Fitness and the Male Body Image

[WithoutaFace]

The torso most attracts my attention. I also agree with Edge, Contours look good on men, though being overly defined isn't necessarily attractive.

Now I have a question for you (hopefully I don't appear provincial while doing so):

Do you find that in general male-male physical attraction differs in any way from male-female variants? Obviously yours do not (torso seems to be a major issue); I am just curious about the general differences if they do exist. If you don't have enough personally accumulated data to make a judgment then that's okay. I was just curious.

 

[Biaxident]

The torso most attracts my attention. I also agree with Edge, Contours look good on men, though being overly defined isn't necessarily attractive.

Overly defined?

I think the bodybuilders from the 60-70's look good.

But since then, the bodybuilders, men and women both, seem to be striving to look like a living map of the human vascular system.

It creeps me out that living human beings want to look like skinless cadavers from a gross anatomy class.

I'll never be "cut" or "ripped", like many weightlifters, nor will I have the classical V shape. Partially due to genetics, and mostly due to the fact that while I like being healthy, I'm not enthusiastic enough to limit something I enjoy, which is eating, to have 4% body fat.

Nor am I neurotic enough to get on a treadmill, or run, every time I have an unscheduled piece of pizza or cake. I am happy with my 4-pack. (and some cake)

Another thing I notice is, people with low body fat percentages have significantly more injuries, as well as more severe injuries, than people with higher percentages. I've been lifting for over 20 years, and only hurt myself once. And it was strained spinal erectors from trying to get one more rep on a 1400 pound leg press. Yet every person I know who routinely has less than 6% body fat through exercise and diet, seems to have multiple injuries that require surgical intervention.

I'm going to have to look for more concrete info than personal experience though.

 

[wolfy]

Overly defined?

I think the bodybuilders from the 60-70's look good.

Physique wise I've always liked Frank Zane.

 

[Brendan]

Now I have a question for you (hopefully I don't appear provincial while doing so):

Do you find that in general male-male physical attraction differs in any way from male-female variants? Obviously yours do not (torso seems to be a major issue); I am just curious about the general differences if they do exist. If you don't have enough personally accumulated data to make a judgment then that's okay. I was just curious.

Well, I only recall my drive being ever oriented towards men, though I do find the female body very aesthetically pleasing.

This is actually an interesting question, however, and I do have a bit of insight into it.

I came out immediately after I graduated high school, so about 2.5 years ago. My best friend, Jon, is the first guy I ever made out with. He, however, is straight, and has a girlfriend of I think about 1.5 years. Yes, she knows he and I got with eachother.

Last summer, three friends (including Jon) and I tried an experiment in which we took turns looking directly into eachothers' eyes for 5 minutes straight. In Sociology I'd read about a similar experiment between opposite sex couples, so I at least had a clue as to what the outcome would be. Jon and I both reported sexual feelings defined by overtones of mutual respect and admiration.

When Jon's girlfriend came to visit with him last winter break, I watched the two of them looking at eachother in conversation, and thought about how being attracted to men and being attracted to women is just fundamentally different. I can't yet quite put my finger on how it's different, but Jon certainly agreed.

So the attraction is not so much physical: a body can be attractive and pleasing to the eye whether male or female. But when it comes to the mental and personality aspects, you're dealing with different complementary aspects of personality, different attractions and different repulsions.

Vague? Very.

Think of it this way: historically and archetypically, in heterosexual couples, men fight fiercely on the battlefield so that it never reaches their partner back home. In homosexual couples, men fight fiercely on the battlefield because their partner is already present on the battlefield. Very similar, but structured differently. Make sense?

Overly defined?

I think the bodybuilders from the 60-70's look good.

But since then, the bodybuilders, men and women both, seem to be striving to look like a living map of the human vascular system.

It creeps me out that living human beings want to look like skinless cadavers from a gross anatomy class.

Exactly. Body fat is not a bad thing unless, like all other things, it's overdone or underdone. A guy who has defined muscle mass is attractive, and a bit of padding is as well.

Physique wise I've always liked Frank Zane.

Yeah. That is what I see as being overly defined. His shoulders and triceps look like implants. And I'm not trying to make out with Dr. Manhattan. Things didn't turn out so well for the last few people that did.

 

[Biaxident]

Well, I only recall my drive being ever oriented towards men, though I do find the female body very aesthetically pleasing.

This is actually an interesting question, however, and I do have a bit of insight into it.

I came out immediately after I graduated high school, so about 2.5 years ago. My best friend, Jon, is the first guy I ever made out with. He, however, is straight, and has a girlfriend of I think about 1.5 years. Yes, she knows he and I got with eachother.

Last summer, three friends (including Jon) and I tried an experiment in which we took turns looking directly into eachothers' eyes for 5 minutes straight. In Sociology I'd read about a similar experiment between opposite sex couples, so I at least had a clue as to what the outcome would be. Jon and I both reported sexual feelings, though defined by overtones of mutual respect and admiration.

