Why Training For Aesthetics Sucks
JB Joey chats to Marko Trkulja about training for aesthetics
Every night on my way home from the gym I pass by a 24 hour commercial gym not far from my house..
When I'm stopped at the traffic lights I peer through the big glass windows and watch all the humans packed in there training away.. It's funny because I run a gym of my own, but it's nothing like that joint
It blows me away how everyone in there is doing their training while looking directly at themselves in the mirror. It reminds me of when I worked as a PT at another 24hr fitness chain, and came to realize how absolutely weird that environment is.. Just think about it, spending an hour or more peering into your own eyes/scan your rig while you lift weights really is quite strange
Stranger yet, is how staring in the mirror while you 'get a pump on' has become the norm in these gyms
Don't mistake me - mirrors can be a valuable tool in providing technical feedback while practicing any form of movement.. However what I'm seeing ain't that technical
The 'mirror muscle' approach kind of makes sense when you consider that most people are in there only to improve their looks. Maybe 1% of them are training for other reasons, but the majority want to just 'look better'. I don't blame them - they're just working with the culture they've been given.. Bodybuilding - it's the culture that modern day gyms we're spawned from
Marko Trkuljic
Jungle Brothers Tribesman
The funny thing is putting on muscle and getting lean is the by-product of this style of training
WHY DO I THINK THIS APPROACH SUCKS?
I believe that focussing strictly on how you look as the measurement of the effectiveness of your training is not only fucking boring, it's narcissistic, mentally un-healthy, and short lived in it's potency. You're basically taking a reverse-engineering approach to the process of improving your rig
"People are effectively trying to reverse-engineer their body.. It's the same as building a nose that can't breathe" - Ido Portal
In our gym we take a different perspective.. We use movement as the metric of success -
How much stronger have you gotten?.. How much more flexible are you?.. What movement can you now do, which you couldn't do before? What new skills have you developed that will serve you in life?
Do you know what the best part about this is? Your body becomes representative of those abilities and those gains.. You put on muscle.. You become leaner.. You tone up in the right areas.. And better yet you're constantly reaching new levels of physical development which means your physique is constantly developing too
I'm not disputing that it doesn't feel great to be confident and proud of how you look.. I believe that's actually really important for everyone.. But i see that as just one of the many great by-products of following a training process that focusses on becoming stronger, more skilful and more mobile
It is for this reason that we have our Tribe set movement-based goals, rather than purely weight-loss or muscle-gain goals.
Respect
Joey
PS. if this post hits the mark for you and you'd like to know more about how we can make you a beast, reach out to us at info@junglebrothers.com or on 0422 412 533.
Other Blog Posts