Muscle in the World

[TheMM]

I know what most folks here in the U.S. feel about "big" (note that "big" is a subjective term to them compared to us here) muscles; but I'm curious, what do other countries that obviously aren't America feel about muscle on people.

[DancingFish]

I too am curious about this, especially since there are many varying aesthetics depending on the country and culture.

[Lila]

I cannot speak for all Canadians but I like muscles quite a bit! :P

[hyooge]

Well, I'm an American who's traveled extensively to Japan and Hong Kong. Muscular people are really rare over there.

Despite my username, I'm not really "hyooge" by American standards. I'm more built than the average guy, but most college gyms would have a few guys bigger than me. However, I might as well be Arnold in Hong Kong or Osaka. I've had people cross the street just to shoot a cell phone picture of my biceps! However, it seems to be more of a curiosity thing than an attraction thing.

[mewletter]

In Asia, it depends where you find those muscleheads. True, they aren't as huge as Caucasians, but there's quite a few ripped guys at very popular gyms. (even those are very rare)

Or probably that there's hardly anyone really jacked up by preformance-enhancing drugs...

Heck, from where I am from, the government is extremely anti-drug. Heroin users are almost unheard of here. In Japan, if you're very muscular guy, you could be also gay I assume. Anyway, most Asian girls prefer skinny or normal built guys than obese and muscular ones, as long they look handsome that is. So most straight men in Asia aren't obsessed being like Hulk.

[CelticMuscle]

United Kingdom

If the UK was a person and asked this question, you'd get two answers. You'd have the respectable side of the country saying:

Urgh! Disgusting notion! Why anyone would want to look like they've been inflated by several air pumps is beyond me!

and the more modern side saying:

Oh, yeah! I want to make these pecs bigger than Arnie's!

with the dividing line being those people born since 1945 and the main reason I think has to be the British beefcake movies that we had in our cinemas, perhaps most noticeably Sean Connery who was the first Bond (and the first man to appear in a state of undress in a nationally distributed film)

[cesarvillavi]

Well I can't speak for M?xico but at least I can't talk for my state Sonora.

Well here in Obreg?n where I'm studying right now I must admit I've seen many guys who are really well built, and even some huge guys. There are even some huge guys in the gym where I'm going, they make the $37dlls I pay every month totally worth it.

Bodybuilding it's pretty popular lately, just in the state there are at least 3 or 4 different bodybuilding competitions (more or less), so I think you can say there are many huge men in here, but maybe just not enough... wait... is there something as enough huge muscular guys in a city, town, state, etc?

[TheMM]

Originally Posted by cesarvillavi

Bodybuilding it's pretty popular lately, just in the state there are at least 3 or 4 different bodybuilding competitions (more or less), so I think you can say there are many huge men in here, but maybe just not enough... wait... is there something as enough huge muscular guys in a city, town, state, etc?

*backhands you as hard as I can (which isn't very hard btw)* Get ahold of yourself man!!! You already know the answer to that question! Of course there can't be too much muscle in this world!

.......You ok? Sorry I had to do that, but it seemed like you were faltering from our...course here, had to put a bit of sense back into your head.

[cesarvillavi]

Originally Posted by TheMM

*backhands you as hard as I can (which isn't very hard btw)* Get ahold of yourself man!!! You already know the answer to that question! Of course there can't be too much muscle in this world!

.......You ok? Sorry I had to do that, but it seemed like you were faltering from our...course here, had to put a bit of sense back into your head.

Thanks... I know sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures... so don't worry I understand that's something you had to do.

[DancingFish]

Originally Posted by mewletter

In Asia, it depends where you find those muscleheads. True, they aren't as huge as Caucasians, but there's quite a few ripped guys at very popular gyms. (even those are very rare)

Or probably that there's hardly anyone really jacked up by preformance-enhancing drugs...

Heck, from where I am from, the government is extremely anti-drug. Heroin users are almost unheard of here. In Japan, if you're very muscular guy, you could be also gay I assume. Anyway, most Asian girls prefer skinny or normal built guys than obese and muscular ones, as long they look handsome that is. So most straight men in Asia aren't obsessed being like Hulk.

