The "ideal" male physique or the "ideal" female physique...which do you think is more difficult to obtain?

Question

"ideal" = what the mass media overall would consider a "sexy body" (not limited to just one type of physique)---------------Now the question is... through the foods, the beverages, the workouts, the hygeine-factor such as skin care, and most of all THE DISCIPLINE with all said above (especially the foods and beverages) to obtain the mass media's standards of a "sexy body"............which gender has it more difficult to obtain that mass-media standard of "sexy" when it comes to physique?---------Please vote and reply, elaborating as much as you like.Thanks for answering! 8-)

OpenClose · Accepted Answer

Here's how I see it. And some girls may not like it.

Look at nations that are fairly healthy and sexually active. How do their bodies look?

The girls are generally thin to curvy, and the guys are usually thin to toned. Not really brawny. Not necessarily ripped.

You look at history, and what body type did women generally have? Well, thin, mostly. Overweight and Obese wasn't something we saw much of until later in history. Most girls were thin, most guys were thin.

The media gives women the impression people are looking for a *particular* body type. Even though the reality is that men have a wide variety of preferences. It's an unfortunate fact that women are often personally judged by their looks in ways that aren't related to dating and sexuality.

In the case of guys, we seem to run under the impression that most guys used to look like Michelangelo's David, when the reality was basically Donatello's David. Like women, body type results in many judgments outside of sexuality and dating. However these judgements are far less stressed.

For instance, people will poke fun at how a woman politician looks, saying "get in shape", but we'll basically ignore the plethora of naked-mole-rats browsing around congress.

The effort to go from a non-ideal woman to an ideal woman, though, would certainly be easier. Let's compare:

Women: To go from the anti-ideal (fat) to the ideal (thin):

-Consume fewer calories than you burn.

To keep it:

-Consume fewer calories than you burn.

Men: To go from the anti-ideal (Skinny or Fat) to the ideal (Fireman stereotype):

-Consume nearly double the calories you burn. (Expensive, trust me.)

-Don't just run on the treadmill. You aren't just losing weight, you're GAINING MUSCLE so..

-Lift large amounts of weight a few times a week.

-Once you gain enough weight and built enough muscle, now you have to LOSE the weight, while keeping the muscle.

Too keep it:

-Maintain regular workouts. The moment you stop is the moment it all disappears.

Contrary to a thin ideal, where you stay thin so long as you consume fewer calories than you burn.

So if you want to talk about which ideal is harder to obtain, it is statistically, biologically, historically, and evolutionarily much harder to meet the male ideal. There's no way around that fact.

But if you want an idea of who "Has it harder" in terms of body image, I would still have to say women, because they feel more pressure from themselves, media, and other women. For instance, most girls on here think being "flat chested" or not "hourglass shaped" ruins them, even though this largely counters the stats.

Attracting a guy overall is much easier than attracting a girl, though. hands down.

Little-Hippie · Accepted Answer

Male. You see a lot of girls with the ideal female physique that don't work out. They just have good genetics. No one really gets the ideal male physique by accident.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Female, because our bodies are designed to hold fat more than men's, because of childbirth.

Also, for many, keeping an ideal female figure requires a lot of plastic surgery, because low body fat percentage means eating 1200-1000 calories a day, which takes weight off of our boobs and butt.

Also, if you aren't born with a small waist or round butt, there is really nothing to do to create one. The "ideal" male seems to embrace various body types -- guy's bodies are seen as a whole -- and both leaner and bulkier frames are accepted as "ideal."

The female "ideal" pushes women towards taking the best aspects of every body type into a Frankenstein of perfect pieces.

That being said, the emergence of six pack abs on every guy on TV make it more unttainable for men to have an "ideal" body, either. The "Arnold" look isn't a female ideal -- that is more of a body build that men attain to get respect from other men -- so that is a whole 'nother subject.

So, my vote was that it's harder for women, but not that much harder.

