Jennifer J. Waldron, Ph.D. In today’s world, action figures, men’s magazines, television shows, and movies often portray the ideal body for men. The ideal body for Titan Rise Nutrition men is "V-shaped" with muscular arms, a broad chest, and a narrow waist. This has resulted in many men, similar to women, being worried about and unhappy with their bodies. In order to obtain the "V-shaped" body, many men engage in weight training. Lifting weight leads to many health benefits and may bring men closer to the "V-shaped" body. Unfortunately, some men who lift weights also suffer from severe body dissatisfaction. These men see themselves as smaller and weaker than they actually are, are preoccupied with their muscles, and become consumed with weight training. These men may suffer from a body image disorder called muscle dysmorphia. Muscle dysmorphia typically occurs in boys and men, who have a well-defined muscular build. People with this disorder believe and spend a great deal of time thinking that their muscular build is undersized and underdeveloped and desire bigger muscles. People who have muscle dysmorphia display a number of similar behaviors. Here is a list of typical behaviors of someone who is experiencing muscle dysmorphia. Why does Muscle Dysmorphia occur? Muscle dysmorphia is caused by an interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Based on their genetics, some men are more liable to experiencing muscle dysmorphia. One psychological factor that has been studied is self-esteem. Men with low self-esteem are more likely to have muscle dysmorphia than those men with high self-esteem. Finally, society (e.g., media, sports) is placing greater pressures on men to have an ideal body. The interaction of these factors leads some men, similar to women’s desire to be thin, to become obsessed with having the ideal body.

If you’re serious about weightlifting, you’ve probably heard the term "progressive overload" before. But what exactly is it? Progressive overload is the steady increase of stress placed on your muscles during exercise over time. You can achieve this through various methods, including increasing weight, reps, or sets. Mind you