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Season 3 of True Blood is creeping closer which means it’s time to take off shirts (audience participation not required).

The show’s new blood Joe pretty pecs Manganiello explained to PopWrap why there are more physical beauty demands on a werewolf over vampires.

Besides keeping a nice tan that would contrast him from the pale vampires, Manganiello saw value in beefing up. “Vampires can get away with having very slight builds and the audience will still believe that they’re super powerful,” Joe says. “Werewolves are animals and in my mind they should be very muscular. Not an extra ounce of fat on them. Really ripped. I wanted people to look at Alcide and think, ‘wow, he’s a super strong animal.’”

I was thinking the same thing before I realized he was playing a werewolf.