Real Bodies | ‘Personality is sexier than someone who can bench press my weight’
By Will Stroude
Samuel, 23, Dancer
“I have my personal goals that I am working on body-wise, but I am impatient. However, where my it is now and where I want it to be shouldn’t stop me from still enjoying the body I have at the moment; the older generation are always telling younger people to love their body now as when you are 80 you will miss it – we need to listen to them.”
Height: 5ft 8
Wieght: 9 stone
Do you follow a strict diet?
As a dancer I have always tried to stick to some sort of balanced diet but I have such a sweet tooth, that if I want that piece of cheesecake I’ll have it. I can always burn it off later.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Cookies, once I start eating them I can’t stop! There are also times when all I want is a pizza delivery with extra garlic and herb dip, of course.
Who’s your ideal man?
My ideal man is Max Joseph from Catfish. I like a man’s bod to have good strong thighs and a hairy chest is always a plus. Overall personality can be way sexier than someone who can bench press my weight.
Any manscaping?
I do manscape; if I didn’t someone would probably get lost in there! I do it because it makes me feel fresh and it does look more attractive when kept tidy.
Top Body Product
Lip balm! There is no excuse for dry lips.
Clothes
It all depends on my mood and where I’m going. I love trackies for the comfort aspect and if I am wearing jeans or smart trousers they have to be fitted. My style changes day to day, I guess I tend to go for clothing that is fitted and not baggy – it’s not just the ladies who can create a silhouette!
What made you want to do this shoot?
At first I was intrigued about the real bodies shoot, and then nervous even though with my job being a dancer I have gone onto stage wearing barely anything and have to do semi-nude shoots too from time to time. But I think I was nervous because this shoot was about me and just standing there in front of the camera in my briefs; usually I’m doing an action shot or a twisted pose which means I can hide the parts of my body that I don’t want on show. Ultimately, if something makes you nervous then you should do it. At some point in my life time I want to do a nude shoot as I think it would be so empowering!
Do you feel comfortable naked?
I would say I do feel comfortable naked; you wouldn’t catch me strolling through the street butt naked just yet though. I do think it is funny how we are all born naked but it is still an issue today, as some many people can’t look at themselves nude and see the beauty of the body, instead focusing on if they are sexy or not.
Has social media changed the way you feel about your body?
I guess you can’t avoid the impact of social media and the images of the ideal body, but if you don’t like seeing that then don’t follow people who post pictures of abs and bulging biceps. I tend to look at the social media as a boost to keep me going at the gym. Hashtag gym goals.
Do you think the gay community puts pressure on gay guys to ‘look good’?
It’s not just the gay community that puts pressure on gay men, but also straight people too as some expect us to be what is seen in the media. It’s great that we live in a time full of acceptance and we need to remember to accept ourselves for who we are. You don’t need to change yourself to fit in.
You can read more from Real Bodies in Attitude’s January issue, available to download and in shops now. Print copies are available to order from newsstand.co.uk.
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