How To Look Taller

It's a fact - the world we live in glorifies tall people.


Tall people on average, make more money, get the best view at the concert, look better in clothes, make millions playing basketball for a living and generally, have it easier in life.




If Adam hadn't taken a bite at that apple and we were all still naked and stuck in Garden of Eden, all hope would be lost for the vertically-challenged portion of mankind. But because he did take a swipe at the forbidden fruit, we now have the phenomenon we call clothes at our disposal. Yes, while adopting the right posture is the most immediate, effective and optimal way to increase your height immediately, it's no myth that dressing correctly can make you appear taller. And although the following will not get a 5'6" man mistaken for being 6 feet tall, I'm sure most people will agree that every added illusory inch of height is a Godsend. But please remember - in 99% of cases, breaking your legs is not the answer. 








Hi, Heels


Rather than being an advocacy of cross-dressing, wearing man-heels can add valuable inches to your stature. A few go overboard by wearing crazy 4 inch heeled boots a-la Prince, but all that does is just end up making one look insecure and desperate. Instead, employ subtlety - a standard dress shoe heel will already bump up your height by 2 inches. Look for shoes that do not have a large heel, but rather, extra padding in the insole such that it wont appear as if too much of your newfound height is coming from the heel itself. 

High heels - IMO still the exclusive territory of the fairer sex.

That being said, I must say that there's really nothing wrong with being below average in height. As many will agree, confidence comes from within, and how you carry yourself is ultimately the most significant determining factor when it comes to your level of attractiveness - a confident short man can easily be much more attractive than a tall gangly man who doesn't carry himself with the same grace as the former. 

Furthermore, wearing excessively large heels/lifts may end up running you the risk of looking desperate and insecure. All I can say is, if wearing heels/lifts really makes you feel better, then proceed. But do so with caution. 

                                          

Fit


I've said it thrice and I'll say it again, the most important factor in how good your clothes look on you is F-I-T. Not the color, not the decorative detail, but how the piece is cut, how its shaped, how well it conforms to your body. 


A well fitted pair of trousers and a form-fitting (not body-hugging) shirt works in the same way as vertical stripes do - they create a slimming silhouette, which in turn makes you appear leaner and longer. On the other hand, wearing two-people-can-fit-in-here baggy clothing only serves to make you look like a little boy who got lost and ended up in his father's wardrobe. 


Look for trousers with minimal break at the ankles and for shirts that do not have overly long bunched sleeves. The length of the trouser leg and shirt sleeve should measure such that there is no bunching (accumulation of extra material) at the ends. 

Vert


Vertical stripes carry the advantage of creating a streamlined optical illusion of elongation. In other words, wearing vertical stripes can make you appear slimmer and taller. Veer on the side of smaller vertical stripes with minimal in-between spacing as opposed to large stripes, such as to not look like you just stepped out from the set of the latest Godfather spin-off.  

Mono


Another way to work illusory magic with your audience is to dress in monochrome - ie. wearing a similar/identical shade all throughout your outfit. For example, black trousers paired with a navy blue shirt, white linen slacks with a white shirt. The idea behind this method is that wearing the same color avoids a break/sectioning of your body, thus drawing attention away from the length of shorter individual sections of the body and making the human eye view the person as a whole instead. Opt for darker monochrome shades to appear leaner and longer. 

I'm telling you - it's the clothes

A High Head of Hair


I have a friend (Hello there Sean) who sports a 6 inch hairstyle. A 6 inch tall hairstyle to be exact (think Fonzie and think hairspray). Sean himself isn't extremely tall (171cm, was it?), but he appears a good few inches taller than he is, by virtue of his hair. 

This isn't Sean.

While to some, having "good hair posture" may be a rather comical way of breathing the air up there, I don't believe that taking on a slightly and of course, subtly augmented hairstyle will do you much harm. If anything, it'll help you stand out in a crowd. Oh, how I love mildly unfunny puns. 

On a somewhat related note, if you're a minor - start drinking milk and loading up on the protein before its too late. Caucasians are generally larger than Asians, and I infer that a major reason for this is because the Asian diet is notoriously high in carbohydrates and low in calcium and protein - hardly the best diet for optimal growth. 


If you're no longer at the age of vertical expansion, keep your head up. Height is undoubtedly an advantage, but its not everything. Building your confidence, charisma and being well-groomed can do way more for you than a couple of extra inches will. 


Just ask Sean.

Till next time, this is Straight Eye for the Straight Guy.

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Style Tip #257: How to Wear Cologne

There may not be anything more deal-breaking in this world than a person who smells funky.

How good you smell actually sends subconscious signals to members of the opposite sex as to how healthy and suitable you are as a potential mate. There are many ways to change the way you smell (and ultimately, your overall attractiveness to the opposite sex):

• diet (yay Indian food!) 
• a shower 
• and of course, cologne 

Or pheromone spray, if you believe in that stuff. 

I wrote an article a while back about the different species of cologne available. And now, for your exclusive perusal, a little 101 about how to wear it. 

How much?

Never more than 2 spritzes.

Nobody outside a 4 feet radius of you should even be able to detect a hint of your cologne. You want to smell like a hint of olfactory bliss, not like you bathed in liquid air freshener. 

Where?

The best areas to apply cologne are on the base of the throat, the inner wrist, and the back of the ears. These are your pulse points, ie. areas with a high concentration of blood vessels, thus optimizing the intensity of your cologne. 

An alternative method of applying cologne is to get naked (not so fast), spray 2 spritzes into the air directly in front of you, and then walk through the mist. 

When?

The best time to apply cologne is right after a nice, warm shower. Not only would you have prepared a clean fragrance free (avoid using overly scented shower gels/soaps) canvas for your cologne to create a masterpiece on, applying cologne after a shower also helps to keep the fragrance lasting longer. This is because the tiny little pores all over your body dilate after a warm shower, thus maximizing the rate of fragrance absorption afterwards.  

"Since I discovered cologne, my life has never been the same!"

Which?

I'm not exactly a tour de force on colognes, but over the years, I've found that the following three classic fragrances work for almost any man - Acqua di Gio, Chanel Allure Homme Sport and Ralph Lauren Blue. 

Why?

What do you mean why???

Ha ha. I know you weren't gonna ask that, I just had to end with something less serious.

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Life Tip #123: Sorry

So you messed up.

Big deal. 

We're human and humans mess up.

But next comes the apology... and this is when we inexcusably mess up.

This is how not to apologize:

"Alright fine I'm sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose *babble* *babble* *babble*"

When somebody is mad at you, the last thing that person wants to hear is excuses and reasons as to why you shouldn't be blamed. An emotional person whose emotions are clouded with disappointment and anger is unlikely to respond to any logical reasoning. At times like these, applying logical reasoning is akin to deepening the dagger. 

Instead, real men employ the most effective pacifying technique in the universe - a heartfelt sincere "I'm sorry." complete with accompanying remorseful body language. 

Kinda like this but more human-ish-ly.

And if you pissed off a mute person.

Though if you really feel the need to justify yourself, do so in the  following manner:

"Mortimer, I really didn't mean to run over your cat, but in any case, it's my fault and I'm sorry."

Last words matter. In any apology, end with "I'm sorry". Stating excuses after "I'm sorry" merely nullifies any effect your apology had in the first place. 

Happy apologizing!

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Workout Day Three

You'd have rested on Day 2 after the Shoulders & Biceps Day 1 routine.


I now warmly welcome you to - 


Day 3: Chest and Triceps


Superman had a big one. Countless women want a big one. 


I'm talking about a big chest. 


Forget those pansy pulley-operated machines you see in the gym. The key to obtaining a well-developed physique which boasts strength and stability in addition to size is truly by using free weights. Not all gyms will have the benefit of a free weights bench press bar, thus the following is a portrayal of a bench press you can do with nothing but dumbbells and a basic bench. 


You're going to go heavy with this move, thus if you're a beginner, it's highly advisable that you get somebody to become your spotter, ie. somebody to make sure you're lifting correctly and safely. 








Dumbbell (I'm referring to the weights) Bench Press

Place the weights on your thighs for support.

In a smooth motion, lean back and brace the weights at the sides of your torso. 

Using the power from your pectorals (your chest muscles) push the weights upward in a slow and controlled motion.

Return slowly to the starting position, making sure to pinch your shoulder blades backward as you lower the weights. 

