How to get a physique like an athlete

60 minutes into the game between Anderlecht and Antwerp, Tommy was watching from the front row with a friend. Anderlecht scored a goal, and the player celebrated by taking off his shirt. Tommy was impressed with the player’s physique, noting that he was muscular but not bodybuilder big, which seemed like it would hinder movement.

“Hey, Tommy, wake up,” said his friend.

“Oh, I was staring,” Tommy replied.

With a cheeky smile, his friend responded, “Yes, you were.”

“When I started working out, I aimed for the bodybuilding look and built a good amount of muscle. But now, I realize I want the athletic look—muscular but also healthy,” Tommy said.

“Why shouldn’t that be possible for you too? You’ve already gotten in shape and managed to build muscles,” his friend answered.

“No, I can’t accomplish it. I don’t know what to do,” Tommy responded.

“You don’t have to know what to do. I know a personal trainer who works with local MMA fighters. I can set you up with him,” said his friend.

“Let’s do it,” Tommy agreed.

“Cool, I’ve created a WhatsApp group with you two,” his friend replied.

The next day, the personal trainer called Tommy.

“How are you doing, Tommy? Your friend told me you needed help with a training program,” said the trainer.

“Yes, I do,” Tommy answered.

“Perfect. What are you looking for in a program?” the trainer asked.

“You see, I have experience with weightlifting to lose weight and build muscle mass. I also trained for a run, but now I want an athlete workout program to look more athletic,” Tommy explained.

“It’s good to hear you’re already in a routine. We just need to restructure your workout program. If you want to have an athlete-like physique, you have to train like an athlete, focusing on strength, explosion, power, and endurance,” the trainer said.

“That sounds awesome. Can you make a program for four days?” Tommy asked.

“That’s not a problem. Just give me a week, and you’ll have a new program,” the trainer replied.

During the week, Tommy was thinking about his decision to change his physique. As he thought about it, he started doubting his decision because he realized it was rooted in insecurity about his appearance.

In that moment, Tommy thought to himself: it should be about establishing healthy habits and feeling comfortable with who he is, not trying to be someone else. It’s about what his body feels, not what the mind thinks.

Tommy came home from work and began to journal to discover what made him feel insecure and focused on how his body looked.

In the process, Tommy wrote down other times he had felt the same way, to figure out in which situations it was triggered. He also wrote about the good feelings he had in his body after working out.

As Tommy was writing, he noticed that he felt overshadowed in situations where the spotlight was on someone else, blending into the crowd. He felt comfortable in his job as a manager because everyone had to come to him with tasks and alignments.

A memory from his childhood flashed in front of his eyes: he was so proud of how well he had done in school, but his brother would push himself in front of Tommy with a loud voice and take all the attention away.

Tommy sat silently, staring at the paper as tears ran down his cheeks. He clenched his fist in anger but quickly felt an immediate calmness as he let go of the feeling and relaxed.

The next day, the personal trainer sent Tommy a message that he would call later the same day because the training program was done. Tommy was busy at work and couldn’t stop thinking about what he had written the previous day, and he didn’t see the message until he was home. Within 30 minutes, the personal trainer called Tommy.

“I have designed a four-day program: a HIIT workout for the upper body, one for the lower body, and strength and power days for both. The lower body days will have quite a few plyometric exercises, and it would be good to go for longer cardio sessions if you can,” the trainer explained.

Tommy began the next day, starting with an upper-body workout for strength. The first exercise in the program was an incline dumbbell press, where Tommy had to lift heavy and push explosively.

With all the thoughts in his head, Tommy began to breathe deeply. He focused on his breath, slowing it down until he channeled all his energy into the set. Tommy struggled a bit to get the lifting going, but once he got it moving, he powered through, the dumbbells flying.

Silence followed. Tommy felt calm and drained as he left the gym. He had finally faced his demons, but it took him to go to hell, go back to heaven, and be willing to go to war against his demons.

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