We (Americans) are taught to hate ourselves (our image).

For many of us (human beings) our self esteem is intimately tied with how we look.  In our culture, we are bombarded with IMAGES of people that we come to celebrate for their photogenic talent.  We see these images all the time.  These are people selling goods with the body of Adonis.  The “Helen of Troy” appeal sending a 1000 ships to sail.  The six pack abs, the firm rear end, big gun arms, and tight legs are images of body parts used in commercialism 1000 times a day.  The subtle message of our product associates the user with a magnetism, allure, and / or sex appeal that we (the consumer) should seek in our own lives.  Our product is good.  If you don’t use it, you are not. 

We seek it out. 

Why?  The urge to procreate is a mighty motivator for human beings.  Sex Sells.  We all know this.  But what has the manipulation of sex done to the fitness industry? 

It has destroyed the general publics self esteem.  We can no longer simply look in the mirror and like who we see.  We compare ourselves to everyone and everything.  We buy products that promise those “sexy” results.  We buy the products that promise to help you lose weight, gain muscle, increase sexual function or whatever else a person can want. 

How many of us have gone out to buy any number of fitness products on the market in order to achieve the results that we wanted?  A great number, I assure you.  Where is that device now in our lives?  I would bet its sitting somewhere neat and clean where it may get used very rarely because it didn’t bring us what we thought it would.  Why?

I’ve often said (and continue to say)  in the gym we are MORAL RELATIVISTS.  That means that our morals (how we workout) is determined relative to the individual.  Our workout is determined by:

1. Our current fitness level
2. Our fitness goals.

Our current fitness level is determined by several components.  News flash: the human body is a wonderful and intricate organization of systems.  Maybe you’ve got great joints, but you have a heart condition.  Maybe you’re really good at running, but you can’t seem to get rid of that flabby look and feel because you’ve got no strength.    I don’t want to belabor the point.  Many of the devices we buy to help us (nutritional / exercise / books / whatever) don’t determine our exact fitness level because they can’t.  When was the last time your diet took your weight, or your stationary bike help you manage your asthma.  They don’t because they can’t.

Our goals are more individual in nature.  What we do and what we WANT to do could be two different things.  Setting reasonable short term goals to achieve a long term goal is exactly what planning a workout is all about.   

A GOAL is a DREAM with a DEADLINE. 

What an interesting concept. 

Now I’ve often said that the virtue of having a plan is that it’s flexible enough to manage unpredictable elements (you miss a workout, you get sick, you decide to change your goal) but FOCUSED enough a method to achieve the final result. 

Let’s stop hating ourselves.  Let’s stop looking at others as the “gold standard” of our own lives / fitness / image.  Let’s stop comparing ourselves to others and start competing with our self.  Let’s stop allowing others determine our success and let’s get honest about ourselves.  How can we be the best us possible?   Let’s be honest with ourselves about determining our current fitness level and let’s reach for a goal with lots of steps along the way.   TEMET NOSCE.  Know thyself.  Let’s start an honest conversation about where we are and we want to go with our fitness.