Body transformation truths you should be aware of

Body transformation is something I’ve been working on for years - both for my clients and for myself. And let me tell you, it is as rewarding as it is complex.

Here are some body transformation truths and myths you should be aware of.

Timeframe

Whether you want to lose fat or gain muscle, body shaping requires time. How much? That will depend on your body and circumstances, but stuff like ‘3-week fat loss programmes’ will probably be a scam.

Basically, if you’re thinking of one month, make it one year.

Expectations

Every body is different. All those six-pack photos you see out there are the result of very specific training and diet combos.

At their peak, they usually include some level of dehydration too. Or occasionally, someone is just genetically blessed - but most of us aren’t. So get informed and manage your expectations.

Goals are not static

Most likely, your goals will change over time. And that’s ok.

Most of my clients start wanting to get fitter or slimmer, but once they get the hang of it they realise they are able to push themselves much more than they thought. And eventually, go on to more specialised training. This will, of course, impact their programme timeframes too.

It's easy

Whoever says that changing your habits is easy, is lying to you. Body transformation is not easy, but this shouldn’t discourage you - quite the opposite.

Discover your body’s limits (and unknown abilities!), learn new exercises and let your look be the side effect of your training. Not the other way around.

Shoot for the stars, land on the moon

Expect the unexpected. Some people find out they have small “HIDDEN” injuries, a holiday comes up, summer kicks in, or the initial motivation subsides. More rarely, some might have tricky metabolisms, balance issues, intolerances or a dozen other things that have gone unnoticed. Human beings have an incredible capacity for adaptation, and so sometimes we are not aware of slight deviations of what should be a healthy body. So just make sure you inform your PT if something feels uncomfortable, and listen to their advice.

Always expect a slower ramp and if all goes as planned, you’ll be surprised to the upside!

Just do it

This is an important complement to the previous tip. Yes, we should be open to getting to know our bodies better and be aware of whether we have some limitations we should work around.

However, overthinking it is also not good. Most of the time, we just require the right adaptation to make things the most effective for our case.

There are no “bad exercises” as such, but rather more or less correct ways of doing them and incorporating them into your workout routine.

To sum up

Fitness is an amazing world, but it's also a tricky industry to navigate, mainly if you're new to it. The amount of contradictory information available doesn't help. Some of it is blatantly wrong, but for the most part, what happens is that you see someone giving advice that although good, might not be the right thing for your specific case for any given reason.

So I try my best to make a very clear distinction between what is good generic advice and what might be applicable in some cases but not in others. Sometimes a simple conversation that brings you some clarification and reassurance you're on the right path might be just what you need to stop thinking and start doing, so contact me if you'd like to have a chat!

Speak soon!

Train ComplEat,

Coach G.