The workout facility that I use has magazines lying around for those using bicycles etc. the beauty/fitness magazines plaster their covers with the same things every month–promises of great results quickly with little effort. I picked to cover at random to show you what I mean: Get it now! Do it fast! Guilt free! Not boring! Easy! These are the messages that people want to hear, so of course the magazines will oblige. And I’m not just picking on the women’s magazines, but they are probably the most extreme.
Guess what? It takes time and effort to truly improve. Most people will take several years to reach their potential in endurance activities such as marathon running and alpine climbing. Showing improvement in simpler activities (losing weight, gaining strength) will still take months of dedicated effort.
As I watch the many overweight people doing their aerobic workouts and reading these magazines, I wonder what sorts of psychological damage these messages cause: ” If it’s really so easy, fast, and not boring, then why am I bored, why is it so hard, and why aren’t I losing weight? I must be a failure!”
In The Altitude Experience I spend a lot of time talking about how we are all different from each other. No matter how much you want to, you may not be able to go faster/get stronger/be more confident/lose more weight. And this is where the dark side beckons; steroids, weight-loss drugs, and human growth hormone have trapped many with the promise of results without effort.
So you need to set realistic goals, research the best ways to accomplish them, and be willing to put the time and energy into reaching those goals. At some point you need to readjust your goals up or down, depending on your progress.
And ignore the siren’s song from the six pac abs, airbrushed hips, and silicone chests of the magazine covers when they whisper “it’s easy, it’s fast.”