Trigger warning: diet culture, eating disorders, self-harm, BDD
Does the word Clavicular mean anything to you? Nope, it’s not Biology-speak for your collarbone; it’s actually the world’s most famous looksmaxxer’s name. American creator Braden Eric Peters goes by @Clavicular online because he teaches men how to use shoulder width to maximise their masculinity.
Sounds odd? Well, welcome to the land of looksmaxxing. The 20-year-old is considered exceptionally good-looking and has decided to help other men reach his level or, as the internet calls it, looksmaxx. The goal here is for men to “ascend” or “to optimise their attractiveness”, often at any cost.
And here the good looks aren’t subjective. This community has built a scale called PSL to determine where you stand. Scored from 1 to 8 typically, it studies facial symmetry, bone structure, and eye shape, among other things. In this toxic masc world, if you land at the bottom rung you are categorised as ‘sub-human’.
Meanwhile, Giga or Tera-Chad are considered godly and most covetable. Fitness creator Ernest Khalimov is touted as the ultimate real-life Giga, and no humans have qualified as Tera yet. Some fans consider Gojo Satoru, the protagonist in anime Jujutsu Kaisen, as the closest the world has seen to a Tera Chad.
But people are determined to touch Chad level through methods called soft- and hard-maxxing. At a passing glance, soft-maxxing, the first step to optimisation, which includes gymming, grooming, and better styling, promotes nothing out of the ordinary. But medical professionals globally are expressing concern at how hard and fast these ideas are pushed—users often lose 30 to 40 kilos in a handful of months.
“Extreme diets and workouts can cause lasting musculoskeletal damage, hormonal disruption, and significant organ stress,” shares nutritionist Kripa Jalan. “Severe calorie restriction suppresses testosterone…and can slow your metabolism in ways that persist long after you start eating normally again.” And that’s the considerably safe part. The second step is hard-maxxing, which glorifies severe steroid and peptide use and surgeries like bone smashing, devil’s jaw enhancement, and limb lengthening.
If you’re wondering why some men go to such extremes to look better, it’s because they are sold the lie that aesthetics aren’t superficial, they actually determine your fate. The community validates the idea that the more attractive you are, the more premium your quality of life. “Looksmaxxing strongly correlates with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a condition that’s already underdiagnosed in men,” adds Jalan.
It may sound like a brand-new language and universe, but looksmaxxing has thrived among incel communities since the 2010s. The concept feels unavoidable presently because it has finally risen from the niche to the mainstream online. At the start of March, even the Pope criticised the movement from the Vatican, while Gucci’s new creative director has been accused of pandering to the male-only looksmaxxing community.
Of course, when something becomes a noticeable trend, Netflix cashes in: Inside the Manosphere, a recent documentary by British journalist Louis Theroux, explores how similar alpha male branding has crept into young male vocabulary.
But don’t discard this as yet another problem for dumb Westerners. It may have gained steam in the US and the UK, but looksmaxxing has developed a thriving community in India too. There are Reddit threads, Discord channels, even a new genre of influencers who teach Indian men how to be “less ugly”.
To get more insight into this world, I chatted with Shreyansh, a looksmaxxer who goes by @ancho_man on X. The Jaipur-based 20-year-old often teases his goals online for his followers. Scroll through his profile and you will see frequent before-and-after photos (a looksmaxxing milestone) and even sneak peeks of his routine.
From completing 40k steps in a day to eating under 1,200 calories, the young Fashion Design student leads a hyper-controlled life. The proof? He has reportedly lost close to 30 kgs in three months. But how did he land into this world of optimisation and what pushes him to stay on top of it day in and day out? Let’s find out:
Tell me what looksmaxxing means to you?
It’s just the easiest way to improve your quality of life. In the modern world, there are several ways to do this. You can get money, higher status, maybe a government job like your parents tell you. Or you can look better so you feel more confident. In my opinion, of all the options, looks are the easiest thing to improve.
How did you get into looksmaxxing?