MilaPohstro · Accepted Answer

What is pretty in females eyes is not the same as male, vice versa. I would say a women because of the waist, butt, and boobs but I am probably saying this because I'm female and that is what I think is good. A male would probably say male because they think the muscles and height. It all depends on what your views on a "ideal" physique. I say women because I am not looking for a man that is 6'4 with mega muscles. I like prefer lean, a little tub here and there or where it looks like you don't spend your life in the gym. That type of physique is not hard to obtain. If a male is just looking for a lean girl with a little curve that is not hard to obtain. The media idea of a sexy body I would lean a little more toward the men having it harder because it is a bout having huge muscles and being tall link

For women they say this is hot link and that is not hard to achieve for some.

AlwaysMIA · Accepted Answer

I think its harder for men , since I believe that any woman can look good if she is at a healthy weight , from thin ( healthy thin) to average ( healthy average) and in some cases ( healthy slightly overweight

Men on the other hand to reach that "ideal" of a ripped body ... well that takes A LOT of work .

peace-love-couture · Answer

The ideal female body is hourglass and only around 8% of females ACTUALLY have a legitimate hourglass shape

So it's harder

That said, there's too many excuses on both parts. Lazy females make all the excuses in the world to justify not working out, toning up and eating healthy. They act as though they're the first to ever be a female. Same with guys

People have a hard time just trying to improve their bodies so they can be the best they can be

TheDigitalSaint · Answer

I'd have to vote "neither", because a large portion of it is up to your genes. Less than 15% of women have a hourglass shape, so 85% of them will never be able to attain a "perfect" figure that the vast majority of men prefer.

That being said, it is extremely hard for a man to be tall, with great muscles (or the genes to build them) or a metabolism that isn't extremely fast (and too skinny) or extremely slow (and too fat). It isn't easy to have the ideal male body either.

Once again, your pick in the genetic lottery matters a lot, but it isn't everything. Can you get a "nice" body? Yes, most people can. Can you get a near perfect body? Most won't be able (due to genes) willing (lots of gym time and great food habits) to do that.

crookthings · Answer

I'd say female, but only because of the inconsistencies with what the "ideal" is. It's rarer than you think to have the body type that can be sculpted into skinny WITHOUT losing your boobs and ass :P

The ideal male physique is kind of vague in the media... Isn't "moderately muscular" just about it? Not saying that's easy to achieve, but perhaps some men would like to enlighten me about what else they're pressured to be.

MeridiansAAngel · Answer

the female body of course. all men have to worry about is getting the abs and arms worked out and keeping a tan (depending on your race). We ladies worry about keeping a flat stomach, but want to have a bigger chest and butt, which is difficult when you're trying to be skinny. AND all women love to eat so there's even more difficulty there.

-A

pr3ttybr0wn · Answer

Well it depends on each person's body type and what you consider to be ideal. I don't follow the mainstream female ideal because to me that's unattractive as well as realistic to my body frame. So for me, I would have to physically struggle and hurt myself to get to a skinny low weight like a hollywood star. For some guys who are ectomorphs (thats the skinny one who doesn't gain muscle right?) the musclar ideal would be difficult to obtain for him. But if you are a girl who is a ruler shape and already athletic, then the female ideal would be easier for you to obtain.

For the most part, men may have it easier because they just have to build bulk, where women have to get skinny and have some muscle. I don't know I thank God I don't care about that! My ideal is what you see in music videos and for me that is realistic. And my ideal male body is the football player/jersey shore gorilla juicehead type

Brookelynn122 · Answer

If we go with the really stereotypical ideals (women: toned abs/back, slim but muscular legs/arms, etc) (men: 6 pack, arm definition, ripped shoulders and back, etc) I would have to say that it's probably more difficult for men. Their bodies don't store as much fat as women, but they still have much further to go to reach the ideal. Getting toned abs is difficult, but getting 6 pack abs takes a lot of time, work, and dedication.

