You have decided to achieve your goal for weight loss. Or, maybe you seek to add some muscle to your physique. Good for you! With all the confusing fitness information out there, it is easy to get confused and give up.
Don’t do this.
Coach Fraser Wilson will help you to sort the fitness information so that it works for you.
Online Fitness Coach Fraser Wilson
Fraser Wilson is an online trainer based in Melbourne, Australia. He is active on Instagram and YouTube.
How Can Coach Fraser Help You?
Customized Workout Plan Fraser, with your information, will create a tailored workout plan that suits your goal.)
Customized Meal Plans Fraser also provides meal plans that suit your fitness goal.
Clients-Only Fitness App (When you decide to work with Fraser, you will gain access to the fitness app. The app will have your workout plan and meal plan.)
Email Consults As a client, you will have access to Fraser’s email to seek consults on your workout or meal plan.
I received a question about the Spartan Warrior costume. While researching this article, I remembered a photo shoot that I loved.
A few years ago, I saw a Facebook post by Rahim Mastafa in which he posted images. The model, Blake, wore a Spartan Warrior costume was a physical education teacher and looked fantastic in the costume. (The costume comes from the movie titled “300” (Warner Brothers, 2007).
Rahim Mastafa & Blake in Bath, United Kingdom
Rahim had a photo shoot with Blake, a physical education teacher, in Bath, United Kingdom. Most of the images were at the Roman Baths.
Rahim posted some behind-the-scenes video of his Bath photo shoot.
Conclusion
I am glad that I received the question, as I got to review one of my favorite photo shoots. I thank Rahim and Blake for the fantastic images. I even placed Bath, UK, on my travel list (post-pandemic).
Are you a fan of costume-based photography? If so, what is your favorite costume? Let me know in the comments.
Note: After writing this post, I found a photo of another gym trainer who wore a 300 Movie costume: Jeff Seid by Photographer Luis Rafael.
Some Instagram posts feature a particular type of workout shirt—a tank top that was formerly a t-shirt. Typically, the wearer has built considerable muscle mass, which contrasts with the open shirt fabric.
This workout shirt is also popular. There are many searches for this gym shirt on Internet search engines. It makes sense as the workout shirt is budget-friendly and relatively easy to create. On Pinterest, this shirt style has a search peak through warmer weather months.
Perhaps you are a newbie Crossfit enthusiast preparing for your first WOD, or you are a skilled Crossfit athlete seeking to find the best men’s shorts that will be as tough as you perform your exercise movements. This article will explain the various types of Crossfit shorts that are on the market.
WOD or Box Shorts Are Just Gym Workout Shorts
According to the wodhopper website, a Crossfit box is a gym that affiliates with Crossfit. An affiliated gym must have Crossfit-certified trainers on site. WOD in Crossfit stands for workout of the day. As each gym is independent, the workout emphasis varies from gym to gym.
According to Invictus Fitness, Crossfit gyms typically “post one workout each day for their members and online followers to complete.” So box shorts or wod shorts are essentially gym shorts.
For a reflection of a new person starting Crossfit from mens physique, read a blog article about Tom Seed.
Crossfit Shorts that Will Work as Hard as You During Your WOD
Crossfit uses functional movements. As a result, shorts that allow you to achieve the full range of motion is the best. You have a range of shorts from which to select your favorite.
Brands
Several brands create Crossfit shorts, including Nike, No Bull, Reebok, Ten Thousand, and Rogue.
Crossfit Board Shorts
In this blog, I wrote an article for board shorts in mens physique competitions. The board shorts there are closer to the leg. For Crossfit, the board shorts have a wider leg opening given the demands of the Crossfit WOD. For example, see the Reebok board shorts; the shorts have a wide leg opening that could suit demanding leg-focused exercise movements. Reebok’s board shorts have pockets.
The Rogue brand also has a board shorts option available. The board shorts, like the Reebok, have a pocket.
Crossfit Cordura Shorts
What is Cordura?
Cordura is a trademarked brand name for a fabric that INVICTA (a subsidiary of Koch Industries) manufactures. The synthetic fabric is available for civilian use. Cordura can withstand abrasions, is generally water repellent and flame resistant. Read more about Cordura at Sailrite’s website.
I was not able to find any shorts with Cordura. If the reader finds one, please let me know in the comments.
