During your body transformation has a friend or family member told you that you’re too skinny… your face looks gaunt… and that you look “sick”?
Do you think they are just jealous… struggling with their own insecurities… or is there actually some merit to what they are saying?
Could it be true that some people simply do not find ripped abs attractive?
I know… hard to believe… but you know what they say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
The feedback that Angie and I received from our last photo shoot has been 99% positive. I think we both look healthy, vibrant, and strong in this photo…
…yet during the week leading up to this photo shoot Angie had a family member tell her, “OMG you’re too skinny. Women don’t want abs like that.”
I thought to myself, “Really? I’ve heard countless women tell Angie that they would love to have her abs.”
At the same time I had friends ask me if I was sick… if something was wrong with me… Mind you, this was when I was fully clothed and it was from friends who hadn’t seen me in a while. It was my face they were looking at.
I think it just boils down to how people are used to seeing you. It’s what they have become comfortable with and they need to adjust to this new you.
After all, I was a scrawny skin and bones kinda guy most of my life… nobody commented negatively about my face back then. It wasn’t until I got fat then decided to get in the best shape of my life that I began to receive comments about my face from a couple people.
But it goes beyond your face…
There’s an issue that many women have to deal with if they are genetically predisposed to store fat in their butt and thighs.
During their transformation they will reach a point where they have toned abs, sculpted shoulders, and defined arms, yet still have a fair amount of fat and even cellulite on their butt and thighs.
If they want to release the last bit of fat to feel comfortable and confident about their butt and thighs they may run the risk of looking “too skinny” in their upper body.
There is a solution for this problem… Ninja HIIT-cardio to target the last stubborn bit of fat in the lower body in addition to gaining some sexy lean muscle in the upper body.
Sculpting rounded shoulder caps is a great way for women to avoid looking “frail” in their upper body… It will make you look athletic and sexy in a tank top or strapless gown.
NOTE: This is the exact aesthetically pleasing results that the Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting program is strategically designed to produce.
But this still doesn’t answer the question… At what body fat percentage do you look hottest?
We can’t ignore the fact that attractiveness goes beyond physical characteristics such as ripped abs.
As I mentioned in a previous article Self Image: It’s Personal, Angie says that she is more attracted to my physique now as I’m coming out of a muscle building phase with a bit more fat on me, than she was on contest day when I was crazy ripped. She likes to see me fill out a shirt across the chest and back with my arms stretching the sleeves.
Obviously, I want my wife to be attracted to me, so I value her opinion. Most important, I know that she is being honest and truthful in her comments about my physique.
But there is a problem…
…I do not feel nearly as confident at my current body fat percentage as I do when I have ripped six pack abs.
…and CONFIDENCE is SEXY and HOT!
As crazy as it may sound, although I look good right now, I would not feel as confident as I could feel on a beach or at a water park… and this would negatively impact my experience with my family. I wouldn’t be as fun, carefree, and outgoing as I would be if I was in better conditioning.
Is there something wrong with me? Should I seek professional help for my negative self-image at this moment?
I don’t think so 😉
…Frankly, I feel that this is a healthy emotional response to my changing physique. I use these emotions as a gauge or measuring stick of a healthy body fat percentage.
If my confidence begins to slip away too much and I begin to feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off, I take it as a warning sign that I am slipping away from a healthy body fat percentage… therefore I make the necessary adjustments to bring it back down.
What would happen if we all had this sort of “Internal Alarm” that sounded as we slipped out of a healthy body fat range and into unhealthy territory?
I must say though… even with a bit of extra fat on me, I am waaaaaay more comfortable in my own skin than ever before.
I have learned a great deal about myself from this body sculpting lifestyle during the past two years and have developed a great appreciation of the human body. I owe it all to my shift in mindset of viewing my training as an art form and my body as a work of art.
I have also learned a great deal about how people respond to your leaner and athletic looking physique…
…some people will make negative comments about your transformation out of their own insecurities… but there are also people who sincerely do not find a fitness model physique attractive.
