Joe Manganiello’s muscly ‘Evolution’ book cover: hot or gross?

Joe Manganiello

Let me preface this post by saying that Joe “Bring Back the Man” Manganiello has provided the single most theraputic laugh that I have experienced in months. I dig this guy. He’s the best! Such an amazing take on Blue Steel. Mind you, I don’t want to hit Joe at all. I do want to have a margarita with him, but he probably doesn’t do alcohol. He’s probably one of those “clean-living” types. Oh well, I’ll have one for him. No worries.

This amazing image is actually the cover for Joe’s new bodybuilding book, Evolution: The Cutting Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You’ve Always Wanted. I guess there was a demand for this type of tome, which arrives with a forward from Arnold Schwarzenegger. The promo images are almost inspiring. Check out these HDR-type Photoshop filters — they make Joe look like a cast member from 300: Rocky Mountain High.

Joe Manganiello

Here are some very deep thoughts on bodybuilding from Joe. Saddle up:

You are your own worst enemy when it comes to getting the perfect body.

Nobody knows this better than Joe Manganiello. He’s ready to spill his tips on getting ripped.

Rule No. 1: It’s all mind over matter.

“Most people think they’re working out really hard, but when I see them at the gym, they’re lazy!” says Manganiello, 36, whose book, Evolution, hits shelves Tuesday with a reading at the Union Square Barnes & Noble. “They’re on the phone, they’re mindlessly pedaling, and so they’re just getting middle-of-the-road results.”

The key to better performance is ignoring your brain’s self-doubt.

“This book is designed to take away people’s excuses,” he says. “I was not blessed with the genes to put on muscle weight. I’ve never touched a steroid. I had to bust my ass.”

So what makes this Joe Sixpack God’s gift to fitness? A nod from Arnold Schwarzenegger helps. The former Governator says in his foreword to Manganiello’s tome that he was awed by the actor’s “huge arms and cannonball delts” while filming their upcoming flick, Sabotage.

Don’t judge this book by its cover. Once you flip past the pics of Manganiello’s bowling-ball biceps, the pages preach about pushing through mental blocks as much as doing pushups, though the book does feature workouts and a diet created by Ron Mathews, who jacked up Hugh Jackman and others.

“This is what I use to get camera-ready in those six weeks leading up to my first shirtless scene,” he says. But before you go topless, start by working out two body parts per day for six days, and changing your diet to include small high-protein meals throughout the day. A year later, you’re in the greatest shape you’ve ever been,” says Manganiello, who’s at peak sex appeal in his late 30s — and is dating model Bridget Peters to prove it. “The harder I train, the more I get back,” he says.

[From NY Daily News]

The article goes on to list Joe’s four principles for effective muscle building, but that’s redundant to what I’ve already quoted. He’s not the brightest guy in the world, but there’s a market for his tips, and it doesn’t involve guys starving themselves to achieve his body type.

I really don’t want to be accused of double standards because Joe is pulling the perpetually silly “no excuses” card (like superfit mom Maria Kang), but I don’t see Joe’s advice as being anything other than good, old-fashioned lifting and clean-diet principles. No harm, no foul. Guys at my gym will gleefully eat this stuff up. Figuratively.

Here are some photos of Joe leaving the gym during the lost days of summer. He’s wearing an “Evolution” shirt. Joe is a man with a plan …. even if the plan is hilarious. Oh, and I’ve included a photo of lil’ Joe in the gallery! He was a cute kiddo.

Joe Manganiello

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & Gallery Publishing

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68 Responses to “Joe Manganiello’s muscly ‘Evolution’ book cover: hot or gross?”

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  1. Nikki says:

    I like my men big and fuzzy (usually not quite that ripped) so … I vote hot! Kind of bummed he waxed his chest though.

    • Lori says:

      I’m over that too. And I don’t see how that was a good idea for his character on true blood. I don’t feel like werewolves would spend time going for the full wax.

  2. T.Fanty says:

    He’s SO hot, but seems like such a tool. He reminds me of the dumb surgeon from Scrubs.

    • V4Real says:

      I usually don’t like men with too much muscles but I like him. He’s my tarzan but he probably is a tool. You know how some posters think James Franco is a douche but they like him anyways, well Joe is my Franco. He just seems so strong and protective.

      • blue marie says:

        I would take Joe over Franco any day. He looks better with the longer hair.

