interest stemmed from my early reading of comic books (back in the sixties kids actually read comic books, today it’s mostly 20-40 year olds). But not because comics were filled with hyper-muscled heros (and women very blessed by mother nature by the way, but not as well endowed as many of today’s super-heroines), but because of the ads that filled the pages of every book.

You see, I think Charles Atlas, Joe Weider, and other gurus of bodybuilding understood that the boys reading comic books were the boys who would become the teens who would want, nay yearn, for their products with the promise of building muscle, defeating the bully, and getting the girl. And, they were right. While much of the public at the time saw bodybuilders as oddities or worse yet, freaks, the men who sold muscle building “systems” knew that behind every skinny kid lived a super-hero waiting to get out.

Well, it worked for me…but not completely. Though I have always had an interest and have tinkered with weights – getting serious about it here and there (see my earlier post on bench pressing) – my true love revealed herself later. Yes, I’m talking about theatre and let me tell you, theatre is a demanding mistress (or mister if you prefer). Takes a lot of time and effort, more so than most people think. And let’s not even talk about work and other life commitments! Okay, excuses all, but I’m sticking with it. We all make priorities in life and somewhere along the line bodybuilding for me fell to the middle of the priority list (at least not to the bottom as it clearly has for so many Americans).

I’d be interested to hear about other people’s early bodybuilding inspirations and/or stories. I’d even like to hear about comic books and theatre too!

Onward!

Dave Draper ad for Joe Weider
I remember this ad clearly. Dave Draper in the sixties was something to behold. He is still an active bodybuilder today and still sports those impressive arms.

Arnold Schwarzenegger early ad for Joe Weider
When I first saw this ad I wanted those wrist weights. I thought for sure I’d look just like Arnold even though I was only eight or so at the time!

Early Charles Atlas Ad
Don’t we all know about the “Insult That Made a Man Out of Mac” the original bodybuilding ad.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Betty Weider in a Joe Weider ad
Picking up women was a strong theme in these ads. FYI I believe that the lovely young women who Arnold is holding up is Betty Weider, Joe’s wife.

 

How Much Can the Average Man Bench?

davidpwahr

Note: since this entry was first written in 2014 there has been some new data added to several sites on this topic that you may want to check out. 

  • Strengthlevel.com has a chart of bench press standards based on their users (nearly 6 million to date). 
  • Livestrong.com has a good article on how much weight the average man can lift.  They cite Lon Kilgore, a researcher at the University of the West of Scotland’s Institute for Clinical Exercise and Health Science as a source. 
  • My original research include information from Men’s Health as well as the Center for Disease Control in the USA. 

Somewhere recently I was either blogging or telling someone that at one time I was actually able to bench press 350 pounds (1 rep only, never tried again, and I need to find some documentation on this – you know how memory plays tricks I know I was at 315 once for sure).  Which got me to wondering what can the average guy press? Not important in the everyday world but I’ll bet that if you talk to someone who’s obviously muscular sooner or later you’re going to ask “what can you bench?” More than any other exercise or activity it’s the universal measure of strength in most people’s minds.

The truth, as best as I can figure from my research, is actually somewhat surprising for me. When asking “how much can the average man bench” the short answer turns out to be no one really knows because the average man doesn’t do bench presses and is considered untrained! This is hard to believe on Mondays at the gym, of course, when it seems that every guy in town is waiting for a bench, but I’m sure it’s true. So, from the few studies that have been done I’ve found that among those men who do bench press the stats look something like this:

Pounds the average 175-pound man (aka : average weight, average height is 5’9 1/2) can bench press at one time:

Age: 20-29 – 180 lbs

Age: 30-39  – 158 lbs

Age: 40-49 – 143 lbs

Age: 50-59  – 128 lbs

Age: 60-69 – 116 lbs

Note: taking an average from this gives the result that the average male, ages between 20 and 69 can bench press 145 lbs.

So, from the above I was way above average ranges, not only for my age group but for all age groups! Of course I’m above average height (in North America at least) and well above average weight as well. But, even at my heaviest weight, the fact that I could bench press more than I weigh (by about 70 pounds – you can do the math) also puts me well above the average man who cannot bench his own bodyweight. Of course, at least one article I read said that to be considered strong a man should be able to bench 1.5 times his body weight. In my case that means that currently I’d need to get my bench up to 340 pounds in which case I should just go for my old max of 350 lbs. Or, I suppose, better yet, get my weight down to 200 lbs and then I only need to get back to a 300 lb max! Since I’m several years older option two may be the most reasonable.  But I know that even in my current out of shape condition I’m still above the norm of any age group – not bad for a geezer!

Sounds like a new goal for me. Onward!

