
Build Just the Right Amount of Muscle
In a 2007 study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, 286 women were shown pictures of shirtless men and asked to identify those who they believed would make the best partners for both long-term and short-term relationships. The results revealed that women were more inclined to pursue short-term relationships with men who had well-developed muscles. According to authors David A. Frederick and Martie G. Haselton, this preference may be driven by the evolutionary signaling of characteristics like muscularity. Muscles are viewed as cues for genes that enhance offspring viability or reproductive success. However, the study also indicated that women perceived less-muscular men as more suitable for long-term relationships. Therefore, if one aims to capture a woman’s attention and maintain it, avoiding an excessive emphasis on muscularity may prove to be more advantageous.