      • Anna says:

        OMG. Now I want JMang as Tarzan! I would hit this like Manny Ramirez during the 2004 World Series.

      • tessaa says:

        But isn’t Tarzan supposed to be the son of an English Lord?
        I’m not sure Manjello could pull that off… he doesn’t exactly exude natural class and distinction lol

      • V4Real says:

        Yes I would much rather see Joe as Tarzan than Kellan Lutz. God I can just imagine how that lion cloth would look on him. I have to remove this turtleneck because I’m getting a little hot under the collar.

      • Jen says:

        Um Alexander is already cast in the Tarzan movie starting next year. Joe Mangey is way too beefy and Italian.

      • mayamae says:

        tessaa,

        I don’t think Her Majesty herself would exude natural class and distinction if she were raised by apes.

      • Anna says:

        Tarzan grew up in Africa and got SUPER tan. And there are Brits with dark hair! (KMid, anyone?) And of COURSE T got super-beefy, he spent 20-something years climbing trees with his gorilla family!

      • V4Real says:

        Please if the legend was reality Brit or not, the African Jungle is hot, Tarzan would definetely have a tan. His tan would have a tan.

    • Liv says:

      Hahaha! True!

      I don’t know, I don’t even like that many muscles…I prefer defined muscles, not huge muscle packages!

    • Dubois says:

      Ugh! His acting is the WORST. I can’t with him. He’s cute, but looks so durr and he reeks of tool. Pass

    • tessaa says:

      @mayamae

      I read some of the Tarzan books and he’s described as looking wild, of course, but still very gracefull and panther-like, more greek god than human gorilla. He certainly didn’t carry himself like an ape.

      But basically my point was that Mangy is too roidy and not anglosaxony enough lol

  3. Ana says:

    O.O What’s wrong with his forehead in the first pic!? It looks like the reversed version of that donut head trend from Japan.

    But nahh too many muscles for me 😛

  4. Dani2 says:

    I might be alone in this but I almost NEVER find the roidy types to be attractive, that cover is just ugh, no. And are people seriously interested in this book? I didn’t know he had that kind of fanbase.

    • Oops says:

      No, you’re not alone I hate roidy type, to much fake muscles is awful and I don’t see the interest in his book

      • V4Real says:

        I’m assuming his book is geared more towards men who wants to build that type of physique.

    • LadyMTL says:

      Oh, you’re definitely not alone. I like a man with a good build but this is way beyond what I find attractive. The roidy look is really not my thing.

    • Mika says:

      ITA! Will not bang when he’s THIS ripped! People with a body like Joe actually scares me.

    • Spooks says:

      You are not alone. I like them either lanky or chubby, rarely something imbetween.

    • LadySlippers says:

      You took the words right out of my mouth. Plus, if he’s stupid on top of roidy, I’ll pass on him faster than just on his looks alone. Yuck and yuck again.

      PS: I also dislike the waxing of the chest and other body parts for men. I like my men to look like men. Hairless men are kinda like hairless cats and dogs — they might work for others but NOT in my house.

  5. epiphany says:

    I wish men wouldn’t groom so much – nothing wrong with a little hair – but it’s nice to see a tanned, hard muscled, healthy looking man for a change, as opposed to the pasty faced, sickly looking ones we see so often and are told repeatedly are “hot.”

  6. Secret Squirrel says:

    Jesus wept

  7. elle says:

    Ew. Ew. And ew some more. He looks disgusting in that cover.

  8. Frida_K says:

    IDK. On the one hand, I do like his body and I, myself, happen to like muscular guys who are older and who have put it on the long, difficult, it really can take a year or so to build genuine, quality muscle way.

    On the other hand, he just comes off as being dumb. Dumb does not make my ovaries twitch at all.

    I think I’ll just retain my dream of being part of a throuple (thanks, T. Fanty!) with Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy, and I’ll leave ole Joe here to the rest of y’all at here the ‘bitchy.

  9. crab says:

    Whoa man it is hot in here!! Me like! 🙂

  10. eliza says:

    I know I shouldn’t comment on threads where I find the people absolutely repulsive because it seems disrespectful to the people who like these folks but OMG! I hate Joe BagofJello. Irrationally so. I find him super gross and an absolutely horrible actor. I single handedly ( even though he is not really the reason) blame him for the suckage that True Blood has become.

