When muscle guys show off, I go weak in the knees. I don’t know about you, but I just love it when a muscle guy does more than strut his stuff, but really lets those around him see just how big and muscular he is. These are variations on the them of PDA: Public Displays of Alpha-ness. The muscle men are asserting their worshipworthyness.

The photo above is one kind of showing off: posing so your friend can take a picture of your masculine hotness. I really love this picture. First, the dude is ripped. Second, look at the size of his biceps! Third, look at the expressions on their faces; muscle man is stoked and his friend is swept away. And Fourth, look at the difference in their sizes: muscle man is so much bigger than his friend.

This is another kind of showing off: flexing in public. In this case, the muscle man is flexing for a small group, particularly a young kid. It’s a way of saying, yeah I’m big, strong and in charge. Don’t you forget it!

This is a variation of flexing in public: objectifying your own muscularity. This guy has dressed to attract attention, flexes his arm and is letting strangers touch his flexed arm, letting them feel how hard it is. He is making himself into an object for their desires. He is letting them enter into a fleeting second of muscle worship.

This is the other variation on flexing in public: flexing so that others can not only be seen with you, but be seen really feeling and admiring your muscle. In this kind of public worship, the muscle man is even more objectified than in the previous instance. He is “reduced” to a glorious piece of meat and yet elevated by the worship and admiration of the others.