Redefining Fitness — It’s Far More Than Just Physical
I know what you’re thinking. Another one of these gym rat/meathead posts. Negative.
A few years back I learned about mentors and how important it is to find them and learn from them. They don’t necessarily have to be in person, I’ve become quite proficient at learning from a distance. Someone who I consider a mentor once said that if you are a good looking person, you have a duty. A duty to spread a positive message.
In today’s world, people look up to attractive people. They look up to them because they are unhappy with themselves and want what this other “attractive” person has. I’m confident in myself. I have an unshakeable belief in myself. I walk the fine line between cocky and confident better than any funambulists. Therefore I believe myself to be one of those people whose duty is to spread positivity.
With that being said, the picture accompanied by this post? That my friends is not your goal.
Hear me out and when I share this, do me a favor and keep the sympathy, empathy or anything along those lines. I don’t need it. At least right now. Aesthetically I have reached a place where most people make it a goal to be. At one point it was my goal too.
Now I’m here to tell you what I’ve learned from it, and hopefully you can take something from my lesson. That’s what they say wisdom is. When you are able to learn something from someone else without actually having to use your own time and make your own experience.
It took me three years to get here & I’ve been in this space for another two years. The goal is empty.
The media and society make you believe that if you are pleasing aesthetically you will get all that you want. An attractive women gets the guys and vice versa. They become social media famous. They start making money and gaining new friends. While all that shit is gravy, it’s empty. It’s like eating bread. It’ll fill you up but there is no good nutritional value behind it. So here are a few things I’ve learned from my journey.
First, it doesn’t matter how good you look on the outside because on the inside is where fitness truly lies.
Muscles, abs, none of that shit equates to fitness. The gym culture has guys eating an insane amount of protein. I got caught up in it too. I get it. Protein helps build, repair, and retain muscle.
Have you ever asked yourself what it’s doing to your kidneys and liver? Oh, you drink too? Quite the one-two punch. The gym culture has people believing that muscles are everything. Quick question for the extremely brolic guy that has to turn his whole upper body to see the person behind them…can you even wipe your ass bro?
I spoke about a cookie cutter approach recently and this ties in. We are all DIFFERENT. Genetically, some people are just naturally bigger humans. Some aren’t capable of having their skin take shape of the abdominal muscles. Some will never get rid of the bat wings under their arms.
But that’s all the more reason to fly! Yoga isn’t about handstands, backbends, acro, or aerial. It’s about the principles, flexibility, countering the sit down culture and taking care of your spine. (Along with a bunch of other health benefits)
We need to stop painting this distorted image around fitness. It turns off those who truly need it. It makes them feel like, well I’ll never be the poster child so why even start that journey? The change starts with those who have their feet planted in this field.
Second, I want to say that I love what I look like physically.
I put the fucking work in. I fucking earned it. My body is my created player. I created this body. Sure genetics were given to me, but the product has a shit ton of hard work behind it as well. But that does not mean that I don’t have the voice in my head saying that it’s not enough. I’m hard on myself. And as much as I hate to say it….I might even be too hard on myself sometimes. I can put money that I’ve made my close friends uncomfortable when I undersell or take stabs at myself in front of them.
The grass is always greener on the other side and just because my grass is green when it comes to my physical body, doesn’t mean that I don’t struggle with body image. The truth lies in the balance, and I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I’m too far on one side of that spectrum (the other side that the ‘fit’ people are scared to talk about).
So what do I think should be done about this? I challenge us to redefine what it means to be “fit”. Matter of fact, fuck fitness. Let’s be well. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally & Spiritually.
Let’s start looking at the food we are eating and make better choices. Let’s put down the heavy weights for a few days, let’s stop curling barbells 6/7 days of the week. Let’s highlight healthy, functional movement. Let’s stop with these oversized muscles and and let’s start praising functional strength.
Oh you can bench 405? Cool…let’s go rock climbing or better yet, let’s go for a swim. I’ve been telling people that my idea of fitness is if the world really went to shit and I had to live like a hunter/gatherer, I wouldn’t just survive. I would THRIVE!
Last — truth is…I don’t know shit.
Sure I’ve listened to a fuck-ton on fitness. I consider myself knowledgeable on the subject. I’m a realist. I know I can’t step in the ring with the elite. That doesn’t shake me. It’s what I’m working towards. I’m falling in love with the process. Being fit is a key element to a fulfilling life. Being fit means more than lifting weights. It means being fit in all the ‘pistons’ of life, like a mentor of mine would say. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually. 4 pistons. All pumping the engine that gives life to the vehicle that the human body is.
Go do your own research. Go figure yourself out. Go learn what foods do you justice and what foods make you shit juice. Get your own health under control. Master yourself. Because if you don’t love, support, motivate, inspire, and help yourself….then why the fuck should anyone else?
That light a fire under you? Schedule a call with Coach Nicholas Pastrana to get firing on all four pistons.
