I am often struck by how much bodybuilding and life in the gym has changed since I first picked up a dumbbell 37 years ago.
From being a very niche activity it is now a massive part of modern life, and generally speaking this is a good thing. One of modern society’s obsessions is wanting it “right now” and with as little effort as possible. In the gym world nothing exemplifies this attitude more than the Body Transformation.
I suppose on the whole, body transformations are positive, but this is what I do not like about them.
As my catchy headline very cleverly suggests, they lack an actual foundation. They are a quick fix, an instant solution. Who wants to make a salad these days when you can buy one already prepared in a bag at M&S?
A body transformation is the equivalent of the series of self help books entitled: ———— for Dummies. You can choose a subject, philosophy for instance, have a quick read and the book will tell you just enough to impress at a dinner party or in a bar. However, all you know is the outline, you have just skimmed the surface of the topic. There is no depth, no real understanding, no love for the subject it (and you I’m afraid) is fake.
Bodybuilding and the fitness lifestyle is a long term endeavour. There are no short cuts, the very fact that is does take years is part of the appeal. When we see a fit, healthy, muscular man or woman, one of the reasons we admire them is because we recognise and respect that it has taken a long time to achieve that success.
One last thing. The most important photograph in the transformation series is the never seen third photo. The one taken 8 weeks after the transformation. I’m willing to bet that the third photo resembles the first one a whole lot more than the second.