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What's the psychological reason why a man might be attracted to a woman with muscles?

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Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

Is something that has been in my head for a while now. Maybe something related with a childhood experience (being raised with very dominant women)? The look of confidence and strength on a (muscular) woman?

Maybe someone can come up here saying "there isn't need to be a reason", but... idk, I've always thought that there's a reason for everything, and is the first time I ask myself the origin of this particular fetish

Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

My wife and I researched this question quite a bit in our book, Iron Beauties. https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Beauties-Explorin...

Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

I guess it depends on the person but to me a powerful woman just seems better to me because she can do a lot of useful things and being super fit can make sex better so its just better if the woman is strong.

Nov 20, 2021 - permalink
  1. Opposites attract. There is something in your genes that think you could improve yourself by breeding with that. Maybe you are super smart, good with computers, but not athletic. This could balance you out.

  2. Glitch: The male sex drive is so strong it can become broken. Some men have the identical drive towards murdering a woman, dead woman, just a part of a womnen's body, even their shoes. Sadly some are attracted to what get's them and their victims into trouble. One has not become this way. They just are this way.

Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

My guess is that it's just something environmentally imprinted at an impressionable age -- possibly reducible to a chance encounter. If it weren't muscles, it could have been something else. It would be interesting to see if any of the many twin studies look at fetishes.

[deleted]
Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

Perhaps we saw it young and liked it - Alexandra Paul on Baywatch had to be one of my influences. And American Gladiators. Now why I like facial hair on women too, that I can't pinpoint exactly.

Nov 20, 2021 - edited Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

Not sure but we weren't the first guy's into them and wont be the last! 😊

Nov 20, 2021 - permalink

Men who are attracted to women look for a strong healthy specimen because such women send signals that suggest they are good to mate with. A woman built sturdy enough to birth, raise, and take care of children would be selected for in the evolutionary environment. This doesn't mean she has to be big or very muscular -- but extreme muscularity is like an exaggerated form of those signals we respond to. It's a "supernormal stimulus" that makes some of us respond even more strongly to muscular women than we do to slim, fit, conventionally attractive women.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

I think some of us are just wired this way. A non-muscular woman does nothing for me. Never has and never will. I was only 7 years old when I saw my 2nd grade teacher brush her hair. She was so beautiful. Deep blue eyes, long black hair and muscles in her arms that danced with every stroke through her hair. I can still visualize that peaked biceps in her right arm. The size, the shape and that perfect peak. From that point on, I searched for any chance to see a female with muscles, especially muscular arms. Circus women were about the only source way back then. I think seeing how strong the females in the circus were, began to also interest me. It's hard to really pinpoint a reason, "sthenaglia" explains it pretty well. It used to bother me feeling the way I do about females with muscle. None of my friends found muscular girls attractive at all, so why was I so different. The worst part is... muscular girls and women were hard to find.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

The worst part is... muscular girls and women were hard to find.

No good porn as well.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

"The"? There is no absolute "the reason" when speaking about attraction.

One biological fact is that organisms want to propagate the species for the sake of continuity. At the individual human level, there is an innate desire to get our DNA to the next generation. It's not an absolute, but that is what keeps our species going.

We select for all manner of things with regard to being able to acquire resources. Some not-small percentage of humans seek out strong partners because they feel this would provide greater security for any potential offspring.

Nov 21, 2021 - edited Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

Probably the same reason why some women like to look at muscular men, because their bodies are hot and attractive.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

No good porn as well.

Thank god for OF without it there'd be far less. 😩

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

My guess is that it's just something environmentally imprinted at an impressionable age -- possibly reducible to a chance encounter. If it weren't muscles, it could have been something else. It would be interesting to see if any of the many twin studies look at fetishes.

This is literally all it is. Everything else is just how we explain it to people.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

Did anyone mention the trophy wife theory yet?

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

Did anyone mention the trophy wife theory yet?

Nope what's that?

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

It’s sexy that these women are focused and dedicated to exercise and their bodies.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

Probably the same reason why some women like to look at muscular men, because their bodies are hot and attractive.

For those of us who find muscular women hot, this seems like the short explanation. The problem with this statement is that the vast majority of men do not find muscular women attractive.

Nov 21, 2021 - permalink

For those of us who find muscular women hot, this seems like the short explanation. The problem with this statement is that the vast majority of men do not find muscular women attractive.

I don't see any problem with the statement. He said some women like to look at muscular men and likened that to some men liking to look at muscular women. Of course, there are also women who like to look at muscular women and there are men who like to look at muscular men. Attraction is rarely a linear thing. A large percentage of people like fit bodies. If that wasn't true, people would not pursue the look and there would be no mega business to cater to them.

There is no absolution definition for "muscular" - eyes of the beholder and all - so without agreed upon standards, the conversation merely becomes an undefined spiral.

Nov 22, 2021 - permalink

I think I just like the idea of women being superior to me. Because I don't just like the fact that a girl is fit and/or strong, I'm most turned on by a girl being fitter and/or stronger than me. I also like it when a girl is wealthier, smarter and has higher status than me.

Nov 22, 2021 - permalink

More muscles = more curves. Big arms and legs are just as eye-catching as big boobs and butts.

Nov 22, 2021 - permalink

I think I just like the idea of women being superior to me. Because I don't just like the fact that a girl is fit and/or strong, I'm most turned on by a girl being fitter and/or stronger than me. I also like it when a girl is wealthier, smarter and has higher status than me.

I see you are also a man of culture. Kristy Hawkins fan?

Nov 22, 2021 - permalink

I think I just like the idea of women being superior to me. Because I don't just like the fact that a girl is fit and/or strong, I'm most turned on by a girl being fitter and/or stronger than me. I also like it when a girl is wealthier, smarter and has higher status than me.

Yes, we are the ones that don't confirm to the normal roles of male and female. Like you said I'm not only attracted if the girl has more muscles but is more intelligent, has a better job / money etc etc

But this does not mean that I want to be weak in every aspect of life. I have a good physique, a great job and I think above average intelligence. If both partners strive for greatness then they spur each other and go far in life. That is very attractive

Nov 22, 2021 - permalink

I see you are also a man of culture. Kristy Hawkins fan?

Yeah she's alright

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