Before and After Photos in the Fitness Magazines
by Brian D. Johnston
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Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to prove their
products’ effectiveness. But sometimes the evidence isn’t quite what it’s
cracked up to be. Before and after photos are the most compelling means by
which to convince a person of steroid-like gains.
Often the before photos show the bodybuilder in off-season condition;
fat, bloated, with pale skin. Hardly inspirational, but true to life. And
photos are sometimes reversed. In one instance a supplement company
presented a photo of a fitness model in top condition, declaring it the
‘after’ photo. Beside it, the apparent ‘before’ photo showed the model in
her last trimester of pregnancy. Anyone who is familiar with the model’s
history is aware that the before photo was, in fact, the after photo.
The same trick was used by an ex-professional bodybuilder from the
1960s. Interestingly, his jowls sagged more and his face looked older in
the before photo. Apparently his supplement line not only increases
muscle, it may be the proverbial fountain of youth!
Before and after photos from every day individuals sell a product best.
They represent people like you and me... average weight trainees hoping to
make dramatic changes in short order. But these photos are also highly
dubious. In order to look as bad and as good as possible, the models
employ several tricks.
The before photos nearly always have the subject slouching, frowning,
pale skin, dull lighting, gut extended, and with no muscle pump. The after
photos use harsh lighting with good shadow contrast, tanned skin, upright
posture with lats and shoulders spread wide, muscles tensed, smiling with
well-groomed facial and head hair, and a muscle pump. It also is known
that duct tape has been used to pull back obliques/love handles in order
to make waists appear even smaller and shoulders even wider. The same
trick works under their arm pits, to make the pec line more pronounced and
sharp.
And so, are you truly seeing what the person has accomplished and while
on supplement ‘x’? Hardly; what you are witnessing is an illusion of
posing and photography skills of the model.
One winning competitor in the EAS Physique Transformation contest in
1999 did look good if contrasting his before and after photos, losing
twelve pounds of fat. He also, however, lost six pounds of lean tissue!
Ignoring the fact that he won, it could be said that his program was a
failure and that he did the opposite of what exercise was originally
intended to do, e.g., increase lean tissue/function.
But it is to these unhealthy extremes that one sometimes experiences in
order to make a dramatic difference in a contest that allows only 12
weeks. After all, 12 weeks is not a long time, particularly for advanced
trainees more so than novices. For the advanced, there is not much muscle
to gain and to produce good before and after photos requires extreme loss
of fat - besides slouching, frowning, and no pump or tan in the before
photos.
Unfortunately, many people (particularly novices) who are unaware of
the benefits and application of long-term planning will burn out on such
an endeavor, perhaps quitting exercise all together. After a 12-week stint
of near overtraining (if they haven’t done so by the contest’s end and if
not understanding how to train), they conclude they cannot tolerate
another 12-weeks of further self-inflicted torture, let alone another
three years.
Not everyone entering these contests understand that it is a short-term
solution... to see how far the body can be pushed as quickly as possible.
After that point, training must take on a more cyclic structure. This
means maintaining most of what was accomplished during the physique
transformation followed by ‘easier’ off-season training and peaking
infrequently thereafter. Fat loss may continue after the contest, or prior
to another peak, but 100% mental effort and extreme demands may only
account for 8-12 weeks total throughout the year once reaching an advanced
stage. Training throughout the remainder of the year can still be tough,
yet tolerable and never as demanding.
I don’t believe most beginner trainees realize the importance of
cycling or what needs to be done after a physique transformation
challenge. Most magazines don’t talk about it, nor do bodybuilding books.
They present general ideas and expect you to lift happily ever after. It
is for this reason that physique transformation contests and magazines as
a whole produce greater failure than success in. The thoughts of
maintaining or bettering one’s physique after 12-weeks of grueling effort
is enough to shatter anyone’s motivation. Believing that you must continue
training in a similar manner (something to which we have all fallen
victim) is the best guarantee to exercise termination.
Interestingly, can you imagine the loss in profits that supplement
manufacturers (magazine owners) are encountering due to frustration of
their readers and the thousands dropping out of exercise - or perhaps no
longer purchasing that magazine and the supplements it endorses. If sound
training information were provided, particularly long-term application,
there would be more successes and supplement purchases from advanced
trainees. Rather, supplement companies are hoping and expecting a new
generation of customers to make up for those recently lost – short-term
solutions for a quick buck.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President of the
I.A.R.T. fitness certification and education institute. He has written
over 12 books and is a contributor author to the Merck Medical Manual. An
international lecturer, Mr. Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and
health industries, and can be reached at info@ExerciseCertification.com.
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