Ok when I don't wear my shirt, which is most of the time in the summer, my wife and friends say I am just trying to show off and impress people. Now this pisses me off! I have always not wore a shirt even when I was out of shape (skinny with a beer belly) and no one said I was showing off then?

So if you don't wear a shirt and your out of shape thats normal but if your fit and musclular your showing off? What the hell is that?

I work out to stay fit and how my body looks is just an after effect so give me a break!


Anyone else get hassled about not wearing a shirt?

Ok when I don't wear my shirt, which is most of the time in the summer, my wife and friends say I am just trying to show off and impress people. Now this pisses me off! I have always not wore a shirt even when I was out of shape (skinny with a beer belly) and no one said I was showing off then?

So if you don't wear a shirt and your out of shape thats normal but if your fit and musclular your showing off? What the hell is that?

I work out to stay fit and how my body looks is just an after effect so give me a break!


Anyone else get hassled about not wearing a shirt?

Yup. It is very interesting that you mention this. I actually feel much more self-conscious being shirtless now than I ever did when I was out of shape. I remember one incident ... I was going camping with my family, and I got in the motor home. The AC hadn't been on and it was probably 120 degrees in there. I took my shirt off and relaxed and several people instantly accused me of "showing off". They never would have thought twice about it years before when I was out of shape....which is so odd. My brother took his shirt off and nobody said a thing, but I was a "show off". :rolleyes: Now, the only time my shirt ever comes off is in the shower.....

Same thing with wearing tank tops. I wore them all the time as a skinny kid, but as an adult with some appreciable muscle, the only possible reason I could have for wearing them is to show off "the guns". :rolleyes: Now days, I wear very loose fitting baggy clothes....even in the hottest of summer days. They are comfortable, yet cool...and I don't have to deal with people giving me crap.....

It's their insecurities coming out...plain and simple

I feel much more self-consious too! Its weird huh!...

I workout for health and fitness, and also to look good.........but I feel like I am showing off when taking my shirt off. So I very rarely do now..

By no means am I a greek god....but next to 'normal' folk I'm a big show off...

If I was at a fitness show or something I'd be the smallest guy there with the highest bf....lol

Dick says: "Show off"
Joe/Bob says: "jealous?"
Dick shuts up.

Nothing wrong with a little skin. I known this couple for the past 4 years and not once have I seen the husband w/o a shirt. Even at the beach he wears a shirt, swimming-shirt, by now he must have a permanent working man's tan. ;)

I guess you could take it more as a compliment in a weird way. Flattering I suppose. Just wear a skin tight T-shirt so your muscles still show :lol:

Ok when I don't wear my shirt, which is most of the time in the summer, my wife and friends say I am just trying to show off and impress people. Now this pisses me off! I have always not wore a shirt even when I was out of shape (skinny with a beer belly) and no one said I was showing off then?

So if you don't wear a shirt and your out of shape thats normal but if your fit and musclular your showing off? What the hell is that?

I work out to stay fit and how my body looks is just an after effect so give me a break!


Anyone else get hassled about not wearing a shirt?

Jealousy at it best. Keep doing what you do! :tucool: Nothing wrong with showing off or tanning a physique that you work hard to acquire/maintain.

Yup. It is very interesting that you mention this. I actually feel much more self-conscious being shirtless now than I ever did when I was out of shape. I remember one incident ... I was going camping with my family, and I got in the motor home. The AC hadn't been on and it was probably 120 degrees in there. I took my shirt off and relaxed and several people instantly accused me of "showing off". They never would have thought twice about it years before when I was out of shape....which is so odd. My brother took his shirt off and nobody said a thing, but I was a "show off". :rolleyes: Now, the only time my shirt ever comes off is in the shower.....

Same thing with wearing tank tops. I wore them all the time as a skinny kid, but as an adult with some appreciable muscle, the only possible reason I could have for wearing them is to show off "the guns". :rolleyes: Now days, I wear very loose fitting baggy clothes....even in the hottest of summer days. They are comfortable, yet cool...and I don't have to deal with people giving me crap.....


That is too bad that you dont feel comfortable NOW with your healthier physique. You worked hard for it, dont let other people's insecurities annoy you or create insecurities in yourself. Get out there and get a tan man! :cool:

Anyone else get hassled about not wearing a shirt?
Yes. :o

I feel even more self-conscious than I used to, but at the same time, it's not always an uncomfortable self-conscious feeling.

I wore my tank top yesterday to pick up my daughter from school. People were looking at me really weird, and a couple of them made comments that made me slightly uncomfortable. I was thinking for a while that I should have chosen something more subtle, but then I realized that everyone else was dressed the same way.

I can see where they're coming from with their comments to you. A lot of people work out and eat well for the sole purpose of looking better, so I'm not surprised that people who look good with their shirt off might be accused of doing exactly that, and of taking advantage of the opportunity to reveal their hard work.

