Debating How Men Should Look: Why BIG guys will always be macho & better for many?

Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash

It is basic human psychology, mixed with some social impressions and anthropological conclusions that clearly dictate a fact—bigger, stronger physiques will never lose out to the athletic, more toned body types as far as men are concerned. The way we perceive the sense of security, the feeling of being protected, that extra edge that you need to believe that this can help you flourish…this is the aura of bigness. It makes people believe that things are sheltered, taken care of, or protected against possible mishaps. It cannot be described in words. It cannot be recreated in an assembly-line production setting. Ask a gym regular who seems to have gone crazy with the bench presses or a grizzly middle aged man trying to find that last straw of energy to eke out another deadlift – their reasons can be very similar! I have personally experienced more self-confidence when I have been squatting hard or when deadlifts begin to yield results. That feeling of filling out your old Tee with more muscle mass across your chest or the back and legs is more than narcissism...it gives you a definite high!

Driven by childhood impressions & social norms that define Adam as the protector, men are more likely to trust a bigger version of themselves over skinny pant-fitted millennials who think cycling can be a great substitute for hitting the gym!

As a society, as a race, we have been raised on a simple diet of men being family-raisers, everyday warriors and a lot more. Invariably, physiques that are bigger than the tapered trouser wearing petite wardrobe, is more likely to infuse this conviction. Men, who want to attain this size, feed off these feelings. They too have grown with so many tales of superheroes being larger-than-life. Mix ample portions of maternal feedback, from infancy to young adulthood, that always interprets sons as being undernourished and you have a near perfect ecosystem for the male psychology to believe that bigger shoulders mean a greater sense of confidence.

Even in this phase of micro-managed diets, carefully planned portions and apps that track each calorie, there are plenty of men who are ready to eat more to get bigger

Owing to erotic literature and its poor offshoots sold in seedy underground marketplaces that is found in abundance during the impressionable years, the male cerebrum is overwhelmed with thoughts that a thicker neck means more chances to score with the ladies, the hypothalamus is convinced that sexually active men are more likely to have bigger forearms or a stronger jawline and the forebrain vouches for how bigger triceps are more likely to handle family or relationship responsibilities much better!

You don’t want a gym-worshiping, four-packer who counts sugar-borne calories from every sip of an ice cream shake and then looks at you with an almost apologetic expression! 

With bigger-sized guys, women too have the liberty of being relaxed about their body size/shape apprehensions. There are plenty of women out there who love men with bigger, not portly, bodies. A huge chest, ripping apart shirt size 44, is almost animalistic and carnal in nature, i.e. the sexuality and appeal of it for men and women. Men seems pretty sure about this and feel that this directly translates into their ability to engage attention. The latter sounds so crude but within this unsophisticated thought there is an underlining of the truth. It is not the waist size but the shoulder-to-waist ratio that matters. It is not about new trousers always but about filling the old, rugged denims too.

Different types of bigness(es) apart from the unmentionable ones - I have seen women comment cheekily about being attracted towards guys with big hands, meaty fingers, huge ears or a big forehead!