Curmudgeon · Answer

Sorry ladies, but all you have to do is tone up, whereas men have to attain some kind of impossible Hunk status. And I will even handicap for the fact men can lose it a little faster than women.

cristinaboss · Answer

I don't understand why girls are saying it's more difficult for women to obtain the "ideal" physique. Ideal male physique consists of having muscles, something that women do not necessarily need to get to be considered sexy. For men to get those muscles that are considered ideal, it takes an INCREDIBLE amount of hard work and dedication with diet and exercise. Women don't need ripped abs, triceps, biceps, pectoral muscles, etc to be sexy... men do.

For example, it took my brother over three months to transform his body and he's still not totally satisfied with it. He takes an obscene amount of protein and works out six times a week. It only took me one month to lose the weight that I needed by doing some cardio and eating healthier.

Yea, so I'm gonna say it's harder to obtain the male physique.

ImperfectDVM · Answer

I would say impossible for both. The media doesn't know what it wants half the time anyway. I chose male, because I clicked too fast.  x DDD

Babibunni · Answer

I think its harder for women, Women get judged on way more then guys, girls worry about breast size, butt size, size of thighs, and much more. Also men can lose weight faster then women so a male can get a nice body faster then a women

LexiNinja · Answer

Women by far. Rarely do you ever see a guy being criticized for his body or weight. Maybe on certain occasions, but I think women have it much harder (Physically wise).  Women have to have this type of body, x amount of cleavage/boobs, big ass, pretty face, no acne. Hm, what else should I add to the list? .All guys have to have is an average face, average bod/muscular/thin (depending on the preference), and a big d***. I think women have it harder

TheGodEmperorLeto · Answer

Ideal male is all muscular and crap. That's PURE genetics. Don't care if you think it isn't, that is pure genetics. The ideal female? Well, whose ideal? Cause girls think ridiculously skinny is ideal where as guys want some meat on em.

forever_broken · Answer

Most guys are going to say it's harder for their gender, and most girls are going to say it's harder for their gender.

However, the one thing women have to worry about that men will NEVER have to is how childbirth will affect their bodies. I say that in itself makes it slightly harder for women to achieve the perfect body, but only if they actually have a child. Otherwise, I think it's hard for anyone to achieve the "ideal" body whether male or female.

Shpongolia · Answer

It's a close toss up. Each gender has to work hard in different ways to achieve it. Plus "desirability" is dynamic among different peoples' opinions. But in regards to societal pressure, women have it way worse with weight loss and media trying to tell us what is beautiful and what's not. So I voted B.

EngineeringStudent · Answer

I agree with"TheDigitalSaint".  Neither.  Large portions of most people's "ideal" body types are genetic.

CorneliaisPretty · Answer

female body! I clicked too fast and answered A but I meant B.

sweet_18 · Answer

I'm gonna say women. Just in general. On a woman's body, there are more ways for it to go wrong. i.e. too big of butt (too wide, too fat,) cellulite, her boobs are too big, she's flat chested, Her stomach has a pooch, she has fat legs, her collar bone is non existant, her arms are fat, etc.

On guys, there isn't as much opportunity for stuff to go wrong. He's either a fatass or he isn't. I mean, he can be too skinny, of course. And some guys are just genetically predisposed to have a lot of muscle definition.

Love2Ball · Answer

Uhh you need to lift for years to have a great male physique. Enough said

Drast · Answer

a lot of it is based on genetics for girls, they just have to stay in shape. Men in the other hand require years of hard work with several hours in the gym several times a week. The male ideal, can be gotten close to by almost any guy, while women can be healthy but the figure is won in the genetic lottery.

cyrus7 · Answer

going by amount of work needed I'd say male

most women just need to lose bodyfat and they will be deemed sexy in a lot of guy's eyes

men though need to build a lot of muscle and then lose fat while at the same time trying to not lose muscle

The "ideal" male physique or the "ideal" female physique...which do you think is more difficult to obtain?

Most Helpful Guys

Most Helpful Girls

Related Questions

What Girls & Guys Said

Latest Questions