The other day one of my online clients who is currently getting ready for fitness competition emailed me with a question pertaining to body dysmorphia. She wanted to know if I myself have ever suffered with this mental disorder. Now you would think that as someone who has worked within the fitness industry for over two decades and has competed in dozens of bodybuilding shows where I’ve been judged purely on my aesthetics, the answer would be obvious. However truth be told, I never really have suffered from body dysmorphia.

Change Your Look on Looks

I think one of the main reasons as to why I never really got caught up in obsessing over what I feel are perceived defects or flaws in my physique, is because I’ve always viewed by body as just a vessel. Yes, I want to look good. And yes I want to keep myself strong and healthy. However I also know that as I become older my body will age with me. I understand my physical limitations and after living on this planet for over 30 years, I have a realistic viewpoint on what I can and cannot achieve with my genetic potential.

With that said, I don’t like to ever set limitations on what others can achieve with their own physiques, as that’s not my role as a Trainer/Coach. My job is to help educate and motivate others to achieve their absolute best with both their bodies and their minds, in the safest and most effective ways possible. I believe that it’s important to have goals, but I also believe that it’s even more important to make sure that those goals are realistic or else you’re just setting yourself up for failure in the long term.

Enjoying The Process

I always tell my clients that when it comes to transforming their physiques and improving upon their own quality of life, that they need to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. What this essentially means is taking pride in how far they have come to the point where they are currently at, while focusing on the next level ahead at the same time. As a fitness competitor and business owner, I’ve always been obsessed with progression. All I can ever think about is how can I improve in both of these areas of my life. Regardless of how many shows I’ve won or how successful my business has become, I never really look at myself and think “I’ve Achieved Everything!”. I actually think that this type of mind-set has served me well as it continues to push me forward while enjoying the challenges and obstacles that I face of bettering both myself and my business on a daily basis.

When it comes to looking at your progression with your own physical attributes, I usually recommend the following to our clients:

1) Compete Against Yourself – As long are YOU are improving each day, each month and each year, that’s all that really matters.

2) Be Proud Of Yourself – Although you should always want to improve, every once in awhile it’s good to sit back and look at how far you have come as well. Regardless if how big or small your accomplishments might seem to you, they’re still accomplishments, so be proud of them!

Becoming Long Term Minded

As any of our clients reading this will tell you, when your mind is focused on enjoying every workout, it becomes more engaged in the actual process of building muscle and losing fat. And this goes far beyond the entire “mind-to-muscle connection” as well. A common theme that I notice when working with my own clients is that the ones that become more mentally focused and engaged in their workouts, are usually the ones that begin to notice faster and more significant results. These are the people who are ready to move to that higher level with both their training and their diets. These are the people that begin to find a rhythmn both inside and outside of the gym. These are the people who have become long term minded.

Long Term Vision + Bigger Picture = Lasting Results

So do I suffer from body dysmorphia? No, I don’t think so.

Do you? Maybe. But that’s something that only you yourself and perhaps a qualified psychologist can diagnose accurately (NOT WEB MD!!!)

My own vision has always been to think long term, that is with both my physique, my health and my business. By thinking long term it stops me from becoming distracted by short-term gratifications which might seem appealing at first glance, but won’t and never do last long. Look at all the generic “Summer Six Pack Plans” or “4 Week Massive Muscle Programs” that we see online these days for example. These plans might look sexy on paper, but there is no thought for what to do or what will happen once that magical program has been complete. These ridiculous marketing ploys are just distractions that will take you away from your long-term goals.

Remember that by learning to enjoy the process and compete against yourself, you can begin to think longer term which will cut out all the bullshit and noise that you may encounter along the way.

I write these weekly health and fitness blogs because I want you to receive as much knowledge and positivity from your journey as possible. Which is why I recommend you take this advice with both hands!

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance