1. Physical aesthetics is postmodern art at its best
As I have briefly asserted earlier, physical aesthetics, particularly the body type which dominates the fitness field at these times, i.e. Men’s physique (or a body resembling that kind of physique), can be considered as ‘postmodern’ or late-modern art in one of the most interesting regards that one can come to think of. Why? Because you sculpture your own body through a continuous pattern of training, nutrition and recovery, and you do also apply a number of simple yet scientific principles within the frames of this process.
Additionally, the ideal – even if it is partly changing over time and space – has a history of close to 2500 years, which makes it into a phenomenon – irrespective of people’s general opinions about fitness and bodybuilding – which is closely linked to Western cultural history. Over the years, I have noticed a number of athletes who have emphasized this dimension but it should be done even more so, because it is a truly unique thing.
Moreover, it may help people to see things more objectively and to face reality. This is being done by for instance to evaluate one’s body in comparison to other individuals, but also with regard to the main factors which underlie progress (or regress), such as genetics, training, nutrition and rest.
2. It tests one’s inner character
The other phenotype, that is mainly one’s own body, does of course constitute the main part of the concrete results of continuous training, dietary habits and recovery, but as I have likewise stated before, this is always related to an inner mentality. As Aristotle has said:
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
Apart from habituation, to cut body fat to the extent that one does only have 3-6% left tests the internal character to an even larger degree. (As an example, look at these two successful competitors and think about the extent of their perseverance.) To prepare for a competition is as much about the on-going process towards this particular set goal as it is to showcase on stage, even if the latter is regarded as the highlight of this route.
3. Yes – girls and women do generally appreciate a well-sculptured body (no matter what most of them might say)
Regardless of what girls and women may say in public – even in private – or through social media channels, most of them do actually appreciate a more or less muscular and well-defined body over average body types. Of course most of them might be truly honest when they assert that they do not like the extremes, such as having two per cent of body fat and/or to look like a heavy-weight bodybuilder, but very few persons constitute that kind of peripheral phenomena, and hence it is a quite irrelevant remark.
This is not the same as to stress that it is the most important factor in this regard, and among for instance social status, behavior, personality, level of income, age, fashion and looks, some factors tend to be more important than other.
One can in turn highlight and give some context to this by an instructive example. For instance, it is widely known that girls and women do generally prefer taller than shorter men, but does that mean that Tom Cruise (up until his 40s at least) cannot, or could not, date tall super models (or virtually all women) regardless of their height and level of beauty? Celebrity status does almost always seem to beat other factors such as looks and even level of income.
However, all other things being equal, a well-shaped (and taller, if he would have been) Tom Cruise in his 20s or 30s is, or was, preferable than him being in his 40s or 50s. Analogously, for Average Joe, it is always better to be in good shape than in dull shape.
A good physique – i.e. to have a quite low percentage of body fat and some considerable degree of muscularity – does have at least two positive features in this regard: one is direct and is that it makes one look better in the eyes’ of most beholders, and the other is indirect and is that it tend to increase one’s confidence, which in turn is a very important factor within this area and increases the probability of meeting someone who might be interested.
4. A fitness lifestyle can be combined with many other constructive things – and it may be quite cheap
To train, let’s say, five or sex times a week is of course somewhat time-consuming, but it does only steal about 10 hours – and that does generally include the time which is eventually being used in order to go to the gym, probably shower afterwards, and get back home – of one’s free time.
Hence, many persons may still have quite a lot of time left to do other things, and if one consequently invest less time and money into eating out and partying, being drunk and hung-over, it creates free ‘time-spaces’ in one’s schedule that can be used in order to do constructive things such as for instance to learn new languages, and in parallel with that process save money in order to be able to travel.
The good thing is that regardless of personal inclinations, a fitness lifestyle may be constructive for many, although of course not all people, so that if one is a nerdy person one can read books, and if one is more extrovert, then one can let’s say focus more on the dating market and/or to extend one’s social network. (Or both, to some extent). It is quite flexible with regard to the time that one does not spend in the gym. And that is – even for fanatics – most of one’s available free time.
However, if one does have a family – especially younger kids – then one has to make a lot of priorities and cannot expect the same results and same amount of time for oneself. It almost goes without saying. But even the busiest father or mother can eat vegetables, tuna and quark.
5. It does generally improve one’s health
A life full of fruit, vegetables, protein, amino acids and weight-lifting cannot safeguard from neither common colds, nor any other kind of disease, regardless of category. However, understood in a broader way, it still does have a lot of benefits in this respect, and might at least decrease the probability of catching a common cold or a number of other diseases and ailments.
A fitness lifestyle makes one stronger, healthier, more energetic – and perhaps even somewhat smarter.
1. Estetisk fysik är postmodern konst när den är som bäst
Som jag kortfattat har förkunnat tidigare: processen som det innebär att bygga en estetisk fysik, manifesterar ett slags “postmodern” konst i och med att man skulpterar sin egen kropp med hjälp av träning, kost, och återhämtning, samt applicerar ett antal enkla men alltjämt vetenskapliga principer i och med detta.
Dessutom utgör det ett nästan 2500 år gammalt ideal att ha en lagom muskulös och samtidigt väldefinierad fysik. På köpet får man också en mer objektiv syn på orsak och verkan, och vad som leder till resultat, till exempel när det gäller sådant som gener, träning, progression, sömn och kosthållning.
2. Det sätter ens inre karaktär på prov
Det är det yttre som utgör de synliga resultaten av denna ständigt pågående process, men detta är alltid sprunget ur en inre mentalitet. Vanebildningen är därför särskilt viktig, vilket Aristoteles skrev om redan på sin tid. Det viktiga är därmed det man gör generellt, inte undantagen. Att missa ett träningspass och/eller slarva med kosten bör således vara temporära avvikelser.
3. De flesta tjejer och kvinnor uppskattar en bra fysik – oavsett vad de ibland säger
En bra fysik, det vill säga att ha relativt låg fettprocent och en ansenlig mängd muskler, har både direkta och indirekta fördelar i det här sammanhanget: man ger ett bra intryck hos många, samtidigt som ens självförtroende ökar.
Det är dock inte detsamma som att säga att det är den viktigaste faktorn i sammanhanget, utan sådant som beteende, personlighet, socioekonomisk status, och social status är minst lika viktigt eller viktigare. Allt annat än lika är det dock fördelaktigt att vara vältränad (och oftast längre, för övrigt), även för superkändisar som till exempel Tom Cruise.
4. En fitnesslivsstil kan kombineras med andra konstruktiva saker – och är dessutom relativt billig
Även om man tränar så mycket som säg sex pass i veckan återstår fortfarande ganska mycket fritid till att exempelvis förkovra sig i litteratur eller vara social och träffa andra människor. Om det dessutom leder till att man nästan enbart äter en viss typ av livsmedel och skär ner på sådant som utekvällar och bakfyllor, kan det även leda till en förhållandevis billig livsstil som öppnar upp möjligheten för att spara pengar till resor.
Som småbarnsförälder är det snart sagt omöjligt att kunna hålla på med detta i samma utsträckning, men även för den mest upptagna mamman eller pappan är det i praktiken möjligt att äta kalorisnål, protein- och näringsrik kost, och kanske också att åtminstone träna några gånger i veckan.
5. Det förbättrar överlag ens hälsa
Ett liv fullt av frukt, grönsaker, naturell kvarg och tonfisk kan inte hindra en från att bli förkyld eller för all del mer allvarligt sjuk, men det har likväl många bekräftade fördelar i detta avseende och kan åtminstone minska sannolikheten för att drabbas av diverse sjukdomar och krämpor.