Having been fully immersed in the fitness industry for 20 years, I’ve seen far too many assumptions being made and close-minded debates. I’ve been guilty of it myself.
But what I’ve learned and the reason why I continue to try my best to avoid making these mistakes, is that it prevents you from seeing the bigger picture and the greater good.
Worse it limits your growth.
Why people feel the need to put down certain approaches in order to make their approach appear better, absolutely blows my mind.
Everything works. Yet everything doesn’t. There is no single best way to lose weight, build muscle, and transform your body. The best approach is one that suits you, your lifestyle, your personality, and your preferences.
Closed minds lead to assumptions such as, bodybuilders are all show and no go, powerlifters are all overweight, vegetarians only eat tofu and lettuce, that everyone on a ketogenic diet only eats bacon and puts butter in their coffee, that people who count calories walk around with a food scale at all times or that they are only counting macros as a means to justify fitting Pop-Tarts and Skittles into their diet.
But the real tragedy about having a closed mind and making assumptions is when it’s done in a way that imposes a limited belief on others.
For instance, when a fitness coach imposes their own limited view and belief about calorie tracking onto others. Stating that it’s too difficult and most people won’t do it.
Having a closed mind may prevent you from using a tool that could help your client achieve their goal… and that would be a shame.
Again, I’ve made this mistake myself. Early in my coaching career I was a big proponent of making breakfast the biggest meal of the day and tapering off your intake as the day went on. The idea of Intermittent Fasting was foreign to me. How could people possibly skip breakfast and expect to transform their body? It’s only going to lead to binge eating.
My limited view and closed mind may have held some of my clients back. Or at the very least, made the process less enjoyable for them.
For the past several years I’ve since opened my mind in a very big way and learned to create fitness and nutrition plans that best suits where my client is currently at. One that suits their lifestyle, personality, and personal preferences. Taking what they are currently doing and building upon it.
So, I guess the take home message here is to have a better respect for the various approaches to body transformation out there. Think of the greater good. That although you may not agree with a certain approach, it’s still an approach that is making a positive impact on many lives.
And on a closing note, assumptions extend beyond the dietary and training approaches. They are also made about individuals.
Most people assume I’ve been lean my entire life. That I wouldn’t understand what it’s like to struggle with excess weight. Or that it somehow must be easier for me because I’m a fitness professional.
And although I’ve spent the majority of my life being lean, there was a decade where life kicked me in the ass and I gained a bunch of weight. I experienced what it’s like to “fall off the wagon” time and time again until I eventually burned off the 50 pounds of excess fat for good.
Fit-pro’s face the same challenges as everyone else. The one advantage we do have is that we are more immersed in the education process. Continuously reading books, taking courses, and learning through our personal experiences as well as the experiences of our clients.
Other assumptions I see made about individuals is that if they are overweight they can’t possibly know what it takes to lose weight or they would be lean themselves.
Although I think it is advantageous to “look the part”, I’ve learned a great deal about fat loss from coaches who have never had abs.
Not a day goes by where someone doesn’t call me out on social media stating that I can’t possibly know anything about building muscle, because I’m a lightweight. They see where I’m at now, but they don’t see how far I’ve come.
Assumptions stem from ignorance. Please do your best not to make assumptions.
And please, please, please do not cast your own limiting beliefs onto others.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Coach Scott Tousignant