Yes, the ideal male body does exist. And you can get it yourself in about 8 months. This guide is a compilation of hundreds of research papers to answer one question:
What is the quickest and most effective way to reach the ideal male body?
Many bodybuilders work out for years without ever achieving an amazing body. This guide will ensure that anyone who follows it has the ideal physique within a year.
Much of the information here contradicts many common fitness myths and beliefs. We'll explain why crunches alone won't get you a six-pack, why you don't need cardio to lose weight, and more.
Rest assured, every claim provided is backed by research papers linked in [brackets] that you can refer to
Defining ideal
The ideal male body is, as defined by this guide, the most attractive and healthiest physique. Let’s talk about attraction first.
According to the current research, men and women find men’s physiques below most attractive [1, 2]. The males created the left model, and the females created the right model.
Both groups did not influence the other, but the results are surprisingly similar. Both men and women preferred similar arm sizes, small waists, well-developed legs, and large chest muscles.
This data is further supported by evidence that attractiveness is correlated with a waist-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7 [1, 2]. In simpler terms, when a person’s waist circumference is 70% of the circumference of their hips, they are (on average) the most attractive to most people.
And this makes sense. Broad shoulders, a small waist, and a six-pack to boot have always symbolized attractiveness. Here are two examples of this effect:
Notice that both men have similar muscle development, height, and appearance. The main difference between them is their body fat percentage. Because the guy on the left has less fat, he has a lower WHR than the guy on the right. This makes him more attractive!
The importance of low body fat
In most cases, body fat percentage is much more important than muscle mass when considering attractiveness [1, 2, 3].
In fact, in both studies #1 and #2 above, it was concluded that “men with a high muscular body composition were not the most attractive,” but rather just “a slight decrease of body fat and a slight increase of body muscle was optimal for men with normal starting BMI and body composition.”
The findings indicate that most people (both men and women) prefer male physiques to be around the BMI of 21 and rate men with “medium levels of muscle mass… to be more sexually desirable” [1].
Don’t worry about the specifics of your BMI, WHR, or body fat percentage right now. You'll soon calculate how much fat needs to be lost and how much muscle needs to be gained in the nutrition and training sections.
Remember that most people do not desire an overly muscular or extremely thin individual. They want someone with a balanced and lean physique, just like the one you will build!
The ideal weight for health
As a happy coincidence, a BMI score of 21 is also within the healthy weight range. Any BMI score of less than 25 and more than 18 is associated with the highest metabolic health, lowest mortality rate, and successful aging [1].
Additionally, having a balanced physique has a measurable effect on reducing stress and anxiety [1, 2, 3, 4], preventing the development of mental health issues [1, 2, 3], increasing self-esteem [1], and having a positive impact on mood [1, 2, 3].
In addition to these benefits, working out has the added benefits of increasing lifespan, fortifying your immune system, lowering depression rates, and more [1, 2, 3].
All the fancy words above boil down to one idea: Losing weight and gaining more muscle (but not too much) will help you live a longer, healthier, and happier life!
The Ideal Male Body2. Time Until Ideal