When we look at all our popular fictional superheroes and indeed our everyday real life male heroes, what do we tend to think of as one of their main defining characteristics? Firstly, who are we talking about here? Well, there's Iron Man, Superman, Batman, Spiderman - straight from the pages of our favorite comic books and the movies - you get the picture.
As for the real life heroes, our thoughts turn to strongman stereotypes such as firemen, boxers and other sportsmen.
The common feature, of course, is their ample endowment with muscles.
They may be a rare breed and it would be hard for mere mortals to compete with, if it were not for the miracle that is the muscle costume! So what is the attraction of dressing up in a muscle costume, I hear you ask? Well, I think that every man and boy has, at some point in their lives, fantasized about, at the very least, impressing everyone with their jaw-dropping muscle-bound physique.
Moreover, if you bring in the superhero element, then you are entering the realms of being able to transcend the boring ordinariness of everyday life and being like everyone else, and being able to save the planet from the evil villains who seek to take it over and enslave its inhabitants.
Well, for a gorgeous muscular body you can either work out at the gym, or go for the easy option and wear a muscle man suit.
If you are wondering when you can legitimately get away with wearing a muscle man costume, then several occasions spring to mind.
The most obvious event is Halloween.
It could be for a fancy dress party or perhaps for trick or treating.
The great thing about muscle costumes is that they offer you a lot of flexibility.
You could opt for just the biceps, or the ever-popular muscle chest costume or go all the way with a full-body muscle suit costume.
Then it is up to you, how you dress it up or even dress it down.
You can be a bit mysterious and wear a muscle outfit underneath your normal clothes, or perhaps with some sort of uniform.
On the other hand, use it as part of the whole superhero look.
The choice is yours.
Muscle costumes are an excellent idea for Halloween because they work for the whole family - not just the father, but there is a kids muscle costume suitable for everyone - teen, boy, toddler and even baby.
The family theme could be that everyone dresses up as the same character, such as Iron Man, because young kids just love to be like their Pops and copy them.
It could be complementary as with Batman and Robin, for those who want the superhero and sidekick idea.
Alternatively, you could choose the muscle theme and have each family member represent a different superhero - Captain America, Wolverine, the Incredible Hulk - whoever you fancy.
This last idea also works well for groups of friends going out together to a party - a unified theme for male bonding coupled with each person's individuality.
Halloween is not by any means the only time of year when you could go out in a muscle costume.
Obviously, these outfits would be suitable for any kind of fancy dress costume party, for both adults and for kids.
You could also look beyond the normal parties, and think of other occasions.
Now I am not going to spell out the possibilities for you here.
Use your imagination and I am sure that you can really use your muscle costume to your advantage!