Words: Holly
Ever wondered what women really think about men with ‘perfect’ bodies? Do we really want Brad Pitt circa his Fight Club days-style abs on our potential boyfriends? Are we really more interested in rippling abs and bulging biceps than we are your ability to make us laugh or feel loved? Well gents, we did some research and you’ll be glad to hear that it’s not actually what you might have thought. Groundbreaking, I know, but it turns out that we’re not all as superficial as you first might have thought…
IT CAN BE INTIMIDATING, If you do have the perfect body (which, according to popular research, is the likes of Channing Tatum and Ryan Gosling) it can make us feel like we should too, and if we don’t think our physique matches up to your Adonis-like figure, then we’re going to be intimidated. Very intimated in fact. And never more so than when it comes to stripping off in the bedroom where insecurities are heightened to the max.
IT’S NOT ALWAYS THAT ATTRACTIVE, Contrary to popular belief, most women will in fact tell you that too much muscle just isn’t what we are into at all. “Too chiselled can be more unattractive than a guy who is a little bit soft around the edges,” as a friend points out. “If a man has a body akin to Dwayne Johnson then I’m more likely to run a mile in the opposite direction than into his bulging biceps.”
IT OFTEN COMES WITH AN ATTITUDE, It might be a cliché, but one that most women will likely have in the forefront of their minds when eyeing up potential partners. My Godmother, in fact, (a woman of many wise words) always used to tell me that one should never date a man who is more high maintenance than oneself, so whilst there’s nothing wrong with keeping fit, if you’re more into spending hours in the gym every night than you are taking us out for dinner, we’ll lose interest pretty quickly. In the same vein, women have a theory that the better looking a man is, the more likely he is to treat us badly. As one friend articulately puts it: “from my experience, guys with good bodies are the most arrogant and the most likely to cheat, and I can’t be dealing with either of those.”
IT’S A BONUS NOT A NECESSITY, As another friend accurately explains, “you have to actually like a guy’s personality before you even think about taking off his top, so it’s hardly top of my list of priorities”, which most of us will agree with. Having said that, “it’s always a nice surprise if what is underneath the T-shirt is a great body, but we’re not going to stop seeing you if it’s not.” In short, it really is a bonus not a necessity. Women go for men who treat them well over men with rippling abs.
Having said all of the above, it’s worth pointing out that every female I did speak to on this also admitted that they do like a good body on a man – why else do you think we’ve all watched Magic Mike 5 times again this year alone? Hint: it wasn’t for the story line. So, if you’re looking to get in better shape for the summer ahead, whilst simultaneously pleasing the women in your life, then follow the link for how to get in shape for the summer: thegentlemansjournal.com
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