Have you ever wondered why you look fantastic at the gym, but then you go home, and you don’t think you look as good?
If you’re wondering why the gym mirrors seem to be more flattering, then you’re not the only one.
It’s not in your head, for starters.
The same way casinos use tons of tricks to make you stay longer and spend more money, gyms have a ton of techniques to make you look great in the mirror.
It keeps you motivated, associating positive feelings with being at the gym, and coming back again and again.
So how are gym mirrors different than regular mirrors?
Gym mirrors use a combination of angled or tilted glass, thicker than usual glass, and fantastic lighting to make you look your best. The effects are subtle but noticeable — you’re not crazy if you think you look different at the gym!
Let’s take a closer look at why gym mirrors are different and how they compare to regular mirrors.
Are Gym Mirrors Different Than Regular Mirrors?
Gym mirrors have been manufactured specially to provide a better, glossier reflection that doesn’t lose its polished look with time.
Big box gyms also use positioning and other visual tricks to make you appear more attractive, by certain standards.
You end up looking slimmer with more muscle definition, and your skin often looks better than usual, too.
Nobody can prove exactly why gyms use different mirrors and visual tricks, but it’s easy to theorize.
They most likely reflect your best self to help motivate you and keep coming back again and again.
If you think you look more muscular (or thinner), then you’ll think your efforts are worth it, and you’ll keep your gym membership for years to come.
It also helps make the gym look more appealing.
The specially manufactured mirrors are supposed to make the gym looker cleaner, brighter, and bigger than it would in a regular mirror.
It can be demotivating to look in the mirror and see a drab gym behind you.
Naturally, the establishment wants to look its best — and the owners want you to look your best, too.
Gym Mirrors vs Regular Mirrors
The ways gym mirrors differ from regular mirrors are subtle, but highly effective.
There are three main “tricks” that gyms use to make their mirrors different.
The manufacturing process also helps make them stand out a little.
And be aware, this isn’t all conspiracy from gym-goers who think they look better at the gym. A lot of this information comes straight from gym mirror manufacturers!
Angle of Glass
Have you ever taken a selfie and noticed you look better when you angle your camera slightly towards you?
Gyms have noticed that, too.
The angle of the glass in the mirror at the gym is often tilted slightly towards you. This makes your upper body look bigger and stronger, and it makes your lower body look thinner.
It also helps smooth out any lumps and bumps like the hint of a double chin or a slightly protruding gut — most of us have them, but we all love a good photo or mirror reflection where they’re less prominent.
Men will see huge pecks and bulging biceps with a toned lower body.
Women will see a larger chest, toned shoulders and upper arms, along with a slimmer waist.
And let’s not forget how cheekbones and a tight jawline can look fantastic from that tilted angle.
From your face to your body, that angle makes you look your best.
Experiment with tilting your mirror at home and see for yourself. If it tilts towards you, your upper body is bigger and your lower body looks thin.
If it’s tilted away from you, your whole body looks tall and slender.
Again, the angle of the gym mirror is extremely subtle — it doesn’t look like a funhouse mirror or anything. It’s just enough to make you look a little better than usual.
Some gym mirrors are even curved so your midriff looks thin but your upper body and legs look muscular toned.
This is the trick makeup mirrors use to magnify parts of women’s’ faces to make applying makeup easier.
However, gym mirrors have subtler magnification, so it’s not noticeable unless you’re looking for it.
Thickness of Glass
Gym mirrors are thicker than regular mirrors.
They’re usually around 6mm thick, and that’s double the thickness of your average home mirror.
The thickness of the glass lets the mirror withstand accidental impacts from weights and machines, for starters.
Some gym mirror manufacturers say their mirrors are twice as strong as regular mirrors.
However, the glass thickness also impacts your reflection.
Thinner glass provides a condensed reflection. It won’t be as clear, and the world will look dull and normal reflected at you.
Thicker glass makes your reflection clearer and more appealing, and it’s easier to use curves and angles to make you look even better in a thick mirror.
The brighter, clearer reflection can make your skin tone, eyes, and other features pop more than usual.
Lighting
Gyms have incredibly flattering lighting.
The people working at the gym want you and the gym to look as appealing as possible.
The mirrors are placed in the areas with the best lighting, so you’re always getting the best view of yourself.
Gyms may also angle the lights to make you look as good as possible.
People don’t look great with harsh lighting directly in their face, but a soft light from above always lights the face and body nicely.
Good downward lighting brings out the definition in your muscles and avoids casting unsightly shadows on your face.
Gym lighting also feels natural most of the time.
It’s bright and open even at night, and it never looks or feels artificial like the harsh, white lighting in grocery stores at night.
It mimics natural light coming from a window in many ways, and people commonly look fantastic in natural lighting.
Clarity
As I mentioned earlier, gym mirrors are super clear!
The staff cleans them religiously. At least, at good gyms they do.
And this can make or break how good you look.
If you’re suddenly seeing every lump and bump and feeling insecure, it’s because the mirrors are so clear.
(And you should have more confidence — you look great!)
But if you suddenly think you look bright and awake and glowing from your workout, that’s coming from the clarity in the glass, too.
Your reflection isn’t dull or cloudly, and you can truly see how good you look.
The mirror is always shiny and polished, and so is your reflection.
Wrapping Up
Should gyms angle their mirrors to make you look objectively better than you do at home?
Maybe, maybe not. But they do it anyway!
It’s great motivation, but it can be disheartening when you go home and you don’t look the same as you do at the gym.
Just remember that it’s mostly about lighting, clarity, and angles, and you still look great!
Use that awesome reflection at the gym for a self-esteem boost and to keep yourself motivated, but remember the tricks at play so you don’t get too disheartened when you go home.
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Hope this helps!