A Play On Words

Aside from all the other interdependent variables involved in any body transformation, there are always three words that come to mind: attainable, sustainable and maintable.

Without getting sidetracked by starting a genetic debate, I’m going to keep it simple by saying that everyone has the ability to lose weight, to lose fat and to, in some way or another, enhance performance, strength, power, speed, posture or what-have-you. But, the degree of that change, the road there and how long it can last, in one way or another, are connected to YOUR OVERALL BODY.

While trying to establish what is attainable, one must properly assess their own goals. Not everyone wants to be “freaky lean.” However, there are some people that do want that, but for a variety of reasons, can’t get there. Although those people are rare, for all intents and purposes, they must be acknowledged. For those who want to drop down into single digit body fat percentages, the next concern is whether or not that goal is sustainable. Remember, in order to lose fat, regardless of the training stimulus chosen to get there, one must create a caloric deficit. Assuming that they can reach that single digit area, a body fat percentage that low, for some people, can wreak havok on many areas of the body, particularly immune system function, endocrine system function, adrenal function and other issues relating to mood and horomonal imbalances. Not to mention, the repetitve structural stress placed on the body after so long can lead to injury, extreme fatigue and even loss of interest. These are the reasons why realistic goal setting is an important first step. Many people reach this stage of the game, and unfortunately, end up further back than where they started.

Taking a step back, once a person establishes an attainable goal, their next best option is to discover the route that will lead them to what’s maintainable without impairing their body. It is here where people truly come to terms with what works for them. This process is nothing short of trial-and-error. It can take some people 12 weeks; it can take others 6 months; it can take someone years of battling back and forth to truly discover what works best for their own bodies under varying real-life circumstances. There is a place, however, for unsustainable goals. Bodybuilders, in particular, acquire very low body fat percentages leading up to a show or competition. These men and women are experts at what they do and what works for them, but even they know the detrimental effects of being “competition-ready” for a prolonged period of time. Now that we’re done with that play on words, let’s move on to what’s really important.

Now, being that I’ve overcome my own personal struggle with weight, I have a bias towards a few things. I don’t like when personal trainers make fat loss easier than it is. I must admit that it is easy to an extent- but it’s only very easy after you’ve truly realized how hard it is. For someone who’s been there before, I get frustrated when people simply prescribe general advice for fat loss. For someone who is already at a normal bodyweight, it can be easier to see dramatic results from simply cutting out sugar, increasing protein intake, getting more sleep or paying more attention to pre and post-workout nutrition. There is a whole psychological process (soemtimes struggle) that one goes through when changing their body and dealing with plateaus. The hardest part is staying there once you get there. It’s easy for someone to recommend advice when they’d be lean by simply sneezing, but that’s really a whole other blog post.

Moving on, I really like analogies. For some reason, I always compare shit to other shit. On my train ride home from a client this morning, I rode in the very first cart, which means I was able to see the tunnel ahead as the train drove through the tracks.

As I’d look down when the train rode underground, I’d see sparks from the friction between the steel wheels and the tracks. I started to think about electricity and how it relates to the effects of positive thinking. “Here he goes again with this 17th century philosophical nonsense.”

Nonetheless, you can’t see electricity at work. We can see the light, though, turn on after we turn the switch. Although I saw the effects of the electrical current, I could not see the friction created below the train much like you cannot actually see your thoughts on yourself. However, these thoughts, much like the effects of electricity, undeniably manifest themsevles in many ways through visual progess, emotional well-being, self-esteem and behavior.

As I continue with this thought process, I also realized that if we were as commited as trains were to their destinations, we’d continuously surpass all of our fitness goals and expectations. Trains travel underground, through periods of darkness, but they stay on track. Of course, there are rare accidents that can even de-rail the strongest trains, but for the most part, they keep on going. They encounter people (traveling passengers beyond their control) from all different walks of life, professions and socioeconomic statuses, but they don’t let anything stop their “tunnel vision.” Our own fitness struggles are often dark and dreary. They are sometimes lonely and self-limiting. They are affected by different circumstances and events that are beyond our control. But it’s that commitment, that mindset, that has already made a decision, which allows us to adjust when we have to but never lose sight of the direction ahead.

It’s no wonder why coaches use half-time as their stage for motivational speaking. You don’t see athletes bench pressing or squatting in the locker room. Hell, most of them can already run a 40 yard dash in single digit seconds. They are already strong, fast and powerful. These coaches talk to their players to remind them of the commitment they made to their game. When a losing team comes back to crush their opponent after half-time, it may just be that they were stronger, mentally, to stick to their championship goals.