Dear friends, after a long absence, I am delighted to see you again for a seventh episode of Sapristi.
Today we are going to deal with a somewhat special theme: clothing and bodybuilding. Maybe it's not obvious, but I myself have been practicing this discipline for two years now, at my modest level.
And I admit that I hesitated to talk about it for a long time .
On the one hand, I know that not everyone has a very favorable opinion of this sport (which some even see as a "non-sport"). And that our entire audience is far from practicing it. And, on the other hand. ..
Some of you are asking us for advice on grooming. Others welcome our reading and film recommendations with open arms. So basically, if we consider that we are here to help you feel good in your clothes, why not allow yourself to talk a little to talk about one of the most common ways to feel better about yourself, namely... Fitness, bodybuilding.
But for the moment, and as an introduction to this new theme which broadens our perspectives beyond clothing, I still wanted it to have a link with clothing.
So I chose the following angle...
How to reconcile style and bodybuilding?
Because even if this cliché is fortunately tending to change, I still too often see the image of two opposing camps :
- Athletes addicted to exercise, not very smart, and obsessed with big biceps, stuck in clothes that are too tight, poorly chosen, both for lack of taste and because nothing suits them...
- And "fashioners" who don't take care of their health and their body, and prefer to rely on clothes, an attitude, their hairdresser, and good facial care to forget that their body is falling apart from doing one after another. champagne-petits fours aperitifs, and incessant cigarette breaks.
As is often the case with clichés, it is grossly exaggerated, but does not come from nowhere: whether in the fashion world or in the gym, these are indeed stereotypes that we come across.
However, more and more men (and particularly younger ones) are realizing that you can do both , have it both ways.
It's so true that it was Rick Owens himself, more than 10 years old already, who said:
Coming from an avant-garde and dark fashion guru, that's a shame, right? So if that wasn't a sign that times are changing , I don't know what is.
And apparently Rick isn't the "do as I say, not as I do" type.
In short, now that that is said, it is true that the practice of bodybuilding for a fitness enthusiast comes with several questions. You have undoubtedly already seen the numerous tips everywhere on the internet (including here, for example with this Let's Talk Clothes from Benoît) which deal with "how to dress and how to be muscular".
But for my part, I identify THREE issues that I find too little addressed, and too underestimated.
- Should you emphasize your muscles?
- How to manage the evolution of your wardrobe?
- Can you get too muscular to be stylish?
Serious questions, to which I find that no one answers very seriously. Maybe it’s because of, embarrassment, taboo? For the sake of appearances?
In any case, you know me: I like to look at a problem from many angles and points of view, so it goes without saying that I covered them thoroughly in the video, and without tongue-in-cheek ! And you will see that they hide answers that are sometimes more complex than one might think.
Should you emphasize your muscles?
I'm going to start with a question that's a little angry, that divides, that gives rise to mockery, complexes, and much more:
Under what circumstances should you emphasize your muscles through clothing? On the contrary, should it be toned down to create a harmonious silhouette?
If everyone remains free to make their own choices, I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that recurring practices such as tight t-shirt sleeves, tighter chest, were not suitable for everyone, and particularly NOT to the most muscular. Which will allow me to move on to a phenomenon which concerns the majority of bodybuilding practitioners, and which may be an obstacle to their clothing style.
1. The problem of muscle dysmorphia
To simplify what this psychological disorder refers to, it is a phenomenon according to which you may become more muscular, you never really have the impression of being more muscular, or perhaps too little.
It is partly this phenomenon that pushes extremely heavy guys to dress extremely small without realizing the excess, and to no longer be able to gauge the cuts of their clothing with a certain objectivity.
Which can lead to a certain form of social discrimination, because they move further and further away from the standards of appearance.
Besides, this will allow me to address...
2. The little sociological point on the discrimination of apparent muscle
In bourgeois culture, we consider that sport is technical learning, learning values, and ultimately, a means of preserving one's health.
We will often hear talk of “natural physiques”, athletes, swimmers etc... Who we see opposed to the so-called “artificial” physiques of those who have voluntarily sought muscle.
For many people, a "graceful", "muscular and fine" physique looks like this, and anyone who exceeds it too much is a "brute".
It's quite ideological (and then it tends to change, slowly), but the higher the socio-cultural environment in which you evolve, the more likely you are to find reluctance towards too obvious musculature. . (Or at least, to find yourself reduced to that). From a strategic point of view, it may be interesting to take this into account in the image you create.
We move on to the last "psycho-social" problem of the muscular person who likes clothes...
3. Denial of size change
If there is one that I have been a victim of, it is this one.
Anyone who loves clothing and bodybuilding is often faced with a double problem : not only does he struggle to follow and accept the evolution of his body, like all bodybuilding enthusiasts, but IN ADDITION, he must accept the idea of seeing his clothes become too small , even though he has invested time, energy, passion, inventiveness... And sometimes, it's just too difficult to accept.
As a result, we can quickly find ourselves in a form of fairly sustained denial: the bodybuilding enthusiast who loves exercise persists, he clings to the memory of that shirt fit that suited him so well a year ago, and forgets to see her as she is on him today.
Which brings me to the more “practical-practical” considerations of this video…
How to manage the evolution of your wardrobe?
1. While gaining muscle
Today, I find myself having to put more than half of my wardrobe up for sale.
By not stopping my progress, I quite simply made a choice, and I accepted the consequences. That said, if I had known then everything I know today, I clearly would have purchased differently.
You will therefore find my 8 tips for combining muscle gain and clothes, which I would give to myself two or three years ago if I could go back in time.
