Yesterday I was chatting with a fellow trainer as we flipped through a fitness magazine. We were discussing one woman’s amazingly chiseled body as she demonstrated her at-home program that she teaches others.

“I don’t think she built that body by just doing her at-home program, she looks like she does weights,” my fellow trainer said.

Bang on. That’s the rub, really. See, all those shapely gals in the magazines that have tight legs and glutes didn’t build them with hip thrusts…these ladies train with heavy weights to build the body, then take it to the photo shoot. Nothing wrong with that. Problem is, many women think they’ll look like that by doing that exercise.

Now I’m not picking on at-home programs…they have their place, for sure, my issue is with how they’re sold. The woman in the picture (right) is a top-ranked figure athlete, and look at those hamstrings – amazing! – but do you honestly think she built those with hip thrusts? Nope, she’s a squatter and leg presser, to be sure!

Unfortunately many women skim through the mags, see those bodies and think they can get that body by doing that exercise or program.

It just ain’t so.  

It’s not that the mags are lying, per se. It’s just that they’re not telling the whole truth. It’s kind of like 20-year olds promoting anti-wrinkle creams….it’s how the game’s played. And it’s the same in fitness.

Love the at-home programs, bootcamp stuff, bodyweight exercises and plyometrics…they’ll do your body good. But just keep this in mind when you’re flipping through magazines, looking for programs to sculpt your body and lose the weight….these models train for hours a week using basic body building moves to get those bodies.

And that ab routine with that woman with amazingly sharp abs? Remember….you cannot spot reduce. Those abs are from clean eating and carb depleting, to be sure. It doesn’t mean we stop training abs (NEVER!), but we call a spade a spade, is all.

My dad always said, consider the source….she’s a fitness competitor…she’s does the hard work, walks the walk, eats exceptionally well every single day. She’s learned the art form of training and the science of clean eating.

So yes, you too can build that body…you just have to put 2 and 2 together, in your own mind, when you glance through your fitness mags. In fact, you can google some of these women in action…watch them training. That’s what we’re going to do in week 9 of my Advanced 12-Week Challenge, so my ladies get to see these gals in action, if they haven’t already…very inspiring!

Karen
PS I hope to see some of you at my book signing tomorrow in Victoria!