That body-fat percentage that women thought looked the healthiest fell right within the ideal range for health (10–20%). Women thought that men with a body-fat percentage of 16% looked the most attractive. Women found the men who were in the middle of the healthy body-fat percentage range looked the most attractive.
In general, this boils down to having more muscle and less body fat than the average guy. Specifically, the physique women find most attractive seems to be a guy with 20 to 30 pounds more muscle than average and a low body fat percentage (8 to 12%).
As mentioned before in Perett's book, In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction, women show a stronger attraction toward men with a figure consistent with the ideal hunting physique: strong shoulders, narrow waists, and broad chests and shoulders.
A strong upper body is the most attractive body shape or type on men, research finds.
Women stated that their favorite part of the male physique was their chest at 24%. This was closely followed by hair 22% and arms at 19%. For the ab crowd, 13% prefer defined upper abs and 9% prefer the v-cut. Eyes, face, and legs came in at 3%, 2%, and 1%, respectively.
It may be predicted, therefore that, if attractiveness is a mechanism for identifying healthy, fertile mates, healthy levels of body fat (21–33% for women and 8–21% for men; [36]) will be perceived as healthiest and most attractive.
(27) found that the most frequently selected ideal body had a BMI of 19.79, closely followed by an underweight ideal of 18.26. Ahern et al. (28) found that a BMI of 20 was considered the most attractive, while Swami et al. (29), and MacNeill and Best (30), found that an underweight body was most frequently selected.
"No one will be surprised by the idea that strong men are more attractive," Aaron Lukaszewski, an evolutionary psychologist at California State University at Fullerton and an author of the study, told The Washington Post. "It's no secret that women like strong, muscular guys."
Male-specific factors. Women, on average, tend to be more attracted to men who have a relatively narrow waist, a V-shaped torso, and broad shoulders. Women also tend to be more attracted to men who are taller than they are, and display a high degree of facial symmetry, as well as relatively masculine facial dimorphism.
Muscles are indicators of health and fitness.
They found that overall, men and women think bigger muscles are more attractive than smaller ones.
Anywhere in the 10–20% body-fat percentage range is good for general health (study), and anywhere in the 9–15% range seems fairly ideal for attractiveness. These ideals are realistically achievable for most people, but it's much easier for some than others. Preferences for abs can vary, too.
Muscularity is sexy.
In a separate study, women reported that their short-term sexual partners were more muscular than their other partners. The researchers suggest women have fewer requirements for muscular men.
A Big Chest
"Women treasure your chest as much as you do theirs," says Emily Dubberley, a sex expert based in the UK. "Touching, kissing, and licking a man's chest is undoubtedly a turn-on for most women."
Their study, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests muscles in men are akin to elaborate tail feathers in male peacocks: They attract females looking for a virile mate. “Women are predisposed to prefer muscularity in men,” said study author David Frederick of UCLA.
A similar study by Re and Rule (2016b) found that participants preferred facial adiposity levels associated with a BMI of 19.11 kg/m2 for female faces and 23.79 kg/m2 for male faces.
The most attractive faces corresponded to a BMI of about 19 for women and 24 for men. For a woman and man of average height, that translates to body weights of 111 pounds and 165 pounds, respectively.
Nevertheless, Lean Pockets do claim, at least by name alone, to be somewhat easy on the waistline. Which is a good thing, because, according to a new trending study, heterosexual women may be more attracted to men who are thin. Not surprisingly, 9 out of 10 belts agree.
What women find attractive is great hygiene and appearance. A man's style and degree of personal care is a huge part of what makes a guy attractive to a woman. Some women may prefer an artsy style more than a sporty style, but the important thing is that the man has a style more than which style he chooses to wear.
Researchers at Griffith University in Queensland examined what factors most influenced female attraction to males and found that physical strength reigned supreme.
Muscularity is sexy.
Tests of the Fitness Indicator Hypothesis,” researchers Martie Haselton and David Frederick asked 141 women to rate different male body types. In a separate study, women reported that their short-term sexual partners were more muscular than their other partners.
As a general rule of thumb, 10 per cent body fat is the safest place to be. You're lean enough to show muscle — including your six-pack — and you can see your veins from your shoulders to your hands, but you're not so shredded that you're becoming translucent.
10 to 14 percent
This range of body fat is still lean, which means your abs will be visible.