Crossfit Kevlar Shorts
What is Kevlar?
Kevlar is a trademarked brand name for a synthetic fabric known best for its use in bullet-resistant body armor. Kevlar’s creator is Stephanie Kwolek, and DuPont owns the trademark. Kevlar is cut and puncture resistant and flame resistant.
Why is Kevlar used in Crossfit shorts? The workouts can be demanding, but not to the extent of needing Kevlar’s strengths. I was not able to find any shorts with Kevlar. If the reader finds one, please let me know in the comments.
Crossfit Compression Shorts
Considering the functional exercise moves in Crossfit, a compression short is available. The use of compression shorts is wide in fitness. Ten Thousand’s Interval Short can incorporate an optional compression liner in the shorts. The Interval shorts also have pockets.
There is a compression short that is a separate item, such as the one from No Bull.
Crossfit Fight Shorts
The Rogue brand offers a fight short for MMA fights, Crossfit WODs, and gym workouts. The fight shorts have a velcro closure. The Rogue fight short has a side zipper pocket.
What to Wear under Crossfit Shorts?
Given the amount of movement with this activity, briefs, boxer briefs, or compression shorts would work well. Some shorts, like the Interval Shorts discussed above, can incorporate a compression liner under the top shell of the shorts.
The Underwear Expert did a video several years ago asking Crossfit athletes about their underwear preference.
Conclusion
This article has covered the shorts available to the new and experienced Crossfit athlete. The fabrics of the shorts will sustain rough treatment during challenging WODs.
Also, Crossfit shorts have a place in the athleisure category, with most of the shorts having pockets.
Any of the shorts featured are your favorite? Please let me know in the comments.
I was looking for some new gym shorts. In my search, I noticed a selection of shorts that had a length of three to five inches. I had known that some gym trainers liked short shorts for the flexibility of movement for leg day. The style was popular in the 1970s, so the fashion trend is a blast from the past.
There are two popular styles that I noticed in my search:
swim-based shorts (that can be worn in a pool or other water and at a resort or other places).
The length of short shorts depends on the length and width of a guy’s thighs. A taller guy may need a little more length. (Read an article at Esquire Magazine for how different shorts lengths look on guys from tall to short.)
On TikTok, there are posts encouraging guys to ditch long length shorts in favor of 5-inch inseam shorts (aka short shorts). (See an article by Esquire Magazine.)
The Guardian newspaper had an article about men’s interest in short shorts (the way shorts were in the 1970s and 1980s) (author Priya Elan). Men’s shorts became longer in the 1990s and early 2000s. The theme of the story was the connection of menswear, sensuality, and affordable style.
There is some tension as the inseam gets to 5 inches and lower. (See discussion in next subsection.)
In the bodybuilding (and physique) world, I think that there is a desire to show the results of leg day training as well as practicality—better movement in the gym. With athleisure clothing, this gym wear is also worn in casual wear.
An article in the New Idea, a publication for Australian women, also supports short shorts and provides practical tips (author Rhys McKay). It should be noted that some parts of Australian fashion embraced short shorts (for example, brands (2Eros (Zyzz (the late Aziz Sergeyevich Shavershian (1989-2011)) shorts, also known as the S01 Icon Shorts (mentioned in a previous blog article) and fitness trainer and YouTuber Daniel Vadnal) as well as sports (the Australian Football League (AFL) and Australian rugby).
For shorter shorts, like the Addicted mesh shorts, below, there may be some negative feedback received from the guy showing too much leg. Rick for The Running Channel on YouTube investigated this question with two-inch inseam side-split running shorts.
Bang Clothing brand offers show shorts that have a three-inch inseam.
As discussed above with the Guardian article, the shorts force a connection between men’s fashion and sensuality. However, bodybuilders and AFL athletes has embraced the fashion trend enthusiastically.
A YouTuber and male model, Brandon Pikulinski, was having this debate in his video log. He’s a tall guy, 6’3″ or 1.91 meters. Brandon is a jogger, wore short shorts and leggings on a hot day to go for a jog (at about 30 second-mark in the video).
Later, for a swim, he tried on short swim trunks with a four-inch inseam and felt the shorts were too short (at about the 6:52 mark in the video). His girlfriend liked them.