When Jon's girlfriend came to visit with him last winter break, I watched the two of them looking at eachother in conversation, and thought about how being attracted to men and being attracted to women is just fundamentally different. I can't yet quite put my finger on how it's different, but Jon certainly agreed.

So the attraction is not so much physical: a body can be attractive and pleasing to the eye whether male or female. But when it comes to the mental and personality aspects, you're dealing with different complementary aspects of personality, different attractions and different repulsions.

Vague? Very.

Think of it this way: historically and archetypically, in heterosexual couples, men fight fiercely on the battlefield so that it never reaches their partner back home. In homosexual couples, men fight fiercely on the battlefield because their partner is already present on the battlefield. Very similar, but structured differently. Make sense?

Exactly. Body fat is not a bad thing unless, like all other things, it's overdone or underdone. A guy who has defined muscle mass is attractive, and a bit of padding is as well.

Yeah. That is what I see as being overly defined. His shoulders and triceps look like implants.

My shoulders don't look that good, oil or no. But my triceps are probably larger.

I wish I had his bone structure too. Small joints, lighter bones. Very close to perfect aesthetically.

He is 66 years old now, and looks almost exactly the same.

 

[Kangirl]

I have been accused, by gay male friends, of being a gay man in a woman's body. The men I go for are more similiar to what *they* like than what female friends like. I like muscular, beefy dudes*. Although the guy in the photo above is, to my eye, not aesthetically pleasing - way too big in the upper arm/chest/shoulder area in comparison to the rest of him. Do not want.

*I'll always go for a guy with a little meat on him over the one with 2% body fat and veins popping out all over.

 

[Biaxident]

*I'll always go for a guy with a little meat on him over the one with 2% body fat and veins popping out all over.

Thank god!

It creeps me out that living human beings want to look like skinless cadavers from a gross anatomy class.

 

[MacGuffin]

I just finished working out (back and biceps today, woooo!) but I'll never be huge, even Biaxident is probably out of my reach.

Still, I am getting bigger, and I like the way I feel when I workout on a daily basis.

 

[Biaxident]

I just finished working out (back and biceps today, woooo!) but I'll never be huge, even Biaxident is probably out of my reach.

Still, I am getting bigger, and I like the way I feel when I workout on a daily basis.

What do you mean I am out of your reach? Are you an ectomorph, less than six feet tall? I am as big as I am because I never stopped, and never did anything stupid where I hurt myself.

Some people I know make me look small. I'm not tall(5'10") but I am wide(275lbs).

 

[MacGuffin]

What do you mean I am out of your reach? Are you an ectomorph, less than six feet tall? I am as big as I am because I never stopped, and never did anything stupid where I hurt myself.

Some people I know make me look small. I'm not tall(5'10") but I am wide(275lbs).

I'm tall and skinny (mostly).

I also refuse to lift for more than an hour a day. So there's that.

 

[Biaxident]

I'm tall and skinny (mostly).

I also refuse to lift for more than an hour a day. So there's that.

LOL!

I spend 30-45 minutes tops lifting.

It's more about what you do with the time, than how long you spend doing it.

I rest maybe 30 seconds between sets.

Two body parts per day, heavy weights, between 6-10 reps, 3-4 sets, 3 exercises per body part.

 

[WithoutaFace]

Well, I only recall my drive being ever oriented towards men, though I do find the female body very aesthetically pleasing.

This is actually an interesting question, however, and I do have a bit of insight into it.

I came out immediately after I graduated high school, so about 2.5 years ago. My best friend, Jon, is the first guy I ever made out with. He, however, is straight, and has a girlfriend of I think about 1.5 years. Yes, she knows he and I got with each other.

Last summer, three friends (including Jon) and I tried an experiment in which we took turns looking directly into eachothers' eyes for 5 minutes straight. In Sociology I'd read about a similar experiment between opposite sex couples, so I at least had a clue as to what the outcome would be. Jon and I both reported sexual feelings defined by overtones of mutual respect and admiration.

When Jon's girlfriend came to visit with him last winter break, I watched the two of them looking at eachother in conversation, and thought about how being attracted to men and being attracted to women is just fundamentally different. I can't yet quite put my finger on how it's different, but Jon certainly agreed.

So the attraction is not so much physical: a body can be attractive and pleasing to the eye whether male or female. But when it comes to the mental and personality aspects, you're dealing with different complementary aspects of personality, different attractions and different repulsions.

Vague? Very.

Think of it this way: historically and archetypically, in heterosexual couples, men fight fiercely on the battlefield so that it never reaches their partner back home. In homosexual couples, men fight fiercely on the battlefield because their partner is already present on the battlefield. Very similar, but structured differently. Make sense?

