But what about out of the way nooks and crannies, the smaller parts that don't swell with muscle?
The auto mechanic's hand as he works on our car.
A moment of exposed belly as a stranger's shirt pushes up.
Our boyfriend's calves as he climbs out of bed and walks toward the bathroom.
They evoke strength, power, and virility as much, or more, than a naked phallus, displaying all of the mystery, power, and potential of maleness.
Here are 10 body parts that you should include in your appreciation of the male form:
Often the only body part visible when the guy is fully clothed, a thick "bull" neck and bulging Adam's apple are symbols of virility. Most weight-training programs ignore the neck, but you can develop it with barbell shoulder-shrugs.
The bone that crosses the top of your chest, ending in that little raised ridge just before your shoulders, where the trapezius attaches.
Almost as sexy as the shoulder itself. Look for it at the gym.
Admit it, you're not looking at his rather minimal biceps, you're looking at his trapezius, the muscle in the back of the neck that moves the shoulder blades.
The best trap exercise is the upright row, which also works on your delts (the round part of the shoulders).
It's not hard to build impressive biceps -- those little muscles respond to almost everything. Triceps are another story. Getting those ripped requires dedication.
I've met guys who had nothing biceps and incredible triceps. They couldn't explain why.
The best tricep exercise is the pully pushdown, but don't cheat: start with the pully above your head.
It's the joint that separates the upper arm and the forearm, the place where all the bulging begins. We should call it the ur-muscle.
You can often distinguish male from female elbows by the carrying angle: when the arm is extended, the forearm sits at a slightly higher angle relative to the upper arm. Generally women have a lower angle than men.
More after the break.
Or axilla, the joint where the arm connects to the shoulder, especially in this position, where you can see the whole arm and shoulder.
Armpit hair is not really gender-specific, but for some reason women are pressured to remove theirs, to promote the myth that body hair is masculine.
By the way, deodorants are not necessary if you clean there when you shower, but if you must wear them, be sure to inform your dates and hookups before you get intimate. Otherwise he may be in a surprise.
Unless you go to the gym or the beach, you rarely see the shoulders, chests, and upper arms of strangers. But you can always see the forearm.
Guys who exercise for a living often develop tight, meaty forearms, with that little indentation at the base of the brachioradialis. A thick, heavy wristwatch increases the aura of masculine strength.
One of the first body parts I notice. And I'm not the only one: in the Old English poem Beowulf, we read: "Never had he met a man whose hands were so hard."
I like them squarish, with short fingers, not long and tapered, and those veins visible. A watch or bracelets at the wrist, but no rings -- too effeminate.
I'll skip over the pecs -- everybody notices those. But have you ever noticed the serratus anterior? It's the "Boxing Muscle," used for rotating your trunk. You need to be in excellent shape for it to be visible beneath the sheath of fat.
Everybody likes abs, but what about the navel? It's technically the scar left over when the umbilical cord was removed. Medieval theologians spent a lot of time wondering whether Adam and Eve had them.
10% of navals are outties, where the scar tissue protrudes slightly from the depression. No one knows why, but I have always found outties on ultra-skinny guys.
It's very sensitive either way.
Next: 10 More Body Parts That You Didn't Know Were Attractive.