History Main / FatFlex

There's some TruthInTelevision to this, as posing technique can significantly transform how someone looks. In the sport of UsefulNotes/{{Bodybuilding}}, where having a V-shaped upper body is rewarded, contestants who tend to have a blocky waist -- or worse, are suffering from a distended midsection -- can make themselves look more streamlined by sucking their gut in, which at the same time inflates the thorax and improves their taper. It’s difficult to keep it sucked in through an entire show, however, especially since bodybuilders compete while depleted of water and calories, and posing is more strenuous than it looks. Therefore, even if someone's midsection looks pretty respectable while they're locked into the pose, the moments when they relax or try to catch their breath can be very unflattering if they've got a bad case of bloating.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'', Grim Matchstick's tell for spitting a {{fireball}} is sucking in and lifting his gut. He drops it to spit the flame, and it plops back into place.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'': Mr. Incredible (in the teaser trailer) tries sucking his gut in an attempt to put his belt on. It works...for a few seconds.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Mr. Incredible (in the teaser trailer) tries sucking his gut in an attempt to put his belt on. It works...for a few seconds.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E12SundayCruddySunday Sunday Cruddy Sunday]]", most of the guys are going off to watch the Super Bowl. When they notice there isn't a single girl in sight, Homer exclaims that he can finally stop holding it in, and exhales revealing that his big gut is actually even bigger, and all the other guys follow suit, only to have to suck it back in once they discover that their bus driver is a gorgeous woman.

A fairly common trope in animated works, this happens when a plump character tries to make themself look strong. They'll often do this by grabbing their fat waists and pushing them up, for the illusion of a narrow waist and barrel chest. The fat then drops back down into place for comedic effect--often accompanied by [[WackySoundEffect the sound of a deep timpani hit]]. If they are [[StoutStrength stout and strong]], FatAndProud, a BigBeautifulMan, a BigBeautifulWoman, or any combination of the above, they might just flex with both their fat and muscles on display.

There's some TruthInTelevision to this, as posing technique can significantly transform how someone looks. In the sport of UsefulNotes/{{Bodybuilding}}, where having a V-shaped upper body is rewarded, contestants who tend to have a blocky waist--or worse, are suffering from a distended midsection--can make themselves look more streamlined by sucking their gut in, which at the same time inflates the thorax and improves their taper. It’s difficult to keep it sucked in through an entire show, however, especially since bodybuilders compete while depleted of water and calories, and posing is more strenuous than it looks. Therefore, even if someone's midsection looks pretty respectable while they're locked into the pose, the moments when they relax or try to catch their breath can be very unflattering if they've got a bad case of bloating.

* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' has this happen to Toppo. He normally has a large midsection, [[{{Acrofatic}} but still manages]] to be [[BewareTheSillyOnes one of the stronger fighters.]] [[spoiler: He loses the gut once he becomes a God of Destruction, and gains it back after being defeated.]]

* ''Film/ScoobyDoo'': In the middle of [[spoiler: Scrappy Doo's]] [[GrowingMusclesSequence transformation]] near the end, he flexes and poses before suddenly gaining a muscle gut.

[[folder:Live-Action Television]]

* Di-Jun Huang from ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth 2'' looks extremely ripped, but after destroying his arguments and making him [[VillainousBreakdown lose his composure]], it's revealed that he's actually fat and has just been sucking it all in this whole time. [[spoiler: And then, ''much'' later, it's revealed that he's actually an imposter who had the real Huang murdered 10 years ago. The real one's muscles were presumably genuine]].

* In the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Ninja Turtles]] episode "Return of the Justice Force", OldSuperhero Stainless Steel Steve/Stephen, former leader of the Justice Force, [[FormerlyFit has gained a bit of weight]] since his last fight. After meeting the Turtles & his former allies, he puts on his costume and seemingly regained his HeroicBuild - at which point his gut regains its normal girth.
--> '''Steve''': "I feel decades younger now!" ''(his beer belly then plops out over his waistband while he gives a disappointing look)''

[[folder: Music]]

* Happens on ''Anime/UltimateMuscle'' when Kid Muscle finally meets his father King Muscle again at the conclusion of the training story arc. King Muscle still looks as buff as he did in his prime (aside from having a bald patch on his head, which is odd because he didn't have hair in the first place), which is lampshaded by the other older wrestlers who complain about how easily out of shape they get these days. Then it turns out that King Muscle had just rearranged all his fat to look like muscles, which is why he wasn't moving from his badass pose, and once everything slips back into place, it turns out he's gotten a huge gut and scrawny arms in the past few decades.

A fairly common trope in animated works, this happens when a plump character tries to make themself look strong. They'll often do this by grabbing their fat waists and pushing them up, for the illusion of a narrow waist and barrel chest. The fat then drops back down into place for comedic effect. If they are [[StoutStrength stout and strong]], FatAndProud, a BigBeautifulMan, a BigBeautifulWoman, or any combination of the above, they might just flex with both their fat and muscles on display.

