What we get when male fitness standards clash with female preferences

[paganel]

> A bunch of guys got furious that women did not appreciate Olly’s gains

Those are not real "gains", he looks like a chicken with muscles in the second photo, maybe a chicken that can lift some weights but still a chicken. I'm a male, if it counts.

[cyco130]

The reverse effect is also interesting: I think what women think men go for in a woman is very different from whan men actually prefer. Reminds me of Seinfeld's The Fix-Up episode: "Who cares about eyebrows"!

[benterix]

This is huge. I don't know any single men who loves these artificial huge eyelashes or large multicolored fingernails, but for some reasons tons of women classify them as "beauty" factors. I'd say men just tolerate them as part of the package so to say, and women are manipulated into just following the crowd.

Then there is this completely separate category of lip jobs and boob jobs where some women are definitely convinced doing these will make them more sexually attractive to men, and it definitely work for some of them, but has the opposite effect on others.

[joegibbs]

I don't think you can get much of an accurate answer over whether women prefer buff men from this. He's doing a pose which makes him look tiny in comparison, skinny with oversized arms. The lighting doesn't help either, it makes him look balder and his face look older. Also he's got some decent muscle in the before picture, just a higher bodyfat %. I'd be interested to know what the results would look like if it was more of a recomp where he was closer to his starting weight but with more mass, rather than a straight cut.

[UncleMeat]

The article does reference research demonstrating that men often are completely incorrect about the preferences of women. While "the lighting and pose are what does it" is nowhere near the "women are lying" stuff that the article is talking about, I really think that the starting point should be taking opinions like these at face value.

Notably, men significantly preferred the photo on the right. If the issue were lighting and pose making him look smaller on the right, why don't we see this same effect in the responses from men?

[7e]

A man with no body fat is at high risk of death during a severe infection. Women might instinctively pick up on that. A dead man can’t provide or protect.

[cantrecallmypwd]

Another thing is that muscle requires constant maintenance in the forms of exercise and food.

The overweight but otherwise healthy individual will last longer in crisis situations. I'm about 60 lbs. overweight, which translates to around 3 months of caloric reserves (likely an unhealthy amount TBH).

Before industrialization, being overweight was seen as a mark of beauty and wealth regardless of gender.

(Not a rationalization for being unfit or unhealthy when taken to extremes.)

[nh23423fefe]

i mean, sure you can posit that. but "theyre lying" is so much simpler. they lie all the time right?

[watwut]

It was my long term observation - the buffed guys in movies and video games are for other men to look at and admire. They are in games and movies targeted at men. Movies targeted at women have different male physicality.

Gym is something men do to compete with other men and look good to other men. It has zero to do with what women like.

But when I wrote that in comments, invariably, men felt offended and angry.

[viraptor]

> Gym is something men do to compete with other men

That's a massive overgeneralisation. Gym is not just for looks. Based on local gym, it's not even the main purpose. There's lots of people using it for maintaining basic fitness.

I'm writing it here, because when I was growing up, many people genuinely had the idea that you start going to the gym to become a bodybuilder. In case anyone needs to hear it - no - feel free to go to just be more healthy.

[xenospn]

If you’re commenting on hacker news, you definitely need to go to the gym on a regular basis. Has nothing to do with looks and everything to do with your physical and mental health.

[znpy]

> Gym is something men do to compete with other men and look good to other men. It has zero to do with what women like.

This is nonsense. Most men do gym because they want to look a certain way (leaner and in some cases more muscular). It's largely unrelated to what women want.

> But when I wrote that in comments, invariably, men felt offended and angry.

Rightfully so. It's a gross generalization (and oversimplification).

[ZeroGravitas]

I generally agree with the points being made so this is just for added context:

His wife is a fitness influencer and bodybuilder who has been leading his training.

Not sure how that impacts things overall but think it interesting and relevant.

[IAmBroom]

Relevant to what? The subject is "What women prefer, and what men believe that women prefer?"

[aaaja]

He looks gaunt and balding in the second photo.

[lambdadelirium]

Why this is even posted here