What’s Your Goal?

I’ve raced multiple ironman and extreme triathlons, yet I have never had a visible six-pack.
 
I’ve played in the first-team handball division in  Poland – yet I was never ripped.
 
One year I came top 16 in the Polish squash championship, but my body fat percentage was never below 10%
 
So why do I boast about my sports achievements? , you may ask.
 
I’m slightly annoyed that we measure fitness by looks these days. And our standards are completely screwed by the three months transformation pictures you see on social media.
The point is that you can be extremely fit, but you don’t need to look, and you will probably not look like a bodybuilder.
 
I’m not sure if you know, but those guys and gals spend months in preparation for this one-day shoot.
 
And then they keep their look for a max of 2 weeks before putting a healthy layer of fat. Disgusted by it, they get on another shot preparation.
I’m cool with that. It’s their life and their choice. It looks like hard work and requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice. It’s just not my thing.
 
I am not prepared to spend most of my day religiously measuring my food intake and doing ten sets of biceps curls three times a week.
 
My goal is to live a life full of adventure, being ready for anything life can throw at me (I’ve got some big races and experience in the pipeline, more about this soon), so I train for strength, endurance and robustness, not looks.
 
I still don’t look bad, at least this is what my wife tells me, but most importantly, I enjoy boundless energy, great vitality and a lot of fun lifting, racing, swimming, cycling, running, and playing.
 
So when the next time a fake tanned stud shows on your feed, could you please give him a like? It’s very important for him. (and don’t forget about like for me, too!)
 
And then keep scrolling. Find your holistic fitness advice somewhere else.
 
Leszek