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| Sunday, 30 May 2004 |
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Ha! wanna look good? by Umangi de Mel
According to him a man's looks add to his confidence. "It's a must that you maintain a good physique and look after yourself. Wanting to look good or enhance your looks could come in handy. It's could be a confidence booster as well as a motivation to work out," Jehan says proper exercises contribute to health, "people work in very stressful environments and it's a burn out. More than the fashion aspect of the whole idea, lots of men do it for the health. You find people working as senior executives who go to fitness centers to get out of the stressful working scenario. Exercise release Endorphin which helps you to relieve stress. Stress create toxins in the body which could be killed by endorphin. Thus, there's a certain category that goes to the gym to be healthy, including myself," Jehan points out that your career could also require good looks. "If you are an executive, you obviously can't afford to have a big stomach and look podgy. Constant exercises do the trick and it also lessens the risk of executive burn out." Present men are more conscious about their physique than they were before; Jehan reveals that it's vital from the fashion perspective that you look slim and fit. "Those days, it was the girls who were expected to look after their figures and the men could go to pot but now even the men are expected to maintain a good body and be able to at least suck in their stomachs when in public". Having a big frame seems to be very much in vogue and guys seem to do whatever it takes from 50 sit-ups to 50 squats to gain the desired looks. "I don't know if it's true or false but I think it's how they like to see themselves and partly because they probably believe that women fancy macho men with big muscles and stuff which may not be the case though," Jehan adds. Commenting on females being picky about a male's look or the body, he says it is true to an extent. "Those days women looked for stability, good job and security in a guy but today young people tend to have a lot of money. It's amazing the way a teenager could actually spend. Obviously when they grow up, they don't need to look for financial stability. They're a lot more socially aware which is why they go for the best looking person. It may not be 100% accurate but more people focus on looks and be conscious about how they'd look together. Talking about how 'looks' matter when it comes to public image, Jehan says there are two aspects of it. "Having a big frame is definitely an advantage. It doesn't require big muscles but if you have a natural big frame, you stand out. Sri Lankans are anyway slightly built but you can overcome the natural built by pumping up." He believes that working out doesn't affect social life, "some people I know get up early in the morning and finish their work out. You don't need to work out everyday, if you play tennis or do other sports, you automatically exercise your muscles. I of course am not influenced by it. I work-out a little to keep fit more than keep up appearance. There's a consideration but main focus is to stay healthy since my career is stressful and exercises help the overcome stress," Starting exercise from an early age, might not be necessary if the person concerned travels by bus or walks to school, says Jehan. "During the teen years, you anyway get plenty of exercise even if you don't go to a fitness centre. But when you start work where you stay in one place the whole time, it's better if you could work out a bit." At the same time, Jehan warns that one has to also look at the long-term consequences when trying to build big muscles and volume. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
The gym syndrome or the sudden enthusiasm built around 'hitting the
gym' talks volumes for the fashion conscious male. Men seem to fancy big
muscles and the looks of a small giant and there's more emphasis today on
brawny men. "Having a good physique is very important in any context
may it be social or business, a good build takes a man a long way,"
says Jehan Bastian, dramatist, sparing a few minutes to discuss 'men'.
