There is one question that has stood the test of time in the fitness industry, and even though it has been answered again and again and again, it is still asked on a daily basis. It is "How do I get six pack abs?"
Now before you skim this through this article either expecting a magic answer or a boring anatomical focused explanation be warned: This article has neither. No, here we are going to discuss the goals we set for ourselves vs what we are willing to do to achieve them.
Often people will seek out a fitness or health professional with the idea that the answer to whatever problem they have is going to be simple and relatively short term in nature, but the truth is often much the opposite. For example: An individual may seek out a Personal Trainer in the hope of losing 20+kgs. This is a perfectly normal and sound course of action, but what is often the most troubling thing is the amount of WORK, (yes I said work as in effort), that such a goal will take to achieve. Not in the actual efforts put into training and nutrition but the consistent application of said effort. After all it didn't go on overnight so it won't come off that fast either.
This doesn't apply just to losing weight, it applies to all areas of self-improvement, whether it be physical, emotional, spiritual or mental. Change can happen fast, but sustained, worthwhile change occurs through conscious and consistent effort.
One of the biggest aspects of this is the setting of realistic expectations/goals that are in line with the level of effort that an individual is willing to put in. If we apply this to the scenario of attaining 6 pack abs there are a few things that need to be considered.
- Appropriately structured training regime
- Tailored nutrition specific to the individual
- Arguably the most important, understanding that there will be sacrifices along the way.
The reason I say number 3 is the most important is because it's all well and good to have plans in place for when things inevitably get tough, its following through with these plans when it gets tough that counts. For example, in your efforts to get that chiselled, lean body you desire are you willing to sacrifice the afternoon beer after working in the yard on a hot Saturday, or even something as simple as that extra piece of bread at lunch. All these small seemingly innocent moments can add up to disrupt the big picture and understanding that over time they can have a large impact on the end result and will play a major factor in whether or not your goals are achieved.
Now this article has not been written in the hopes that only the truly dedicated fitness freaks make it this far, but rather to ensure that anyone contemplating starting any kind of self-improvement understand that aligning their expectations with the reality of what they are willing to do and change is a VITAL, and often underestimated part of the journey. If there are things that you are simply not willing to forgo that is perfectly fine. Please, align your goals and expectations with that in mind and set them up accordingly. Who knows, when you come to that goal you may be in a place where you are willing to make those extra changes and push on to even bigger goals. But let's start at the beginning, let's just start.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
