It is no secret that in modern reality the cult of a healthy body is gaining more and more popularity, and more and more attention is being paid to physical fitness. Every year new trends appear in this regard, and new phenomena acquire cult status.
A beautiful, well-developed torso is one of the most important conditions for good physical shape today. In terms of the amount of effort applied during training, it can only compete with the muscles of the legs and buttocks, which are now no less fashionable to train.
Inner and outer beauty
For the ancient Greeks, aesthetics was of great importance; the beauty of form was given maximum attention. That is why such a huge number of all kinds of sculptures depicting the human body have survived to this day. Antique torso is one of their most popular varieties.
The thing is that for the Greeks, external beauty was equivalent to internal beauty, and accordingly, the aesthetic properties of not only objects, but also people were of very great importance. An ugly face or body were characteristic signs of a bad character and a dark mind, which is why the features of the depiction of negative characters in Ancient mythology are associated.
Results of the year: choosing the best male torso
Girls, a holiday has finally happened on our street - it’s time to choose the best male torso that captured our imagination in 2010.
Candidates for every taste: from Zac Efron to Dolph Lundgren. We admired the naked torso of our first nominee, Jude Law, for several days in a row - the actor went on vacation with his newfound lover Sienna Miller, and the paparazzi regularly stirred our hearts with fresh photographs from a tropical paradise.
We saw Vladislav Doronin on the beach and in its environs almost as often as at social events. And rightly so, it’s not for nothing that the oligarch does exercises every day - it’s a sin to hide such a body from the public.
Much more often than Ashton Kutcher, his wife, Demi Moore, showed us her naked body this year. But this is not yet a reason to exclude the actor from our list of nominees. Moreover, he also had “star outings”, albeit on the set, and not on the “ordinary” beach.
We've been enjoying Taylor Lautner's sculpted body for years now - fortunately, filming for Twilight continues. We also saw naked Robert Pattinson, but you must agree that in this aspect “vampires” are clearly inferior to “werewolves.”
However, there is one cute “vampire” who could compete with Lautner - Kellan Lutz. We haven't seen any pictures of the actor from the beach, but we know that he prefers to play basketball, let's call it that way, topless. Good choice, Kellan!
The athletes' camp is represented in our ranking by football players. Of course, we couldn't ignore David Beckham. Beautiful relief, tan, tattoos (yesterday, by the way, he added another one to them) - to paraphrase the classic, I want to exclaim: “you can be a capable football player and think about the beauty of your nails!”
David Beckham's eternal rival is Cristiano Ronaldo. True, this football player prefers to be naked for advertising purposes. For example, for the Armani Underwear video, where he embarrassed a maid in a hotel with his sculpted abs. I think some of the readers of Gossip Magazine would not refuse to be in her place.
What would a “torso rating” be without Matthew McConaughey? This actor literally lives on the beach, so we can admire his body much more often than the bodies of his colleagues. We don't complain! On the contrary, they are always happy to see him, especially in the company of such a charming “companion.”
Channing Tatum also pleased us with several beach outings this year. Together with his wife, Jenna Dewan, the actor vacationed on the Italian island of Ischia. Of course, in the movie “Step Up” he was in slightly better shape, but even though he had matured, he looks great.
Patrick Schwarzenegger, the son of the governor of California, who inherited his father’s passion for sports, can easily be called the discovery of the year. The boy is still young, but what potential!
Zac Efron may be older than Patrick Schwarzenegger, but no less sweet. The hero of girls' dreams went on vacation several times this year with his girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens, giving us the opportunity not only to admire his muscles, but also to envy the warm days that we won't see for at least another six months.
Finally, our rating is completed by “veteran of the movement” Dolph Lundgren. Despite his “venerable” age - 53 years old - the actor is still in the ranks, and spends much more time in the gym than on the set. The result is visible on the face, or more precisely, on the torso.
Choosing the best male torso
Male and female options
As a rule, when the term discussed in this article is mentioned, the torso of a guy appears in the mind, which is not surprising, since such ideas are directly related to the cultural characteristics of human development.
The same Antiquity was characterized by much greater attention specifically to male appearance, not to mention the fact that in many countries a woman, until the 19th century, was considered an inanimate object and unworthy of attention.
A man, on the contrary, was supposed to be the embodiment of strength and courage. And accordingly, have a powerful physique and well-developed muscles (including the upper body).
