Chances are, at some point in your life you’ve looked at a person's body and said to yourself, “I want to look like that!” Years later, you find that you still don’t look like that even though you have been working your butt off in the gym and eating as healthy as you possibly can… what's the deal?! Here’s why…
You’re not rich and famous (actors/actresses, models, elite athletes, etc..)
Sounds like a stupid heading I know, but hear me out. 90% of the time the people we see with amazing bodies are celebrities in magazines, on TV, all over the internet, etc… And do you know what these people can afford that most people can’t? Personal chefs to cook them every single meal of the day to ensure that they are getting the perfect amount of food in the perfect portions.
They can also afford a full time personal trainer, who works with them every single session of every single day. This ensures their workouts are perfect… tie that in with personal chef and you’ve got the ideal situation.
On top of a personal trainer, many have full time life/health coaches to keep them on track when they may want to stray the course.
They also have a lot more time on their hands in certain situations. Have you ever seen an amazing transformation for a role in an upcoming movie? Well, on top of the personal chef, they also are being paid to hit the gym and make this transformation. So they have the luxury of spending 2-3 hours or more working out every day!
Top it all off with some photoshop and lighting tricks, and even if they don’t look perfect before hand, they certainly will after. And that's why you don’t look like that, no matter how hard you try.
You don’t have the genetics they do
Whether you want to believe it or not, genetics play a huge role on your body’s predisposition to what it can become. Yes, hard work and dedication through diet and exercise can produce amazing results, but you STILL won’t look like the world’s top athletes/models/etc…
The top athletes are just that, the top. They represent maybe 1% of their entire field, yet we see them and believe that we can look just like them if we try hard enough. False, unless you’re just as genetically gifted, you should give up on that idea immediately.
You’ve probably heard the term “genetic freak” used before. Well it's time to face facts, you might not be one of them. And if you are, good for you… you’re one of the few. You know the people i’m talking about, can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound, always have a 6-pack, tell you how they don’t even really need to workout… ugh I hate those people :)
I’ll use myself here as an example. Of course I want to be sculpted year round with a 6-pack at all times, but for myself and my genetics that is just not realistic. A few years ago when I started my journey as a personal trainer I moved out east near Boston to start working as an unpaid intern just to get some experience under my belt. I figured it was a great time to work hard in the gym and diet as cleanly as possible because I literally had no friends in the area and there was no temptation to go out and eat/drink anything unhealthy. After 3 straight months of not cheating ONCE I had lost almost 30 pounds and 7% body fat, but I STILL didn’t have that awesome chiseled 6-pack I wanted to achieve. I was basically starving myself (ended the 3 month period at 1600 calories/day) and for what? It was certainly an eye opening experience, but I knew it was not sustainable. Shortly after I moved back to Easthampton and began eating like a normal human again (and enjoying myself on the weekends by going out with friends again), I put about 15lbs back on and I carry around about 5% more body fat. I know I don’t have the genetics of an elite-level athlete, but I have come to terms with my body and how I look!
You don’t work as hard as they do
This can also be true a lot of times as well. Often time i’ll see someone and say, “photoshop/lighting tricks/steroids/personal trainer+chef at all times/etc…” but the fact of the matter is, they could really just work their butt off day in and day out to achieve their results. No matter what else you have going for you in your corner, it STILL takes a lot of hard work and dedication regardless. If you are disappointed in your results but you can’t say that you’ve given it a good honest effort, maybe it's time you put away the excuses and turn it up a notch. Sure, professional bodybuilders use steroids, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work out like 3 hours a day with the drive and determination we all wish we had! Same goes for an actor/actress who made an amazing transformation for a role… sure they have a trainer and a chef and time, but it's what they did with that time that counts. They worked hard and got the job done. Nobody else is going to do it for you, you have to want it! And you have to do it!
You want to live life and have fun while you can
This one related back to my previous personal story. While I wasn’t living life and having fun, I was able to drop a ton of weight and looked pretty good… but at what cost? I had no social life, couldn’t meet friends out for dinner or drinks, I wouldn’t even go out at all because of fear of temptation and straying from my diet. All I did was work, and workout.
You only live life once, and we like to have fun. and that's OKAY! You might splurge on the weekends once and a while (read my previous article about the cheat meal), and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. So have your fun while you can, one day you won’t be able to anymore. As long as you are happy with your body and can accept it how it is, you should be using exercise as a means of staying happy and healthy, not as a means to achieve the perfect body. If you have unrealistic expectations, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Go out. Have your fun. Work hard in the gym while you’re there. Eat as healthy as possible without severely limiting your options and neglecting your friends.
Its time to stop striving to look like other people and just be happy with yourself
Put away all ideals and expectations, seriously. You’ll live a much happier life. You shouldn’t strive to look like anyone other than yourself, maybe just a healthier version of yourself. If you aren’t currently happy with your body and it's got you down in the dumps, i’d love to be able to help… so please reach out to me. Everyone deserves to be happy and healthy in their own skin, and if you’re not seeing any progress then something needs to be changed. Whether that something is diet, exercise, lifestyle, etc…
I hope you’re all happy and healthy in your own skin, it truly makes a world of difference. Workout to better yourself and be healthier, not to look like someone else.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, keep it healthy!
Brian Lepine
Fitness Fusion Easthampton
413-977-3938
info.fitnessfusion@gmail.com