I wrote recently about how I think the mirror is more valuable as a body composition measure than the regular scales. My justification for this is that I could judge someones ‘body composition health profile’ better by looking at them in their underwear than I could by knowing how much they weigh.
The big problem with my method is the potential for people to only look at their front in the mirror, which may lead to people only training and worrying about the ‘mirror muscles’. I classify the mirror muscles as biceps, chest, abdominals and quads. It may feel good to look good in the mirror, but it is important that you train what you can’t see so easily – behind you. There are a few very good reasons for this:
- Balance: You do not want muscles on one side of a joint disproportionally bigger and stronger than the muscles on other sides. This may lead to imbalances and/or injury.
- Aesthetics: Having a big chest and a small back just looks silly to anyone in the know! Likewise someone who only works out their upper body whilst neglecting their legs.
- Athletic functionality: If you are interested in running faster and jumping higher (I would say that is 99% of athletes) then the ‘posterior chain’ muscles play a much more important role than the muscles on your front.
Advertisement
