Something Completely Different

Hey there!

So I know we kinda skirted this topic in the workout thread, but I thought it was worthy a thread on its own.

So what do you think is the optimal fit body shape for yourself or someone else?

What made me think of it was this vid in my feed:


Although I don't mean to demean the achievement, being that huge is neither attractive or desirable to my mind 😅 It also seems like it could be a hindrance to a lot of activities.

So what is your goal or what do you find attractive, pleasing or useful in terms of fitness physique?

Good thread.

In a woman I'm honestly not fussy. I appreciate and admire most body types other than the extremes at either end of the weight spectrum. I enjoy the softness and cuddliness of some curves and pleasant plumpness as much as I like the delicateness and daintiness of a more demure and petite body shape. I'm a big fan of the female body in general.

For my own body, my ideal physique is a powerful one with muscular development but not too vascular or where my body fat is too low.

I have posted examples in the workout thread but here they are:

Quote from: jimmy jazz on Jun 25, 2023, 06:39 PMFit bros and sisters, what is your ideal physique? I'd probably say this:

(https://barbend.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/06_01_mariusz_pudzianowski_064.jpg)

Its Mariusz Pudzianowski. One of the greatest strength athletes of all time. I'll obviously never get the height or size but that's what I'd say is ideal.

Tom Stoltman too:

(https://64.media.tumblr.com/8e6a652cfda25d47b270b4bb32e99859/8fc4776b9b9a2808-cd/s2048x3072/19a32a9f93e910c997debe1240ad75e54a9799cd.png)

I think strongmen look better than bodybuilders who imo are too low fat and look like bloated lobsters.

What about you?

For myself, this is what I consider to be the closest to ideal for my size and build...




Fit but not overly muscular or 'roided out' looking.

I'm honestly not fussed much about body type or general shape when it comes to my taste in men. Grooming and hygiene and dressing well matter a lot more to me. I do love me some nice warm cuddling arms though.

And for myself, my ideal body is whatever lets me fit into flattering clothes and rock my desired style. Right now my body is in such flux thanks to hormones that it's gonna take me where it takes me, haha.

(https://www.wrestlingarenamedia.com/wp-content/uploads/galleries/post-852/full/Oil%20Wrestling%202011%20(33).jpg)

I'll have this one please. 

Haha! For myself, I think of something like a fit Brad Pitt from when he did Snatch or Fight Club is good. Not huge or beefy, but still looking strong and athletic.

(https://64.media.tumblr.com/6ea018cdcab39a02edb2aae66b9a0b6b/0fe6f56e7bc6ca28-ba/s540x810/2fbaf86fdbc9b8e66b565737b409323a1d7c4c4f.gifv)

The upper limit for beefiness before it gets too much might be something like Cavill here.

(https://storage.googleapis.com/pai-images/217f71a9c4674948a5c1bcf30fa7fa7d.jpeg)

I'd suck on those tits.

When it comes to women, I do prefer fitter and tighter bods. A little curvy is nice, but it's gotta be natural yo. Women being very visibly muscled/bulging doesn't attract me much, but I wouldn't turn it down. Might be kinda interesting.

Quote from: larsvsnapster on Nov 29, 2023, 11:40 PM(https://www.wrestlingarenamedia.com/wp-content/uploads/galleries/post-852/full/Oil%20Wrestling%202011%20(33).jpg)

I'll have this one please. 

Is this the bear type?

Quote from: Guybrush on Nov 30, 2023, 12:01 AMIs this the bear type?

Very much so.  Whenever I see that picture I think "It's not fair to deny me of the cross-eyed bear that you gave to me!!"

(https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/young-skinny-male-flexing-11673997.jpg)

Quote from: Paul Smeenus on Nov 30, 2023, 12:42 AM(https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/young-skinny-male-flexing-11673997.jpg)

This is me if I didn't lift.

No hair though.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Nov 29, 2023, 11:26 PMI'm honestly not fussed much about body type or general shape when it comes to my taste in men. Grooming and hygiene and dressing well matter a lot more to me. I do love me some nice warm cuddling arms though.

And for myself, my ideal body is whatever lets me fit into flattering clothes and rock my desired style. Right now my body is in such flux thanks to hormones that it's gonna take me where it takes me, haha.

I'm the same way, in that I don't really have a "type".  My bod tastes fluctuate wildly, depending on the person, and I've always wondered why.  I have found people physically attractive (male or female) ranging from thin to overweight; and it's not just a personality thing, either.  I just can see aesthetic beauty in the slimmer, delicate build, or a medium build, or larger, bulky build.  :D

One thing that is kinda funny about getting bigger and beefier is I think that's definitely a body type that appeals more to other dudes who lift weights than to women.

Like my wife probably doesn't find me more attractive if I get a bigger chest or thicker arms, but maybe it could impress male friends or some dude in a gym 😄

Quote from: Guybrush on Dec 01, 2023, 04:27 PMOne thing that is kinda funny about getting bigger and beefier is I think that's definitely a body type that appeals more to other dudes who lift weights than to women.

Like my wife probably doesn't find me more attractive if I get a bigger chest or thicker arms, but maybe it could impress male friends or some dude in a gym 😄

(https://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/bodybuilding-expectation-women-like-it-vs-reality-only-men-like-it.jpg)

Quote from: Guybrush on Dec 01, 2023, 04:27 PMOne thing that is kinda funny about getting bigger and beefier is I think that's definitely a body type that appeals more to other dudes who lift weights than to women.