When Is a Man’s Arm Considered Big?

When Is a Man’s Arm Considered Big?

davidpwahr

Over the years I’ve often wondered how do my overall measurements compare to the average guy – specifically my arms (I know how my weight compares). As I probably  stated before, I’ve always wanted to get my arms to 18″ (flexed, cold) and always seem to fall just short of my goal. Yeah, sometimes life just works out that way.

Size Matters

Now 18″ sure seems a reasonable size when you read about pro bodybuilders with 20, 21, or even 22″ arms. Granted, the pros are more than likely exaggerating their size to maintain a certain mystique, maintain their ego, and even to “psyche” out the competition.  Also, their size is very likely beyond the normal, non-chemically enhanced person. There are also experts, such as Ellington Darden – one of my favorite workout “gurus” of the eighties, who say that because of improper measuring almost all arm sizes are exaggerated (especially with a cloth tape which can add a quarter of an inch to the circumference because of the width of the tape itself).

What is Average?

Anyway,  finding out the stats on the average male arm was tougher than I thought! There are several articles and discussions on the web and they mostly point back to the same one or two sources – Men’s Health magazine among them – and the answer seems to be that an American man of 5’9.5″ at a body weight of 175 has arms which are 13″ in circumference. What I can’t find is if that’s a flexed or unflexed measurement. My guess is unflexed since 13″ seems a bit on the small side to me for a flexed arm of a fully grown man, but I could be wrong.

Now granted I’m a little taller and a lot heavier than the so-called “average” man I’ve referred to above, but in any case my arms are significantly larger than 13″ even unflexed (about 14.75″ unflexed – 16 flexed as of this morning). I, of course, don’t think my arms look that big, but I imagine that’s common among those of us who workout to get both bigger and stronger, and hanging around gyms and guys who workout does mean that I tend to be around people who are, on average, larger than average. Heck, my former training partner’s arms taped at around 18″ and I’ve compared myself to him for years – even when his arms where “only” about 16″ and mine where in that average neighborhood of 13″ (was I really that “small” once?).

My Experience and Opinion

My own personal obsession with big arms, and bodybuilding in general,  was probably strengthened when I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s and my weight dropped to below 140 lbs and my arms shrank to 11″ (flexed! – I was literally skin and bones at that point).

However, all the above are just statistics. I think ultimately, a man’s arm is considered big simply when it looks big. I know men who are relatively short (below 5’10”) and have arms that appear massive (Google any male gymnastic team). But in reality, they don’t tape over 16″. Likewise, there are tall men (6′ or more) who appear thin, but their arms tape at over 17″ (think basketball players). Perspective plays a big role in appearance. That along with bodyfat percentage and muscle shape (see examples below). 

To Sum it Up

Keep lifting, watch your diet so that your bodyfat stays low and ignore the tape. You’ll be surprised at how big your arms look. If you want to find out how big you are compared to other lifters and “recreational” bodybuilders check out my blog post How Do My Arms Stack Up to Other Gym Bros and participate in my survey to add to the data I’ve collected on this topic.

Oh, and wear shirts one size smaller than you usually do. That’s the fastest way to get big arms. But for the secret to building big arms (which isn’t a secret) check out my post on the subject here.

I’m curious as to what other people think. When do you think an arm is “big?” And I, of course, mean in a solid, muscular way.

Onward!

NOTE: In September 2018 I researched average arm size again and found that 13″ still appears to be the standard for a 20 – 29 year old man. However, this number moves closer to 14″ in middle age (50+) presumably due to an increase in body fat however, not an increase in muscle mass. The 13″ arm is also based on a man of average height (in the USA about 5’9″. No doubt taller men may have naturally larger arms and there’s always that one guy out there who never trains but has the arms of a Mountain Gorilla anyway).

P.S. Do you wonder when a man’s chest is considered big? Check out my blog on that subject HERE!

Olympic gymnast Jake Dalton. Noted for the size of his biceps – but at a height of 5’5″ his arms likely do not tape over 16″ (note: since this post was first put up I have actually been in contact with Jake. As of 2021 his arms tape in at about 16″ (40.64cm). Though he still trains it’s likely his arms were larger when he was an Olympic gymnast). However, proportionately to his physique his build is impressive. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The impressive arm of Peter K. Vaughn (@peter.kv on Instagram – check out his website ). On it’s own it appears big, but check the tape. At 16″ it’s not big by most traditional bodybuilding standards. However, excellent definition and muscle shape – particularly the peak of the bicep – contribute to the appearance of appearing larger than it is.
Here’s my arm at about the same size as Peter’s. It doesn’t appear as big due to my much higher bodyfat percentage and the relatively flat shape of my biceps. My forearm looks good though. For reference Peter and I are just about the same height (5’10” and 5’11” respectively).
Here’s my friend Ty Clifton, who is 6’3″ with a long, lean overall physique. On the left his arm measures 18″ and on the right 17.5″. Notice that the smaller arm looks larger due to the increased definition. Because of his height his arm needs to be larger than any of the others I’ve used as an example to appear to be big – which they are! (Photo courtesy of Ty Clifton on Instagram @bigcherryfit).

