Brunel University in London has done several recent studies about the people who post to their social media accounts about their workout regimen and their physical fitness. Researchers concluded that the people who take lots of gym selfies might be suffering from narcissism (defined as an excessive interest in oneself and one’s physical appearance). It’s not just enough for them to self-admire, they need and crave the attention from lots of other people to validate themselves. They work hard on their bodies and they want others to know it, so it’s no surprise that these selfie junkies post as frequently as they can. Anybody who spends any amount of time in the gym has likely come across these egotists, but sadly not all of the selfies taken are successes. This is where the internet comes into play and allows us to see all of the selfie failures, even if we don’t want to. I guess the bright lights and full length mirrors the gym offers are just too much temptation for the selfie junkie to pass by without snapping a shot for the world to admire. Unfortunately for most of us, it opens up to some of the disturbing photos that you will see here. It just might make you want to cancel your gym membership, then again, you just might want to run out and get one right away.

15. Hopefully The “Before” Shot

You have to start somewhere right? We are going with this caption for the photo: After years of debating with himself, Billy finally decided to go to the gym and start working out. With great expectations, he hit the gym for his very first workout when an idea struck him. He should snap a selfie to remember what he looked like when it all started. Kind of a “before” photo. When he builds himself up to look like The Incredible Hulk he can look back at this picture and notice the transformation. Hopefully, at that point, he will have a different look on his face and a different haircut too!

14. Photobombing Buddah

If you have ever wondered what “photobombing” looked like, you should refer to this picture. Photobombing is the act of purposely or accidentally putting oneself into the view of a photograph as a practical joke on the photographer. You have to hope that this is what happened here and the Buddha statue seated himself in front of the mirror just before she snapped the photo. You have to hope that’s what happened because you don’t want to think that this woman actually staged this mirror selfie in front of a statue. Perhaps the empty bowl the Buddha is holding should have a sign on it marked “Please Place Devices Here”.

13. How Low Can They Go?

Looking at this selfie brings several thoughts to mind. First of all, you have to wonder where the rest of her workout clothes are. Did she really go to the gym dressed like that? If so she must have been quite the distraction during her workout. Just think about all the different positions she was in during the course of her workout. Not to mention, I don’t see her towel anywhere in the picture, so she probably sweat all over the machines. Secondly, you have to wonder just what exactly she is doing. Taking a shot so she can remember the day that she went to the gym and almost took it all off to take a mirror selfie? Couldn’t she have done this in the privacy of her own bathroom?

12. Strike A Pose

If you have ever watched the television show Impractical Jokers you might have heard Sal belt out “Oh My God!” The way in which he says it is hilarious and viewers love it when he does that. That’s the first thing you think of when you take a glance at this gym selfie. You might want to throw in a “WTF” as well once you take a second look. The black and white tank top makes him look like he came from prison and I’m pretty sure he was very popular wearing that in the joint. And those shorts… wow, could they be any shorter (or looser)? Anyone who goes to the gym regularly prays to never have to see something like this there.

11. I’m So Glad That My Hair Grew Back Nicely

Do you wonder how Britney Spears and Kevin Federline hooked up? Maybe he walked into the gym one day and saw her spread out like this and a light went off in his head. Or, maybe they were already together at the time and she was taking this selfie for his viewing pleasure. In all seriousness though, you have to give her credit because how many of us can do the splits like that? I admire her for being able to do that, but I sure didn’t see any mirror selfies of her at the gym when she was in her crazy stage and shaved her head. This was obviously when she was “feeling better” about herself.

10. Yeah, I’m All That

Some people think the gym is more for photo opportunities than actually working out. Take this woman for example. One look at her and you can easily see that she obviously does not have a serious workout regimen happening here. There isn’t an ounce of muscle on her anywhere. Well, ok that might not be totally true as there appear to be several ounces on her chest, but you know what I’m talking about. She obviously thinks it’s more important to take pictures of herself leaning lazily against the machines than actually using the machines for their purpose of weightlifting. Who knows, maybe she is an aspiring model and saw this as a good backdrop…

9. Double The Photo – Double The “Likes”??

Supergirl needs to eat! Wow, she certainly looks proud of what she has accomplished, doesn’t she? And why not double your pleasure with two pics to take it all in and not miss out on her tattoo? Her self-esteem is just as high as her chest. I know some men prefer their women on the thin side, but this just might be a tad bit over the line, don’t you think? It’s incredible how slim she is and there has to be just about zero percent body fat on her. Maybe if she’s lucky, she will get double the likes on her posts. She looks like she may break in half at any moment. Perhaps after her workout today she should stop and grab a Big Mac or three!

