The Ideal Male Physique - What's Your Vote?

Whether you're a guy or a gal, I think this question is pertinent.  What is your idea of the perfect male physique?  I think our idea of physical beauty is probably intricately tied to our priorities and values as a society.  So I decided to perform this attempt at a pseudo-scientific analysis of how we perceive the perfect male body.

There's a poll at the bottom of this post.  But as you scroll down to get to it, you'll see that I've provided a few sample physiques for you to ponder.  Each of them is included in your choices, but you can also choose "other" and insert your own example.  Or you can just skip right to the comments and tell us the characteristics of the perfect physique in your own words.

If you are a regular here, you may already know which one I would choose, but I won't spoil it by giving my opinion at the outset.  Let's see where the discussion takes us.

So without further ado, here are a few options.  By the way, my characterizations for each physique type are totally ad hoc and off the cuff...

[Note - For a look at all the other physiques that were suggested in the comments, take a look at the follow up physique post]

Brad Pitt - Fight Club: "Lean and chiseled"

Orlando Bloom: "Lean and smooth"

Leonidas From 300: "Lean with Primal Bulk"

Ben Johnson: "Athletic Power Physique"  (OK, He had a little "help"...)

Lance Armstrong: "Athletic Sleek Endurance Physique"

Mohammed Ali: "Stringy Power"

Ronnie Coleman: "Gigantic"  (OK, so he probably had a lot of "help")

LL Cool J: "Lean and Big"

The Rock: "Soft and Big"

Beyond making a choice in the poll, what are the characteristics that define your vision of the ideal male physique?  For the guys, do you want to look like any of the guys above? If so, why?  For the gals, who's hot?  Why?

Does the media define our idea of the perfect physique? Is it primal?  Is it signs of health and vitality that draw our eye or envy?  Or is it merely the media programed idea of what we think is the image of perfection? I don't have the answers, but I'd love to know what you think!

Comments

[PMP]

Bruce Lee should have been included as a choice.

[Adam Steer]

Yeah, Bruce should have made the cut. Bao over on Facebook pointed that out too. Wish I had remembered about him when putting the poll together. :-)

Oh well, you can always add him under "Other." That's what Bao did.

Cheers,
Adam

[John Sifferman - Real World Strength Training]

Fun poll, Adam!

Give King Leonidas a few more pounds of bodyfat, and his physique is pretty close to my ideal, which is partly media-induced.

For myself, I don't chase physique-based goals. A beautiful physique comes as a by-product of a healthy lifestyle. Unless you are an artist of sorts, chasing physique goals seems like a backwards approach to me.

We need to remember that a physique doesn't tell us everything about someone's physicality. An attractive physique doesn't necessarily guarantee excellent health, mobility, functionality, or strength.

Best regards,

John

[Adam Steer]

John - Well said my friend... :)

[Yum Yucky]

King Leonidas is my boyfriend. Brad Pitt is too skinny so I had to show him the door.

[Rambodoc]

I know it is fashionable to be really slim and cut like Pitt, but I like a more fleshed out musculature. Not the in-your-face beefiness of the steroid-riven BB dudes, but more like LL Cool J and Leonidas in 300. Also Md Ali.

[Brad Pilon]

Do I get the complete CGI overhaul ala Leonidas? If not I'm going to say LL.

[Eric]

Fight Club Brad Pitt has been my goal since I first went primal. Given my body type, I don't think I could achieve Leonidas without obsessing over food intake and workout routines. I definitely wouldn't be able to sustain it.

[Adam Steer]

Brad - The best I can do is some Photoshop. I'm pretty handy with it, but no promises... ;)

Eric - That's the thing, eh? No matter what you might "like" to look like, you have to play to your natural strengths.

Cheers,
Adam

[AT22]

I like several of the above. I voted Leonidas, but I also enjoy Pitt, Armstrong, and LL - even Mohammad, Ben, and I'd settle for the Rock. Interesting - Rock has looked better. That's not a great pic of him - not his prime. I DON'T like lean and smooth, and I can do without the uberbuff.

