The search for the perfect body has claimed many a victim.
What is the "perfect body"? Is it having the best abs? The best butt? The biggest arms? The skinniest thighs?
Regardless of who you ask, you will get a different answer every time, but sadly, our beliefs on what the perfect body is has been shaped and controlled by social media, societies role models, and large corporations using image to sell.
Don't get me wrong, images sell. And loads of companies make a lot of money doing so. But there is 1 industry that surpasses any company selling booty shorts, and that is the diet and supplement industry! They dwarf any other business like they're nothing.
Now I'm not here to rabble on about all the get thin quick and diet shake scam market, I'm here to discuss where I think we have gone wrong on our search for proper health. Vitality. Life.
10 years ago, as a 19 year old boy, filled with testosterone, training arms every second day at the gym was on the hunt for an artificial happiness and the "perfect body". This false goal was fuelled by the idea in my head telling me what I should look like. How I should act, and what I should be doing. Buying powder after powder, taking pill after pill (typical supps.), and not taking a step back to work out my "why".
As I sit and take a look back, I was young, impressionable, and basically a sheep to the health industry. You tell me it makes your arms grow, I was buying it! Now this is almost still the case, but people grow up (most of us) and we become more aware of what we think the "perfect body" is. For me now, my "perfect body" is strong, healthy, powerful, energetic, and of course muscular and lean. But now, having the biggest arms is not my goal. It's not the be all and end all.
Over the past few years I have been striving more towards achieving this and have taken a deeper look at how to achieve that. Researching training, supplementation, nutrition, and mindset. This also helps me to pass on my knowledge so others can do the same.
Your "perfect body" is not what you get told it is. It is what you want it to be. Don't shape your thinking around a magazine front cover, a runway model, a professional athlete. Be your own person and follow the path you feel is the right one.
There is also a bonus at the end of the journey. You know what it is?
HEALTH! HAPPINESS! PERFECT BODY!
All of these things occur in the background after you do the right things to allow it to happen. Follow your plan. Don't become obsessed by the external, because without a healthy and functional internal, forget about a healthy external.
Don't neglect any part of the following process.
1. Train smart.
2. Rest well.
3. Fuel your body with the right foods.
4. Drink plenty of water.
5. Supplement where necessary.
With these 5 procedures, you can achieve anything you want. And regardless of where you're coming from, you have your own race to run, so don't even look at anyone else.
STORY: You walk onto a running track and it says you have to run 100 laps. You look out onto the track and see that there is thousands of other people already running around.
You step out onto the track and begin running with the crowds. You see a group of people in front of you and try to keep up with them. They begin to slip away, but the more laps you run, the closer you are getting, but you just can't seem to catch them.
This 1 person in front of you, you can't help but notice they have really nice legs, a well shaped and healthy looking body. You think to yourself, "I wish I looked like her".
Then eventually they stop running, and walk off the track. Then you realise they have finished their 100 laps and you have only done 20. You have 80 laps to go. It IS frustrating.
MORAL: Don't compare yourself to anyone else running the same race as you. As far as you know, they have already run half their race, so don't try and keep up with anyone.
The only person to focus on and compete with is YOU!