James Conner says people made too much of his shirtless workout pics

[Steely McBeam]

James Conner on Twitter

Steelers running back James Conner tweeted some pictures of himself working out shirtless, which created a stir — and even some concerns from fans that he might be making himself too muscular. Conner is laughing that off.

Conner told reporters that he benefited from a good camera angle, that his muscles come primarily from good genetics, and that no one needs to worry that he’s putting on so much upper-body mass that it could slow him down.

“It’s just the angle,” he said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Nah, honestly, people comment on it, saying I’m going to be stiff and all this. I’m a professional. I know how to work out. It starts with genetics, but I’ve also been putting a lot of work in the weight room. It was the way I flexed it. A lot of people look like that.”

Conner may have a future as an Instagram influencer, but he says he’s focused entirely on preparing his body to play football, and muscles that look good on social media are only a side benefit.