There has never been a time in history when the world has been more body conscious than it is today.
One scroll down your newsfeed and you are brought to believe that 90% of the world is lean, beautiful, and perfect; yet when I walk around most gyms I fail to see many looking like this in real life.
So where are they all hiding?
On social media, you only ever get to see the absolute best of a person and even that is massively enhanced.
I feel very sorry and empathise with so many of my clients today who are submerged in the world of social media where nothing less than 'perfection' is on show.
As a trainer of many celebrities, BAFTA award winners and having completed over 100 body transformations, I can tell you that most of the bodies gracing the covers of fitness pages and magazines may appear to be healthy but are living a pretty restricted lifestyle in a nutrient-deficient state. They only look the way they do for a very short space of time.
So if they can only do it for a few weeks, how are you planning to achieve it for all-time?
Remember your body doesn't want to be overweight but it doesn't want to be super lean either, and so a healthy body will always need a certain degree of balance for the long term.
Having a six pack or the best 'booty' as the only thing you can offer is not a good long term plan, because one day you will be old and your 'plan' will ultimately fail, and so you better make sure that your time obsessing over how you look is not taking away from all of the important things in life that are going to bring you long term success, and avoid sacrificing them for your insecurities short term.
As a reader, I don't want you to get side tracked by something that isn’t sustainable and offers less value to you than what you are already good at, because if done correctly it’s possible to do it all at the same time. But we must start off with the right frame of mind.
So whilst many around you are seeking instant gratification from the world in the form of likes on a photo, I want you to seek long term gratification by maximising everything that you are already good at, and then we will plan on having you look your best too!
The world we grow up in sets us up for failure from the start; it wants you to believe that you're not enough because there's a lot of money in you believing that you're not enough; Not good enough, thin enough, smart enough, pretty enough - all leading you to go and buy more products. Well I'm here to tell you that you are good enough, you are beautiful and you have a lot to offer this world.
So to kick off our relationship of looking better and building long lasting confidence with our bodies let’s start by not worrying how many likes someone else is getting on a photo, or even you for that matter. Let’s focus on yourself, your job, your business, your family, and start maximising your talents. Because what you have is REAL, sustainable, and will take you much further than a booty and 10,000 followers on Instagram ever will.
A healthy mind, and having the drive to succeed are all that is required to be successful, so let’s start by focusing on that.
You are already beautiful.
Robert
Robert McAvoy, CSCS
UK Strength & Conditioning Coach Level 4 Personal Trainer
