For natural bodybuilding, the mirror in the weight room tells the truth...and he won't let you forget it! If you don't like what you see in the mirror, it isn't the mirror's fault. A friend will make you aware of your faults but put up with you anyway. A mirror will make you aware of the flaws in your physique, and you should pay attention to him, because he is not swayed by public opinion. He just reflects things the way they are.

The first thing the mirror can help you change is your attitude. Look at your face! If it is not smiling, take a deep breath. Practice lip curls on each corner of the mouth. Simultaneously and bilaterally, with the help of the cheek muscles lift your lip corners upward, imagining that you are trying to touch the right lip corner to the outside corner of the right eye and the left lip corner to the outside corner of the left eye. The muscle around the lips that helps you say "Oh!" is called the orbicularis orbis. Once you have learned the proper technique for performing lip attitude adjustments, you can say, "Oh! That was easy!" and then you can smile, stand back from the mirror, and look at the remarkable change your workout has accomplished in your appearance. Learning this technique is much more difficult for some guys than others, but in this case, attitude is 99% and effort only 1%.

Other adjustments are not quite so easy. Position yourself where you can see the full length of your body--first from a frontal position, and then from the side. Get a general mental picture of your overall appearance. If the first thing you see is fat, then you need to work on weight reduction. Lots of people pay big bucks to hear a doctor say they need to diet and exercise (I know this is true, because I type patients' office visit notes for doctors, and this happens regularly)! If you look skinny, then look for articles by reputable writers on smart weight gain plans. Visit your mirror friend regularly for a truthful update on your natural bodybuilding progress.

What does a natural bodybuilding judge do when the remaining two guys in a posedown are standing there side by side, one with a better build from the waist up and the other with a better physique from the waist down? How does he decide? The mirror will tell you what should be the location of your focus of effort. The mirror is a good pal when it comes to performing tricep pushdowns. Stand with your left side facing the mirror, and turn your face to the left. Use the mirror to ensure that each time you perform a repetition that you are using correct form and holding your elbows still. Repeat the process for the right side.

The same is true with incline presses. Use the mirror to make certain your body is symmetrically aligned with the bench and the weights. Symmetry is achieved when corresponding muscles on each side of the body are exercised equally. The mirror lets you know if one side of your body is doing more work. It will also tell you if you are cheating. I cannot pay the mirror to show what he can't see. What I see in the mirror most surely looks like me. When you are true to yourself and the mirror, you will get better results with natural bodybuilding.

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