article_snippet.sent: Now sporting manicures and ponytails, the former Playgirl cover hunk has evolved from being the picture of American manliness into a favorite feminine topic of tabloid speculation.
article_snippet.sent: , Bruce was a national hero - and a national heartthrob. 
article_snippet.sent: Muscles bulging, the athletic champ quickly became the media's darling, and appeared in a variety of advertisements, including a Wheaties box cover, as well as many magazine covers.
article_snippet.sent: In 1982, Muscles famously posed shirtless on the cover of Playgirl magazine alongside then-wife Linda Thompson, now 64, epitomizing the manly ideal of a strong athlete with a hairy chest.
article_snippet.sent: While competing in the iconic sporting event, Bruce was known for Bruce bulging muscles and athletic physique .
article_snippet.sent: As an athlete who gained national recognition in the 1970s, Bruce, shown here in 1978, once oozed masculine sex appeal .
article_snippet.sent: Bruce eyes have barely changed, but Bruce is now virtually unrecognizable as the testosterone-fueled man pictured here in 1981 .
article_snippet.sent: Bruce is seen far right in 1985 .
article_snippet.sent: Pictured here in 1982 in costume, Bruce was still considered the height of manliness at this time, having won a gold medal and appeared on the cover of Playgirl .
article_snippet.sent: Bruce is seen, left, in 2007 and, right, with a smoother jawline in 2013 .