    Whew! Got that off my chest. Have a nice day. 🙂

  11. Onlyzuul says:

    I love him as brad in how I met your mother. He was one last night and he just cracks me up. My favorite was the wedding episode where he tackled the photographer.

  12. Splinter says:

    Probably noone expected the skinny kid with the glasses to grow up like this.

  13. Nora says:

    I never thought he was attractive, but when I found out he was a libertarian/Ayn Rand fan, he became downright hideous to me.

  14. An says:

    Celebitchy; he doesn’t “do” alcohol cause he’s an alcoholic. He’s been sober for 11 years.

    • janetdr says:

      Idk why so many are saying he’s not smart- because he’s too pretty? I have had a real crush since listening to his interview with Aisha Tyler (girl on guy podcast) it gives his story with alcohol as well as childhood and how he came to acting- he comes across as very smart as well as funny.

  15. Tig says:

    No this is way too much. The only people I can see wanting to look like this are other body builder types and kids the age he was in the childhood pic. And he was a cute kid!

  16. Pink says:

    GROSS!!!

  17. Lark says:

    NGL, I find him hot.

  18. Evi says:

    I always laugh when these celebrities give fitness advice. In order to look like they do, not only do you have to have someone preparing food for you, but you have to spend a 7 days at the gym for more than one hour a day. The fact that he declares people who don’t suit his standard of exercise as ‘lazy’, just because they’re on the phone is idiotic. Many people who do work in normal jobs, not as ‘actors’, do have to juggle things, including phone calls.
    This guy is a mediocre actor.

    • Jen says:

      He’s the male equivalent of that fitness/mommy blogger lady who posted the picture of her and her kids and said “What’s your excuse?”

      Uh, our excuse is that we’re not paid to spend hours and hours in the gym like you people are. If Manjello didn’t have that body he wouldn’t have a career, cause lord knows his acting skills haven’t gotten him anywhere.

      • mayamae says:

        Until Joe starts shaming new moms and their bodies, I’m not putting him in the category with that fitness mom.

  19. Mandy says:

    Eeewww. Gross. TOO MUCH.

  20. Grant says:

    Oh F yes. Over and over and over.

    Although I read that–especially for men–it’s not good to work out six days in a row. If you really want to get “big” it’s ideal to work out two days and then rest the next day (while still stuffing your face), allowing your muscles to rebuild themselves and your body to recover.

  21. Jayna says:

    Too musclely does nothing for me.

  22. Palermo says:

    Growwwwwwwwwwwl. Hot and more hot. Love a big strong muscle man with dark hair.

  23. Kate says:

    Handsome man and I find him sexy until he opens his mouth

  24. carol says:

    I love, love, love muscles. Too bad hes such a tool :/

  25. Melanie says:

    Gross.

  26. Camille (TheOriginal) says:

    If he cut his hair and shaved, I might find him more attractive. But from the neck down his body is pretty hot IMO.

  27. Annie says:

    Actually, I don’t think he’s not so much “clean living” as he is “recovering alcoholic.” Whatever the case, I found his Nerdist interview pretty charming and nerdy, and I automatically give respect to anyone who graduated from Carnegie Mellon, even the drama department. I’ve known a few people who went through that, and they do not mess.

  28. Bridgett says:

    I give him credit: he was very funny through all of the Magic Mike promotion, and when the topic isn’t the fitness stuff he actually gives a pretty good interview.

  29. Pensky says:

    he went overboard. muscles are hot but that’s too much. it becomes absurd. Also, hard to believe he hasn’t touched steroids… and waxing the chest gives me the sobs.

    He has a hot face though, and it’ll be hard to keep all that muscle on… so I’ll come for you once you slim down a little and grow the chest hair back, Joe.

  30. Talie says:

    You know, there’s nothing different when comparing this to lifestyle websites female celebs in his same letter category do. Get money, Joe.

  31. CiCi says:

    I disagree that he went “overboard” with his muscles. Now Arnold S to me is “overboard.” He was or is so thick that he could hardly move! Joe has some grace to him and he says he didn’t use steroids which I believe from the looks of him. He had one addiction already I don’t think he’d be so foolish to develop another (steroids).

  32. CiCi says:

    And I actually think he’s a very GOOD actor. But like with Vin Diesel-another very underestimated actor- the muscles gets in the way of other people discretion.