We're talking about the problem with "before and after" results from a fitness program and obsessing over the way your body looks.
This is a huge pet peeve of mine.
There is so much that does not get taken into account.
Even though I don't subscribe to this, I know what people do it: it'll get clicked on (clickbait) and it makes it seem like real results are achievable in the blink of an eye.
But part of why I take such issue with this is because it's perpetuating the focus on short-term training as opposed to lifelong fitness and more importantly it's setting unrealistic expectations that ultimately leads to disappointment and abandonment of fitness routines altogether.
The reasons why I'd steer clear when people hype up the "before and after" results from a workout program are because of the following:
(1) short-term emphasis
When the emphasis is on short-term gains, it's easy to get caught in an insidious downward spiral because the focus on aesthetics gets pushed to the forefront. Suddenly things like “leaning out” and “getting toned” become what's on your mind and that could even feed into unhealthy eating habits or even toxic fitness or diet culture.
(2) uncontrolled variables:
- Weights you're using
- Fitness level
- Calorie intake
- Sleep/recovery time
- Supplemental activities (in addition to workout)
(3) Genetics
Results that people show don't take into account genetics (building muscle ability). Different people's bodies respond differently to diff weights and different type of training.
(4) Training Age
What's your training age? How long have you been consistently training (i.e., lifting weights), and what your cumulative training age is.
Also, not working out for a few months or if you are brand new to training you'll see huge gains. If you're new, these are referred to as “newbie gains." And there's a similar effect of training after being on a training hiatius.
Bottom line:
Any self-respecting fitness program you do consistently and purposefully will give you "results" especially if you are increasing activity and that includes daily movement) and being mindful of energy sources and also if you're in a surplus or deficit depending on your goals. The question is simply how much and how fast, and those are contingent upon everything we discussed in this video.
Is it just me or is this misleading click-bait something that bothers you as well. Let me know.
I'll see you in the next one! Ciao for now!
Thank you for reading!!
