What's the psychological reason why a man might be attracted to a woman with muscles?

I tend to be of the why ask why, drink bud dry school of thought. And I hope this is not off topic. But do ya'll feel that the flexing and the tough talk is really something only sexy when a woman does it? I'm not sure what happened to our organization but I think girls would laugh their asses off at us if we flexed and oiled our selves and ripped a shirt off. You'd look like a jag. But a girl does it and it's like wow where did she come up with that. It's hot! Not sure if this helps or hurts the present discussion but it's in the category of observations.

There are a lot of women who love that its considered normal for women to like strong men.

Not having a father figure is probably no small part of it for some guys

I'd assume FBB's serve as a supernormal stimulus. Muscles may indicate they are in good health, that they can provide some form of safety, and that they may provide offspring with a greater chance to survive/thrive.

Another reason is that we may enjoy the dynamic contrast between femininity and muscles which are traditionally masculine.

e.g. Vladislava Galagan has a very feminine face and decently built muscles.

It's about the general novelty of it. Your average woman can't get that big without PEDs and a strict lifestyle. This site has a great collection of images/videos, but these women only make up a small fraction of the population.

Is it really any different from men who admire very tall women or very short women? What about guys who are into fat women? And don’t forget the guys who like big breasts or guys who like tiny breasts. I’m not sure if there is a reason I’m sexually attracted to muscular women. I just know I find them more beautiful than non-bodybuilders.

There is a difference, because of the aspect of masochism that does not exist with tall or fat women.

I’m not sure if there is a reason I’m sexually attracted to muscular women.

Then it would be an effect without a cause. That would revolutionize or destroy both physics and philosophy.

(My theory) I believe our brains collected impressions from (perceived to be) strong women that were highly appealing to our (approx.) 3-year-old minds.

There was an experience with a woman who protected us, cared for us, displayed physical power with us, and our young mind was highly influenced (with support from emotions and hormones). We were impressed... by one event or several... and the attributes that lit up as profoundly positive eventually (during puberty) lit up our sexual hormones. Our brain, once sufficiently impressed, remains impressed.

Note: I'm guessing about the age range when this could have happened. If it was as early as 24 months, I doubt most of us would remember it. If our sensory input lit up sufficiently, our young brain would recognize the pattern and connect 'highly favorable' to it. (Details could fill a book about the role evolution and genetics play along with brain development and how a young mind takes in 'good for me' and 'bad for me' impressions. This also connects to how memories are stored and how strong emotions and hormone responses add weight to our impressions and memories.)

I've wondered about this all my life. Ever since I've been 10, these are the women I've been attracted to. I remember when I was around 10 and women's bodybuilding was still on ESPN. My jaw dropped when I saw it for the first time. I couldn't believe I was looking at humans, and couldn't understand the feelings I was having. I'm a spiritual person, and if there's not a gorgeous muscle goddess waiting for me in Heaven, it's hard to imagine I won't be disappointed.

If an explanation fails to explain why only some men have this fetish, then it fails, plain and simple.

Why would someone think he's entitled to a muscular woman in the next life if not in the current one?

Because a lot of this stems from entitlement, despair and immaturity.

Brilliant Zarklephaser. Just incredible reading!! And no. You don’t have to reply to this. :) Another big thank you from me for sorting all the published works and theories into understandable thoughts. I would love to dive into this subject, but I don’t have the time. You have saved me thousands of hours and given me a lot of tools to handle my problems with this fetish and maybe I can find an answers to live with it without ruining my life. :)

In addition to all at once, life can also be ruined bit by bit.

This is my thirty-third message in this thread. That's all I am going to say.

Continuing within the theme of the previous message. This is my thirty-fourth message in this thread.

I am beginning to think that it really all boils down to power.

You know I love this reading as usual Zarkle. Just develop the part WHEN a muscular woman becomes the desire. Can it also become something else!? Like a business suit!? Big boobs seems to be common with muscle fetish too and feet (not me though). Im trying to figure out the trigger. Could it have turned into something else!?

In my case I know that I was into muscles from 3 years of age. My absolutely first memories are about muscular women. Before I even new they existed I think (I’m born in 1977).

A strange memory is that used to take a huge soft ball and place inside my pyjama pants and basically roll on it pretending I was pushed around by a girl. I was 3-4 years old at this time. Not my finest moment. :) But I don’t have any memories to why muscle could have been a factor. I had never seen it, but still I fantasised and could picture a FBB inside my head. This could be something I’ve invented years after, but I don’t think so.

I would to hear your take on this.

The thing is not in the muscles. It's in the mind.

Also in the experience of self-confidence.

That in turn requires a consistent self-concept.

I love shapes and curves. Really thick & full muscles give the body such a sexy shape and profile, and once you've touched muscles that bulge like that, there's no going back.

I feel the same way about really muscular women AND men BTW. So this fixation doesn't have much to do with some kind of repressed childhood feelings or trauma. I just love how huge muscles look, flex, and feel.

That said, I do also REALLY enjoy the dynamic of really big muscles and soft, fair features. Muscle girls who are totally made up with gorgeous faces and pretty feet absolutely slay me. I'd say the same for guys who have really youthful and cute faces without beards... which is why most MBB's that I like are from Japan or Korea.

Could there be a difference between guys who enjoy “the feel” of muscles and the guys who enjoy the presence!?

In my case when I have sex with muscular women it’s really no difference from a regular girl. I honestly enjoy curvy natural busty women more in bed than muscular. With muscular women I rather watch them from a distance.

I imagine that if a person enjoy the feel rather than presence it’s not sthenolagnia? Hence there could be a non trauma way to appreciate a muscular woman.

For me, after all the interesting thoughts from Zarklephaser4, I understand more and more that muscles for me is just a mirage. The muscles are a proof of strength that I believe is more important, but I don’t fancy pain and scissors etc.

I have easy going relationships with a lot of muscular women. Earlier this year I arm wrestled (not my thing) with all the female PT’s in my gym. They all know about my fetish and they can tease me with their gains and so on. When they ask me to feel them, or when asked to arm wrestle, I get aroused from the fact that she is aware of my fetish and that SHE seems to enjoy the play, but I’m not excited at all by the sensation in my hands from feeling her, or testing her strength. When I feel, let’s say her lats and I feel them from behind, I’m more interested to fantasise about the expression in her face than feeling her muscles.

I guess it’s a control thing and I must be sure that she is the one who enjoys it.

So my guess is that sthenolagnia is the result of a trauma, but could it be another version if you “like the feel of muscles”?!

There's also an element of revenge and payback.

I just wanted to say that I can relate 100 % with zarklephaser post about narcissistic parents and narcissistic abuse. It's pretty mind blowing. For a long time after therapy I've been trying to be normal and not a narcisistic myself.

I struggled with a lot of mysoginy, felt frustrated by women rejection. At some point I always "dredded" also being gay. At some point I felt I only could made conection with other males and not females.

[Nowadays I think I have some deep friendship with some guys at different points of my life and it was kind of a "covert gay relationship", I mean it was like "dating" and the closed to any relationshisp. I guess you could say, "oh that's a friendship", but I think it was something more symbolic.]

I still havent figure out how to get to known women and have some sex, it's being a couple of years and it seems that things never come my way. I desire all kind of women that at least has some good feature or treat (young, lean, fit, or at lest average, nice face). But then I'm also very picky. And of course I would just an amazing fit girl. Good thing there are many women with great bodies and not so fine faces, and some women I dated were like that and I loved it.