* During the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode, [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S06E07Bloodlust Bloodlust]], Mike and the Bots mock Robert Reed's character for clearly doing this throughout the movie in order to appear to have a more HeroicBuild.

[[folder: Music Videos]]
* Three older men with large guts do this at certain points in "bad guy" from ''Music/BillieEilish'', [[MickeyMousing sometimes to the beat of the music]].

* [[BigBad Eduardo Perez]] in ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'' decides to drink his SuperSerum in the film's final battle, turning him into a [[TopHeavyGuy top heavy]], furry purple monster. He suddenly regains his fat [[https://i.makeagif.com/media/4-19-2018/zpkzhQ.gif a few seconds later]].

** Altogether this makes it look like they went from dumpy to ripped in a very short time, when in reality they were ripped to begin with.

** For the "after" picture they can do several things to create the illusion of a mind-blowing difference. Firstly they will tighten their abdominal muscles to shrink their waist and make their muscle definition visible. They will also make sure to tense their muscles all over the body for the appearance of more separation and leanness. For the appearance of more fullness in the muscles, and perhaps more prominent veins, they can do some exercises before the photo to get a pump going. Furthermore, they’ll use better poses, lighting, and angles for the photos, maybe even applying a bit posing oil or water from a spray bottle on their skin to make their muscles catch the light nicely. Finally they can increase the contrast in post production to exaggerate the cuts and vascularity, or at the most dishonest they can manipulate the image to make the size of the muscles or the shoulder-waist-hip ratio more impressive.

** For the "after" picture they can do several things to create the illusion of a mind-blowing difference. Firstly they will tighten their abdominal muscles to shrink their waist and make their muscle definition visible. They will also make sure to tense their muscles all over the body for the appearance of more separation and leanness. For the appearance of more fullness in the muscles, and perhaps more prominent veins, they can do some exercises before the photo to get a pump going. Furthermore, they’ll use better poses, lighting, and angles for the photos, maybe even applying a bit posing oil or water from a spray bottle on their skin to make their muscles catch the light nicely. Finally they can increase the contrast in post production to exaggerate the cuts and vascularity, or at the most dishonest they can manipulate the image to make the size of the muscles or the shoulder-waist-hip ratio more impressive. Altogether this makes it look like they went from dumpy to ripped in a very short time, when in reality they were ripped to begin with.

* This trope can be inverted in dishonest diet and fitness ads, which exaggerate how quickly someone can transform their physique using their product by showing a before/after picture where both photos of the person were actually taken at the same time. An already fit person can pretend to be out-of-shape by totally relaxing their abdomen to simulate a pot belly, and using angles/lighting/poses that are unflattering for their physique. Then all they have to do for the "after" picture is tighten their abs to shrink their waist and make their six pack visible. They combine this with better posing/lighting/angles or even photo manipulation to make it look like they went from dumpy to ripped in a very short time, when in reality they were ripped to begin with.

There's some TruthInTelevision to this, as posing technique can significantly transform how someone looks. In the sport of UsefulNotes/{{Bodybuilding}}, where having a V-shaped upper body is rewarded, contestants who are not genetically blessed with a narrow pelvis--or worse, are suffering from a distended midsection--can make themselves look more streamlined by sucking their gut in, which at the same time inflates the thorax and improves their taper. It’s difficult to keep it sucked in through an entire show, however, especially since bodybuilders compete while depleted of water and calories, and posing is more strenuous than it looks. Therefore, even if someone's midsection looks pretty respectable while they're locked into the pose, the moments when they relax or try to catch their breath can be very unflattering if they've got a bad case of bloating.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', most of the guys are going off to watch the Super Bowl. When they notice there isn't a single girl in sight, Homer exclaims that he can finally stop holding it in, and exhales revealing that his big gut is actually even bigger, and all the other guys follow suit, only to have to suck it back in once they discover that their bus driver is a gorgeous woman.

* Happens on ''Anime/UltimateMuscle'' when Kid Muscle finally meets his father King Muscle again at the conclusion of the training storyarc. King Muscle still looks as buff as he did in his prime (aside from having a bald patch on his head, which is odd because he didnt have hair in the first place), which is lampshaded by the other older wrestlers who complain about how easily out of shape they get these days. Then it turns out that King Muscle had just rearranged all his fat to look like muscles, which is why he wasnt moving from his badass pose, and once everything slips back into place, it turns out he's gotten a huge gut and scrawny arms in the past few decades.

* During the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode, [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S06E07Bloodlust Bloodlust]], Mike and the Bots mock Robert Reed's character for clearly doing this throughout the movie in order to appear to have a more HeroicBuild.
-->'''Mike:''' [[Series/{{Baywatch}}Hasselhoff didn't suck in his gut this much!]]

* During the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode, ''Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S06E07Bloodlust'', Mike and the Bots mock Robert Reed's character for clearly doing this throughout the movie in order to appear to have a more HeroicBuild.