When To Show Off and When Not to Show Off

davidpwahr

As a roller coaster enthusiast I often spend my days off riding coasters and this July 4th Holiday was no different. I went with my brother and niece to Cedar Point (a large amusement park in Sandusky, OH. If you haven’t heard of it just watch the Travel Channel during the summer and it will be mentioned sooner or later) to ride their latest entry into the coaster wars, Gatekeeper.

I didn’t expect anything unusual to happen this day – other than a good time on “America’s Roller Coast” – but something happened that got me thinking about when is the right time to show off your hard earned gains in the gym and when is not the right time.

Now guys, let’s face it. There’s no real sense to  having boulder sized shoulders and bulging biceps if you can’t break out the old tank top on a nice summer day occasionally right? Even I have been known to wear a tank top or two back in the day (last week?) with the thought of “yeah, I look good” and there’s nothing wrong with this. So, as one could predict there were plenty of guys in the park in their tight Under Armour shirts and tank tops, clearly letting the guns out for some air yesterday. Hey, if I were still in what I consider “top shape” (which is a relative term for me) I might have done the same. No harm, no foul as they say. I should also mention that there were also a lot of gals doing the same thing, though they weren’t showing off their bis and shoulders but their, umm, pecs shall we say (again, no harm there either).

But here’s the interesting thing that happened. It turns out that there where a lot of scattered showers yesterday one of which happened while we were in line for Gatekeeper. Now as every dedicated coaster enthusiast knows you don’t let a little rain force you out of line. In fact, we knew that there was a strong possibility of rain and had come prepared (I was in a Nike “dry fit” shirt and sandals so that I would dry out quickly for example). So we’re in line and the sprinkle becomes a regular down pour. That’s when I hear my niece say “oh it’s raining and Mr. Six Pack has to take his shirt off.” From several rows away she had spotted a guy, who to be fair was in exceptional shape, and his friends who had decided to take their shirts off because of the rain. Now it was still raining so this wasn’t done to wring their shirts out or even to use the shirt to cover the heads of their girlfriends (especially since these guys seemed to be without dates at the moment at least). Nope, I think my niece was right, they just looked for an opportunity to show off their abs. “Oh well,” I thought, “if I was in that good of shape I might do the same thing I guess.” The line kept moving as people ahead of us got out of it to seek shelter and the rain continued. I then hear the comments of a couple young women ahead of me in line as they had notice “Mr. Six Pack” and I was a little surprised. Instead of hearing “wow, look at the build on that guy” I heard “Abercrombie model.” I followed their line of sight and sure enough, they were looking at Mr. Six Pack and his buddies. By the way, he was probably a little big for an Abercrombie model but not a competitive bodybuilder. I’d say fitness model size and shape for what it’s worth.

Now by this time Mr. Six Pack had reached a point in the queue where he could be seen by just about everyone in line (it’s hard to describe it was a corner near an open section). He’s there for a moment when one of his friends nudges him and says something to him and he looks around and I presume he notices that he is essentially visible to everyone. How does he react? Does he go back to his conversation? Put his shirt on (since the rain is letting up)? Or just ignore that he is so visible? Nope, none of the above. He smiles and strikes a bodybuilding pose (I should know the name of the pose but it escapes me at the moment but you’ve seen it a thousand times a single bicep flex with the alternate arm pointed to the heavens. Arnold was the master of it).

Now the women in line ahead of me have a different comment “yeah, he looks good but he also looks like a tool.” So where a moment or two ago they were enjoying his impromptu show (taking the shirt off) with one pose he lost their interest. Now he was several rows away, you couldn’t hear anything he was saying, he didn’t stand on a railing and force anyone to look at him, but by posing it was clear that he knew how he looked and didn’t mind that everyone was noticing him. This turned him from a “model” to a “tool.”

What’s the lesson to take away from here? Well, I think it’s simple. It’s okay to look good, and it’s okay to occasionally let others know you look good as long as you don’t let others know that you know you look good, too. There’s a fine line it seems between “nice” and “yuck.”

Let me know what you think.

Oh, by the way, I kept my shirt on the whole day – much to the delight of everyone else in the park I’m sure!