If you decide to embrace short shorts, be confident and go for it. Maybe another guy is debating the same question internally. If more guys embrace it (as in the 1970s), it will encourage other guys to support it.
Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments.
Timoteo offers a mesh short (which model Matt Luscious wears below) that has a very short inseam like the running short.
London, UK, based fashion and fitness blogger Ollie Pearce did a YouTube video on short shorts. While the shorts that Ollie showed on his video was a form of board shorts, he did discuss how shorter length shorts can help taller guys as well as guys who love leg days at the gym.
Swim-Based Short Shorts
The shorts in this category have a mesh liner as well as fabric that can handle being in the water. The shorts also dry quickly to be worn away from water.
I have presented a selection of short shorts that are available. Whether you are looking for something to wear at the beach or pool, at the gym, or running errands around town, there is an option available to you.
Are you interested in short shorts? Please tell us of your interest and brand that you like in the comments. If there is a dream vacation spot or resort that you would like to visit post-Covid, please also write it in the comment area.
Aggelos Pirikkis is a personal trainer and model who lives in Cyprus. He had a photoshoot with Canthos Studio for Walking Jack, a men’s underwear brand based in Greece.
(The underwear is manufactured in Portugal. Read more about Walking Jack on its website.)
Personal trainers and fitness models often form small businesses to either take care of training clients or to promote yourself to photographers and clothing brands.
From interviewing and researching some personal trainers and fitness models for the blog, I have been finding that these small business owners also have great personal stories that could contribute positively to a news story. How do these business owners and potentially interested media outlets make a connection (but cannot afford a media relations firm)? The answer is through do-it-yourself media relations.
A Note on the Media Business: Contracting yet Still Important
I used to be a business-to-business journalist in weekly legal publications. I often was awed by the work of the daily journalists who dealt with challenging daily deadlines to produce publishable content. My sources were in reference materials; daily reporters must find relevant people to provide quotes for an article.
I loved my work, but with the Internet, the journalism industry has become a more challenging field, starting with print, and now occurring in the television. Lots of media outlets have closed or consolidated. Still, the thrill of finding a great story is in me even though I am in another non-journalist career. Seeing my article that I toiled to complete in print is another great feeling.
What are Media Relations?
I found an explanation of media relations at the Media Maven and More website “[I]t’s earning placement in the media without paying for it. When you pay for it, it’s advertising. When you don’t pay for it, it’s media relations.”
With fewer media outlets, interested business owners must contact the reporters that cover a particular issue and to provide them with relevant stories that will entertain, educate, or enlighten to the journalist’s audience. Also, I took a Muck Rack course on the fundamentals of media relations. In that course, media outlets also look at how many clicks a story gets.
In the Muck Rack course, stories that tend to get a high number of clicks are those involving politics, celebrity, or sports. Following that are stories that have a strong connection with the media outlet’s local area.
This work takes some time, but when you find a relevant journalist that covers your industry area and you have a story that entertains, educates or enlightens the audience, you will be successful and develop a good relationship with the media.
Media Relations Preparation Work Homework
Interested in doing the work to get media coverage? To get such coverage, you will have to do the homework. I recommend doing an Internet search on media relations to see what information is out there.
What you will need is to find out your story. A PDF from Pitch Rate is helpful to creating your press kit for your website. Then I would recommend checking out the Muck Rack course. Muck Rack is pricey for small businesses, but they offer helpful free content.
When Ready to Look for Media Publications, Start Local
Also, see Phoenix Jackson’s YouTube video for some more great tips as you get started. One great tip that is in the video is to check out all sources of local media—local newsletters and bulletins that are a good fit for your personal story or your business.
Conclusion
I wish you the best of luck in your search for media coverage. It requires some background work; however, your focus on doing things right and preparing well will be a huge benefit for you and your relationships with media and their audience.
Please let me know of your successes and challenges in the comment section or by sending me an email.
If you find some information that is helpful to you and not mentioned in the article, please tell me in the contents or through an email.
Inspired to start weight training to improve your fitness, health, physique, or confidence? Or, perhaps to lose some of the fat gained during these challenge days with the pandemic? This article will help you.
I interviewed a personal trainer, Elad Michaeli, who has his own fat-to-fit transformation story. Elad also provides us with some general advice to kickstart our fitness transformation journeys.
