The Road to the Ideal Body Lies in Consistency

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Executive Editor

Michael Collins

Assistant Editor

Eugene Thong

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Fiorella DiCarlo

Christopher Warden

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The Road to the "Ideal Body" Lies in Consistency, Not Perfection

By Michael Collins
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Being in the fitness industry, we're surrounded by people obsessed in their quest for the "Ideal Body". It's extremely common for people to talk about how they want to achieve results, but they just can't or haven't gotten there.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I've seen somebody show up at the gym every day for about 2 weeks, busting their butt, working hard, and then kaput. They're nowhere in sight for the next 2 months.

Chances are you've been in the same boat. But you don't have to be.

Most of the time the problem here is that you're setting a perfection frame for yourself. Usually it starts with something really pissing you off, like you saw yourself in a different light in the mirror and saw some extra poundage you had not seen.

Perhaps the jeans fit too tight or your sister's wedding was coming up and that suit that fit just fine last year isn't making the cut this time around.

Whatever it is that sets you off, it hits a nerve. After the anger and frustration has subsided, you'll have the emotional intensity (fire under your ass) to go do something about it. But what?

“Well... I'm going to go to the gym EVERY DAY from now on. No matter what! I'm also going to eat perfectly. No more junk food. Ever!”

So this is what you set out to do. You go to the gym and obliterate yourself with weights and cardio. You spend 2 hours per day in the gym. On top of that you eat boiled chicken and steamed broccoli and drink water all day every day. You're going to be perfect from now on!

The problem is that this course of action is not sustainable. In fact, it sets you up for the "rubber band effect", where you're taken from extreme to the other.

At first you're able to crank through at this pace for a week or two or three because that pain of seeing that extra poundage is still fresh in your head.

You're riding a high. Any time you look at that chocolate cake on the table, you look at it with disgust as you mentally flash back to that extra roll on your belly. “Hah! I don't eat that crap anymore”.

Even though you're thrashing your body with unnecessary amounts of exercise, the endorphins are still cranked high in your body, masking the effects from overtraining. You're also losing weight as a result of your regimen change.

“Hey, I'm starting to really lose this gut!”

After that 2 or 3 weeks though- the further you get away from that painful revelation, the endorphins stop working and that high wears off. You start to feel the effects of the physical torture. Your Knees hurt. Sore rotator cuff... Maybe a little tendonitis in the elbow. You wake up feeling like crap. But you have to get to the gym. After all, YOU aren't going to miss a day, now are you?

Inevitably you will miss a day.

You will also break down and eat that chocolate chip cookie or that bowl of ice cream on a hot day.

You're human.

And this is where “perfection” ends. Suddenly you want more and more ice cream. You start to miss a day or two at the gym. “I'll make it up tomorrow”. But you don't because the tendonitis is killing you. So your perfection frame is smashed. You're not living up to your new standard, and you toss is out the window.

And I don't see you at the gym for another 2 months.

Sound familiar?

Well, here's the deal. Getting yourself frustrated and lighting the fire under your ass is good. Many times it's just plain necessary to hit that low point before you feel the need to make some changes. The problem is the perfection frame you set. You're setting a standard that just can't be met. It's also a standard that is not necessary.

The standards you set for yourself need to be high. You should aim to get the most out of yourself. I mean, why do something if you're not going to do it right? But your standards need to be FOCUSED not on perfection in this instance, but consistency.

The ideal body is the body that you want. There is no true “ideal” outside of what you decide is ideal. It's different for everybody.

Your ideal body can be attained through consistency. Consistency of exercise and consistency of your eating habits. When you see someone who is in good shape, and is happy and healthy you know they're living with consistency. They've got good habits.

When you're building your road map toward you ideal body you need to plan for speed bumps and pot holes. You're going to hit them. You're going to get a flat tire. You're going to hit some rain and snow storms. Plan for it. Don't let it get you down. Embrace it and acknowledge what it is and move on.

Maybe you went to a party and had too much to eat and drink. You took a wrong turn. Fine. Pick up your map and find the way back to the main road, NOW. No use complaining and arguing with your spouse about taking the wrong exit right? Well, if you ate too much at the party, it's no use beating yourself up either. Acknowledge that you took a wrong turn and get yourself back on track.

Here's the beauty of the human body. You don't NEED to be perfect to look and feel good. Heck you're going to get to and stay at your ideal body if you simple stay on course most of the time.

The thing you need to cultivate in yourself is discipline. Flat tires are inevitable, but do you have the discipline to fix the tire and move on, or are you going to sit on the side of the road and moan about your bad luck?

Develop the discipline to “right your wrongs” immediately.

P.S. There's a solid plan to follow along with some tips and tricks to avoid pot holes (or dig yourself out of them quickly) in Black Book of Secrets. We're so confident that it'll do wonders for you that we have an unbeatable money back guarantee!

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