Ideal Body Measurements
Since I started exercising years ago, I’ve always had a dynamic set of fitness goals. I never had a set of ideal body measurements that I could work toward though. What is the perfect body anyway? As with numerous people, my thoughts of the perfect body meant larger muscles. But larger muscles are not inherently attractive to everybody. Just look at your typical Hollywood actor and you’ll realize this is true. For example, such is not even close to reality when you realize that Taylor Lautner, one of the A-list of Hollywood hot bodies, is so lean and perfectly defined. Thus, what are your ideal body measurements? Below I describe how to get the perfect body.
This writing is geared toward men because we typically experience more difficulty in figuring out exactly what is thought to be attractive and therefore the goals to which we should aspire. A growing number of people agree that having more muscles is not the most attractive look out there.
As I was on my mission to define ideal body measurements, I discovered myself pouring through the pages of bodybuilding sites incessantly, attempting to bring it all into focus. As usual, bodybuilding sites don’t provide the best template for an ideal body. The calculator of bodybuilding legend Steve Reeve indicated that my chest should be in excess of fifty inches. My waist should be around 30”. If I followed this suggestion, I would have had a chest size that is wider than the spread of my shoulders. That doesn’t seem like a reasonable goal, especially if I’m also supposed to maintain a 30” waist and visible abs. But to be fair, the ideal bodybuilder weight for someone of my stature is 175 pounds. Either way, I imagine I’d look like a cartoon character with these measurements.
John McCallum’s espoused position is quite a bit more realistic. I input my true and target measurements and found that his calculator provided much better results.
Considering these measurements are for a competitive bodybuilder, which I am not, they are a relatively good starting point for being in ideal shape. What McCallum suggested was that I should bulk up the most at my biceps, add some bulk to my chest and legs, and keep working to remove some of the fat from my waist and hips. The real question then is whether these new suggested measurements will make me any more appealing.
The best approach I’ve found when it comes to ideal measurements is the Adonis Effect. This plan was consciously developed to incorporate research which indicates the body types that women, and other men, find to be the most attractive. What the researchers discovered was that the most attractive forms were those that had the same shoulder to waist ratio, dubbed the golden ratio, and this then is the goal that you should set for yourself. The ideal golden ratio is defined to be 1.618. In addition, researchers found that the most appealing bodies had a waist that was 45% of your height. One of the best parts about the Adonis Effect program is that it not only provides you with the numbers for a perfect body, but it also supplies you with a plan to follow to help you reach these measurements.
Ideally my waist would be 30.5” and shoulders would be 49.5”. Basically, I am very close to my perfect waist measurement, but I need to increase my shoulders. This seems about right since should I be able to reach these targets I would appear to have a nice V-shape.
In conclusion, ideal body measurements are very difficult to define. In reality, it is your own personal opinion which determines what you think to be ideal. In addition, ideal body measurements are extremely elusive. Everything looks unreasonable when you’re really far away. Don’t be discouraged though – realize that if you start slowly and keep working at it, you can reach your goal, though it won’t happen quickly. The Adonis Effect offers a diet and exercise plan that describes how to get the perfect body.