An Interview with Online Personal Trainer Elad Michaeli
I had the opportunity to interview through email, Elad Michaeli, a 22-year-old (birth date 22-October (Libra)) personal and online trainer from Israel.
He has had several jobs. He started as a baker (bread, muffins, and cakes) to help bring in money to help his family. I was curious to see what things he baked were his favorites. It turns out he bakes and makes other meals. “Personally, I’m like a mini cook, I like making things in the kitchen (healthy mostly),” Elad said.
He does not have a sweet tooth (unlike me–I love carbohydrates, lol), explaining, “I would say bread is my favourite baked item because I don’t really like sweets. I’m more a meat guy. “
Elad joined the army when he was 18, but he also had a computer-based job. During this time, Elad also attended Wingate Academy where he studied fitness and nutrition.
In 2019, Elad started his personal training business, Elad Michaeli Fitness. Due to the pandemic with COVID-19 in 2020, he moved his training business online.
Elad is also a fitness influencer. At the time of the post, Elad has 118,000 followers on Instagram, and he has posted numerous workout demonstrations (even two with his cats) that could be done from home.
Elad told me that his girlfriend provides vital support for the Instagram page, as she behind the camera capturing the images.
According to a comment on one of his Instagram posts, Elad’s height is 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and his weight at that time was 153 pounds (69.6 kg).
Elad’s Fitness Transformation
While Elad has a detailed physique now, this was not always the case. Elad started his journey being overweight and an insecure 12-year-old, who wanted to make a change.
“Being overweight really bothered me, especially because everyone was laughing at me and made me feel even worse,” Elad explained. Due to the bullying that he endured, Elad was sad and spent time by himself. It was during this time that he decided to improve himself. Elad mentioned a motivation quote that was his inspiration “First they laugh at you, then they will ask for advice.” He admits that his journey was not always a straight path, but he was able to make progress with his brother’s support.
His brother enrolled him into a Muay Thai class, which he stated that he loved on his website. I asked more about Muay Thai, as I found out it is a full-contact combat sport. According to the Tiger Muay Thai website–
Muay Thai is referred to as “The Art of Eight Limbs”; and using eight points of contact the body mimics weapons of war. The hands become the sword and dagger; the shins and forearms were hardened in training to act as armor against blows, and the elbow to fell opponents like a heavy mace or hammer; the legs and knees became the axe and staff. The body operated as one unit. The knees and elbows constantly searching and testing for an opening while grappling and trying to spin an enemy to the ground for the kill.
With someone who is insecure, it struck me as an unusual sport with which to start. Elad told me that the gym “was quite a small place with 10-15 people and all of them were 20+ years old.” He liked going to that gym precisely because he was the youngest person there. “Being 12 years old at that kind of place was odd but that [is] what I really liked about that place. He continued, “The fact that I could go someplace after school [where there were no kids] made me feel calm, and it was the first step to progression.”
My impression is that Elad being so young would make people cautious about having to hit a 12-year-old, especially if you are a young adult. As Elad grew older and bigger, by 15 years old, the other members of the gym began to spar with him for real. “[W]hen I grew up and was kinda big, they stopped feeling sorry [for] me,” Elad explained. He continued, “When we trained together, they hit me like I was one of them. [I]t made me feel [like I was part of] a small family.”
By the time Elad was 17, the atmosphere at the Muay Thai gym changed–new people joined and the trainer moved. Elad enjoyed being with the people at the gym before all the changes. So, he decided to leave the gym.
Elad’s parents signed papers allowing him to join a small gym. Elad found that the trainers were not helpful. “I remember the trainers that were there [were] extremely lazy. [They] always tried to hide so no one would ask them questions.” Elad admitted that he did not know what he was doing. He explained to me that he constructed a “brutal” training routine and that he had terrible form. He remained without injury, fortunately. He decided to start researching workout information on YouTube and in books.
I asked Elad about the books and YouTube videos that were most helpful to him. He mentioned Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. YouTubers that Elad idolized were Jeff Seid and Lazar Angelov. He copied their workout routines and exercise form.
Elad’s goal is to be “ripped and extremely strong.” Having followed his fitness journey for almost 10 years, Elad has had experience following different diets and training methods (for example, 5×5 and the push-pull-legs split routine). He is trying out calisthenics (see author’s note below), which he is incorporating with weight training.
