The Measure of Success
What a lot of people don’t realize about those “Before” and “After” photos is that it is not about change over time — but change momentarily. When the entire objective is to build (pump) the body — rather than measure on any other criteria or performance — that can be seen by a tape measure and photos of that enhanced circulation known as the “pump.”
This can be so dramatic that many well-known physiques will not let anybody see them unless they are pumped — and their arm sizes are about 2″ larger than their arms are “cold.” Likewise, they may be fairly fit-looking before a workout, but seem twice as big, and virtually a different person — and that is why a lot of adolescents get hooked on bodybuilding and weight-training — because it does give them that instant gratification and success, particularly if it coincides with their puberty growth spurt. Then these transformations seem nothing short of miraculous — and dramatically affects their psyche and outlook on life thereafter.
As often as not, that is the significance of the “before” and “after” photos and measurements. It could just as well be the measure of change before and after a single workout — rather than the representation of change over time. That is the measure of the effectiveness of a product or practice — more than it is little change over many years — thinking it will miraculously morph into something unforeseen in the present practice and exercise.
Bodybuilding and weight-training is not alone in effecting such transformations. One can see it happen instantly in skin care products — and more familiarly, with the application of make-up, posture, manner, and dress. All this should not come as a secret; it should be obvious — and why astute people cultivate these advantages.
The worst outlook on life, is to feel that one can never change anything — about themselves, or any other happening in the world — no matter how much time, effort and resources one devotes to it. That is distinctly the value of movement, action, and intent: one can change the world, because they can change themselves — and that is the root of all action and intents.
They experience that as a fact — in their workouts — which the tape measure and photos merely confirm enough times initially that shortly, it is not required — but should not be forgotten — for those times in life when what used to work, no longer works. Then they have to go back to those basics, rather than merely presume it is still working — because they may be doing something entirely different now — that doesn’t work. It usually is because they are doing too few repetitions with too much weight — that it actually precludes doing anything productive, restorative or rehabilitative. That’s why there is no measurable change — no matter how long one stays at it.
But actually changing, is easily measurable — and that measure is significant. It is not merely the passage of time — with no change until eventually, one day, everything will have changed — but what exactly caused it, is anybody’s conjecture. Changing weights is the easiest thing to do — but changing the body itself is the greater objective. For that purpose, it doesn’t matter how much the weights have changed — while one has stayed the same.
That’s what most people don’t suspect — that the most consequential change, is what is happening to the body — and not the weight stack. Is the body being super pumped — or is it largely and mostly at rest? If one can sustain an optimal pumping effect, where is it going? — and how can one tell? The tape measure and before and after photos are easily obtainable self-evidence of this. Either it is happening — or it isn’t. Even in the older guys who believe they can no longer achieve a pump (because of age) — if they ever did.
That’s what makes bodybuilders and physique competitors fairly unique; that is their objective — which is not a bad thing for anybody to be able to do somewhat — because that is the rehabilitative process that also makes them grow. That is what is called the recovery ability — and when one loses that, deterioration and decline becomes a way of life. How does one know when that has become the predominant theme in their life? The tape measure and photo — of before and after. The decline is not inevitable. That becomes the measure of success.
Only a rare few improve persistently over time. That is what is significant to measure — and people who make that difference.