What is it about the male gymnasts?

[Heavyboom]

I'm not really a fan of the ripped male body, it seems a bit false and obvious to me normally.

But, the male gymnasts are something different. I could watch them for hours and it's not all about the skill!

No, number of "abs" is genetic. A few people have 10 although you wouldn't know unless you trained and cut your body fat so you could see them. 4 is also possible. Not everyone's line up nicely either - also genetic.

Not to mention the cyclists with their Incredible Hulk legs. How do they buy off the peg trousers!

I am ashamed to say but until yesterday I hadn’t clocked how tiny Simone Biles is, I think I had just assumed that all the trainers and physios were really tall, then I realised that they are of average height and Biles is not!

No doubt some of them juice, but gymnasts are subject to regular in and out of competition testing just like any other athlete, and unlike the vast majority of recreational steroid users. Additionally gymnastics is not really a sport where PEDs are going to give you a big enough advantage to be worth taking the risk - it’s primarily a skill sport.

But obviously you have insider knowledge so you do you.

A have a friend, a MAMIL no less. He's a perfectly nice but very ordinary looking middle aged man normally, until you get a glimpse of those thighs ❤️

Self-selection. You’re not going to progress in gymnastics unless you are small. Just as you won’t progress in basketball unless you are tall. Many sports have an optimal (and non-trainable) body type.

I find swimmers bodies are more attractive than gymnasts bodies, in general 😂

swimmers have more height and I prefer that, possibly largely because I’m a bit above average height wise about 172cm (pretty much same height since I was 10), plus I was a swimmer when younger, so biased 😂

not saying gymnasts are not, but my preference favours swimmers 😂

Oh unclench

Call me shallow but I find that "v" on the upper arms ridiculously alluring. Boxer Delicious Orie is a fine example and I don't even like boxing.

I'm shallow enough to have a thing about hunky arms and shoulders... those gymnasts are way too short for me though, I'd tower over them. Swimmers are more my type, I love the broad shoulders and narrow waists. Did I say I am shallow?
My lovely DH is a skinny, wiry cyclist, with thighs of steel. He says he can't put on upper body muscle as he likes being able to get up steep hills

Additionally gymnastics is not really a sport where PEDs are going to give you a big enough advantage to be worth taking the risk - it’s primarily a skill sport.

Sorry, but this isn't true. Most PEDs are taken to aid strength, endurance and/or recovery processes. All of which are massively relevant to gymnastics; in fact it's almost the epitome of a sport which benefits from PEDs.

You are right to say that vast improvements in drug testing and a much stricter drug testing regime, as run by governing bodies, makes it a questionable risk, though. In a number of sports you can now be banned not just for taking PEDs, but for taking drugs such as diuretics, which can be used to flush the PEDs out of the system more quickly, or those which can be used as 'masking' agents.

The battle against doping is an ongoing one, but most sports have made progress.

Gymnastics stunts growth. Continuous impact during growth spurts limits growth so even if they were going to be average sized, all the training you do as a young kid means you won't grow to your full potential. They do ridiculous amounts of training from a very early age. We're talking 16+ hours a week for 7 year olds, no breaks for holidays. It's crazy.

I believe that is not actually true or at least there is no conclusive evidence it’s true. As I always thought that but I read somethings recently that it hasn’t been proven in anyway.

I think we all know how the reponses would go - "pervy men", "male gaze", etc, etc.

Typical Mumsnet hypocrisy.

It's not the same thing at all. For a start "pervy" women are no risk to men.

I’ll probably get flamed but I think one of the Olympic ideals is the celebration of the beauty of the human body in all of its forms. There was a photo of synchro divers in the paper today and it was like a life painting - an absolutely stunning depiction of the human form.

So what if most male gymnasts are shorter than average? I don't appreciate the height-shaming.

Height-shaming 🤣

We're all allowed to find some attributes less attractive than others!

A family member was a gymnast who trained intensively until she was 16, when she "retired". She then immediately shot up about a foot in height and blossomed all over. Whether from the gymnastics themselves or the years of restricted diet - who knows - but in her case her height was affected and I can believe it could happen to others.
If she'd waited any longer to retire - she may have missed the window to catch up in height.

Agreed.
If someone came on here saying their DH commented they like the female athletes with slim long legs, a nice tight arse and big firm tits the posts would be absolutely full off:
yuk
gross
pervert
my fanny would clamp shut hearing that
would give me the ick
You should LTB.

The hypocrisy is real.

Exactly, that's so true. However, according to @Heavyboom it's not the same thing at all! 😂