It's not just about the wild young things anymore - it seems 30 may be the new 20...

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While our magazines, social media feeds and television screens are constantly plastered with the spritely young beauty of those just barely 18, it seems the nations body preference is in fact for the older, more mature woman. Traditionally our thirties are considered the beginning of the end where our figures are concerned - however, it seems our tastes differ somewhat when it comes to our ultimate celebrity icons.

In the reserach carried out by  BodybuildingWarehouse.co.uk , one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition suppliers, 1,000 UK adults were quizzed on celebrity body parts with the majority revealing that they considered celebrities in their 30s, 40s and 50s their ultimate fitness idols, as opposed to those in their 20s. This in turn has suggested that a seismic shift may be afoot, taking our aspirations away from the tweens of today and towards the more ‘realistic’ and ‘attainable’ aged celebs.

Beyonce (33), Nicole Scherzinger (36), Madonna (56) and Elle Macpherson (50) stole the number one spots for the fittest celebrity body parts as voted for by women, beating 20-somethings including Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, Kate Upton and Millie Mackintosh to the top places. This trend was also reflected in the men’s lists, which were topped by Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Gosling and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It’s great to see so many people being inspired by celebrity bodies of all ages – rather than just those in their teens or twenties,” said Sports nutrition expert Kieran Fisher. “The common perception is that it is near impossible once you are past thirty to achieve fitness goals – and while it is a fact that muscle mass does diminish with age, it is by no means impossible to build and maintain a fit body through targeted workouts and good nutrition.”

“These results will show people that good muscle tone and definition can be achieved, whatever their age – and will hopefully inspire a wider range of people to reach for their fitness goals.”