8. I Ain’t Above A Gym Selfie

This might be what they mean when they use the term “metrosexual”. The phone, the earbuds, and oh, that hair. When women in the gym see this guy in the corner taking a selfie they keep a very close watch on him. They need to know when he is approaching so they can grab their phone and pretend to be on a call. You can easily see that this guy is the one who makes the rounds trying to pick up the ladies as they work out. Or maybe he goes after the men? It’s kind of hard to tell but either way, it’s just creepy and a major fail for the gym selfie!

7. I’m Floored By How Great I Look

I guess while you’re waiting for class to start it’s just as good a time as any to snap a selfie. Sadly, sprawled out on the aerobic floor like you are just awakening in your bed after a restful night sleep does not make for a successful gym selfie. Some people are just no good at taking selfies and she has proven herself to be one of them. Sometimes you have to take shot after shot before you get one that not only looks good but actually has you in the center of the photo. We don’t know how many attempts this woman tried before settling on this one but the final result wasn’t very good.

6. Is This Victoria’s Secret?

If you want to be a Victoria’s Secret model, it’s a given that you have to be the total package with flawlessly good looks and a killer body. Lots of women work very hard to get that killer body but others not so much. Kelly obviously works out but probably sees the gym as more of a photo-op than an actual place to work on sculpting her body. Hence the quick selfie just before the lifting begins. Someone needs to tell her that there are a lot of other uses for that bench…

5. I Bethong To The Gym

Just what in the hell is going on here? I’m sure there probably wasn’t a guy in the gym complaining but once they got over it they had to wonder just what in the hell this woman was doing… It looks like she may be checking to see if her belly button piercing is still sparkling brightly. Or maybe if there have been any improvements in her chest muscles or maybe even checking to see if her shoulders are showing any improvement from her daily workout. However, what any of that, or anything else for that matter, has to do with her pulling down her pants, well, we simply have no idea!

4. What Is Harder – Pumping Iron Or Technology?

Anyone who has ever worked out knows that the goal is to have a perfectly symmetrical body. To obtain that, it is very important that you workout properly and give each muscle group equal attention. After all, you don’t want to be lopsided, do you? Somebody should tell this woman to put down the phone or she will end up that way. Lifting with her one hand while taking a selfie with the other AND holding onto the other weight that’s stashed up under her armpit… well that’s just pure talent right there. That could not have been easy to pull off at all!

3. Spandex Does Have Its Limits

This is NOT something that you’ll ever want to see while visiting the gym for your daily workout. A sight like this will make you turn right around and skip your exercise for the day. Did they call each other to coordinate their outfits? We can only hope they truly didn’t realize how ridiculous they actually look. Everyone else who was there that day knows the sad fact though. Thanks to this selfie they took the entire world now knows it as well. These guys are obviously single because there is not a woman alive who would have let their man leave the house looking like that.

2. Sweaty Pits And All

This woman obviously wants the world to know that she puts blood, a lot of sweat, and tears into her workout routine. What better way to prove it than to take a selfie of your her sweaty pit and post it for everyone? This horrible selfie gone wrong is proof that the phone should only be used for listening to inspirational music and not gym selfies. Maybe this photo was taken and attached to a text that she was sending to her husband. “You think I don’t work out hard when I’m at the gym? How’s this for proof baby? ” Seriously though, what could the purpose of this picture possibly be?

1. Seriously, We Were Just Leaving After A Tough One !

Most people use the gym to get in shape, stay in shape or try to sculpt their bodies into something that looks like a chiseled rock. Then there are others that just like to say they are “members” of a gym, for the sake of being members. Why not prove to the world that you have a gym membership by taking a selfie in the gym. In your street clothes all bundled up, with your hood pulled high and your “workout partner” by your side everyone will know you belong. The temptation of the gym’s ever spanning mirrors is a selfie-taking opportunity of a lifetime. They look really happy in the photo but if a trainer came over and told them to get started on their workout they might quickly lose that excitement.