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One Size Fits All or Does It?

One Size Does Not Fit all

Laying in bed the other night with The Chad, we began discussing our workout routines, how we feel and my aspirations for my upcoming competition. I mentioned to him about an article I read about Lou Ferrigno and his amazing back and back workout. Lately I have had major back envy, looking at men and women alike learning how to actuate and activate those muscles for beautiful definition and growth. During our discussion we touched on the obvious use of steroids but also how fitness and nutrition will play a tremendous part of the equation for the majority of body builders, myself included. One of my largest struggles in this process was nailing down my nutrition with my fitness routines to see and feel lasting results.

So to my surprise the other morning I saw a post from a trainer who is a friend who said that people should not feel like they need to kill themselves at the gym. The post went on to say how they only do cardio a few days a week and weights along those same lines and they have amazing results. A part of me became extremely frustrated at the generalization and dismissal of those who struggle with weight loss and building muscle. I felt the post seemed to make fitness and nutrition a one size fits all sort of idea. I felt that they dismissed all of the hard work they put in to GET to where they are now. I think that this idea is what is failing most people when they do get into a fitness routine, change up their nutrition to aid in weight loss and to see lasting results.

Hard work, figure competitor, One size fits allWhat The Chad and I discussed is that diets fail, workouts fail, and people fail because we are treated as a one size fits all type of program. We have information thrown at us like there is one master equation for each of us to build muscle, lose weight and have the body of our dreams. WRONG! Everything fails because we are told a gimmick that we will burn fat, lose weight and see results. Unfortunately, we live in an instant society where the results we want to see are right in our mid section. More often than not, that is the dead last place we will see the results. Each of us does not fit the one size fits all gimmick.

I for one struggled to see results until I began measuring. I measured everything from my arms, legs, waist, chest and my food. To see, feel and experience results, everything needed to be in check for me. So while I was given a “one size fits all” food program, I wasn’t seeing the gimmick, the guarantee, the results. Pissed was saying the least for what I was experiencing. Fits of crying, wanting to give up and saying “fuck it” because something wasn’t jiving, lots of things were not working for the one size fits all program that should work for me “because they said so” idea.

Until I dialed everything in and stopped listening to what others were saying, until I stopped believing the one size fits all mentality, until I stopped telling myself I could not lose the weight, put on muscle and become someone I have never known in this life. I began to challenge myself and stop being afraid. My success was on the other side of fear. Fearful of how people would look at me, judge me, and think of me. Fuck ’em…I wanted results and I had to stop being afraid and start being honest with myself and what I wanted to accomplish.

Lifting the heavier weights became more about did I have an adequate spotter or partner and not that I would not able to handle the weight. Fear overcame. Food became more about nourishment, proper vitamins, filtration, fueling my body, recovery for my muscles, and lastly for weight loss and fat burn. Fear tackled. I stopped looking at the easy method for fat loss because this body took time to put it on, this body will need time, dedication and determination to take it off. Am I killing myself in the gym, not really, I am just killing my workouts. Fearful of time, no, I made time. I am crushing the ideals of this should be easy. I am doing cardio for conditioning, strength, I am building a stronger heart to prevent being a statistic.

Above all else I am showing my kids a level of dedication, determination, strength and overall hard work for long term goals. As they watch me, I hope they see that the things you want most in life require a level of sacrifice, self sacrifice, a death of self per se and they understand and embrace these values. Easy is not a word that comes into adult life, nothing about this life, my life, a body builders life is easy. If you find something is easy, you are not doing the process properly. One size is too easy.

Programs and people are not a one size fits all. We also should not make excuses saying “I’ll never be that fit,” “I’ll never look that way,” “I’ll never have the time” or “I’ll never lose the weight.” I thought that too! Now I am breaking those never statements and kicking them in the ass, showing them that I AM fit, I AM looking that way and I AM losing the weight. All of these are coming together because I listened to what my body needed, I listened to my trainer who knew me best for what my body is craving, loving, liking. I stopped listening to those who said I should fit into the one size fits all box. I stopped letting my own fear prevent me from achieving what I want the most.

126 days to competition and counting.

{ 1 comment… add one }
  • Jenine March 28, 2016, 10:08 pm

    I really need to sit down and come up with a schedule for myself that will work. To be consistent. To feel better. You are an inspiration!

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