Elad follows other Instagram fitness influencers that have the same goal of being lean and strong, Fraser Wilson (who was covered previously on this blog), Chris Heria, and Adi Gillespie.
Calisthenics is a popular fitness option. Calisthenics is mostly bodyweight exercises, movements, and holds. One of the major trainers the calisthenics area is Daniel Vadnal.
“If only people understood how important it is to be consistent. Everything that has value in life is a product of consistency. Success, health, fitness, wealth, friendships, relationships, and all other aspirations are all about consistency.” (Sylvester McNutt III)
I asked for Elad’s reaction. He explained “I couldn’t agree more with Rowan’s quote, I believe [that being] consistent is the key to everything in life because you just can’t watch TV all day and wait for things to happen or get better. You gotta stick to something and work your way from there. My clients’ consistency had a huge part in their success, but I’m always trying to give my full support so they will remain consistent and achieve their goals.”
General Workout Tips from Elad for Our Workout Journeys
While interviewing Elad to learn more about his fitness transformation journey, I wanted to get his thoughts on helping people who are about to start their fitness journeys. With the challenging pandemic and its related lock-downs, people may have added some body fat that they want to lose as we look forward to a new year.
My questions are in bold and Elad’s response follows. (Edited for clarity.)
What advice do you have for a new person who is over 25 percent body fat and wants to start a training program?
“The best advice I could give to someone with over 25 percent is to start slow and progress, usually when my extremely overweight clients are telling me “I’m willing to give it all” and I build a kind of rough diet plan they just give up right away and when I’m building a diet with a low-calorie deficit, using [intermittent] fasting they seem to stick to the diet plan and they get better results.”
Would you recommend bodyweight exercises or maybe starting with elastic bands or dumbbells?
“I’d highly recommend incorporating bodyweight exercises because it all starts from there, being able to bench 200lbs and not doing 20 push-ups with the right technique is just not worth it and it’s not good for you being weak at bodyweight exercises especially on abs. Elastic bands and pair of dumbbells are more than enough. I’ve been using only bodyweight and some bands for 3 months due to the quarantine and I didn’t even lose 1 lb of muscle. A beginner would gain muscle during the process.”
Is there a good basic routine that would be good to start with as a new trainee?
A good routine to start as a beginner is the push-up, incorporating different variations, along with some squat variations and abs workouts. Definitely progress will be shown through this routine.
(Author’s note: This routine can be done at home.)
How much time should be a person work with a program to develop a healthy workout habit?
“Developing a healthy workout routine it’s in the mindset, I believe it can happen after a week, month and even longer it all depends how much it’s important to them.”
What is your advice on a cardio program?
“[M]y advice is to find the type of cardio that suits you the best and stick to that, if you don’t like running you can take your bike and if you don’t like the ground then swimming it’s. Same with cardio need to find something that you can stay consistent with.”
Any other general helpful tips you can think of?
“[E]veryone has their days that the motivation levels are down and they just want to quit but before doing that remember why you started in the first place.”
Conclusion
It was nice chatting with Elad over email about his fitness journey. It is an interesting story, and since Elad is 21 at the time that this post was written, there will be more success stories in the future.
I hope that general advice is helpful for readers seeking to start a fitness journey to lose lock-down fat gain.
If you have any questions for Elad, please leave them in the comments or send me an email.
Is there anything you would have asked Elad that was not asked in my interview? Did you feel inspired or encouraged by Elad’s transformation story? Please let me know your questions and reflections in the comments section.
I was interested in finding out more about Luis, and I found out through a web search that Luis is a YouTuber. His first video was a podcast that he filmed with his friend Nano Azpurua. I found the story about his background interesting, as I am a first generation U.S. citizen and have family from South America.
It is a treat to hear the model that you see in photos speaking. In the podcast, Luis and Nano touch on many topics. I recommend watching the video. I have picked out some information for the introduction to this blog post.
Biographical Information
Luis’ birthdate is September 4 (Virgo).
Luis was born in the United States; his parents are from Venezuela in South America.
Luis’ height is 5 feet, 10 inches (1.78 meters). Luis mentioned in the podcast that he went to a model open call (where scouts look for models). The scouts told him that he was too short. (Usually models are 6 feet or above in height.)
