Image credit: lucien fp05

I trained for 5 years in a commercial gym. In 2004 I built a home gym. I first thought getting mirrors too. But I got more interested in strength training by that time, and had seen videos of guys doing Squats in front of a blank wall.

If they can do it, I can do it. I didn’t buy any mirrors. Except for a few occasions where I trained with friends in a commercial gym, I have not used mirrors for weight lifting since 2004. And I will never use any again. Here’s why.

Why Would You Need Mirrors? These were my 2 reasons to use mirrors for 5 years, and they probably are your reasons for using mirrors too.

• To Check Form. Checking if your exercise technique is correct in the mirror: feet stance, knee position, etc
• To Check Progress. Fat loss and muscle mass progressions. Squeezing your arms in the mirror like bodybuilders do.

The Problem with Mirrors. Mirrors in fitness clubs & clothing stores make you look smaller. Mirrors in bodybuilding gyms make you look bigger. Mirror don’t reflect what’s really happening.

• You Can’t Check Form. Mirrors only give you information about the front plane, not the sagittal/transverse plane. You can’t see if your hips come lower than your knees on Squats without a side mirror.
• You Can Injure Your Neck. Squatting while looking in a side mirror to check form will tweak your neck. Same thing if your look up in the starting position of Barbell Rows, Deadlifts, Power Cleans.
• You Don’t Develop Kinesthetic Sense. Mirrors prevent you to develop a feeling of how your body moves through space: kinesthetic sense. Use the input you get from proprioception rather than relying on visual input.

How to Switch to Mirror-Free Workouts. Olympic weight lifters, powerlifters & strongman don’t use mirrors. They face the public. You can also workout without mirrors. You’re already doing it actually: the Bench Press.

• Ignore Mirrors. If you can’t workout without facing a mirror, focus on 1 point while doing your sets. Don’t look at the mirror, but through it.
• Listen to Your Body. Training without mirrors will feel weird at first. Persist. You’ll get used to it and your kinesthetic sense will develop.
• Get Feedback. Tape yourself or ask someone at the gym to give you feedback on your technique until your kinesthetic sense develops.

Mirrors are for bodybuilders who like to check if their muscles are pumped up between sets. No need for that in strength training. Check the mirror when you get out of the shower only. You’ll feel better about yourself.