That ' s a very nave view . Muscles aren ' t something extra that you buy and stick on or remove at will , they are ultimately a part of you . You nurture them through consistent sweat , effort , and diet . They are perhaps even more meaningful than anything else you have because while your parents or your upbringing or your society created everything else about you , only you created your muscles . You only think of it like she should love me for who I am if you don ' t have any muscle , but if you do then they are as much a part of who you are as your humour or your smile or your passion for scifi or your irrational love of sloths . And yes , typically women will prefer a guy who has the discipline and drive to work out , who has the physique and health that triggers primal attraction , and who has the universally appreciated knowledge for how to make your body look the way you want it to . Can you really blame them ?