Meet the 'spornosexuals': Male body trend is back for 2025 and it has an extreme new twist

It appears there is a label for every kind of person these days - from 'tomato girls' to 'hot rodent boyfriends'. But the latest renaissance seems to be a vintage moniker from the 90s - as 'spornosexual' men are on the rise. The name, first understood to be coined in some 30 years ago, describes those who are 'more extreme, body-and-sex-obsessed version of the 1990s 'metrosexual' male', as described by Esquire in 2014.

Ten years on, as preferences have waned and resurged, it seems the trend is back in favour as social media is awash with photos of buff men unabashed in their desire to look good and feel strong. And it's not just gym influencers - celebrities from the different strada of fame, from singers to actors, have been documenting their weight-lifting workouts, sweaty post-run selfies and even sharing recommendations for protein powder.

While the later 2010s seemed to glamourise more 'gaunt' and 'skinny' appearances, the first half of the 20s appears to have brought us to more muscular builds being the 'ideal' standard to strive for. In line with women being swarmed with 'clean girl' content pushing a 'Pilates princess' aesthetic that encourages waking up at 5am and getting your yoga mat out, so it appears the male counterpart is 'swole', and 'gets his protein in'.

In 2016, researchers suggested that a surge towards 'spornosexualism' could be driven by austerity, encouraging men to rely on their bodies for status. Celebrities from the different strada of fame, from singers to actors, have been documenting their weight-lifting workouts, sweaty post-run selfies and even sharing recommendations for protein powder. Pictured, Stormzy.

They claimed that a poor economic climate saw men inspired by porn and sports stars and go to the gym to improve their appearance, rather than get fit; although the definition appears to have since evolved to consider the benefits of regular exercise for the mind and body too.

The research, published in the Journal of Gender Studies, found there had been a 'surge in young men sharing images of themselves on social media platforms since the 2008 financial crash'. However, the rise corresponded to a similar surge in the popularity of social media in general.

Journalist Max Olesker recently penned about the phenomenon in Esquire, as he attempted to transform himself into a 'muscle-bound superhero' in just 12 weeks. It harked back to a piece he did for the outlet in 2014, recreating the same experiment. He explained that the idea, then, was to 'investigate, first-hand, the phenomenon of the 'spornosexual', at that time the latest buzzword in mediated masculinity — describing those young men hopelessly in thrall to the images of male beauty supplied by sport and pornography'.

'What, we asked, does it do to mind and body to put that much effort into looking fit and strong?' he continued. 'What are the impulses that push men to reinvent themselves in such a way?...What happened to the spornosexual in the decade since? Do young men have a healthier relationship with their bodies, and with exercise? Or has a niche concern gone overground? In 2025, are we all a bit sporno?'.

Here, FEMAIL has rounded up the 'swole' celebs leading the pact - who have made a point of their fitness journey and focus on a more buff physique... STOMRZY. Speaking in December, the rapper, 31, credited Beyonce for inspiring him to deliver 'superhuman' performances.

Stormzy has long been known to wow fans with his impressive body and stage stamina. Pictured at Glastonbury in 2019. Stormzy has long been known to wow fans with his impressive body and stage stamina. Speaking in December, the rapper, 31, credited Beyonce for inspiring him to deliver 'superhuman' performances.

He revealed he was inspired to hire a nutritionist to help him get into the best shape of his life for the Glastonbury stage after he heard the Cowboy Carter star speak about her diet. In an interview with Men's Health UK, he explained: 'There's a part in Beychella where she talks about her diet, and I was thinking, "Yeah, now I want a nutritionist".

'I want to be someone who is able to deliver a live set for 90 minutes with full energy and not stutter on my vocal, not be out of breath, not need to take a break, just be almost like a superhuman on stage, the same as I've seen Beyoncé.́. Stormzy also told how he underwent a physical transformation for his headlining performance at Glastonbury in 2019.

He said: 'I was trying to get into a shape I've never been in in my life. I'm not someone who grew up super fit. I've always just been kind of bog standard. 'I was taking my body and my nutrition to this entirely new place, while also trying to create this flipping iconic, legendary set. I had headlined Wireless, but this was a whole new beast. This was pulling all the stops out.'.

Recalling his physical capacity before that show, he added: 'I remember I would do performances and in those days, I didn't have my soul music, my gospel music, my R&B. 'So it might have been a 30-minute set of straight grime, giving it all my energy. There'd be times on stage where I was thinking, 'I ain't got nothing left in the tank.'.