How to Raise Your SMV

Your sexual market value isn’t some abstract concept pickup artists invented to sell courses. It’s the brutal reality of how desirable you are in the dating marketplace, and it’s built on measurable factors: looks, status, wealth, personality, and social proof.

Most guys operate at maybe 40% of their potential SMV. They’re carrying extra bodyfat, wearing clothes that don’t fit, stuck in dead-end situations, and wondering why they’re invisible to women. The good news? Unlike height or bone structure, most SMV factors are within your control.

This isn’t about becoming someone you’re not. It’s about optimizing what you have and building genuine value. Let’s break down exactly how to raise your SMV across every dimension that matters.

The Foundation: Get Your Body Right

Your physique is the most visible SMV indicator. A guy with 15% bodyfat and decent muscle mass will always outperform someone carrying 25% bodyfat, regardless of facial features.

Research published in Evolution and Human Behavior found that women rate muscular men as more attractive for both short-term and long-term relationships. But there’s a sweet spot. You don’t need to be a mass monster. The ideal physique for attraction is lean (12-15% bodyfat), athletic, with developed shoulders, arms, and chest.

Start with an aggressive cut if you’re over 18% bodyfat. Strip down the fat first, then focus on building muscle. The facial aesthetics improvement alone from losing bodyfat will boost your SMV significantly. Hollow cheeks, defined jawline, visible cheekbones – these all emerge as you lean out.

Once you’re lean, build a physique that signals athleticism and capability. The hybrid athlete look (strong, fast, functional) beats the bloated bodybuilder aesthetic for SMV purposes. You want to look like you can perform, not like you live in the gym.

Train 4-5 times per week. Focus on compound movements: deadlifts, squats, bench press, overhead press, pull-ups. Add in shoulder work because wide shoulders create the V-taper that women notice. Keep your training split balanced so you’re not overdeveloped in one area.

Fix Your Face (Softmaxxing First)

Your face carries enormous weight in initial attraction. Before considering anything invasive, maximize what you have through softmaxxing.

Skin quality is non-negotiable. Clear, even-toned skin signals health and hygiene. Use a simple routine: cleanser, tretinoin or retinol, moisturizer, SPF. If you have acne, see a dermatologist and get it handled. A study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that clear skin significantly increases perceived attractiveness and age estimation.
Eyebrows frame your face. Get them professionally shaped once, then maintain the shape yourself. Remove the unibrow, clean up strays, but keep them masculine and full. Thin eyebrows kill your SMV.
Hair matters more than guys realize. Find a hairstyle that suits your face shape and hair type. Pay for a quality barber who understands modern cuts. Keep it maintained every 3-4 weeks. If you’re experiencing hair loss in your 20s, address it immediately with finasteride and minoxidil.
Teeth are a deal-breaker if they’re bad. Yellow, crooked, or missing teeth tank your SMV. Whiten them with custom trays from your dentist. If alignment is an issue, consider Invisalign. It’s an investment that pays dividends for decades.
Facial hair should be intentional. Either grow it properly (full, well-maintained beard) or stay clean-shaven. Patchy stubble or neckbeards destroy your appearance. If you can’t grow a full beard, don’t try.

Style: Dress Like You Give a Damn

Your clothing broadcasts your status, taste, and attention to detail. Most guys dress like they grabbed whatever was closest to the bed. That’s killing their SMV.

The fundamentals are simple: clothes that fit properly, a cohesive color palette, and quality over quantity.

Get your basics dialed in first. Well-fitting jeans (slim or straight, not baggy), plain t-shirts that fit your frame, a leather jacket, quality sneakers or boots, a watch. Build from there based on your lifestyle and environment.

Fit is everything. Clothes should follow your body’s lines without being tight. Shoulders should hit at your shoulder point. Sleeves should end at your wrist. Pants should have minimal break. If you’re buying off the rack, expect to get things tailored.

Develop a signature style that aligns with your personality. Whether it’s Stockholm style minimalism, streetwear, or smart casual, commit to a coherent aesthetic. Women notice when a guy has his style figured out.

Avoid graphic tees with jokes, cargo shorts, running sneakers as everyday shoes, and anything with visible logos plastered everywhere. These signal low value.

Status and Social Proof

Status isn’t about being rich or famous. It’s about being respected and valued within your social circles. Women are attracted to men that other people respect.

Build social proof by expanding your network and becoming known for something. This could be through your career, hobbies, creative pursuits, or community involvement. The guy who’s introduced as “This is Jake, he runs the marketing team at X” or “This is Mike, he just opened his own gym” has higher SMV than “This is Brad.”

Social skills are trainable. Practice holding conversations, telling stories, reading social dynamics, and making people feel comfortable around you. The ability to walk into a room and naturally connect with people is a massive SMV booster.

Get good at something that provides social opportunities. Sports leagues, martial arts, rock climbing, music, photography. Hobbies that are social and display competence raise your status. Hobbies that are solitary and passive (gaming, watching anime) do nothing for your SMV.

Document your life in a way that builds proof of an interesting existence. Your Instagram shouldn’t be thirst traps and gym selfies. It should show you doing interesting things with interesting people. Travel, activities, social gatherings, accomplishments. This isn’t about faking a lifestyle, it’s about living one worth documenting.

Career and Financial Stability

You don’t need to be wealthy, but you need to be on an upward trajectory. Women assess your current status and your potential. A 25-year-old making $50k with clear career progression beats a 30-year-old making $70k with no ambition.

Focus on increasing your earning potential. Develop valuable skills, switch jobs strategically for raises, start a side business, invest in assets. Financial stress leaks into every area of your life and kills your confidence.

According to research from the University of Wisconsin, income has a positive correlation with attractiveness ratings, but the effect plateaus. Getting from broke to comfortable matters way more than getting from comfortable to wealthy for SMV purposes.