The question of ideal proportions
Of course, in this regard there is a fair amount of subjectivity, which simply cannot be avoided. However, if you look back into the past, you can notice certain trends in regard to aesthetic appreciation. Having analyzed the features of the sculpture that has survived to this day, we can say that in Antiquity a relatively dry body with well-developed muscles and precise proportions was considered ideal.
During the Renaissance, which revived the culture of depicting the human body, the requirements for the aesthetic component in this regard were less strict. Sculpture and painting of the Renaissance, as a rule, are distinguished by a rather smooth depiction of the human body, not devoid of a certain percentage of fat deposits.
If you look at a typical female torso of this era, it becomes obvious that women who are clearly overweight are preferred as models. Especially if you compare the shapes with those that are fashionable today.
Antique sculpture of modern times
Despite the fact that the times of ancient Greece ended a long time ago, the legacy of this era remains with us to this day. Torso mannequins are a clear confirmation of this. In the modern world, however, in addition to their aesthetic function, they also have an exclusively practical purpose: the correct shape best demonstrates the advantages of cut and material.
Another area of use for such devices is martial arts, in which dummies of this type are used to practice strikes.
Hit above the belt: hot male torsos. Part 2
The days of summer are coming to an end—but not on Gossip Cop.
As we promised, catch the second series of the hottest torsos in Hollywood. And don’t forget to take your favorite men away from the screens, because there are three dozen half-naked beauties ahead of you! Opening our hot “hall of fame” is the new “Spider-Man” Andrew Garfield . The actor recently celebrated his 29th birthday and has already become one of the sex symbols of young Hollywood. Emma Stone, who began an affair with Andrew both on screen and in real life, could not resist his steely abs.
Andrew Garfield
Another Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, also made it onto our list of the most muscular guys in Hollywood: although Tobey had to give up this role to Andrew Garfield, this does not stop us from admiring his muscles in previous films about Spiderman.
Tobey Maguire
Justin Timberlake does not promise “sex for friendship” to everyone - not only that, the blond handsome man is happy with Jessica Biel, but at the same time the actor and singer retains the status of one of the most desirable macho men in Hollywood.
Justin Timberlake
When Wolfgang Petersen decided to bring Homer’s famous “Troy” to the screen, he had no doubt who would play the role of the handsome Paris - well, of course, Orlando Bloom . Only such a man could “surrender” to the most beautiful woman in the world - Helen of Troy.
Orlando Bloom
After the Greek "Troy", the hero of the Scandinavian epic naturally comes to mind - Thor, performed by Australian Chris Hemsworth . We agree, gods should look like this!
Chris Hemsworth
The younger brother, Liam Hemsworth , who showed himself in all his glory in the film “The Last Song,” is in no way inferior to his older brother. By the way, he played in it with his fiancée Miley Cyrus.
Liam Hemsworth
What rating of Hollywood handsome men can do without Robert Pattinson , especially since the actor is now free and looking for a warm and cozy shelter. Gossip Girls, how many of you are ready to shelter Rob and appreciate his role in Bel Ami with him?
Robert Pattison
Leonardo DiCaprio on the screen (and in life) has broken many girls' hearts (Lucas doesn't count!) - and our attention is focused on his character from the film "The Beach". Eh, Leo is equally good both in clothes and without them!
Leonardo DiCaprio
Here it is - true male beauty: Alexander Skarsgård is beautiful from any angle! It’s just in vain that he pulls on his shirt (even if the Straw Dogs script requires it) - we are ready to admire his sculpted abs for a long time.
Alexander Skarsgård
Mark Wahlberg , look here and know that girls are in awe of your figure (although the actor himself still prefers teddy bears to them)! A successful shot from the film “The Fighter” allows us to see the actor’s steel abs in all its glory!
Mark Wahlberg
Firefighter Joe Managaniello may be able to put out any fire, but not the one he evokes in the hearts of fans with his appearance in Magic Mike. And his chiseled abs deserve a special award!
Joe Manganiello
Another Magic Mike star, Matt Bomer, boasts abs that are in no way inferior to Manganiello's abs. It’s a pity that the actor is indifferent to girls, but that doesn’t stop us from “checking out” his excellent physical shape.
Matt Bomer
Back in 2000, Christan Bale
Christian Bale
Be careful: James McAvoy is not only “highly dangerous,” but he’s also damn attractive—especially without a shirt!
James McAvoy
What drama was frozen in the eyes of Taylor Kitsch in the image of John Carter - but our eyes are focused on completely different merits of the actor, for which he rightly ended up on the list of the hottest stars in Hollywood.