Other Information from Luis’ Podcast
When Luis started a TikTok account and began to get a lot of views, Luis then attracted interest.
Luis prefers not to live the full-time job life. Luis has worked several jobs since he was 16. In the podcast, Luis mentions that he attended online college courses. He did not mention a course of study.
Luis commented briefly on his workout goals. He stated that he will talk about the subject more in another video.
At the time of this blog post, Luis and Nano were looking for a name for their podcast and podcast ideas. You can enter suggestions at Luis YouTube video.
Pandemic and Protest in 2020
The year 2020 was eventful with a pandemic as well as several painful events involving fatal citizen encounters with law enforcement officers. One notable case was the one involving George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ample witness videos ultimately became a macabre film of 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
The aftermath of this event spread worldwide. Luis attended one of the protests.
As mentioned earlier in the post, Luis had a photo shoot with Photographer Lester Villarama in Los Angeles, California. (Grooming was by Keon Cruz.) One session was featured in Maximo Magazine.
There was another photo shoot that was done in black and white. While color photos dominate, I still find black and white photos intriguing.
Stevan Reyes
Luis also had a photo session with Photographer Stevan Reyes in Florida. Photographer Reyes also had a photo session with Kyle Hynick.
Conclusion
Luis has attracted a huge follower base for his TikTok content and has been making the best of a challenging 2020. I wish him best as he pursues his career path outside of the salaried 9-to-5 life. (Model Dominic Calvani has a similar opinion.)
It is interesting to hear the perspective of a first-generation U.S. citizen, as it is the same experience as mine, with family from South America (former British colonies), which is also a similar experience as mine.
I look forward to seeing more photos and social media content from Luis.
If you have any favorite photos or social media content that you have seen of Luis, please leave a comment or send me an email.
You have been a dedicated weight trainer, and you have developed a good nutrition plan that works with your body. You are seeing results and want to take things to the next level. You have also determined that you have what it takes to compete with the other athletes that will show up.
How will you choose the best board short that will present your best image to the contest judges? How to develop a smooth, confident posing style for the stage? This article will help you find the answers you need to ace your first contest.
Mens Physique Board Shorts Rules
The IFBB created the Mens Physique Division on November 11, 2012.
(Note: As explained in another post, there are no weight categories in mens physique. For example, at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, there was a competitor, Kim Min Su (height-6 feet 2 inches (1.87 meters) and weight-249 pounds (113 kilograms)).
There are numerous federations to consider. I have listed the rules for mens physique stage shorts for a few federations.
Federation
Mens Physique Board Shorts Rules (as of August 23, 2020)
1. Competitors will wear an opaque, loose-fitting board shorts which are clean and decent. The colour and fabric of the shorts will be left to the competitor’s discretion. Shorts may have geometric patterns and motives, but no inscriptions and cambered ornamentation. The shorts will cover the whole upper leg, down the upper point of the knee (patella). The use of padding anywhere in the trunks is prohibited. 2. No tight, lycra style shorts are allowed. 3. Personal sponsors logos are not permitted on the shorts; however a manufacturer’s logo such is accepted.
Contestants will be asked to walk in board shorts (shorts must be just above the knee in length and can be one inch below the belly button, no spandex and no logos are permitted on the board shorts however a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike symbol or Billabongs are acceptable.)
The attire for all rounds is board shorts, which must conform to the following criteria: 1. Material and colour can be of the athlete’s personal choice. 2. No tight, lycra style shorts are allowed. 3. Board shorts should not cover the knees. 4. Personal Sponsors logos are not permitted on the board shorts. However a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike, Adidas or Billabong are accepted.
Posing Shorts: Contestants will be asked to walk in board shorts . Shorts must be just above the knee in length and can be one inch below the belly button. No spandex and no logos are permitted on the board shorts however a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike symbol or Billabongs are acceptable.
Board shorts (loose shorts that come down to around the knee) are worn for both parts. Shorts can be of any color and pattern.
Based on the rules of the various federations noted above, the expectation for competition board shorts is essentially the same. The IFBB does not allow cambered ornamentation.
In practice, mens physique contest athletes wear the shorts at the hips rather than one inch below the belly button. In addition, some of the board shorts have some spandex material (Darc Sport, Bro Activewear, Mens Physique Board Shorts, and Alphalete).