Handle your money properly. Have a budget, avoid consumer debt, build savings, invest consistently. The confidence that comes from financial security is palpable. Desperation repels women.

Develop Your Personality and Frame

SMV isn’t purely physical and financial. Your personality and how you carry yourself matter tremendously, especially for long-term attraction.

Confidence is the multiplier on everything else. It’s not about being loud or arrogant. It’s about being comfortable with yourself, decisive, and unaffected by social pressure. Confidence comes from competence, so build competence in multiple areas of your life.
Frame means your reality is stronger than external pressure. You don’t need validation. You don’t change your opinions based on who’s around. You’re outcome-independent in social situations. This is attractive because it signals high status and internal strength.

Work on becoming genuinely interesting. Read books, have opinions on things, develop expertise in areas you care about, cultivate unique experiences. Boring guys with nothing to talk about have low SMV regardless of how they look.

Develop emotional intelligence and social calibration. Understand when to push and when to pull back, how to read situations, how to make people comfortable or create tension intentionally. These skills separate high SMV men from everyone else.

Health Markers That Show

Your overall health affects your SMV in ways you might not realize. High energy, clear eyes, good skin, strong posture, fluid movement – these all signal vitality.

Sleep properly. Seven to nine hours consistently. Poor sleep shows in your face, kills your testosterone, wrecks your mood, and destroys your energy. You can’t have high SMV running on five hours of sleep.
Optimize your hormones. Get blood work done and check your testosterone, vitamin D, thyroid function. Low testosterone will tank your SMV through reduced muscle mass, increased bodyfat, lower energy, and diminished confidence. If you’re low, work with a doctor to address it.
Reduce inflammation. Chronic inflammation shows up as bloating, poor skin, low energy, and brain fog. Cut foods that cause bloating, focus on whole foods, get your gut health in order, and manage stress.
Posture and movement quality signal status and health. Stand tall, pull your shoulders back, keep your head up. Move with purpose and fluidity. Slouched, shuffling movement patterns broadcast low status.

Social Dynamics and Game

Once your foundational SMV is solid, you need basic social skills to convert that value into actual results. High SMV makes the game easier, but you still need to play it.

Approach women regularly. High SMV means nothing if you’re sitting at home. Get comfortable initiating conversations, reading interest levels, and escalating appropriately. This skill only develops through repetition.
Be selective. High value men are choosy about who they spend time with. Don’t be thirsty or available to everyone. Having standards and boundaries raises your perceived value.
Create opportunities for social interaction. Host gatherings, organize activities, be the connector in your friend group. Social leadership is attractive and increases your perceived status.
Handle rejection well. High SMV men don’t get emotionally wrecked by rejection because they have options and self-worth that isn’t dependent on any single outcome. Develop genuine abundance mentality through actually building options.

The Timeline: Setting Realistic Expectations

Raising your SMV is a months to years process, not a weekend project. Accept that upfront.

Immediate wins (first 30 days): Better grooming, properly fitted clothes, improved posture, better photos, active social life documentation. These require minimal time and money but provide noticeable improvement.
Short-term gains (3-6 months): Significant fat loss, muscle definition emerging, skin improvement from consistent skincare, expanded social circle, improved conversation skills. This is where people who knew you start noticing real changes.
Long-term transformation (6-12+ months): Lean muscular physique, developed sense of style, established social status, career progression, genuine confidence from competence. This is where you’ve fundamentally raised your value in the dating market.
The complete glow-up process takes consistent effort across multiple domains. You’re building a better version of yourself, not applying a quick fix.

Common Mistakes That Kill Progress

Optimizing one area while neglecting others. The jacked guy with terrible style and no social skills isn’t maximizing his potential. SMV is holistic. A study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that attractiveness is enhanced when positive traits are combined, not just when one trait is maximized.
Focusing on unchangeable features. You can’t fix your bone structure or height without surgery. Obsessing over these kills your momentum. Focus relentlessly on what you can control.
Seeking validation instead of building genuine value. If you’re improving to prove something to others or get approval, your frame is broken. Build value because you want to maximize your potential. The attraction follows naturally.
Inconsistency. Going hard for two weeks then quitting doesn’t move the needle. Consistent moderate effort beats sporadic intense effort every time.
Neglecting fundamentals for advanced tactics. Guys worry about peptides and advanced style theory while they’re 30% bodyfat with bad skin. Handle the basics first.

Measuring Your Progress

Track objective metrics: bodyfat percentage, lift numbers, income, social invitations, dating results, compliments received. Subjective feelings of improvement matter, but numbers don’t lie.

Pay attention to how people treat you. High SMV men get treated differently. Better service at restaurants, more eye contact from attractive women, more respect from other men, more social invitations. When these shift, you know your SMV is rising.

Take progress photos every 4-6 weeks. Visual changes happen gradually and you won’t notice day-to-day. Photos reveal the transformation.

The Bottom Line on How to Raise Your SMV

Sexual market value is the composite of your physical appearance, status, wealth, personality, and social proof. Most of these factors are improvable through consistent action.

Start with your physique – get lean and build muscle. Fix your face through skincare, grooming, and dental work. Develop a cohesive style that fits well. Build career momentum and financial stability. Expand your social circle and develop genuine social skills. Optimize your health markers. Handle your psychology and build legitimate confidence.

This isn’t a quick process. It requires honest self-assessment, consistent effort, and patience. But the compounding returns on investing in yourself pay dividends across your entire life, not just in dating.

Stop making excuses. Stop consuming endless content without taking action. Pick three areas from this article, set concrete goals, and start executing today. Your transformation starts with the decision that your current SMV isn’t acceptable and the commitment to raising it systematically.

The dating market rewards value. Build it, and everything else follows.