The strength for a bench press should never come from your back. Do not arch your back to assist the rest of your body in performing this move, as doing so could have serious consequences. Instead, if the weights feel too strenuous, it's perfectly okay (and a much more admirable alternative to the pain and humiliation that comes from a gym accident) to step down your weights. 

Perform 3 sets of 12,10 and 8 repetitions, using a heavier set of dumbbells with each set. 

Incline Bench Press


Really nice man-boobs are built in different directions. With the move above, you concentrated on the mid-pectorals, and now with the incline bench press, we're working on our upper pectorals, to give you that comic-book-superhero-chest-jutting-out look. 


Adjust your bench to a 45 degree, diagonal angle. 




The same rules apply as above: do not arch your back. Power comes from your chest. Pinch your shoulder blades backward as you lower the weights. Slow and controlled motion.


The pictures will speak for themselves. 

Perform 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 reps. Use slightly lighter weights than you would with the basic bench press. 






Dumbbell Fly

I personally don't enjoy doing the dumbbell fly, but many bodybuilding enthusiasts swear by it. With arms extended, hold the dumbbells parallel to your chest and bring the dumbbells in towards each other without bending your elbows.  3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions and you're good. 








The Dip


Also the name of a popular dance move, the dip is inserted into this routine as a 'bridging' move - a move that transitions your workout from the chest area to the triceps. The dip is another fantastic compound exercise belonging to the same family as the chinup and the pushup and is probably one of the few compound exercises without a direction in its name. 




My gym doesn't have a dedicated dip station, thus I improvised as shown below. Make sure the gym attendant doesn't catch you doing this. Make double sure if you weigh 300 pounds and above. Your gym's insurance might not cover broken treadmill handles from strange gym-goer behavior. 

Keep your back straight and taut. 

Slowly lower your torso until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Slowly push back up into the starting position.

Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions. If you cannot manage 8 repetitions, start lower. As your body acclimatizes, you should be able to complete 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions eventually. 

Triceps Pull-down

Most men want big arms but neglect their triceps and go crazy on bicep exercises. The oft-neglected triceps is actually the secret to nice large arms that every woman will want to grab. 

The gym I patronize is also devoid of a dedicated triceps pull-down station. But a man's gotta pull what a man's gotta pull. Make use of the lat pull-down station (almost every gym has one). 

Keep your arms tucked tightly by your sides. Your upper arms should remain stationary throughout the pull-down. All the effort must come from your triceps, with your elbow as the fulcrum. Keep your knees bent and your back straight to prevent any unwanted interference from other muscle groups.  

3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions with increasingly heavier weights. 

Two handed dumbbell behind-the-neck lift

As with every standing exercise, keep your knees bent and back straight and bust 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions.

Bent-over Triceps Pullback

The last in the triceps building family of maneuvers, you'll be using light weights here as this is a muscle-defining move that focuses on muscle tone rather than size. 3 sets of 16, 12 and 10 repetitions should do the trick.

A little something on diet

After you're done, go and get some protein (eggs, nuts, meat, fish). I read somewhere that eating protein right after/before your workouts maximize muscle growth. If you want to become a bona-fide muscle-head, eat 2.2grams of protein for every kg of your target body weight. For example, if you're currently 60kg but would like to bulk up to 65kg, start ingesting 65 x 2.2 = 143 grammes of protein daily. 

Note that a 100g piece of chicken thigh is not equivalent to a 100g of protein. A 100g peice of chicken thigh contains approximately 20 grammes of protein. I'm not advocating eating 7 chicken thighs a day (though that was what I used to do in my more inexperienced body building days). Rather, my personal recommendation is to adopt a healthy balanced diet of meat, fish, eggs, nuts, whole-grains and copious amounts of fruit and vegetables. 

You're definitely going to have to take in more protein than you have before, but you don't necessarily have to go nuts on nuts (nice pun, aye?), eggs (20 eggs a day? Are you kidding?) and meat. Despite the 2.2 grammes of protein per kg of body weight recommendation, I've found that eating the equivalent of one whole chicken breast (approximately 35 grammes of protein) per main meal in addition to your whole-grains, fruits and vegetables is sufficient to obtain a lean toned body with decent size. It's also immensely more practical and sustainable considering the damage a high protein intake can potentially wreak on your liver and kidneys. 

Then take a breather on Day 4 and brace yourself for the culmination.

Day 5 - Back, core and legs

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