Thanks for your insight. So, per your opinion what you are saying is that physical attraction is fundamentally the same between heterosexual and homosexual mentalities. The less palpable constituents of attraction is somewhat disparate. Is this right?

I have been accused, by gay male friends, of being a gay man in a woman's body. The men I go for are more similiar to what *they* like than what female friends like. I like muscular, beefy dudes*. Although the guy in the photo above is, to my eye, not aesthetically pleasing - way too big in the upper arm/chest/shoulder area in comparison to the rest of him. Do not want.

*I'll always go for a guy with a little meat on him over the one with 2% body fat and veins popping out all over.

I kind of agree. While I am striving for an optimal physical condition, I seem to not want to aggressively encroach on my fat deposits. To me, a healthy amount of fat is aesthetically pleasing; this applies to males and females in my opinion.

What do you mean I am out of your reach? Are you an ectomorph, less than six feet tall? I am as big as I am because I never stopped, and never did anything stupid where I hurt myself.

Some people I know make me look small. I'm not tall(5'10") but I am wide(275lbs).

Ectomorph?

I'm tall and skinny (mostly).

I also refuse to lift for more than an hour a day. So there's that.

I think I agree with Biaxident in saying that thirty to forty minutes is ample, so long as you maintain quality in your workouts. Although I am still a workout fledgling.

 

[Biaxident]

Ectomorph?

I think Wolfy already addressed this somewhere, but I'll put it out again.

Somatypes:

* Ectomorphic: characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; usually referred to as slim.

* Mesomorphic: characterized by large bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders with a narrow waist.

* Endomorphic: characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist and a large bone structure.

I think I agree with Biaxident in saying that thirty to forty minutes is ample, so long as you maintain quality in your workouts. Although I am still a workout fledgling.

You have to remember, most people consider going to a gym as a social occasion with possible health benefits. Rather than a place to make yourself healthier, where you might meet someone with similar interests after your workout. :rolli:

This is why I like old style, dark, dingy, gyms. That smell vaguely of iron, grease, liniment, chalk, and mildew.

Where the only words exchanged are pretty much limited to asking if you are done with the equipment, do you need a spot, or good job.

You go in, do what you came for, and leave. No muss, no fuss.

 

[JocktheMotie]

I hate being an ectomorph so much. Impossible to gain size without the perfect diet. I was throwing back 5-6k calories a day at one point just to keep building. Chicken, whey, yogurt, cheese, tuna, milk, but when I work out high intensity forget it.

Now I just try to maintain a fit image, though I've just started up again after not exercising for about 6 months. I'm a bit uhh..."soft" I guess you could say.

 

[Biaxident]

I hate being an ectomorph so much. Impossible to gain size without the perfect diet. I was throwing back 5-6k calories a day at one point just to keep building. Chicken, whey, yogurt, cheese, tuna, milk, but when I work out high intensity forget it.

Now I just try to maintain a fit image, though I've just started up again after not exercising for about 6 months. I'm a bit uhh..."soft" I guess you could say.

Most people are a combination of somatypes, I bet there is at least one body part you are proud of.

 

[JocktheMotie]

Most people are a combination of somatypes, I bet there is at least one body part you are proud of.

I'm actually going for better balance. Sad when you nearly lift the whole machine on leg extensions and calf-raises, but you can barely bench press 150 pounds

 

[Biaxident]

I'm actually going for better balance. Sad when you nearly lift the whole machine on leg extensions and calf-raises, but you can barely bench press 150 pounds

So substitute a Triceps and Pectorals workout, for a leg workout for 4 weeks. Then go back to normal. I am assuming you are lifting 3-4 days a week.

 

[JocktheMotie]

So substitute a Triceps and Pectorals workout, for a leg workout for 4 weeks. Then go back to normal. I am assuming you are lifting 3-4 days a week.

Yeah. I really need to work my shoulders, that's my weak point. Shoulders, pecs, back is where I need to focus. Shoulders especially, whenever I'm benching, my shoulders simply can't control the weights I'm trying to put up, but it's not really a muscle pain...almost a "pinch" inside the shoulder which is becoming a cause for concern.

 

[Biaxident]

Yeah. I really need to work my shoulders, that's my weak point. Shoulders, pecs, back is where I need to focus. Shoulders especially, whenever I'm benching, my shoulders simply can't control the weights I'm trying to put up, but it's not really a muscle pain...almost a "pinch" inside the shoulder which is becoming a cause for concern.

Sounds like a weak rotator cuff/accessory muscle problem. What sort of shoulder exercises do you do?

 

[JocktheMotie]

Sounds like a weak rotator cuff/accessory muscle problem. What sort of shoulder exercises do you do?

Military press [I can only do the bar ], I throw in some shrugs, dumbell presses, and whatever the one is where it looks like I'm flapping my arms with dumbells. I had always assumed it was a rotator cuff issue, however if it came to surgery I wasn't going to do it anyways, so why bother getting the diagnosis.