Sweat. Sweet! (The Smell of Female)

Question: What's the sexiest smell ever?

Answer: The smell of my wife.



Chances are your answer, dear reader, was both different and the same. There's a fair chance your sexiest smell is that of your partner - or if you don't have one right now, that of an ex-partner (apologies if this brings up any painful pangs of longing).



Ever fancied someone only to be turned off by their smell when you got intimate?

I know I have. Many years ago I pursued a woman across half of Italy only to be nothing short of disgusted by her smell when I finally got close enough to really know it. And there's a very good chance you've had a similar experience. Some people - no matter how attractive they might be in other ways - smell just plain "wrong".



There is science to this. Apparently, we are attracted to those whose genetic make-up is most different to our own. Kind of makes sense if you think about it - you wouldn't want your sister's sweaty T-shirt to turn you on now, would you? Or, to put it another, less uncomfortable way, big genetic differences produce the healthiest offspring.



Attraction, or otherwise, for us men is most significantly a response to the female pheromone "androstenol", which is (like the male equivalent androstenone) a subtle, virtually undetectable scent in the normal course of things, even more so because Western culture places so much emphasis on hygiene. Washing off or masking those sexually-charged pheromones might make you more pleasant to sit next to on a hot day on the bus, but it does significantly mute their innate power to attract.



So it's no surprise that when scientists want to discover which scents attract and disgust us, it's to the gym they go to ask for the use of our sweaty workout gear. "Sweaty T-shirt" science is what it is known as, I kid you not. We may not be able to actually "smell" those pheromones, but we sure can sense them when they're there.



So I guess my answer to our original question should not be "the smell of my wife" but "the smell of my wife when she's covered in sweat". And while I might love looking at all these wonderful muscular women, their bodies - especially their abs - all glistening and sweaty, the chances are I wouldn't actually like the smell of many (if any!) of them at all. But that's OK, because I just imagine they all smell as good as my wife does!



And we finish our week of sweet sweet sweat with this HerMuscles Hall of Famer. Her name escapes me, but her sweat can't escape the sexy ridges of her abs, gathering in shiny little pools that seem to cry out "Drink me! Drink me!". Or something...

Enjoy!

Many many thanks to everyone who has sent (scent?!) in their favourite sweat-soaked pictures. We'll be putting them all together into one pheromone-tastic post in the very near future. So, er, make sure you keep those airways clear!

Not too late to send in more: 6ft1swell@gmail.com

Sweat. Sweet! (Sweat Is Sexy)

SWEAT 101

Perspiration (aka "sweating", or "diaphoresis") is primarily a means of thermo- regulation in humans, achieved by the water-rich secretion of the eccrine glands. Its evaporation from the skin surface has a cooling effect. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual's muscles heat up due to exertion, more sweat is produced.
Wikipedia, "Perspiration"



SWEAT SONG

You know what I want
You know what you got
I'm thinking you and me
Somewhere getting sweaty
Ne-Yo, "Sweaty"



MORE IS LESS

Women have more sweat glands then men, but men's are more active.
US National Library of Medicine, "Sweating"



MORE IS MORE

The most in-shape will sweat the most, and the most quickly, because their bodies are conditioned. Regular exercise allows your body to cope with the heat generated by muscle contractions. One, the volume of blood carrying oxygen to the muscles is up to 20% higher, and this provides the fuid for your sweat. Two, you start sweating sooner because your body is programmed to recognise the need for cooling. Plus, the more effectively you sweat, the more sodium you hold onto, and that prevents muscle cramps, and that, in turn, means you can work out for longer.
Diane Stopyra, "Why Sweating Is Good for You"



MEDICAL OPINION

A sweaty body looks attractive to people, implying active, fit, tough, and resilient.
Dr Mike Bergeron, National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance



BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

Bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.
Mia Hamm, "The Vision of a Champion"



SWEAT EXTRA

A sweaty - and breathless - Monica Mollica.



Enjoy!

Abs: 6x6

De La Soul taught us that 3 is The Magic Number, and far be it from me to contradict that, but for an old abs fan like me, 3 just won't cut it (get it?). I need 6. At least!

And thankfully, there are more than a few wonderful women out there who agree, and who absolutely will not stop until they have achieved that perfect number.

Today, FMS brings you just 6 of those many wonderful women.


Chelsea Hagan



She's a big big fan of Ryan Gosling, she's an NPC physique bombshell, and she's known as "Hulk Hagan". She was #96 in the FMS Hot and Hard 100, and in August 2011, Chelsea was Social Paintball's "Paintmate of the Month". Check it out here.



She says her biggest inspiration is Larissa Reis, and she claims to have a fun and spunky charisma. Believe! Wouldn't mind getting fun and spunky with her, if you know what I mean [oh, I think I can see where this post is heading. - ed.]

Follow Chelsea on Facebook and Instagram.


Katie Bartlett Davis



Are these the best looking abs ever? Well, according to one muscle website, physique pro Katie Bartlett Davis is definitely in the top two. She has the best low body fat result which you can achieve, claims the author. Whether you agree or not, you have to admit it's not surprising she's gazing at her abs with such a look of love.

More of Katie and Katie's abs here.


"Renata"



Renata who? you are probably asking, and so are we. Hopefully one of you lovely readers will be able to help, because it would be a damn shame if this kind of skin and muscle abdominal perfection were to remain unidentified. Really. Left-hand picture. Follow the cut away from her belly button towards your right. When it forks, take the left (ie. upwards) path. See that cut there? How sexy is that?!

Please. Help!


Tali Coelho



As featured on the mighty PumpItUp, and the hottest thing in Curitiba, Brazil (and that's probably saying something), Tali Coehlo is a bodyfitness competitor with the kind of midriff that makes you want to remortgage your house and blow the lot on a one-way ticket to, well, in this case, Curitiba, Brazil, "eu quero adorar o seu sexy abs" the only phrase in the book you have bothered or are going to bother learning.

Adore at your leisure on Tali's Instagram and/or Facebook.


Ida Bergforth



Yet another Swedish muscle goddess (and yes, I know she's "only" bodyfitness, but "bodyfitness goddess" hardly has the same ring, does it?). Check out the veinzzz on pre-contest Ida two days out from her first show, Tammerpokalen 2014. She took second place, describing it as one of the absolute best moments in my life! on her Instagram.


Suan Garcia



Great ridges of muscle, covered only with a fine layer of skin, cuts so deep you could lose your keys in them, and a penchant for showing her sexy muscle midriff off, Suan Garcia's Puerto Rican abs are to die for. I can almost feel the life force leaving me...



Plenty of Suan here.

Enjoy!