The Ultimate Guide to Alpha Body Language

Poses and gestures alpha males use to project confidence and power

Co-authored by Ali Garbacz

Last Updated: March 15, 2023 References

Alpha males are the leaders of the pack, asserting their dominance and control through confident body language and gestures. Luckily, confidence is something that anyone can master. This article will teach you the different aspects of an alpha male’s body language and will give you a list of things to practice and perfect until you’re exuding those confident alpha vibes. They’ll also come in handy when you’re trying to flirt with someone who’s caught your eye.

Things You Should Know

Lift yourself up by raising your chin, rolling your shoulders back and down, and straightening your back to appear more imposing and confident.
Maintain steady eye contact with those around you when you walk into a room or participate in conversation.
Spread your legs and arms out to take up more space and make your presence known.
Use large and fluid hand gestures when talking to show that you have command of the space around you.

1

Keep your head held high

Elongate your neck and keep your chin parallel to the floor. This is one of the more obvious signs of an alpha male. Keeping your head up makes you appear confident and powerful, while bowing your head might make you appear less confident in yourself.^{[1]
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- When flirting with someone, tilt your head just slightly to the side while they’re talking to show that you’re listening and are interested in them.

2

Stand up straight

Pull your shoulders back and straighten your posture. Being an alpha male is all about standing tall and appearing somewhat imposing. Even if you’re not necessarily that tall height-wise, a straight back and lowered shoulders will give you a very dignified and confident look. Imagine yourself being pulled up by an invisible string, and don’t slouch forward or curl your body inwards as you walk or stand.^{[2]
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Mayo Clinic
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- Hunching your shoulders forward and curving your spine might make you look a bit more reserved and shy.
- Pull your shoulders back but not so far that your shoulder blades touch. Position them as though your back was being pressed flat against a wall.
- Don’t tense your muscles and limbs to the point where you look super stiff and uncomfortable.

3

Widen your stance

Spread your feet to be in line with your hips. Standing with your feet slightly apart makes you appear steady and powerful. Just make sure that your stance isn’t so wide that it looks like you’re trying to do the middle splits. Instead, spread your feet apart just wide enough so that they’re in line with your hips.^{[3]
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- Avoid fidgeting your feet, such as shifting from foot to foot or tapping your foot on the ground. This could make you appear super nervous.

4

Use hand gestures

Keep your hands visible and use big, fluid hand gestures. Shoving your hands in your pockets might make the other person think you’re uncomfortable, so keep your hands out in the open where they can be seen. Moving your hands around makes you appear as though you have command of the space around you. Gestures such as pointing, demonstrating an action with your hands, or simply talking with your hands shows the other person that you’re in control.^{[4]
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Harvard Business Review
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- Avoid crossing your arms since it might make you look a bit defensive.
- Keep your gestures smooth instead of sharp and robotic. Your hands and arms should move fluidly from one spot to another without pause.^{[5]
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- Use hand gestures to appear more enthusiastic. The more animated you are with someone you’re trying to flirt with, the more comfortable they’ll feel around you.

5

Relax when you’re sitting

Sit back into the chair and relax your body. Alpha males exude an air of calm. If you’re sitting in a chair, leaning back and opening up your body to the others in the room signals that you’re feeling relaxed and completely at ease. Rest your arm on another surface to appear more open. If there’s another chair next to you or some sort of ledge, casually throw one of your arms over to rest on top of it.^{[6]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Don’t cross your arms over your chest or stomach, since it could make you look like you’re trying to shield yourself from something.

6

Maintain strong eye contact

Make a conscious effort to look into other people’s eyes. Holding someone’s gaze is one of the biggest signs of a dominant and confident person. When standing and facing someone, raise your chin so that it’s parallel to the ground and lock eyes with whoever is around you or the person you’re talking to. This is also a way to let someone know you’re interested in them, and is one of the more obvious signs of flirting.^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- Someone whose eyes are constantly shifting back and forth can be seen as nervous and uncomfortable.
- Practice maintaining eye contact by locking eyes with your own reflection in a mirror for a few seconds at a time.
- Angle your body so that you’re always squarely facing the other person head-on. When flirting, it shows that you only have eyes for them.

7

Take up space

Spread your legs out when sitting to take up space. A confident person has a large presence, and they aren’t afraid to take up space to show others that they’re in control. Spread your legs outwards while keeping your knees bent to make use of the space on the sides of your body when you’re sitting in a chair. You can either lean back in your chair, or lean forward and rest your arms on your knees to maintain a relaxed aura.^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Don’t cross your legs. Sitting with your two feet placed firmly on the ground gives you a more confident appearance.
- Use large, sweeping hand gestures to take up more of the space around you when both standing and sitting.

8

Slow down your movements

Walk with large, controlled strides. Alpha males are in control of their every move. Walking slowly with large and controlled steps is one way to show everyone that you’re not feeling rushed and are going to do things on your own time, not theirs. On the other hand, dashing from place to place with hurried steps can make you look a bit frazzled.^{[9]
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- When speaking, speak with a slow and low voice. Someone who is nervous tends to ramble quickly and stumble over their words.
- If you want to show that you’re a confident alpha, slow down your pace a bit to make yourself appear confident in what you’re saying.

9

Move with purpose

Move from place to place with a specific goal in mind. Whether that’s to go give someone a handshake or to get to a certain destination, confident people walk as though they’re on a mission. Look straight forward towards wherever you’re going and walk in as straight of a path as possible. Convincing others that you’re the alpha while looking lost and wandering aimlessly around the space might be a bit difficult.^{[10]
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- Carrying yourself in a strong and dignified manner is also a way to catch the attention of the person you’re interested in.

10

Maintain a relaxed facial expression

Offer the other person a friendly smile as you talk to them. Make your facial expression more pleasant by relaxing your jaw, and soften your eyes instead of squinting them. Show the other person that you’re feeling relaxed and completely in your element as you talk to them.^{[11]
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- Tensing your jaw, biting your lip, and avoiding eye contact can all be signs that you’re nervous.
- On the other hand, furrowing your eyebrows and pursing your lips can make you appear a bit aggressive or displeased.

11

Give a friendly touch

Initiate physical contact if the situation allows for it. An alpha male will oftentimes place their hand on the other person’s arm, shoulder, or hand as they’re talking. This shows that they’re confident in their relationship with the other person and is a slight show of dominance. Giving a friendly pat on the back or initiating a handshake are some small gestures that will make you appear more confident to the other person.^{[12]
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- Be very cautious when initiating any sort of physical touch. Unless you are very comfortable with the other person and know them well, touching someone can make them uncomfortable or be seen as offensive.
- This is something to be extra cautious about in the workplace since it can be considered unprofessional and may even be deemed as sexual harassment.
- Stepping into someone’s personal space is also how you can test the waters and see how far you can take things with someone you’re interested in.