Like my wife probably doesn't find me more attractive if I get a bigger chest or thicker arms, but maybe it could impress male friends or some dude in a gym 😄

For me it's not a sliding scale of beefier directly equating to more attractive, but I'm not gonna lie, there are certainly some guys where having a bit of beef in the right places can really amplify their hotness.

Not at all a hard and fast rule though, I agree with @ribbons in that I can appreciate the male form across a large spectrum of body types. I do think being put together and dressing for one's body type does a lot for a guy's attractiveness.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Dec 01, 2023, 05:41 PMNot at all a hard and fast rule though, I agree with @ribbons in that I can appreciate the male form across a large spectrum of body types. I do think being put together and dressing for one's body type does a lot for a guy's attractiveness.

Very superficially speaking (:coldsweat:), the only male physical feature I don't especially prefer is a very narrow waist.  I actually prefer a man with more of a straightline waist (is that what it's called?), or even thick around the middle.  Nothing against men who work to have narrower waists - it's just not my personal preference.  ;)

PS:  I also have a thing for forearms, for some reason.  I usually notice forearms right away (if I can see them :D), not that they need to be especially muscular. 

Quote from: Guybrush on Dec 01, 2023, 04:27 PMOne thing that is kinda funny about getting bigger and beefier is I think that's definitely a body type that appeals more to other dudes who lift weights than to women.

Like my wife probably doesn't find me more attractive if I get a bigger chest or thicker arms, but maybe it could impress male friends or some dude in a gym 😄

My former husband starting bodybuilding after we separated, and became pretty obsessed with it.  Nothing wrong with that, of course; but judging by the difference in his appearance over time, I believe he was taking steroids.  And if he did in fact use steroids, it had a really bad effect on his personality and made him extra-aggressive.

Quote from: ribbons on Dec 02, 2023, 12:38 AMMy former husband starting bodybuilding after we separated, and became pretty obsessed with it.  Nothing wrong with that, of course; but judging by the difference in his appearance over time, I believe he was taking steroids.  And if he did in fact use steroids, it had a really bad effect on his personality and made him extra-aggressive.

An extra aggressive bodybuilder actually sounds quite scary as a partner 😬 I hope you were safe 😢

Those hormones change so many other things than muscle mass, it just seems kinda crazy to me. I realize people want to have bigger muscles, but do they also wanna change their whole personality?

Quote from: jimmy jazz on Dec 01, 2023, 04:57 PM(https://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/bodybuilding-expectation-women-like-it-vs-reality-only-men-like-it.jpg)

Seems accurate!

I've never known anyone who took steroids, but "roid rage" is a term that exists for a reason I'd imagine. And if they're anything like the hormones I take, I'm sure they did affect his personality.

My hormones did not really change the core of my personality, but they did make me a bit more pensive and better at reflection; I feel a lot less impulsive and levelheaded now. The most interesting thing was how much they changed my sensory perceptions, colors got brighter, my thoughts got more vivid, it was like the hormones lifted a thick fog I didn't even know was there.

Chemicals are powerful things.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Dec 02, 2023, 02:09 AMI've never known anyone who took steroids, but "roid rage" is a term that exists for a reason I'd imagine. And if they're anything like the hormones I take, I'm sure they did affect his personality.

My hormones did not really change the core of my personality, but they did make me a bit more pensive and better at reflection; I feel a lot less impulsive and levelheaded now. The most interesting thing was how much they changed my sensory perceptions, colors got brighter, my thoughts got more vivid, it was like the hormones lifted a thick fog I didn't even know was there.

Chemicals are powerful things.

Yes and I assume you're on a treatment plan made by medical professionals.

Maybe roiders are on good plans too, but I just assume they do things a bit more willy nilly.. and that they might be incentivized to up dosage 🤔

Quote from: Guybrush on Dec 02, 2023, 02:22 AMYes and I assume you're on a treatment plan made by medical professionals.

Maybe roiders are on good plans too, but I just assume they do things a bit more willy nilly.. and that they might be incentivized to up dosage 🤔

Oh, absolutely. I'm sure there are perfectly normal and grounded steroid users out there but I know what it's like to get irresponsible with dosage of substances all too well.

I've never taken steroids and I hope I never do but it is tempting when you know there is something that can drastically increase your gains in a short time. Going by everything I've seen users say it sounds like unless you're trying to compete professionally then there is no need to do it. There are plenty of people who take steroids but it isn't noticeable because they don't put the work in in the other areas.

This is a good insight into the life of a roider and isn't long:


I was watching lots of videos on steroids and when they became available to get an idea of what one can look like naturally, this is a great video:

The roided physique is much too big and unathletic. A problem I have with it is in human evolutionary history, we never needed that size and being so big would generally come at the expense of being less athletic which is more useful.

It's like people with arms so big they can lift a wrecking ball, but they can't lift and bend their arms enough to change the lightbulb over their head. A bit of hyperbole to make a point, maybe, but I do think the ideal physique should be good at running, climbing, swimming and should be useful for overcoming the sort of physical challenges humans have had to face through human evolutionary history.. which wasn't pushing a barbell straight up while lying down 😄

So I definitely think of that kind of bodybuilding ideal as seemingly based in mere possibility (the max size) rather than grounded in usefulness / utility (the optimal size).

I've tried my hand at a bit of rock climbing, so something I consider an amazing feat of strength is Adam Ondra's climb in this video from about 11 minutes in.


Overhang is hard and it's crazy the positions where he manages to sorta lock in and find a second or two rest.

It's a strength based purely on utility and the resulting body looks very thin and gangly compared to bodybuilders 😄

Btw, I wouldn't say Ondra has a hugely attractive body either, but it's probably close to optimal for what he has to do and it's interesting how different it is from lifters bodies.