Take a close look at these pictures and try to see what the differences are between the two. Do you see it? I'll give you a hint: One set represents an image that todays culture deems as 'fit' or 'beautiful'. And the other, represents the efforts built upon standards that challenge these current conventions of what 'fit' and 'beautiful' is. ( As of the names of the fitness models pictured, not sure who they are, but the two Crossfit athletes from top to bottom: Camille Bazinet Lipson, and Rich Froning Jr. )
It seems as if society's idea of what fitness is and looks like isn't so blurred, according to the popular fitness literature that litters the magazine stands in book stores and grocery stores (such as Muscle & Fitness, Men's/Women's Health, Flex, etc.), and even in the favorite pop culture magazines that feed the masses that are hungry for the hottest fitness/diet/health trend or fad that can take them from looking the way they are now to the glamorous Hollywood model/actor/actress of the magazine that they are looking at. People aren't happy with themselves, and how they feel about themselves, and are constantly struggling to achieve this 'perfect' image they long for, so I think it's safe to assume that this doesn't promote healthy behavior, and may lead one to view themselves through the eyes of others rather than through the honest and introspective lens of their own eyes. I'm not suggesting that this just means that you can sit back, give others the finger and say, 'you need to accept me as I am, or fuck off,' especially if you haven't earned the right to do so. What I'm suggesting is that maybe you should look in the mirror and ask yourself, 'what does this stronger, more awesomer version of myself look like? What steps have I even taken to become this better version of myself?' When one asks these questions, I could only hope that it goes farther than the aesthetic aspirations that Cosmopolitan, Woman's World, Muscle & Fitness, and Flex relentlessly pound into our heads. You know what I'm talking about: those selfies of these stick-like looking women that are borderline third world nourishment, or these overly steroid fed juggernauts that struggle breathing out their goddamn nose because their hearts are having to work double time just to supply their damn body with oxygen.
I have had (and still have) the honor and the privilege to train and workout with the most incredible, committed and extraordinary men and women, from all walks of life, and all ages, athletes that give 100% of themselves, every day. The thing that makes them extraordinary is that they keep coming back for more of this physical torture and lactic acid onslaught! My reaction to Crossfit as a strength and conditioning program was the same as most: why would people do this to themselves willingly, day in and day out??? But the more I trained under this new perspective and principles of fitness, the more I started to understand that the training we did resembled the way we deal with trial or tribulations we face in our daily lives, and we got to see in the physical the way we deal with it. It was a war within ourselves that we battled, not against anyone else. It's a war because when our bodies were giving up to throw that barbell overhead, or do that last pull-up, our minds were overriding the pain circuits and saying, 'don't you dare drop!' This was a method of training mental fortitude, rather than physical fortitude. Your mind gives up before your body does, and your body just follows suit. What national gym chain promotes that to their clients?
Now, i'm not suggesting that you need to quit what you're doing and go find a Crossfit Gym and sign up immediately, as it is not for everybody. (But, go check it out anyway ;-P ) I have major respect for practitioners of Yoga and deep meditation. I've started to incorporate this into my life and it is very mentally challenging, but none the less rewarding. I guess what i'm saying is maybe in order to become happier with ourselves, the perspective should shift from wanting others to appreciate what our bodies look like, to shifting it to appreciating what our bodies are capable of doing. I think that many more doors would open, and more people would find their lives more fulfilling.