Board shorts was created for surfing, but the style and fabric of the shorts have evolved. For more about the board shorts, you can read a blog post on the Old Bull Shorts webpage.
The board short does not come with a liner and fits on the hips.
Board shorts come from big brands (Quiksilver, Hurley, Billabong) that come from surfing. You need wide legs to make it easy to move on the surfboard. However, mens physique competitors are focused on physique display on a stationary stage. Some brands have made alterations to the board short focused on that competition goal (for example, coloring, tapered leg).
Mens Physique Board Shorts Style
According to a YouTuber, Hart’s Physique Channel, some of the mens physique board shorts are tapered to show the outline of well-trained thighs. This is a recent development as board shorts are made for surfing and thus have a wider leg opening.
Best Board Shorts for Mens Physique
Live Fit Brand
Live Fit brand is based in California, United States. The founder, CEO, and designer is Randall Pich. (He created a video on how to create a muscle tank from an old t-shirt.)
On December 25, 2020, the brand released a new mens physique contest stage short (signature pro series (maroon and teal), which feature a signature from IFBB Pro Anthony Woods). The price of the shorts is 60 U.S. Dollars.
Narcizo is a brand based in Hungary. The brand’s goal, as described on its website, is to create stage (board) shorts that suit the goals of physique competition. The sizing of the brand’s board shorts is 28, 30, 32, and 34. The offers two styles—unicolor and patterned. The price of unicolor shorts is 69 euros. For the patterned shorts, the price is 89 euros.
The Mens Physique Show Shorts brand is based in the United Kingdom.
According to its website, the focus of the brand’s board shorts is to have the right fit and colors (the brand used a horizontal stripe pattern) to make the result of the contestant’s hard work—his physique—stand out to the judges.
The sizing of the brand’s board shorts is 28, 30, 32, and 34. The price (on the day of the post) is 39.99 Great Britain pounds.
BroActiveWear is a brand based in the United States. The brand states that it creates distinctive styles in its clothing. The sizing of the brand’s board shorts is small (28-30), medium (30-32), and large (32-34). The price of the brand’s board shorts is 100 U.S. dollars.
Pro bodybuilder and YouTuber Jason Lowe modeling BroActiveWear’s Atlanta Falcons board shorts.
Alphalete
Alphalete is a brand owned by Christian Guzman, and the brand is based in the United States. The brand started its board shorts offering (Titan) on September 12, 2020.
The sizing of the brand’s board shorts has the widest range of waist sizes (28-40). The price of the brand’s board shorts is 55 U.S. dollars.
I mentioned that there is interest in having the mens physique board shorts be more tapered to show some evidence of thigh development (with the muscle filling the leg of the board shorts).
For example, Kim Angel, a mens physique pro competitor from Spain has notable thigh development. He is a skilled weight trainer, who is able to keep up in an intense leg training session with Canadian pro bodybuilder Regan Grimes.
Mens Physique Posing
The purpose of the Mens Physique Division was to showcase less muscular yet aesthetic physiques. What that has meant is the development of the upper-body muscles, especially abs, and a v-taper–slim waist and wide shoulders. As a result, the low waist of the board shorts helps to display the athlete’s contest conditioning of the abdomen. A muscle group on the sides of the torso, the external obliques, also becomes prominent with training and at lower body-fat levels (the so-called v-line) and emphasizes a v-tapered look.
Posing in Mens Physique Compared with Bodybuilding
In bodybuilding, several poses display the muscularity of various muscle groups. For example, the double-biceps pose.
In mens physique, the total physique is assessed. The IFBB rules that the judges will ask the competitors to make four quarter turns (IFBB rules (2019), mens physique, article 5, paragraph 4).
Author’s note: See related information in a blog post about a Canadian mens physique competitor, Kyle Hynick, which discusses in part the distinction between mens physique and bodybuilding.
(Both Ryan and Elton are now professionals in mens physique.)
Conclusion
There are many steps in the journey toward your first competition. Participation is the best teacher. You will learn how you handle pressure while maintaining focus to achieve the goals that you want. I hope that this article just a couple of topics—board shorts and posing—helps you with your contest preparation path.
Any successes and teachable moments that you learned during contest preparation, contest, and post-contest, please share them by email or in the comments section.
