Have you ever wondered why some people have such a hard time losing weight, while others can just clean up their diets for just a few days and notice a significant decrease in the numbers on the scale? And then you have those people that eat anything and everything and not gain a single pound! Yes, most of us despise those types of people. And what about those genetic freaks in the gym, who simply just have to look at a dumbbell and they add on what seems like ten pounds of muscle overnight! That just isn’t fair!
Not only is it not fair, but it can be truly discouraging for those of us that bust our asses so hard in the gym, and keep our diets so strict in the kitchen, yet receive very little in results with our physiques. Especially when considering the amount of time and effort that we put into sculpting, shaping and defining these physiques. It’s like owning a high interest savings account. You dump all your savings into the account, yet at the end of the year, what you receive back in interest is quite pitiful to say the least.
Well if you know anything about financial investing, then you know that savings accounts are a waste of time. And when it comes to transforming your physique and improving your overall health, I consider fad diets and cookie cutter training programs to be the high interest savings accounts of the health and fitness industry. And I consider the trainers that promote and regurgitate this generic garbage to their clients, to be the sleazy banks that try to sell theses lackluster accounts to the ill informed consumer.
Work With Your Genetics, Not Against Them!
Before you throw in the towel and give up on your quest to develop the ultimate physique, you need to take a very critical look at yourself in the mirror. Do you like what you see? We all have areas on our bodies that we are self conscious of, and those of us that say they don’t, are either just lying or living in denial. In all my years of working as a Personal Trainer/Online Coach, I’ve yet to meet a single person (including myself) who is 100% happy with the way that he or she looks. Whether it be wanting a tighter tummy, firmer legs, a perky butt, bulging biceps, or just an overall more aesthetically pleasing physique, I think we can all agree that there is always room for improvement. And although I don’t recommend vanity being your only reason to go to the gym and practice living a healthy lifestyle, I do believe that having a little bit of pride in how you look and feel is an important motivating factor to maintain a level of consistency both with your training and your diet.
What Is Your Body Type?
Whenever I design a Nutritional Plan for a client, I have them fill out our Online Questionnaire. The answers to their questionnaire allows for me to create a more customized plan for the individual of whom I’m working with. There are numerous factors to take into consideration when designing a nutritional plan, such as age, gender, activity level, lifestyle, training goals, etc. But these are the common factors that any good trainer or dietician would take into consideration when designing a customized program for his or her client. Where I go the extra mile with my clients though, is trying to find out whether they are either an Endomorph, Ectomorph, Mesomorph, or perhaps even a combination of one or two. And how I find this out is by asking specific questions, trying different macronutrient combinations, weekly and sometimes even daily check-ins, to find out what’s working and what’s not. Sure, I might utilize many of the same foods with my clients, however depending on how they are feeling, looking and responding to the plan, I make the necessary adjustments accordingly as they continue to work with me and progress each week. How well a client responds to the plan will usually depend on three main factors:
1: Work Ethic 2: Lifestyle and 3: Genetics!
Generic Genetics
No two people are the same. We’ve all heard this expression before and most of us understand what it means. So if everyone is different why do so many of us insist on following training programs and diet plans that were designed for the masses to help transform our own physiques? Yes, two people can follow the same diet plan. But nine times out of ten, these two people will achieve completely different results. The same can be said when it comes to training. Yes, you can throw a bunch of people into one large group class and have them all do the exact same workout. And even though, this workout might be considered “intense” and/or “fun”, it will most certainly not benefit each individual who is participating in each class. This is actually just one of the many reasons as to why when it comes to our own Group Class training, we keep our groups in low numbers, so that we can provide a more customized service to our clients who are participating in each class. We focus more on providing an exceptional experience during our sessions and save those “Drop-In” spots for our fast food competitors within the industry.
Be Grateful for Your Genetics
Whether you are a male or a female. Regardless if you are skinny or overweight. Fast metabolism, slow metabolism. Suffer from hyperthyroidism or have no thyroid at all. YOU are unique and YOU are an individual. Therefore you need to assess both YOUR weaknesses and YOUR strengths. Work with your genetic limitations and capitalize on your genetic strengths. Listen to your body and don’t be afraid to try something new. If what you’ve been doing in the gym has stopped producing results, then change it! If your diet is causing you to gain fat, then fix it! Don’t just follow a plan because it worked for a friend or coworker. Do your research, ask questions, invest in the help from a qualified and experience trainer or coach to help you surpass your plateaus. But most importantly – DO NOT GIVE UP AND DO NOT BECOME A SLAVE TO YOUR GENETICS!
“Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger”
Caldwell Esselstyn
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance