CantSeeMe
01-23-2004, 01:43 PM
Ask the average person at the gym why they work out and you are sure to hear a variety of answers. Some people are there for health reasons, others are interested in looking good for the opposite sex, and of course there are those who just want to be in shape because they play sports. Those are all good reasons and they are all factors that keep me motivated day in and day out, but there is one thing about lifting that really sets it apart from just about anything else in life that really makes it special to me. It is one of the only things in life where the results speak for themselves. There is no faking it when it comes to hardcore training and there are no shortcuts to a great body.
However, there are plenty of people in the fitness industry who work very hard to mislead the general public into thinking the opposite. It is hard to open a magazine or watch television without seeing an advertisement for a “revolutionary” new weight loss program, diet pill, or muscle gaining supplement. Sometimes they can be very convincing, too. Misleading before and after photos are a common way of fooling the average person. After all, the audience wants to believe that there is hope for them and that they can take some magic pill that will do the work for them. Seeing an example of someone who the product “worked for” makes people feel like it will “work for” them to. What the commercials don’t tell you is that those before and after pictures usually have nothing to do with the product being advertised. They are either the result of genuine hard work or they are made to look more impressive with camera angles and lighting. Unfortunately, most of those people find out the hard way that no pill or supplement can “work for” you; you have to do the work yourself.
In most aspects of life, things like luck and knowing the right people can make a world of difference. Being born into a wealthy family is an example of luck, as is being born with a beautiful face. Unfortunately those are not things that I, or most people for that matter, have had much luck with. When applying for school or jobs, knowing the right person can make all the difference, too. Many people can get away with being lazy or incompetent at work and often times, nobody seems to notice. There is usually someone else there to pick up the slack. In weight training, if you don’t do the work, nobody is going to be there to cover for you. Knowing the right people might help you get into the popular clubs, but it sure won’t make your muscles grow.
Sure genetics can play a factor in determining one’s potential for gaining muscle or losing fat, but the bottom line is that no matter how gifted you might be genetically, if you aren’t in the gym busting your ass, there is only so far you can get. To truly take your body to the next level, years of dedication and hard work are required. Contrary to what the supplement companies and the big corporate gyms want you to think, once you get into the weight room all that matters is how badly you want it and how hard you are willing to push yourself in order to get it. It is just you and the weights and nobody is going to lift them for you.
Once a year when I go to the mall to replace my beat up gym shoes and buy a new pack of plain white T-shirts, I see some spoiled rich teenage girls eating ice cream while taking a break from their shopping spree, but I don’t let it bother me. Instead, I laugh inside because their bellies are already starting to droop over their hundred dollar low rider jeans, and I imagine how far it could get by the time they are forty. When a fat, out of shape guy cuts me off in a BMW while talking on his cell phone, I don’t get filled up with rage. I actually feel bad for him, because when you don’t have to work for anything in life, it takes away the feeling of accomplishment. That feeling is what I love most about working out. The thing that keeps me coming back to the gym day in and day out is knowing that the hard work really does pay off.
However, there are plenty of people in the fitness industry who work very hard to mislead the general public into thinking the opposite. It is hard to open a magazine or watch television without seeing an advertisement for a “revolutionary” new weight loss program, diet pill, or muscle gaining supplement. Sometimes they can be very convincing, too. Misleading before and after photos are a common way of fooling the average person. After all, the audience wants to believe that there is hope for them and that they can take some magic pill that will do the work for them. Seeing an example of someone who the product “worked for” makes people feel like it will “work for” them to. What the commercials don’t tell you is that those before and after pictures usually have nothing to do with the product being advertised. They are either the result of genuine hard work or they are made to look more impressive with camera angles and lighting. Unfortunately, most of those people find out the hard way that no pill or supplement can “work for” you; you have to do the work yourself.
In most aspects of life, things like luck and knowing the right people can make a world of difference. Being born into a wealthy family is an example of luck, as is being born with a beautiful face. Unfortunately those are not things that I, or most people for that matter, have had much luck with. When applying for school or jobs, knowing the right person can make all the difference, too. Many people can get away with being lazy or incompetent at work and often times, nobody seems to notice. There is usually someone else there to pick up the slack. In weight training, if you don’t do the work, nobody is going to be there to cover for you. Knowing the right people might help you get into the popular clubs, but it sure won’t make your muscles grow.
Sure genetics can play a factor in determining one’s potential for gaining muscle or losing fat, but the bottom line is that no matter how gifted you might be genetically, if you aren’t in the gym busting your ass, there is only so far you can get. To truly take your body to the next level, years of dedication and hard work are required. Contrary to what the supplement companies and the big corporate gyms want you to think, once you get into the weight room all that matters is how badly you want it and how hard you are willing to push yourself in order to get it. It is just you and the weights and nobody is going to lift them for you.
Once a year when I go to the mall to replace my beat up gym shoes and buy a new pack of plain white T-shirts, I see some spoiled rich teenage girls eating ice cream while taking a break from their shopping spree, but I don’t let it bother me. Instead, I laugh inside because their bellies are already starting to droop over their hundred dollar low rider jeans, and I imagine how far it could get by the time they are forty. When a fat, out of shape guy cuts me off in a BMW while talking on his cell phone, I don’t get filled up with rage. I actually feel bad for him, because when you don’t have to work for anything in life, it takes away the feeling of accomplishment. That feeling is what I love most about working out. The thing that keeps me coming back to the gym day in and day out is knowing that the hard work really does pay off.