Improving Body Image for Men
Inspiration from a less muscular Personal Trainer
...longevity, virility & fitness in a healthy way - everything in context - perhaps a healthier mix!
It is difficult to determine what a trainer can give based upon their body. Improving body image may be easier with a personal trainer that some could perceive as not as good, due to being less muscular.
What's best, or who is the better personal trainer? A trainer with
- a great body
- an 'okay' body
- or a 'not very' good body
Perhaps different people will look upon this differently. Some may assume that we perhaps need to lead by example and should have a great body but for others, a great muscular body may be intimidating. Some people may think that if a personal trainer cannot get his own body in shape how can he be expected to get anyone else's in shape?
Different Trainers For Different Improvements?
Perhaps improving body image calls for a different personal trainer. However to improve body image some may be tempted to improve their muscles - and end up with a trainer that will feed this belief, which in moderation with confidence boosting is fine.
However, a personal trainer who is less muscular - actually may have a better body image, which could rub off and help improve someone else's body image more, by allowing them to accept and really appreciate their body.
What the physique tells us,
and may mean for the people that they train.
Depends Upon Where We Start From
Who knows what condition the personal trainers body may have been just 5 years ago. He may be not perfect now but what he has achieved may be quite amazing and therefore he really does have the ability to help you.
Personal Trainers Physique Depends
Upon Genes
This really is such an important factor. There are three main body types and we can be just one or a mixture. Having one body type means the person will be very slim and tall, whereas another means the person will be broad and athletic, meaning judgements or assumptions may be wrongly made. A person's fundamental ability to build muscle and change their shape is totally controlled by their genes - they can improve, but only within boundaries.
Appearances do not always demonstrate the amount of work someone may have put into their body. The naturally muscular person will barely need to do anything, whereas the naturally slim person will have to work very hard, for what seem to be small gains.
Naturally Muscular
The naturally muscular trainer may not realise just how hard some may have to work to gain muscle. They could possibly be dismissive of someone who struggles to make significant gains, not realising just how much hard work they are actually putting in. It can be difficult to the untrained eye to work out whether someone is naturally muscular, and maybe has not had to work very hard, from someone who has had to work really hard to get what they have.
Building Muscle
There is only one way we can improve our health and fitness – by living a healthy lifestyle. This will also help us to build muscle, yet there is another way to build muscle : by training incorrectly - with the sole purpose to build muscle and only build muscle. This sounds fine but can overlook other areas of the body which if not improved at the same rate can lead to imbalances which can also lead to injury, going on to affect long term sustainable training.... Then there is something that is even worse – the unhealthy way to build muscle using unnatural substances that can have a detrimental effect upon the rest of the body. I would like to think that they're are no trainers out there that would get involved or even suggest using such methods to others, but there are many different people out there all with different bodies and differing views.
This also greatly affects their own body image which will undoubtedly affect whether improving body image of someone else is possible? Probably not.
Depends Upon The Trainers Individual Preferences
Just because the trainer is not totally
ripped does not mean that he could not be. Should he train and gain
bigger muscles just because some people in society expect this
to be the definition of health and fitness. He may prefer to have everything in balance and concentrate not just upon muscles but also fitness, health and strength, resulting in good body image and not falling prey of the competitive, comparing world of social media.
Training naked can allow for a degree of sexualness - this helps us perhaps moderate our training and our body image as the strong feelings surpress the negative thoughts that we can all get. Sexualness is vastly underestimated in many aspects of other areas of life - yet it has so much to give.
A Totally Ripped Body May Not be a Healthy Body
Initial impressions of seeing a very
muscular body can be one of health, but this is not always the
case. Whilst it definitely can be, that the desire to get totally ripped is simply pleasurable, giving a sense of personal achievement - it may not. There is also the possibility that they're
caught up in the comparison game and feel they have to be bigger and
better than other trainers. In which case improving body image with a
trainer that looks really muscular should be questioned. This may be
a harsh statement to make, as just because a trainer has a great
physique does not necessarily mean that they have body image problems
themselves. It
may well be the case that they are working out to get a great body
purely for themselves, either to bolster their own general fitness and health or gain a sense of achievement. However, maybe it is always worth considering the possibility, that just maybe it is because they have poor body image and feel they have to.
Improving Body Image
The reason often given for using the services of a personal trainer is to become fitter and healthier, which all trainers can indeed help with. However if the reason is as many give - to improve body shape and muscle definition, then it really can be a case of everything in moderation, rather than go all out to build muscle and change body shape it also may be that improving body image may be just as important. This is something that some trainers can do, but not all!
Giving something valuable
A trainer that does not get
caught up in the comparison game, may actually give their clients
something quite valuable – better body image and a confidence in
themselves that can ironically be all too lacking in some body
builders. It is perhaps very difficult to determine what a trainer
can give based upon their body.
Body Image Issues in Gay Men from the BBC