# Are you attracted to competitive bodybuilders? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067 "2011-09-21T14:42:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/121 "2011-09-28T04:07:22Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > You have mistaken the word “epitome” for the word “extreme”. There are many extremes of human appearance. Bodybuilders are an extreme; they are far from an epitome. > > Why is a slim, fit runner not the epitome of what the human body can look like? Why is a swimmer not the epitome of what a human body can look like? > > “Epitome” implies a value judgement; “look like” is clearly aesthetic. You’re simply making an aesthetic value judgement, and many people would argue that a runner or a swimmer or a gymnast or a dancer looks much, much, much better. I used the word “epitome” because of bodybuilding’s commitment to developing, toning and displaying every detail of the body’s natural musculature. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/122 "2011-09-28T11:34:53Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > I used the word “epitome” because of bodybuilding’s commitment to developing, toning and displaying every detail of the body’s natural musculature. But again, why focus on size and separation and balance of the muscles as the epitome? You can just as easily choose function, and a long distance runner, or a power lifter, or a swimmer could be the epitome. **Candyman74** is correct in saying that choosing a bodybuilding physique as the epitome is a value judgment. And it’s a pretty arbitrary one at that since the judging standards have shifted over time. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/123 "2011-09-28T13:28:50Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > I used the word “epitome” because of bodybuilding’s commitment to developing, toning and displaying every detail of the body’s natural musculature. That’s not what epitome means. That could be the epitome of bodybuilding goals, but it’s not the epitome of what the human body can look like; it’s merely an _extreme_ of what the human body can look like. Epitome in this context is definitely a value judgement; in which case, I’d argue strongly that a gymnast is the epitome; or a beautiful actress. Now, for me - Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider (before she got really thin) is the epitome of what the human body can look like. No bodybuilding there! ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/124 "2011-09-28T19:09:30Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > That’s not what epitome means. That could be the epitome of bodybuilding goals, but it’s not the epitome of what the human body can look like; it’s merely an _extreme_ of what the human body can look like. > > Epitome in this context is definitely a value judgement; in which case, I’d argue strongly that a gymnast is the epitome; or a beautiful actress. > > Now, for me - Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider (before she got really thin) is the epitome of what the human body can look like. No bodybuilding there! Ok, point taken. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/125 "2011-09-29T05:51:21Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/126 "2011-09-29T10:05:39Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > This guys looks just fine to me. He looks like he got his muscles from working, not just lifting weights. I hear that! Work muscle is _sexy_; gym-and-weights-built bodies look fakey to me, and some of the more extreme examples border on outright grotesquerie. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/127 "2011-09-29T10:45:53Z")
> [@Plumbkrazy](#): > > I almost forgot…as a male, I find the women hideous. The worst part is when their face gets all muscly from the strain of lifting weights. They look like men. Female Pro BBers do have masculine features, but that’s not due to weight lifting, it’s due to using anabolic steroids and HGH. The massive jaws of the lovely ladies are a dead giveaway, just like the deep, masculine voices and five-inch clitorises are. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/128 "2011-09-30T00:20:29Z")
Straight male. I voted “neutral” but on further consideration of the actual question — which was about _competitive_ body builders — vote slightly turned off for both women and men. Plain old weightlifters, fitness competitors, and people who are into fitness are very attractive. Competitive bodybuilders take things to an extreme that I think is unhealthy both physically and mentally. I did gymnastics from age 10 to about 14, right when puberty hit, so I like me some muscles and ability to move. Dancers, gymnasts, weightlifters = yum. Take the [CrossFit Babes](http://crossfitbabes.tumblr.com/page/14) blog for example. Or this [squat](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U5pKWioZf6A/TU7QJwSuGSI/AAAAAAAAFjU/tJ03k2Le30k/s400/squat.jpg) “motivational” poster. That’s attractive as hell. [Incredibly muscular female competitive bodybuilders](http://www.totalprosports.com/2011/08/09/11-incredibly-muscular-female-competitive-bodybuilders/)? Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/129 "2011-09-30T00:25:43Z")
[Rex]You think anybody thinks I’m a failure because I go home to Sharla at night? Forget about it![/Rex] I wonder if it’s difficult to shave with all those muscles… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/130 "2011-09-30T01:49:26Z")
What IS the point of the whole vein-showing bulky roid-popping look? I mean, why do these guys (and some women, for that matter) even bother? (Some of these guys look like their arms are going to explode any second!) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/131 "2011-09-30T01:54:49Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Some of these guys look like their arms are going to explode any second! _Look like_? See **gonzo** ’s link. It actually _happens_. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/132 "2011-09-30T04:05:20Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What IS the point of the whole vein-showing bulky roid-popping look? I mean, why do these guys (and some women, for that matter) even bother? (Some of these guys look like their arms are going to explode any second!) Why do people get Tattoos or piercings or wear makeup or get haircuts? For that matter, why do people do _anything_? Bodybuilding is just one form of self-expression - the fact that you don’t like it or understand it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/133 "2011-09-30T13:17:33Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What IS the point of the whole vein-showing bulky roid-popping look? I mean, why do these guys (and some women, for that matter) even bother? (Some of these guys look like their arms are going to explode any second!) IIRC, one of the hallmarks of steroids is that it makes your veins bulge out (could be lower body-fat, but I could swear that the testosterone contributed to it). That said, the professionals try to go for very low body fat so that as much musculature as possible is shown. They