[Adam Steer]

Hey AT22 - Thanks for voting. You've got a pretty wide range in your runners up... ;)

Cheers,
Adam

[Dave]

yo no homo but check out this link for my idea of the ideal male physique.

Thanks,
Dave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qy_K1HBqb0&feature=channel_page

[Steve]

Surprised at some of the choices here.
With the rise of MMA I thought we would have seen some GSP, Anderson Silva, Frank Mir...maybe even some Rickson Gracie.

[NG]

Brad pitt's look is very much 'instyle', but the 300 physique, in my opinion, is a bit more 'healthy' looking.
You should do a similar post for most attractive female physique!

[His Sinfulness]

I voted for Leonidas, but I'd like to suggest that Frank Zane could have been on the list, too. He's big, but in perfect balance and symmetry.

[Becker714td]

I dont think Ill ever complete my quest to look like brad pit in Fight Club...but alas I will continue on

[Herman Chauw]

Michelangelo's David is my pick.

[dstarovic]

leonidas. just because he looks like he could actually DO stuff. ali a close second.

[Grok]

Pitt. Lean, mean, fightin machine. Although I'm working on adding a bit of Leonidas to my program ;)

[Fion]

LL cool J and Kind leonidis or somwhere in between. I invite you to check out an Aussie Rugby league back, I think they are damn near perfect, google someone like Robbie Farrar, Daniel Conn or Sonny Bill. Thats hot. Masculine that looks like it can work's as good as it looks. Brad Pilon rocks it and your doing pretty well Adam.

[Fion]

That above was observation not flirtation. I dont want to get banned from the site. hehe

[Adam Steer]

Dave - Cool. Very “Functional Physique”…

Steve - I’m not much of an MMA fan, so it wasn’t on my radar. But definitely some impressive physiques there.

NG - Good idea to do the Female Physique post. How about getting the ball rolling. Who’s your ideal?

His Sinfulness - Frank Zane, huh? I guess he certainly fits in an entirely different category than Coleman…

Becker - As someone else mentioned above, we all have to work within our genetic tendencies. A well roiunded training program will bring out our own personal “ideal physique.”

Herman - Nice!

Dstarovic - Yeah, I watched a mini-documentary on the training they did for 300. The guy suggested that they tried to make the actors look as “rugged” as possible, like they were actually “doing stuff” to get their physiques.

Grok - There seems to be a lot of sentiment for “somewhere between Pitt and Butler”

Fion - Yeah, the rugby players are another great example of the Functional Physique.

[Dave]

How could you have not included Steve Reeves? The first natural bodybuilder and certainly a primary candidate for this poll. My vote is somewhere between Bruce Lee and Steve Reeves.

[Ronn]

My ideal would be a cross between Pitt and Leonidas, which to me would pretty much be the physique of a world-class gymnast. Ryan Reynolds is no slouch in the physique department either - do a Google Image search for some pics of his impressive-but-natural-looking physique.

[stevenhogg]

Well, I had to go with Ali assuming that of all of the choices his physique was the result of his training and not the the goal. If King Leonidas had gotten that way from only training to kill people as efficiently as possible since the age of 2 he would have gotten my vote. Fedor would be at the top of my list - strength wrapped in an unremarkable physique. Put a sword in the hand of Fedor and Leonidas and I wonder who would come out on top. ;-)

[Rusty - Fitness Black Book]

Brad Pitt has a cool look as does Daniel Craig in James Bond. I just like the idea of being able to wear high-end clothes as well...going to a yacht party at night, then looking lean and ripped for surfing the following day (not a daily routine, but working towards that lifestyle).

As far as bigger guys go...all of the ladies I know love Hugh Jackman. Great topic.

[Adam Steer]

Steve / Ronn - I think I'll do a follow up post to highlight all the alternative picks that have surfaced in the comments. Thanks guys.

Steven - You mean King Leonidas DIDN'T train like that...? ;-)

Rusty - Thanks for stopping by my friend. The lifestyle you describe is very alluring!

Cheers,
Adam

[Rik Brown]

Check out an old statue in Florence,Italy,
called:"Hercules and caccus"This guy was built,ripped,and even had an early version of Clubbell!

