dss62467
Cathlete
Someone on this forum referrenced this guy in a post, and I went on and subscribed to his email newsletter. They're always very good. But I'm particularly fond of this one that arrived in my mailbox today.
: : Building A Better Body, One Brick At A Time : :
The quest to develop a stunningly fit, lean and attractive
body is a long, slow journey. It's not something you
achieve overnight by popping a few pills or strapping an
electric gizmo to your belly.
Which reminds me, did you know that by the time the FTC
finally blew the whistle on the electronic ab belt scam,
the makers of those "ab zappers" had swindled over $100
million dollars from unsuspecting consumers? Fortunately,
some of those companies had to pay it back, and then some!
The FTC charged three companies - Fast Abs, Ab Tronic and
Ab Energizer - with false advertising and deceptive warranty
practices for these "ABSurd" products.
But I digress - back to what I was saying about the
journey to a better body...
Last week I looked out my window, and where there was once
nothing but a dirt-filled empty lot, there stood a sprawling
six story brick condo complex. If someone looked at this
massive completed structure for the first time, they might
not be impressed. However, since I observed the entire
construction process unfold from my living room window,
I was impressed - amazed, even - at what goes into erecting
this kind of structure.
I remember watching the crew humming around diligently every
day like busy bees, laying one brick after another. From one
day to the next, it didn't seem like much changed. But slowly,
over a period of a year and a half, I watched the building
gradually morph into the finished product.
When you look at someone with a beautiful body as a finished
product, you often tend to dismiss the long, arduous journey
and hard work it took to build that body. Unless you were side
by side with that person in the gym (and in the kitchen),
observing the work involved, it's easy to attribute such a
chiseled physique to genetics or some supplement pill (they
just took product XYZ and voila - overnight abs). What you
don't see or appreciate are all the months and years of
sweat and hard work.
Getting in shape is a lot like a construction project. First,
there must be a picture in the mind. Then the vision goes onto
paper as a blueprint. It takes months just to lay the foundation.
More months of work will follow. On a daily basis, it doesn't
seem like much is happening. You look in the mirror and appear,
for the most part, the same as you did yesterday. But sure
enough, the small improvements are slowly accumulating like
compounding interest in the bank. One day, you look in the
mirror and "suddenly," your blueprint has become reality.
The body of a fitness pro or bodybuilding champion is no more
likely to be built overnight than a high rise is to be built
overnight. It's not physically possible. Accepting the idea
that any type of pill, powder, drug, supplement or machine of
any kind will make it happen sooner is pure folly. You can't
force it.
Growth and development of any kind always requires a "gestation
period." For a baby, it's nine months. For corn, I believe it's
about three months. If you were an expectant mother, would you
want to hurry the process? Could any new development in nutrition
or medical science speed up this wonderful miracle even one iota?
If you were a farmer, would you try to harvest your crop before
it was ripe? Would you dig up your seeds to see if anything
was growing down there?
The answers are obvious. If only we would adopt the same patient,
nurturing "mother's" or "farmer's" mindset towards getting in shape,
then no one would waste their mon-ey on "fast abs" or "exercise in a
bottle" or any such silliness ever again. We would understand that
one must sow first, then reap the harvest, but that you can't sow
and reap in the same season.
If you ever get frustrated with your rate of progress (and who
doesn't), just remember; success is always guaran.teed to the
persistent. Nothing in the world can stop someone who knows what
they want, has a plan for getting it and is willing to continue
paying the price until they obtain it. It just takes time.
Become the architect and master-builder of your own dream body.
As you begin to think about the type of body you want, remember
the words of Daniel Burnham: "Make no small plans!" Set your
sights HIGH! Create a fantastic blueprint. Michelangelo said,
"The greatest danger is not that we set our goals too high and
miss them, the greatest danger is that we set our goals too
low and we reach them."
Envision a veritable Taj Mahal of a body! There's nothing wrong
with building castles in the sky, as long as you patiently work
at putting the foundations underneath them. There are very few
unrealistic goals; only goals with unrealistic deadlines.
So keep laying those "bricks" - one at a time - every day -
and sure enough, eventually, you WILL build yourself a palace.
Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Fat Loss Coach
[email protected]
: : Building A Better Body, One Brick At A Time : :
The quest to develop a stunningly fit, lean and attractive
body is a long, slow journey. It's not something you
achieve overnight by popping a few pills or strapping an
electric gizmo to your belly.
Which reminds me, did you know that by the time the FTC
finally blew the whistle on the electronic ab belt scam,
the makers of those "ab zappers" had swindled over $100
million dollars from unsuspecting consumers? Fortunately,
some of those companies had to pay it back, and then some!
The FTC charged three companies - Fast Abs, Ab Tronic and
Ab Energizer - with false advertising and deceptive warranty
practices for these "ABSurd" products.
But I digress - back to what I was saying about the
journey to a better body...
Last week I looked out my window, and where there was once
nothing but a dirt-filled empty lot, there stood a sprawling
six story brick condo complex. If someone looked at this
massive completed structure for the first time, they might
not be impressed. However, since I observed the entire
construction process unfold from my living room window,
I was impressed - amazed, even - at what goes into erecting
this kind of structure.
I remember watching the crew humming around diligently every
day like busy bees, laying one brick after another. From one
day to the next, it didn't seem like much changed. But slowly,
over a period of a year and a half, I watched the building
gradually morph into the finished product.
When you look at someone with a beautiful body as a finished
product, you often tend to dismiss the long, arduous journey
and hard work it took to build that body. Unless you were side
by side with that person in the gym (and in the kitchen),
observing the work involved, it's easy to attribute such a
chiseled physique to genetics or some supplement pill (they
just took product XYZ and voila - overnight abs). What you
don't see or appreciate are all the months and years of
sweat and hard work.
Getting in shape is a lot like a construction project. First,
there must be a picture in the mind. Then the vision goes onto
paper as a blueprint. It takes months just to lay the foundation.
More months of work will follow. On a daily basis, it doesn't
seem like much is happening. You look in the mirror and appear,
for the most part, the same as you did yesterday. But sure
enough, the small improvements are slowly accumulating like
compounding interest in the bank. One day, you look in the
mirror and "suddenly," your blueprint has become reality.
The body of a fitness pro or bodybuilding champion is no more
likely to be built overnight than a high rise is to be built
overnight. It's not physically possible. Accepting the idea
that any type of pill, powder, drug, supplement or machine of
any kind will make it happen sooner is pure folly. You can't
force it.
Growth and development of any kind always requires a "gestation
period." For a baby, it's nine months. For corn, I believe it's
about three months. If you were an expectant mother, would you
want to hurry the process? Could any new development in nutrition
or medical science speed up this wonderful miracle even one iota?
If you were a farmer, would you try to harvest your crop before
it was ripe? Would you dig up your seeds to see if anything
was growing down there?
The answers are obvious. If only we would adopt the same patient,
nurturing "mother's" or "farmer's" mindset towards getting in shape,
then no one would waste their mon-ey on "fast abs" or "exercise in a
bottle" or any such silliness ever again. We would understand that
one must sow first, then reap the harvest, but that you can't sow
and reap in the same season.
If you ever get frustrated with your rate of progress (and who
doesn't), just remember; success is always guaran.teed to the
persistent. Nothing in the world can stop someone who knows what
they want, has a plan for getting it and is willing to continue
paying the price until they obtain it. It just takes time.
Become the architect and master-builder of your own dream body.
As you begin to think about the type of body you want, remember
the words of Daniel Burnham: "Make no small plans!" Set your
sights HIGH! Create a fantastic blueprint. Michelangelo said,
"The greatest danger is not that we set our goals too high and
miss them, the greatest danger is that we set our goals too
low and we reach them."
Envision a veritable Taj Mahal of a body! There's nothing wrong
with building castles in the sky, as long as you patiently work
at putting the foundations underneath them. There are very few
unrealistic goals; only goals with unrealistic deadlines.
So keep laying those "bricks" - one at a time - every day -
and sure enough, eventually, you WILL build yourself a palace.
Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Fat Loss Coach
[email protected]
Pam