What we shouldn’t learn from models, actresses and pro athletes

Have you ever wanted to have the body of your favorite actress/actor, model or athlete? That's not a bad thing, and looking like actress A or sportsman B is quite a common "request" that we get during our initial consultations at Genesis Gym.

However, we need to know what we are wishing for! Here are some reasons that may not be the best idea.

Reason 1: We are looking for the fake version of the person

In case you didn't know, photoshop and make-up are pretty magical. So we need to be aware of what the real person actually looks like. Here are some examples of this.

Miss Korea Contestants. Mostly attractive ladies, but quite normal without makeup.

Bodybuilders on stage (a few days a year) vs the rest of the time. That is the nature of the sport at the professional level, but that's just not the look most guys are going for. And we want to look great all year round!

So we need to understand that for most of us, we need a long term, sustainable goal, not an ideal that is manipulated, or only available a few days per year.

Reason 2: Many top level professional athletes/models etc are genetically preselected for physical excellence.

I am certainly not discounting the hard work that many of them put into their bodies. However most of us don't have a chance of playing professional sports, or becoming a swimsuit model.

In fact many of the genetically gifted don't need that much work to be at the top. There are many pro athletes and models who eat poor quality food, don't train in a scientific manner, and have a hard-partying, unhealthy lifestyle, yet manage to perform OK. This is not good for them in the long term, but they are so gifted that it does not affect them in the short term.

Limb lengths, muscle attachments, height and leanness are gene dependent to a large degree. We can work on getting lean but the rest are mostly determined by our gene pool.

That's what upsets me about diets or exercise programs that claim to "lengthen" your muscles to look like a dancer or model. That's simply impossible. You either have or do not have muscles, and you are either lean, or you are not.

What we can do is to help our bodies get as lean as possible and as healthy and strong as possible, thereby maximizing our genetic potential.

Reason 3: We don't have the time and resources they have

One of the questions I ask clients is "When did you have your best physique ever?" and in most cases they reply it was during school days, or during NS. Why?

Simply because we had lots of time for activity.

Then work, family, social commitments and other responsibilities catch up with many people and we get sedentary, fat, weak and sickly.

Imagine working out, being active, and looking good as your JOB. That would certainly help you stay in shape. In addition add in a trainer, chef and medical staff and we can see how the average person may be at a disadvantage.

But all is not lost! We just need to be brutally efficient with our time, food choices and take personal responsibility for our health. It's possible, and I have seen it happen with thousands of clients throughout the years.

In conclusion, we may not have the genes, time, or even the dedication that it takes to be a top level athlete or movie star, but with some focused effort we can all be lean and healthy.

Coach Jonathan Wong has a Doctorate of Science in Holistic Medicine, and is the author of "The Happy Body - Getting to the root of YOUR fitness, health and productivity". He is also the Founder and CEO of Genesis Gym Singapore, which aims to provide the best personal training and fitness services in Singapore.