Getting your perfect physique

Before Christmas, I was asked by a potential client about how best to put on muscle, and how he could improve his workout. He was working hard, he said, but he wasn't seeing any improvements. I asked him just how big exactly, did he want to get? He said he wanted to look like Ryan Reynolds. Long story short, I gave him a few pointers, told him to drop the reps, up the weight, and start focusing on big key lifts. He walked away pleased, but I thought, how many other people are there out there in his position?

With a goal in mind, an aspiration, but without knowing how to achieve it? If you have a body type to aim for, whether its an actor or athlete you admire, or just a general shape you want to achieve, that's good. You've decided on a goal, many people don't even decide something as concrete as that. But after deciding on your goal, you've got to attain it, and that takes serious sacrifice. You have to break out of bad habits – whether you realize they are bad habits or not – and be willing to make some changes.

Getting the cover model physique is hard, but not as hard as some fitness marketers would have you believe, nor as easy as other marketers will tell you. Its an attainable goal, but like all goals it requires preparation, motivation and dedication. If every time you are tempted to break your diet, or skip a workout, you remind yourself of how you want to look, and how that's possible, if only you don't quit, then you are going to make that goal, no matter how long it takes. Don't let yourself fail through ignorance, consult as many sources as you can, do research, find a gym and a trainer that works best for you, experiment. Equally don't yourself fail through lack of effort, make the commitment, make the sacrifices, and you will achieve the body shape you are aiming for.