Men who spend hours in the gym bulking up to impress women might be wasting their time, as new research shows that the ladies prefer lean limbs in a partner.

New Zealand anthropologist Barnaby Dixson has studied what the sexes find attractive about each other based on history and across cultures.

The results revealed that women preferred a leaner, less muscle-bound physiques – aka Robert Pattinson over Jason Statham.

Although many men pumping iron in the gym assume they’re about to be jumped by hundreds of women, they might be better spent becoming svelte with more cardiovascular exercise.

Dixson said: ‘On a biological level, women are more likely to pick a leaner, even slightly more effeminate man as they equate those physical traits with being more caring and gentle and therefore a better prospect as a partner.’

He also found that both men and women are most attracted to others who are of the same attractiveness as themselves, the Daily Mail reported.

‘Women and men with those traits we consider biologically perfect will constantly attract the most high quality partners.

‘Humans simply do not mate randomly; it is very time consuming…. To pick a life partner,’ he said.

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