don’t want any fat getting in the way of muscle. Does it look good? No, I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/134 "2011-09-30T19:08:48Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > IIRC, one of the hallmarks of steroids is that it makes your veins bulge out (could be lower body-fat, but I could swear that the testosterone contributed to it). > > That said, the professionals try to go for very low body fat so that as much musculature as possible is shown. They don’t want any fat getting in the way of muscle. > > Does it look good? No, I don’t think so. That’s not true (steroids/veins connections). Vascularity (having prominent, exposed veins) is acheived through genetics and low body fat; steroids have nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/135 "2011-09-30T19:13:58Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > That’s not true (steroids/veins connections). Vascularity (having prominent, exposed veins) is acheived through genetics and low body fat; steroids have nothing to do with it. Not exactly. You’re right, prominent veins aren’t a dead giveaway for steroid use. But I had a friend who sometimes took steroids. He was in excellent shape and had prominent veins year round. But he showed me a picture of his chest development, and told me I could tell he was on steroids then because he had veins showing in his chest that would not have appeared naturally. It’s just like big muscles. You can get big muscles naturally, without steroids. Just not as big as they can get with steroids. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/136 "2011-09-30T19:29:09Z")
Yeah i answered yes… When i was a kid I wanted to look like Serge Nubret… that guy looked so fucking cool. All of my favorite characters in Marvel comics were jacked with big arms and had six packs… So the comments are interesting… I know a couple of guys who compete amateur or they are fringe guys really into it… Its no different to me than guys i know who do fantasy gaming… As for women… I think the last female bodybuilder i found attractive was Lenda Murray… [http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lenda+murray&num=10&hl=en&biw=1467&bih=687&tbm=isch&tbnid=Amd4J9q6c13SpM:&imgrefurl=http://chocolatemuscle.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/there-is-nothing-better/&docid=FSaZbMijT-sKAM&w=438&h=655&ei=FxiGTtPPI5OltwfA-txO&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=395&vpy=298&dur=553&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=116&ty=120&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=98&start=0&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lenda+murray&num=10&hl=en&biw=1467&bih=687&tbm=isch&tbnid=Amd4J9q6c13SpM:&imgrefurl=http://chocolatemuscle.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/there-is-nothing-better/&docid=FSaZbMijT-sKAM&w=438&h=655&ei=FxiGTtPPI5OltwfA-txO&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=395&vpy=298&dur=553&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=116&ty=120&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=98&start=0&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0) Not a dude who has a problem with women with muscles… I find the anti Serena Williams hysteria kinda funny. When Kate Moss was the look of the minute I never went around letting everyone know just how unattractive i found her… ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/137 "2011-09-30T19:44:04Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Not exactly. You’re right, prominent veins aren’t a dead giveaway for steroid use. But I had a friend who sometimes took steroids. He was in excellent shape and had prominent veins year round. But he showed me a picture of his chest development, and told me I could tell he was on steroids then because he had veins showing in his chest that would not have appeared naturally. > > It’s just like big muscles. You can get big muscles naturally, without steroids. Just not as big as they can get with steroids. Vascularity is not a _hallmark_ of steroid use. If one does not have the prerequisite low body fat (as in under 10%), then all the steroids in the world won’t make any difference in their vascularity. True, in a person who has the tendencies for good vascularity in the first place, taking steroids will/might enhance that vascularity to a point where it wouldn’t be naturally, but the steroids didn’t create that vascularity. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/138 "2011-09-30T20:05:09Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > That’s not true (steroids/veins connections). Vascularity (having prominent, exposed veins) is acheived through genetics and low body fat; steroids have nothing to do with it. To be clear - low body fat is the primary factor. I would think that steroids are a factor though since they do (or rather, can) increase your blood pressure. The following [from here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabolic_steroid#Body_composition_and_strength_improvements): > [@](#): > > Anabolic steroids can cause many adverse effects. Most of these side effects are dose-dependent, the most common being elevated blood pressure, especially in those with pre-existing hypertension They also seem to increase your [red blood cells](http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/llewellyn/steroids-and-red-blood-cells.htm): I’m not an expert, but I would think that if you had low body fat, that an increase of your red blood cells and higher blood pressure would make you look more vascular. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/139 "2011-09-30T20:06:54Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > Vascularity is not a _hallmark_ of steroid use. If one does not have the prerequisite low body fat (as in under 10%), then all the steroids in the world won’t make any difference in their vascularity. True, in a person who has the tendencies for good vascularity in the first place, taking steroids will/might enhance that vascularity to a point where it wouldn’t be naturally, but the steroids didn’t create that vascularity. Fair enough, it’s not a _hallmark_, but I do think there is a connection and I do think that steroids have something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067/140 "2011-09-30T20:08:30Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > To be clear - low body fat is the primary factor. > > I would think that steroids are a factor though since they do (or rather, can) increase your blood pressure. The following [from here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabolic_steroid#Body_composition_and_strength_improvements): > > They also seem to increase your [red blood cells](http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/llewellyn/steroids-and-red-blood-cells.htm): > I’m not an expert, but I would think that if you had low body fat, that an increase of your red blood cells and higher blood pressure would make you look more vascular. Yes, you are correct here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-attracted-to-competitive-bodybuilders/597067.md?page=8)