[Chris]

I think Leonidas is the ideal: Big shoulders, washboard abs, strong lower body, but still lean & with the over-development of bodybuilders.

Just from the pictures, I think you could've combined Pitt with Lance. Pitt really has very little bulk, but his low body fat makes it look good. Lance has larger legs and maybe a smaller upper body, but it's the same type of physique: low bulk but very good definition because of low body fat.

I also think Leonidas & LL Cool J could be combined into a 'big but lean' category. M Ali is not too far away; his development is a little different & he might have more fat. But he also would fit into a 'big but lean' group.

2 cents from a 20 yo male.

[Chris]

oops I meant without overdevelopment.

[Adam Steer]

Chris - I wanted to strike a balance between athletes and "characters." That's why there might seem to be some overlap... IMO, Leonidas has a very different physique from LL. Leonidas has a much "rougher" and less refined looking bulk.

Rik - Yeah, I saw that when in Florence and remember it well. Certainly a great model of male physique...

Cheers,
Adam

[Dave]

Rusty mentioned two great examples. Hugh Jackman's physique was pretty amazing in his new flick. Daniel Craig looked great in Casino Royale but seemed to sway more towards Brad Pitt in Quantum of Solace. Either way the lean with primal bulk physique is definitely the ideal.

[Rik Brown]

Glad you saw and remembered that statue Adam!I first saw a picture of it in Ironman mag.20 years ago.I would like to get some good pictures of it for my website:www.libertystrengthtraining.com (shameless plug)
Anyway, thanks for an interesting blog!

[Grok]

@Ronn
Ryan Reynolds holy crap! I had no idea.

@Adam Steer...
This post has gone on long enough. We want pics of Leonidas's Queen!!!!

[Adam Steer]

Dave - Yeah, Primal Bulk certainly seems to be coming out a winner...

Rik - Thanks for saying my blog is interesting... LOL ;-)

Grok - Don't worry, the Queen is coming...!

Cheers,
Adam

[Andrea]

I add Gene Kelly to the list.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RnlFOOpc8ls/SZpNt0yYQRI/AAAAAAAAAWo/_yo3g27XPJw/s400/Gene+Kelly3.jpg

he was a great dancer and a proficient athlete too. Good dancers have functional strength, mobility and suppleness, quality of movement and - most important of all: flow quality.

Want some ideas for your next session of movement quality practice? Try this. :-;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKC1B7P3bc0&feature=related

[Tracy]

I'm going to go off the board and vote for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. His build in that movie is my ideal.

I am also a fan of Andrei Arlovski. I find a little hair on a man masculine and sexy.

Fun topic -- thanks!

[Tracy]

Oh, and I forgot to add if I had to pick one of them it would be Dwayne "Rock" Johnson (even though that picture doesn't do him justice). His build in The Scorpion King was enough to curl my toes!

[Adam Steer]

Andrea - Cool. A little old school style!

Tracy - You're not alone. Hugh was in the follow-up post that listed some of the popular picks that weren't in the original list.

Cheers,
Adam

[Shane]

Hi Adam! You got me thinking and wanting to respond:

http://gymjane.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/what-do-you-mean-im-ideal/

Thanks for sparking a great discussion. Was really interesting to hear everyone's thoughts.

Shane.

[TRAVIS]

i like the the look of mike tyson, he was beefy but looked good you know? instead Muhammad u need to put up Tyson

[viagra online]

Hello guys...A beautiful physique comes as a by-product of a healthy lifestyle. Unless you are an artist of sorts, chasing physique goals seems like a backwards approach to me.

[Frederick Rapp]

I like Ali's physique the best. He had a well developed chest, to go along with solid 15" biceps, a flat stomach, well developed shoulders, a broad back and powerful legs. He was not over developed as are so many bodybuilders, but yet looked fantastic with his shirt off. Brad Pitt? Forget it! Way too thin! Ben Johnson? He's a fraud and a fake. LL Cool J? He didn't get his muscles honestly; had much help. The other guys I never heard of. My vote goes to The Greatest: Mr. Muhammad Ali!

[Turbulence Training]

Manny Pacquiao should be in the list. His body is so lean and mean. Mayweather will be knock out when they collide.