It’s important to respect their opinions… and even more important to respect your personal values and standards… and recognize that there are countless people who share the same values and standards as you.
This is why it’s so incredibly important to surround yourself with like-minded people. I have friends and some family who share in my values, but I also belong to online communities with thousands of people who share my same standards. Not to mention the Facebook friends who I see posting progress pics regularly and have a similar appreciation for the body as a work of art.
Fitness magazines with ripped cover models fly off the news stands. Pictures of ripped physiques are constantly shared and “liked” by millions on Facebook. Abs products are selling off infomercials at record numbers.
…So it’s pretty darn obvious that ripped abs are a feature that many people find attractive… so don’t feel ashamed about striving to sculpt them.
How Will You Know When You Look The Hottest?
Unfortunately it’s not so cut and dry. It’s going to be a combination of feedback from those who you respect and those who you want to be attractive to, plus your own personal view of attractiveness.
Although many people, such as myself may be fascinated and impressed with the stage ready male and female bodybuilding physique, most of them may not find it attractive or sexy.
…that’s all fine and dandy because this “look” is just temporary… it’s not a look that you would try to maintain.
So why try to achieve that look?
For the same reasons people participate in marathons and Tough Mudder competitions… the thrill of the challenge. The opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and really show yourself what you are made of. It’s a journey of self-discovery… and the lessons that you learn along the way will carry over into other areas of your life.
Although bodybuilding and figure physiques may not be a “look” that’s maintainable, the bikini model “look” is much closer to something that I see many females maintain.
Take a moment and download the Fitness Atlantic Class of 2012 Report courtesy of my friend Brian Cannone.
Do a comparison of the female figure, fitness model, and bikini competitors. Do you think that any of those “looks” are attractive and maintainable?
The bikini model division is a more “softer” look. The women don’t have to be ripped. It’s the look that turns heads on the beach.
The fitness model division may not be too far out of reach as a maintainable look for some women as well.
I know several men that maintain the male fitness model look as well… and I know many women who are very attracted to this look.
By the way… Brian Cannone is the creator of a unique program called Stage Ready Nutrition & Fitness. It includes a variety of programs that are geared toward achieving the specific “looks” for each of the categories; bodybuilding, figure, fitness model, and bikini.
The Self Experiment
I’m going to perform a self experiment and I would encourage you to do something similar.
As I begin my “shedding phase”, preparing for a photo shoot and possibly another bodybuilding competition, I’m going to take frequent progress pictures.
After the photo shoot I will share the pictures here and on Facebook. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about which stage I look my best.
It will be interesting to compare your opinions along with Angie’s and see how they line up with my perspectives on when I look my best.
Personally, I love to see myself with a six pack. Not necessarily a crazy ripped six pack, but I do like to see my lower abs. This is definitely a look that I can maintain for the long term.
It’s also going to be interesting to compare my pictures from the last photo shoot to this upcoming one… and see how the extra muscle impacts my overall “attractiveness”.
I know for certain that the extra muscle has definitely boosted my confidence… and like I said, confidence is sexy!
In Conclusion
I’d like to wrap this article up by requesting some of your feedback…
1) Have you ever received negative feedback about your physique during your transformation; people telling you that you’re too skinny?
2) Do you find abs attractive on men and women?
3) What kind of “look” are you currently striving for.
Although this article focused mainly on physical appearance, we must also acknowledge all the other characteristics that make us attractive such as our personality, confidence, zest for life, sense of humor, vitality, respect of others, lifestyle, ethics, passion… and so much more.
Do not sacrifice these other attractive characteristics for the sake of getting ripped.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this subject.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for transforming fitness enthusiasts goal driven, dedicated, and voracious physique artists who take pride in their body, fitness, health, and lifestyle. Embraced by physique artists around the world, his Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting Programs will guide you through the process of sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott has coined, The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula.
With his synergistic, boredom busting body sculpting workouts you will melt stubborn fat and gain muscle while skyrocketing your metabolism!
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with ideal proportions and spectacular symmetry is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences. It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.