The Creation of a Masterpiece: The Venus

Re-framing Fitness

One thing that eluded me throughout my fitness history was a concept that could have saved me from the beginning. You see most people go to the gym to work off their “eating failures.”  If I could have re-framed what the gym was about, it could have saved me years in getting to the body of my dreams.

You choose your statue’s look

Carve and Sculpt at the Gym

The gym is to build muscle and sculpt your body. Period.

I compare it to the carving of a statue. Without weight lifting, you are a blank piece of marble, just another stone in the quarry, nothing unusual.  The beautiful statues that are preserved in museums and studied by scholars the world over all have a sculptor who took time to carefully carve each muscle, getting each angle just right.

The artists used the Golden Ratio which is exactly what John Barban designed into the Venus Index Ideal for goal setting metrics.

This is what weight lifting can do for you- build each muscle until your physique is just right. You can even take down a prominent muscle group if you need to. The end result is a beautiful, well-sculpted body that is pleasing to the human eye.

Showcase your Work with Calories

Your calorie intake is akin to a sheet that covers the statue. It does not matter how much sculpting and time you have put into your statue, you cannot see the details beneath a sheet.  So until you get your intake in check and start bringing down your body fat percentages, that physique is going to be hidden underneath the covering.  As your body fat percentages come down, details will slowly start to show through the covering- collar bones, then bicep muscles, some veins, abs, etc.

Calories are King

Let me re-emphasize that you cannot out train a bad diet. A friend of mine once jokingly said that it takes her 30 hard minutes on a treadmill to burn 300 calories and about 30 seconds to inhale 300 calories of chips.

Do not mix the two:

• the gym is for sculpting
• the food is for showcasing the work.

Brad Pilon calls this “Fat Loss Divide and Conquer”

We do not work out to burn calories here at Venus Index, we workout to build our best bodies.   Once I sorted this out I found my success.

Liss found her Golden Ratio Venus Ideal by using the Venus Index goal setting metrics

At some point close to the Venus Index Ideal, women usually find a happy medium where they have their best shape.  The “best shape” can be highly individual and is a level that fits your lifestyle; it is different for each person.

This is when your best attributes are showcased, and your calorie intake does not feel restricted.

That is what living at Venus Index should feel like- an everyday Venus.

-Liss