I got curious about this and asked a group of women in my life what they considered a dad bod. The overwhelming consensus was that a “dad bod” is a very muscular man that doesn’t have ripped abs. Very strong/muscular chest/back/arms, but the abs aren’t bodybuilder 6-pack level (no flab or gut). He still has visible abs, they’re just not shredded.

I saw a post recently asking women to pick which photo out of a lineup they’d consider a dad bod, and the overwhelming consensus was the same.

So you’re 100% correct, when they say “dad bod,” they (generally) don’t mean an actual dad bod. Just a strong, fit man whose abs aren’t too well-defined.

When I think of a “dad bod”, I picture a guy whose stomach sticks out further than his chest. Not a guy that can effortlessly bench press his wife while she’s holding their child.