Six-pack abs. Tight butts. Lean, vibrant, flawless health. That’s the image the fitness industry is selling. But have you ever wondered what it costs to achieve that “look”? What you have to do more of? And what you really have to give up?
Make no mistake, there are real trade-offs as you attempt to lose fat and improve your health. Let’s talk about what they are. So you can consider how to get the body you really want while living the life you really enjoy.
[Bonus: We even created a cool infographic that summarizes this article. Click here for:

A tale of two clients

Not long ago, one of our successful clients — we’ll call him Bill — came to us with a question.
Now that he’d lost thirty pounds (going from 22% body fat to 15%), he could run up stairs and haul heavy bags of garden soil without getting winded.
He could genuinely enjoy weekend bike rides with friends. He could wear clothes he used to be able to fit into but had long given up as hopeless.
But what next?
“Don’t get me wrong,” Bill said. “I’m happy with the way I look and feel.”
It’s just that he also wanted six-pack abs.
“Oh, I don’t have to look like a cover model,” he mused. “It’s just that I’m really close to looking… awesome.”
Bill figured that with just a little extra work, and a little more time, the abs would start popping and his physique would be “finished”.
Meanwhile, another client, Anika, had the opposite concern.
She just wanted to lose a little weight, and get a little more fit.
But she worried that in order to do so, she’d have to give up everything, become a “health nut”, and make massive changes.
Changes that probably included 6 AM bootcamps, kale shakes, lemon juice cleanses, and 1000 situps a day… forever.
“No way,” thought Anika. “That’s too much work.”

Two common misperceptions

Our two client stories reflect two common misperceptions:
Myth #1:
With just a few small, easy, hopefully imperceptible changes to one’s diet and exercise routine, you too can have shredded abs, big biceps, and tight glutes, just like a magazine cover model.
Myth #2:
“Getting into shape” or “losing weight” involves painful, intolerable sacrifice, restriction, and deprivation.
Of course, neither of these are true.
Reality #1:
The process that helps you lose “the first 10 pounds” isn’t the same one that’ll help you lose “the last 10 pounds”. Indeed, it usually takes a lot more work as you get leaner.
Reality #2:
If you do aspire to “fitness model” or “elite athlete” lean, you might be surprised. Images are photoshopped for effect. Bodybuilders only look like that for competition. And achieving that look comes at a high cost; one most people aren’t willing to pay.
Reality #3:
However, if you’re okay not being on the next magazine cover and aspire to be “lean and healthy” even small adjustments can — over time — add up to noticeable improvements. Sometimes these improvements can change, perhaps even save, lives.

Do more of this (and less of that)

With that said, we’re about to share something a lot of people in fitness and health don’t want you to see.
It’s a chart outlining what it really takes to lose body fat, improve your health, move from one fitness category to the next.
Some fitness people think you’re too afraid. Or too weak. Or that you won’t buy their products and services if they’re honest with you.
We think otherwise.
We think it’s necessary to weigh the pros and cons so that you can make informed decisions about your body and your life.

Let’s start with the benefits and tradeoffs with each fitness level.

Now let’s talk about what you might consider doing more of (and less of).

 
We offer group classes in Strength and Conditioning and we offer private training in Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts for Fitness Vancouver. Here is our website and our Strength and Conditioning page: Posener’s Strength and Conditioning classes and Fitness Vancouver