Muscularity, Masculinity, and Adolescent Men The relationship between muscularity, masculinity and dominance, propagated by advertisements and mass media, gives adolescent men a negative body image discrepancy. Men’s self-esteem is often tied to this discrepancy between the ideal body image and how they view their own bodies. Adolescent men attempt to diminish the difference between the perceived ideal body and their own bodies by lifting weights and taking supplements. Unfortunately, as they build more muscle their ideal body becomes more muscular, instilling a cycle of constant low self-esteem in adolescent men. This cycle is based on problems and contradictions inherent in this traditional notion of masculinity. Muscular, powerful male bodies are assumed to be related to social power. This gives them a perceived dominance over smaller, weaker men. Men believe that they will gain more self-esteem as they become more muscular. When confidence and self-esteem are defined by body image, men will never be confident because their body never reaches what they perceive to be the ideal. White and Gillett point out the fallacy that social power is related to physical power, when in reality social power is more closely tied to economic and political structures (35). White and Gillett summarize Brod’s ideas about the two primary reasons that cause men to feel insecure about their masculinity. The first is that there is an increasing gap between the institutional and personal forms of power. In public men are expected to conform to a modern version of masculinity while adhering to a traditional idea of masculinity in their private lives. This constant split leaves men unsure which version of masculinity is proper. The second factor is that women are fulfilling roles traditionally dominated by men. This furthers men’s confusion of masculinity. Not only is he unsure which