I’ve known about it as an online subculture since maybe Covid. But six months ago, I started my cutting journey and thought, if I’m losing weight, why don’t I add the other things? Seventy per cent of looksmaxxing is getting leaner with visible abs and a visible jawline. Then there are niche things, like colouring, bone structure, and eyes.
I focused on working on my colouring. Humans have a perception of what is attractive based on society, stereotypically a brighter, lighter-skinned person. I don’t agree with that, but that’s how it is.
What products do you use for colouring?
I’m working on achieving a skin colour, texture, and quality, but I don’t want to suggest any names because they’re potentially harmful. You should probably go to a doctor and get a prescription.
Do you believe your life has gotten better since you looksmaxxed?
Oh, it has changed drastically. I get nightmares about living the life I used to have.
Why? What was wrong before?
It wasn’t a bad life, but you know there’s that joke about how pretty girls get away with everything? It’s true. It is very subconscious among people, but not only girls; every single person is nicer to me. Guys, your friends, old people, kids—who are mean as fuck—will be nicer to you.
Help me understand better: how did people’s behaviour change towards you?
Okay, so my friend wanted to get into looksmaxxing and asked me what was so great about this. Let me explain. We went to a shop and I was wearing this puffy jacket [and being shifty]. If anyone saw us, they would think we were stealing something. But guess what? When we were leaving, the cashier didn’t even look at me. He immediately checked my friend. Stuff like this happens all the time. I thought I’ll never find my people, but now everyone in college wants to get to know me.
How does this make you feel about yourself, though?
Honestly, it’s a very slippery slope. Do you know Ayesha Takia? Yeah, so you know it can be a very slippery slope. You think you don’t look good enough, you get body dysmorphia, then you start to get surgeries, and it can really mess you up. I’m trying to keep a level head and, really, I’ve reaped most of the benefits of looksmaxxing already.
Are you happy to stop where you are now?
No, I plan on taking things further, because as looksmaxxing enters the mainstream, teens will start doing it and then the standards will rise. Look at actors in the ’60s or ’70s versus today. What is expected of their looks has changed completely.
I might get surgery; I have three in mind. Please don’t include the names; I don’t want to recommend it to anyone. Obviously, I won’t get it now. I’m still 20, my brain hasn’t fully developed, and I don’t have the money for it. But I’m working along with college and I’m getting into modelling to save up.
But the standards will always change. You will keep moving the goalpost to look better for society. When do you get to be happy with your body and slow down?
So, what you’re talking about is the hedonic treadmill. [A concept where no matter what you achieve, it transforms into your new baseline and you want better.] I’m conscious of that. See, the main thing is, life is unfair. It is easier on you if you look better. If society didn’t exist, I wouldn’t do anything like this.
I’m clear that my end goal is to reap the benefits. There are certain ratios when a face is considered stereotypically most attractive. When I’m there, I get my bag, I can retire, and I’ll drop all of this. It’s a very calculated approach.
That could be far into the future, though. Have you tried talking to a professional about the pressure you feel now? Are your friends or family concerned?
No, people often say ‘Oh wow, Shreyansh, how did you do this? We also want to know’. I have talked to my friends about it more and the conclusion was this: Where I’m at right now is good enough. And yes, for now it may be, but when the standards change, it will be different.
Have you considered speaking to a psychologist? Maybe someone to hold you back from going too far and ensure you’re being careful with your health?
No, I don’t think so. When I was…fat, to put it nicely, I used to go to therapy a lot. It didn’t help me. I think a lot of men work better with action than talking. I mean, it may work for others, but it doesn’t for me.
Will you share more of your looksmaxxing journey online? Do you envision yourself becoming a creator like Clavicular?
The core philosophy of looksmaxxing is doing it and never talking about it. Effort comes with a perception cost, right? If you see a man who says he works out three hours a day, it isn’t impressive anymore. On [X], I only share my steps and diet, nothing more.
On the other side, I do feel like I should share because what people are selling online today is a scam. They are pushing bone smashing, chin tucks, and peptides, which are very harmful. Ethically, I should help out. But I don’t want to give up my life for it. If I get popular, it’ll take away the effortless part and I can’t have that.
