“How long do I have to diet to lose these love handles? How long do I have to go to the gym to see results? How long does it take to get in shape?”
Longer than you think.
No matter how hard you go or how genetically gifted you are, you won’t be lean and mean in 4, 6 or 12 weeks.
Like all good things in life, achieving a high level of fitness takes time. It took me 5 years of consistent, dedicated training and dieting to look like I knew what I was doing (I didn’t. But that’s another story).
But I didn’t care about the time. I was so invested in the process, that anything other than getting the reps and meals in didn’t matter to me. I was in it to win it, from the very beginning.
In today’s society of wimps and whiners, however, everybody wants to get fit yesterday. Putting in the work over months and years is out of the question for most. And that is precisely why most look like dog poop.
It takes as long as it takes
Building a body is not a matter of genetics, money or time. It is strictly a matter of discipline.
Do you really want to win? Stop looking for the end of the road. Stop looking for the finish line.
The day you wake up and find yourself perfectly happy with your body, your achievements will never come. And if it does, I sure as hell hope you’re looking at your chiseled corpse from the heavens above.
You see, once you lose the fire, the drive to advance and to win, you’re finished. Complacency will kill your spirit and leave nothing but a shadow of what once was or could have been.
Look at the kids of celebrities or successful businessmen. Contrary to what people think, they don’t enter this world at an advantage. Not at all. They are at a massive disadvantage from day one.
Why?
Because they don’t have to face life’s challenges. Everything’s easy. Everything’s smooth. Everything’s given.
There are no struggles to endure. There is no hardship to overcome. There are no wins (because there are no battles). And that my friends, is Game Over (aka drugs, depression, death).
The beauty is in the struggle
I’ve seen an interesting phenomenon traveling the world in the last few years. The poorer the country, the fewer material possessions people have and the harder they struggle to get by, the happier they are.
And while the media is trying to make us believe that “more is more”, the proof is in the pudding. All you have to do is open your eyes and see it.
It is the daily struggle that brings out the best in us. Without it, we can never truly develop to our full potential.
Do not look for the finish line. Look for daily progress (however small). Take the hard road and for once, don’t stop.
Don’t throw in the towel because it hurts or because you’re not where you think you should be. Don’t think it’s OK to fold because everybody else does. It’s not.
I know, I know…
You’ve been hitting the gym consistently and staying away from junk food for oh so long, yet you hardly look any different. I know it hurts. I know you want more. But it will not come to you.
If you want something you must fight for it, you must bleed for it, you must earn it. Stop looking at your clock, your social media feed or your love handles and start putting in work.
At every meal, at every workout, during every waking hour, you have the chance to ascend to greater heights. You have the chance to become who you always wanted (and needed) to be.
Take it.
Don’t neglect the subtleties
“But I’m doing all the right things and still don’t see any real results…”
Are you really? Take a step back and look at your current routine.
- Are you strength training 3-5 days a week?
- How are you assessing your progress?
- How many calories are you eating every day?
- How much protein are you eating every day?
- Are you getting 7-9h of quality sleep every night?
Analyze your approach to training and eating. Look at the details, without losing sight of the big picture. Be willing to adjust your strategy and adopt new methods, but never stop moving towards your ultimate goal.
If you haven’t seen any noteworthy results in the last three months, you’re doing it wrong.
Do you feel like you’re wasting time training? Do you feel like your results are not worth the effort?
I understand where you’re coming from. I get it. But training, done right, is never a waste of time. It is your gateway to a better life.
Don’t just look in the mirror or at your scale to gauge progress. Look at the big picture.
How do you feel on a day to day basis? How has your training impacted you over time? What have you learned about this magnificent machine that is your body?
What have you learned about yourself? Do you feel more confident? More capable? More ambitious? More alive?
If not, stop what you’re doing right now and get on a better program. There is no time to be wasted on cookie-cutter regimens or half-assed workouts. Not unless you want to be in the same shoes, asking the same questions a year from now.
Your call.
Thank you for reading
Victor
Leave a Reply