Taylor Kitsch
“Twilight” star Kellan Lutz is difficult to recognize in the unusual guise of the god Poseidon from the film “War of the Gods.” But you can safely evaluate the results of the actor’s sports lifestyle and show his photo as a motivator to your beloved man.
Kellan Lutz
Who among us wouldn't want to spend One Day with Jim Sturgess , especially when he looks so inviting and has no plans to hide his muscles?
Despite his cameo role in Desperate Housewives, Jesse Metcalfe was remembered by viewers for his role as the charming gardener and lover of Gabi, the heroine of Eva Longoria. But not only in the series did Jesse parade topless—his figure can also be admired in the film “Die John Tucker.”
Jesse Metcalfe
Who else but Chris Evans could become the star of the film “Not for Children”? And even though we can’t see the actor’s torso under the whipped cream with cherries, it becomes clear: if such a man can also make a girl laugh, he’s perfect!
Chris Evans
Ben Foster knows how to surprise - what other man can fly to you on wings, the presence of which, by the way, excludes a shirt on his toned torso. Beauty and nothing more!
Ben Foster
Well, we don’t understand why Owen Wilson tried to give up his life because of Kate Hudson - with such muscles, a charming smile and a touchingly “reshaped” signature nose, the actor will always be the center of female attention. Its merits can be seen especially well in the film “The Big Theft.”
Owen Wilson
Another “abandoned” actor Russell Brand (star of the film “Arthur: The Perfect Millionaire”) has still not recovered from his breakup with Katy Perry, but at the same time he is already looking for his next girlfriend. And he even straightened his shoulders and tightened his abs - in this form he won’t be bored alone for long.
Russell Brand
Shame star Michael Fassbender doesn't seem to know what it is - thank goodness! We sincerely wish the actor more roles in which, in addition to his acting talent, he demonstrates his other strengths.
Michael Fassbender
Maybe modesty adorns men, but they, as you know, do not wear jewelry - the charming Adrien Brody (the actor also selects immodest girlfriends to match himself). Brody proudly showed off his abs in Predators - Adrian, we appreciate it!
Adrien Brody
Heath Ledger , who left us early, always appeared on the screen as “a knight without fear or reproach” - it was not for nothing that he was invited to the main role in the film “A Knight’s Tale”. And his fans will not soon forget his athletic figure and mop of wheat hair.
Heath Ledger
Judging by Gerard Butler's , in distant Sparta, women washed clothes on the stomachs of their beloved men. What do you think of the muscles of King Leonidas, who led a detachment of “300 Spartans”?
Gerard Butler
The “old guys” are still eager to fight. “Die Hard” Bruce Willis . It seems that our grandchildren will also be thrilled by the sly squint of Bruce, who is unrealistically good in the film “Within Distance.”
Bruce Willis
Bruce is joined by two more handsome men “in the prime of their lives” - Pierce Brosnan and Woody Harrelson , who are good even “after sunset”.
Woody Harrelson and Pierce Brosnan
And since we’re talking about the old guard: where would we be without the cult film “Dirty Dancing” and the irresistible Patrick Swayze , at the sight of whose plastic figure girls’ hearts invariably skip a beat.
Patrick Swayze
And finally, a surprise for fans of the series “How I Met Your Mother.” Even if the charming Jason Segel does not have abs of steel, the actor always knows how to make the audience laugh and create the image of “his guy” on the screen (for example, in the film “In Flight”). After all, not every girl has Apollo by her side, with whom you can play tic-tac-toe on your abs.
In addition, Jason's friend Michelle Williams in the guise of her beloved is more than satisfied with everything.
Jason Segel
Gossip Girls, who is your favorite among Hollywood beauties?
Ideal today
As mentioned earlier, these days the cult of a healthy, beautiful body is becoming increasingly popular. Many of us are ready to spend our days in the gym in order to achieve an ideal result. What exactly is he?
If you analyze the photos of the torso that occupy the first positions on the Internet, you can identify two main trends: a large amount of muscle mass and the desire for very distinct forms. Of course, this rule applies more to men, because for the fair sex today it is much more necessary to have a toned stomach with barely visible cubes of the abdominal region.
In the case of men, the torso muscles should be expressed as well as possible. This is especially true for the muscles of the thoracic and abdominal regions, the development of which is given maximum attention today.
Recommendations for load selection
The torso muscles are quite different in their anatomical structure and functions. Therefore, rapid progress involves selecting different types of loads in the training process.
The back muscles are strength muscles that “love” heavy weights. Therefore, in most cases, heavy and medium weights are used here.
