Do women like dad bods?
Are dad bods attractive to women?
It seems like everywhere you look on the internet, people are claiming dad bods are in. Allegedly, women love a man with a b-cup chest, love handles, and a beer belly. Is this true? Is the era of muscularity over for men and they’re better off hitting the donuts instead of hitting the gym? Short answer: No.
I’m seeing studies with conflicting results on whether dad bods are good or not. Some studies say the majority of women prefer dad bods and others are saying they prefer someone more muscular.
The definition of a dad bod
What actually is a dad bod? It’s likely a man in the 20-25% body fat range. But let’s step away from statistics and studies for a second. In real life (which is what matters), who typically gets the most female attention?
Good looking men in above average shape. They get the most eyes in a bar. In a crowd, women are more engaging with them. This is a generalization. Yes, if you have rizz or you can signal you’re successful, you don’t necessarily need to be that attractive or in good shape.
Being in a high body fat percentage can still work for you if you have your grooming on point and you know how to dress well. But if you’re 5”6, make below average income, and have a dad bod at age 25 - do not depend on a study done by Planet Fitness to tell you that women actually prefer you over a 6”0 Chad.
In general, if you have a dad bod you likely have high blood pressure and high blood sugar, plus a host of other health problems slowly creeping up on you. Just from a longevity standpoint, you don’t want a dad bod. It’s not good for you.
Secondly, when a girl says “I like a dad bod”, she’s not referring to someone who is 25% body fat and zero muscle mass. She’s referring to a strong fluffy man. Think of powerlifters.
Building muscle and hitting the gym is still a must even if you’re not going to be in a low body fat percentage. So if you’re going to say “I’ll just settle on my dad bod and not worry about abs” you still need to be lifting some heavy ass weight.
The best body fat percentage for men to be in
Do you need to be at 8% bodyfat to have women want you more? No. It’s not sustainable and you’re constantly counting calories.
10-15% means you’re likely in very good shape and you’re not dealing with hunger. But depending on your body composition (height and how broad your shoulders are), 15-20% could sit well on you. So depending on your height, you want to aim for 10-20%. This is the best range to be in.
“Well, let’s say I have a dad bod and barely any muscle mass…and I don’t feel like changing…what do I do?”
You’ll need lots of money or a lot of rizz. Dad bods are basically clinically obese men when you look at life insurance charts. So you’ll need something else to carry the weight for you (no pun intended). An incredible personality, an amazing style, a great career, and so on.
You do not need to look like Brad Pitt at fight club, especially if you’re a big guy. But you need to, at a minimum, make sure your body carries your weight well. Most guys overestimate how good they look. I would seek out advice from friends to tell you the truth about how you’re looking. Also, get photos taken of you when out with friends. You’ll get a good idea of how bad you actually look when you see random photos of yourself out with people.
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