Sometimes Daniel Craig (who is damn muscular) chooses his clothes that are too small. But not here, even if we are pretty sure it is adjusted. That's good, Daniel!
We will talk about how to choose clothes in which you can gain a little mass, without them being too big when you buy them. Or even measurements on a shirt that are most subject to rapid change during physical evolution, and, on the contrary, those that take a long time before becoming too small.
But despite this good advice, we have to admit that it is not always possible to keep your clothes on
This is where the advice on how to consume better comes from...
2. When and how to buy?
To mitigate the financial impact, think second hand as much as possible, both in purchasing and reselling, take care of your clothes, and buy items that will retain their resale value !
When you have enough years of practice, your muscle gain will slow down drastically, and it will be easier for you to buy like everyone else, without asking too many questions about the future.
That said, who says muscle often says "diet" , who says diet says fat loss, and who says weight loss sometimes says "relapse". Which brings us to the final round of practical advice...
3. How to predict fat gain and loss
Fluctuations in fat mass are much more rapid than those in muscle mass: it is not uncommon for those who manage to achieve a so-called “lean” physique to gain three, four or even five kilos in the months or months. the following year. It's neither very serious nor irremediable from a physical or sporting point of view, but for clothing... It's already more annoying.
The part that suffers the most? Trousers . It's well known that after a diet our pants fall down, and after Christmas, our stomachs are too tight.
We will see why winter is naturally accompanied by weight gain for many people, which can be difficult to prevent. Or even, that you have to accept having certain pants that are a little wider for the seasons when you risk being fatter, not only at the waist, but also at the thighs! And finally we will see why, in these circumstances, joggers, elasticated waist pants and other belted designs are a godsend!
Can you get too muscular to be stylish?
After having seen the socio-cultural dimension of muscle, and the necessary advice to accompany the wardrobe of a physique in full transformation, we respond to a great cliché of the schism between beautiful clothing and bodybuilding:
it seems that from a certain level of musculature, we arrive at a “death” of style, at a total impossibility of dressing well.
And, while that's not entirely wrong, it still raises the first question: How "muscular" is it actually possible to get?
1. Are you going to become that “muscular”?
It's obvious to those who know about bodybuilding, but it's still too often necessary to remind others: you don't become Arnold Schwarzeneger overnight.
In fact, the vast majority of us and anyone else reading this CANNOT get that muscular . Because the physiques that we will often rightly describe as “monstrous”, like that of Arnold for example, are often or almost always acquired with the help of steroids , i.e. doping products.
You don't risk becoming like that. Really, even if I wanted to.
Add to that the fact that these people have genetics favorable to muscular hypertrophy, and that they have dedicated their entire lives for years to obtaining such physiques, often going so far as to sacrifice their health, and you You'll understand why it's absurd to worry about getting "too muscular, too fast."
The physiques most represented in the iconography of this sport are the most improbable to achieve, and by a long way. Which completely skews the expectations (and fears) of everyone who would like to start working out.
Don't be afraid, lifting metal will not give you a body that is qualitatively different, or less "good" than that of a high-level athlete in a discipline like swimming, dancing, boxing, etc. .
At most, you will expect a similar physical appearance, but faster. With, let's remember to make it clear, time, effort, and the good graces of Mother Nature, if you have them.
Anyway, coming back to your clothes, there's a good chance that it will take AT LEAST one or two years of serious practice before you can possibly gain a clothing size, unless you're already between two sizes . So don't be afraid to take the plunge.
That said, the arguments against muscle when it comes to style are also based on the following idea...
2. Why is it easier when you are thin?
(This is probably my favorite part of the video.)
Let's be honest: it's still easier to dress well when you're thin.
Whether by culture or by nature as the ancient Greeks thought, and their famous "golden ratio", present in everything that is beautiful, the human collective unconscious has determined that there exists a "silhouette ideal" for men .
These physical ideals are not new, and for better or worse, they still influence us today.
Now I would like to show you that the muscular, just like the thin, have their own means of getting closer to these famous ideal proportions: the first, via their musculature, when they do not wear clothes, and the second, via the addition of clothing on the frame of his body!
Necessarily, this implies that having perfect proportions when dressed requires a compromise when you are undressed, and that being perfectly muscular in a swimsuit requires deviating slightly from the canon when you are in winter, with four layers clothes on your back.
Well, that brings us to the last question:
3. Are there styles intended for, or “forbidden” for, muscular people?
The answer is "yes," but it's really a matter of nuance: in real life, few people get so big that they start being able to only wear a certain type of piece.
We can still make mention of certain traditionally looser styles (streetwear, workwear, etc.), but in itself, someone muscular in reasonable proportions has no stylistic "prohibitions", they just need suitable cuts.
However, there is still an exception: styles that are based on a certain androgyny, a certain assumed and re-appropriated femininity, become more and more out of reach as you transform into a “good, strong guy”.
In this video I wear...
- A “Lee-Kung Man” henley, which is the favorite henley model of... Bruce Lee. Just that ! I talk about it here .
- An off-white Barena Venezia vest.
- Belted denim pants from Claudio Mariani , a very pretty brand that I tested here .
- My old pair of Common Projects "B-Ball" in nubuck leather.
- A little more fat, and a little less muscle than usual. The height of a fitness video! (Thank you confinement)
Good viewing !
I hope you enjoy the video, and that even if you are not a bodybuilding enthusiast, you will have learned something from it!
Do not hesitate to give me your feedback, to tell me what you would expect from possible content, in the future, which makes the link between bodybuilding and clothing.