I've seen a few buff Asian guys, they were quite good looking too. Most of the Asian men I have encountered haven't been very buff, but some of them were still very handsome.

[musclegod]

I've traveled a lot throughout Europe and Asia. Most people are overwhelmed with my size. In China and other Asian countries I am frequently stopped in the street to ask to feel my muscles or to pose or take pictures. In recent years I have found that kids are especially fasinated and much less inhibited. I am often mobbed in the street by kids in Asian countries who want to talk to me, ask me to flex my bicep or feel my body, usually my arms or chest.

[hypnokip]

I lived in Germany and Austria, and I ended up training in my apt both times... the gyms I found were extremely expensive -- although New York city folk probably wouldnt think so

[growingbigger]

I've been down to Brazil a few times, and there aren't too many muscular guys there either--not that there aren't any because I've seen a few, but they are rare. I'm usually quite a sensation when I'm walking around in a mall down there. The American standard is beginning to catch on just a little bit though. You can find small gyms now in even the smaller towns.

[luvmuscles2006]

There are all types of muscle down under..........be it surfie types to serious bodybuilders. Given climate, we wear singlets and tishirts for most of the year, so viewing is premium. I get comments regarding musculature, though l'm not a bodybuilder. As a personal trainer, l work in a gym a couple of hours a week and train two guys who are muscular but not bulky, more Australian Rules football builds. My personal trainer, he has a great body with a nice chest and big arms......we're bulking up and training together during our spring / summer.

[Muscle_lover]

In France., and in Paris in particular, beeing big is not really popular... Mens are mostly really thin or just a bit fit. Very big bodybuilders are really hard to find. Around me people tell me to stop growing but i don't care, i love getting bigger.
But fortunatly, i found a gym in the "US mood" where getting bigger is better and in wich all bodybuilders in Paris train.

[richard32]

I've had individuals combination the road just to capture a mobile cellphone image of my biceps! However, it seems to be more of a fascination factor than an fascination factor.

[Eager Muscle]

Examining search terms on Google Trends is revealing.

Brunai, Hungary and Pakistan lead the pack in terms of google searches on "bodybuilding" - http://www.google.com/trends/explore...builder&cmpt=q

For "muscle" it's St. Kitts, Grenada and Dominica - http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=muscle&cmpt=q

"Muscle worship" is HUGE in the U.S., Australia, the UK and Canada - http://www.google.com/trends/explore...worship&cmpt=q

But "muscle growth" is biggest of all with more countries with hits over 50% than any other, Australia, the U.S., South Africa, the U.K. Singapore, New Zealand and Canada - http://www.google.com/trends/explore...0growth&cmpt=q

Oddly, "muscle growth stories" and "story" only comes up for one country, the U.S., at 100%, and 70% of those searches are for FEMALE muscle growth - http://www.google.com/trends/explore...stories&cmpt=q

Interestingly, "muscle cock" yields search rates from 100 to 50% for (as ever, in descending order) South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, with the U.S. only coming in at 43% - http://www.google.com/trends/explore...%20cock&cmpt=q

[breathless]

Bodybuilding's getting more popular here in Mexico City. There's at least 5 competitions a year and going to them I've seen some really big specimens but really, the heavier classes usually don't have that many people competing (5 at most) and usually you can see a clear winner from the moment the guys hit the stage.

There's more new gyms and I've seem more larger guys around but also the average latino guy isn't that tall.

I used to live near this gym where several pros trained and THAT was awesome.

Fitness Modelling is also getting more popular here in Mexico, and guys who practice it don't like the bodybuilder look because they think it doesn't look good.

You can see lots of Mexican Bodybuilders in this page: https://www.facebook.com/Mxmuscleselite

[suma]

Nice question. But really it's the same all over; only that some countries are lagging behind in the trend.
All over most women do not like overly big and muscular men.
All over men on other hand tend to like it both straight and gay.
And with YouTube , Twitter Instagram and all the others EVERYTHING is global now. Regional differences are dying out and a thing of the past :-(
So while some countries are further along with the popularity of gyms and bbing; the others are soon catching up.