Even if it's not your main motivation for working out, it's easier if you 'fess up to the fact that you like how you look and you don't mind putting it out there for other people to appreciate. (I'm pretty sure you like how you look, or you wouldn't use your naked torso as an avatar.;)). Read over Skip's 3 stages of Shirtlessness (http://www.skippypodar.net/Fitness/noshirt.html). It should be good for a laugh. He doesn't seem to mind that hundreds of people think he's an insane narcissist.

(I'm pretty sure you like how you look, or you wouldn't use your naked torso as an avatar.;))
I appreicate what your saying and could be true for most but honestly the reason for the "naked torso" is so when I give advice here people see that I'm not just blowing wind but I actually know what I'm talking about. So it gives me a little creditability. I think people trying to get fit would take advice better from someone who is already fit ya know.

I wouldn't show that pic anywhere else but on a fitness site for that reason. One thing I don't care for is bragging, boasting and showing off. Not that there is anything wrong with it, its just not for me.

Also I feel comfortable showing it here because everyone else on this site is pretty much in good form also. So I don't stand out like I would else where and is probably somewhat the norm here anyway.

i get the same crap bob

I appreicate what your saying and could be true for most but honestly the reason for the "naked torso" is so when I give advice here people see that I'm not just blowing wind but I actually know what I'm talking about. So it gives me a little creditability. I think people trying to get fit would take advice better from someone who is already fit ya know.

I wouldn't show that pic anywhere else but on a fitness site for that reason. One thing I don't care for is bragging, boasting and showing off. Not that there is anything wrong with it, its just not for me.

Also I feel comfortable showing it here because everyone else on this site is pretty much in good form also. So I don't stand out like I would else where and is probably somewhat the norm here anyway.
I see what you mean. Having a nice looking avatar does add credibility for advice specific to bodybuilding and aesthetic improvements, like maybe macronutrient ratios, meal timing, training protocols, etc. However, it wouldn't make a difference to me when the issue concerns general health, lifting technique, and psychological struggles.

I just thought it was interesting, because most of the best nutritional information I've received has been from Gordo, who's only briefly ever shown himself in his avatar. I hope that other people aren't discounting his information because of that. :(

I'm going to present another thought here...

I bet for most of us, the comments about showing off are true, to some degree. We are showing off. We have a right to. We bust our asses in the gym, eat healthy most (or all) of the time and spend countless hours educating ourselves on how to look good and stay healthy. Don't we deserve to show off the results of our hard work? I think so. Tell me when you have your shirt off and people walk by, you don't tighten up the abs a bit, or feel a sense of pride when people take notice. (I'm not only talking to OP, just in general.)

In the same way that the guy who makes $1 million a year drives a Ferrari and lives in a mansion, people with great bodies go shirtless. He shows off his hard work, why can't we?

I'm not saying everytime a person in good shape takes off their shirt, it's to show off, but somewhere deep down, you know it's often part of it. And if you ask me, there's nothing wrong with that. When you work hard for something in life, there's nothing wrong with being proud of the results.


And I agree with Bob on the avatar thing. I'd be more likely to take advice from someone in regard to body composition that has achieved what I want to achieve already than someone who has not. That's not to discount anyone who doesn't have a physique I aspire to, some people just don't care about having a 6 pack or what have you. I just think if someone is giving me advice and looks the part, it just adds that much more credibility to their advice.

Well maybe because you lost weight your wife thinks you're trying to show off your new shape

Include me in the group who feel that there is a fair amount of jealousy involved in making a comment like that. To avoid being totally negative, I'd also suspect that it is also meant as a compliment, though not always consciously so. :)

I just thought it was interesting, because most of the best nutritional information I've received has been from Gordo, who's only briefly ever shown himself in his avatar. I hope that other people aren't discounting his information because of that. :(

I appreciate that Guava, flattered in fact that you think it has any credence. Training advice...I think it's human nature to put more weight into a persons look or appearance. I don't think it can be helped as it's one of the many criteria that most people use as a tool to judge the information. First impressions are almost always visual....then auditory, I suppose.

Personally I don't really care where the advice comes from if it can be backed up with some reasonable logic.

hehe, if I happen to feel spongebob-sish, that's the avatar I go with. I did a nekkid torso but it seemed too odd for me; does nothing for me or anyone else. It's nothing special anyway. For anyone else, I say, if ya got it, (and you want to) flaunt it :D

I'm sure you put a lot of hard work to get where you are. Dont let jealousy get you down. You got it, now flaunt it! :flex:

Count me in for flaunt it if you got it. :)


...just don't be the guy at the gym wearing the wifebeater to show off the big shoulders 'n pipes and the huge baggy track pants to hide the teeny weeny legs.