To develop the perfect physique you need to develop the perfect program.

Right?

Wrong!

First of all, what exactly is considered to be the perfect physique?  To me, the answer to this question is subjective as most of us will have our own idea as to what the perfect physique looks like. Most men for example, would love to have chiseled pecs and ripped abs year round. And I’m almost positive that most women wouldn’t complain if they had a flat midsection and a killer looking ass 24/7. But these images are based purely on aesthetics and nothing else. And in my opinion, there is so much more that goes into developing the perfect physique then just a nice looking butt and bulging biceps. For myself personally, I believe the perfect physique, is one that is not just lean and muscular, but is also healthy and functional. My ideal perfect physique is one that rarely gets run down, burnt out and/or sick. The perfect physique remains young, fit and attractive forever. And after all my years of extensive research, hardcore dieting and gruelling training, I’ve come to the conclusion that the perfect physique does not exist.

Chasing a Dream While Ignoring The Reality

As all of my clients will tell you, I believe that it’s extremely important to be constantly setting goals in life. I don’t believe that anyone should ever just settle for satisfactory results when extraordinary results are available. However I also think that it’s just as important that the goals we set are realistic and attainable. And when it comes to developing the so-called “Perfect Physique”, these goals should be no different. I’ve worked in the fitness industry for almost two decades. And in this time, I have helped hundreds of people achieve their target health and fitness goals. However during this same time period, I’ve also failed with assisting many other people achieve their own health and fitness goals.

In the past, whenever I would work with a client who did not place top 5 in a fitness competition, or reach his or her target weight loss goal in the timeline that we had set, or transform their physique to their liking, I felt as if I had let that client down. I take my job very seriously and when my clients succeed, I feel that I succeed with them. Therefore the same could be said in the past for when my clients would fail, as I would feel that I would fail with them.

However the reality is that the majority of the people who did not achieve their target goals while working with me, didn’t not achieve them because of me, it was because of themselves. As a Trainer/Coach, I did my job. I showed up to every training session on time. I never cancelled a workout last minute. I replied to every email that was sent to me in less then 12 hours. I answered every question that they had pertaining to nutrition, supplementation and training to the best of my ability. The only reason I can see now as to why they did not achieve their goals, was because even though I was willing to sacrifice my time, effort and energy needed to achieve these goals, they weren’t.

Taking Responsibility for Our Own Results 

I never take credit for my clients results. I have never filmed them on my Iphone in the gym nor have I ever posted their workouts with me on Instagram to promote both myself and my business. I feel that this is a tacky marketing gimmick and very unprofessional. Regardless if I’m training one person in a private session or ten people in a small group class session, my clients who are on the floor with me always receive my undivided attention. Therefore I don’t have the time and/or the ability to be able to correct form, realign postures, change weights, and adjust angles while uploading a training video of my clients to my social media platforms.

As a trainer I hold myself responsible and accountable for the workouts and nutritional plans that I design for my clients. It’s my job to ensure that the programs I create are both safe and effective. I refuse to give anyone an exercise that I wouldn’t do myself or expect them to follow a certain diet that I don’t feel is healthy or sustainable. I provide the necessary tools for my clients to achieve the results they desire, however they’re the ones that have to be willing to use those tools correctly and to their advantage.

Fortunately Fortunate

I feel extremely fortunate to have a career that I love and a job that I am passionate about. There is no greater sense of satisfaction then knowing that I’m making a difference in many peoples’ lives for the better. I’m grateful to have a roster full of clients that want to transform their physiques through diet and exercise and are willing to do whatever it takes to get there. I appreciate the fact that I have been given the opportunity to work with people who have realistic expectations and understand that they are going to get back what they put in to everything they do in both the gym, the kitchen and in life. And I’m Thankful that these people are willing to trust me with their health by creating a positive change in their lives.

So is the perfect program out there? Probably. But you need to ask yourself what the perfect program means to you. To me, the perfect program is one that’s sustainable, realistic, safe and effective. Unlike the perfect physique, I do believe that there is a perfect program for each and every one of us out there to follow. We just have to be willing to follow it.

“Perfection is the Enemy of Progress”
Winston Churchill

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance