Ideal 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. And what comprises an ideal body in any case? Like many people, I always equated the perfect body with bigger muscles. But larger muscles are not inherently attractive to everybody. If this were the case, all Hollywood stars would be bodybuilders. That’s far from the case when one of the hottest bodies in Hollywood belongs to a very lean, well defined Taylor Lautner. So what are your ideal body measurements? In what follows I will define how to get the perfect body.

I've decided to customize this towards the male perspective since men usually have a harder time determining what is appealing to others and how to set the proper goals to reach that point. 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. I quickly figured out that these pages won't help you identify the proper shape. Take famous bodybuilder Steve Reeve's body size calculator, which determined that my chest size should be almost 50". And I should have a mere 30" waist to go with it. Essentially I would have to add muscle mass to my chest to the point where it would be bigger than my shoulders currently are. Couple this with a 30" waist and a six pack of abs, and I quickly concluded that this was not a viable set of numbers. In fairness, the ideal bodybuilder weight for someone my height is 175lbs. But even with that in mind, I pictured myself looking like one of those strange comic book characters that always looks so top heavy.

The approach defined by John McCallum is much more reasonable. Here are the results of this calculator with my target and actual measurements:
1. Chest: 6.5 times your wrist (Goal = 42.25”, Actual = 41”)
2. Hips: 85% of chest (Goal = 36”, Actual = 37”)
3. Waist: 70% of chest (Goal = 29.5”, Actual =31”)
4. Thighs: 53% of chest (Goal = 22.5”, Actual =22”)
5. Neck: 37% of chest (Goal = 15.5”, Actual = 15”)
6. Biceps: 36% of chest (Goal = 15”, Actual = 13.5”)
7. Calves: 34% of chest (Goal = 14.5”, Actual = 13.5”)
8. Forearms: 29% of chest (Goal = 12.25”, Actual = 12”)

The numbers it returns are meant for competitive bodybuilders, but they can serve as a first goal towards the ideal shape for regular guys like myself as well. According to this, I should focus on adding a little bulk to my chest and legs, a lot of bulk to my biceps, and continue to trim a little fat from my waist and hips. The real question then is whether these new suggested measurements will make me any more appealing.

The answer to that question can be found in what's called the Adonis Effect. This program is based on a scientific study of what body type has the greatest appeal for both women and men. Basically, this program identifies a shoulder to waist ratio, termed the golden ratio, to which every man ought to strive to obtain. This golden ratio is 1.618. In addition, your waist measurement ought to be 45 percent of your height. The best thing about the Adonis Effect plan is that you are given a template which leads you to your "perfect body" measurements.

Ideally my waist would be 30.5” and shoulders would be 49.5”. Essentially I am right around my ideal waist so I should aim to add a little bulk to my shoulders. This sounds like the best suggestion I've had so far, as I can imagine the good v-shape that would give me if I were to reach these goals.

So, the bottom line is that ideal body measurements are hard to define. You are the most important judge of what you consider ideal. In addition, ideal body measurements are extremely elusive. Everything looks unreasonable when you’re really far away. Take slow steps to work toward your perfect body and realize that it could take a long time before you get there. If you need extra help reaching your perfect body, the Adonis Effect includes a diet and exercise plan to help you on your way.