The main range of repetitions in basic exercises is 6-10 times, in isolating exercises - 10-15 times in one approach.
The chest , as a rule, is pumped with an average weight of weights. The range of repetitions in basic exercises is 8-12 times, in isolating exercises – 12-15.
The abdominal muscles are worked out without the use of weights, or with fairly light weights. In this case, the exercises use a high repetition range - 20-30 times in one approach.
The standard number of working approaches for all torso muscles is 3-4 in one exercise.
Rest between approaches when training aimed at increasing muscle mass is 2-3 minutes in multi-joint exercises, and in isolating exercises - 1-2 minutes.
Errors in training programs
As a rule, when it comes to developing the muscles of the upper body, all kinds of pull-ups, push-ups and crunches most often come to mind, designed, as if by a wave of a magic wand, to get rid of excess fat deposits and indicate a clear relief. A person who is far from the world of bodybuilding and proper training most often starts with just such a program and, which is quite natural, does not get the desired result.
For the correct, organic development of the muscles of the upper body, an integrated approach is required, including several types of dumbbell and barbell presses and high-quality exercises using a block simulator and parallel bars.
No less important in this regard is the system of performing these exercises: their selection, combination and the number of repetitions and approaches during execution. In fact, the same type of effort, depending on the conditions, can be used for both muscle building and the cutting process. The key role in this regard is played by the number of repetitions and speed of performing an exercise.
A set of strength exercises
It is possible to pump up the muscles of the upper body without equipment, but this task is greatly facilitated by the presence of a horizontal bar and parallel bars. Nowadays there are crossbars on sale that can be easily transformed into parallel bars. Having this inexpensive simple exercise machine at home, you can get the maximum effect from strength training.
The main principle of performing strength exercises is that muscle failure should occur already at 10-12 repetitions. If, for example, you do push-ups more than 20 times, then this is not work for muscle growth, but for developing strength endurance. In this case, you need to complicate the exercises by doing push-ups with weights on your shoulders, on one arm, etc., so that you can do push-ups no more than 12 times.
Start your workout with a joint warm-up , alternately rotating all large joints in both directions, starting with the neck and wrists and ending with the ankles. Then proceed to perform basic exercises for the upper part - push-ups, pull-ups. At the end of the strength part of the complex, do stretching exercises.
Push ups
This complex exercise involves several muscle groups:
- chest muscles;
- triceps;
- deltoid;
- press.
In the classic version, the athlete stands in a plank position, with his palms located under the shoulder joints. By bending your arms, you need to bring your chest as close to the floor as possible, while your body remains elongated in one line. With a narrow position of the arms, the load is redistributed to the inner parts of the pectoral muscles, and with a wide position - to the outer parts. The exercise is performed 10-12 times in 3-4 approaches. Complication options - with feet on a bench, with a load on the shoulder blades, push-ups on one hand.
Pull-ups
This is one of the best exercises for building muscles in the back, chest, and biceps. In terms of effectiveness, pull-ups are not inferior to exercises with a barbell and at the same time are much safer, because they do not load the spine and lower back. If this exercise is still too difficult for you, start with easier options - Australian pull-ups or using a rubber band. Various grip options and hand positions redistribute the load and allow you to effectively work different muscle groups. Perform pull-ups until muscle failure in 3-4 sets. When the number of repetitions of classic pull-ups exceeds 12-14 times, use weights and try doing pull-ups with one arm.
Dips
Dips and triceps work great on the chest and triceps. If you don’t have this apparatus at home, you can replace the bars with a low bench, from which you can do push-ups, turning your back to it and resting your outstretched legs on the floor. You need to perform the exercise 10-12 times in 3-4 approaches. To make it more difficult, you can use weights attached to your belt.
Crunches
This isolating exercise for the abdominal muscles allows you to get a beautiful belly with “cubes”. Twisting is performed while lying on your back, legs bent at the knees, hands placed under the head, elbows to the sides. You need to bend your body, slightly lifting your shoulder blades off the floor and trying to bring your shoulder girdle closer to your pelvis, and then straighten up, but without putting your head on the floor. Perform the maximum number of repetitions in 3 sets. To work the oblique abdominal muscles, perform lateral crunches from the starting position lying on your side - 3 approaches on each side.
When training the muscles of the upper body, do not forget about the legs; other training days should be devoted to working them out. Strength training along with stretching, aerobic exercise, proper rest and proper nutrition will bring the first visible results within 2-3 months. And in six months to a year, the quality of your body will change dramatically, you will become much more beautiful, stronger and healthier.
