Is the "Perfect" body attainable?

[Ghost]

When I say perfect body, I mean the sort of body that makes you think "I wish I had that".

The body that most people imagine as 'sexy', 'fit' and all that. Usually the one with the hyper defined abs.

And it is attainable, we know that.

But is it actually reasonable to attain?

Is it actually worth all the extra effort, does it even lend itself to increased performance?

If you have to choose between an aesthetic body, or a normal body in peak performance, what do you choose?

I'm curious as to what people think on this subject.

[bigm141414]

Completely attainable. Although you may need to adjust your idea of "sexy".

In my opinion a body in peak performance is the perfect body.

[esteel]

I think it firstmost depends on what kind of body you have.. Those that easily gain weight (fat) will have a lot of a harder time to get that 'perfect body' as someone thats naturally skinny. Sure, both should be able to reach such a body but its a lot more work for the first one and thus a lot less reasonable right? So as you asked for reasonable.. NO, i don't think its reasonable for everyone.

However i think its still good to live a healthy life and at least get somewhat close

[Waldo]

Is it actually worth all the extra effort, does it even lend itself to increased performance?

This is a pretty easy question to answer.

Did you watch the Olympics? That is the ultimate in funciton over form. Aside from a few outliers (super heavyweight lifters and shotput for example), pretty much every male competitor there had washboard abs.

All but the big lineman at the NFL scouting combine have washboard abs. Again, fuction is far more important than form, those guys potentially have millions riding on their performance there. The only reason the lineman don't is because one of the key performances for them is what the scale says, being too small is very, very bad (much worse than being a little slow at running).

Hard to do? Getting to 6-7% BF for a guy is hard to do. 10% or so is very easy to do.

[ellystar]

When society's "perfect" body for females is something like a size 2, 4, or 6, I can't achieve that. I hate to talk in terms of clothing sizes, especially because they vary so much from brand to brand and aren't an ideal way to measure weight or fitness. But, I have very broad shoulders, rib cage, and hips, and a very short waist. Even if I lose all the weight I want, about 30lbs which will bring me to 130lbs at 5'5", I doubt I would be smaller than a size 12 or 14 for dresses and 10 for pants.

I'm okay with that though. My idea of perfect now is having strength. I'd rather have tone and definition at a size 12 than be a size 4 and not be able to do a push-up.

[Anivair]

Depends on your goals. I wrote a piece about this a while ago (here) but the long and short of it was that often those bodies that you see as inspiration and ideal are not the bodies that those people walk around with. Fitness models cut drastically for photo shoots and competitions, but when not competing they generally walk aroud with a higher BFP because it's healthier. My post has some great pictures to prove this.

Can you get very fit and be in great shape? Of course! Do it! can you walk about with rippling muscles and sub 5% body fat all the time? maybe, but don't. Get the muscles, but keep your body fat at a healthy level.

[cob]

Anything is attainable, without limit. Always strive for perfection! However, I don't want what people (in vegas) consider a "perfect body." I wouldn't mind a six pack and i'm working towards definition. but here, its 16+ inch biceps, waxed chest, pecs so big you probably need a bra. Very douche-y looking. But also, since when is waxed and shiny manly? Last I checked, Chuck Norris was manly. Zangief was the scariest opponent in Street Fighter (next to M Bison but, that's a difficulty thing, not a manly thing). Smooth silky skin? What about the rough calloused hands of a working man? The tattered skin and scars of someone who doesn't back down. And Chivalry! Putting your woman before yourself.

Now that I've sufficiently drifted off topic, the point is, you can achieve anything you desire. Perfect is subjective but, what you think is perfect, you should strive for. and you can achieve it!

[Raincloak]

Depends what you mean by "perfect."

Everybody has an ideal body, but not every body is the same ideal. I'm never gonna be six feet tall and flat as a flagpole like the girls in magazines. Nor are most women. And that's okay. Beauty really is more about how you use what you've got. You can be a beautiful pixie or a beautiful elf or a beautiful giantess or just a beautiful human. There are many kinds of beauty.

As for attaining your own body's maximum... I think it's largely a question of "how bad do you want it." Most people can accomplish much more than they realize, but they don't manage it because they aren't willing to pay the price, do what it takes, push that goal to the top of their priority list. And that last 5% is a matter of luck, though if you get to 95% on your own, most people will still be in awe.

As for me, fitness is primarily a hobby, and not an obsessive one. I don't make my living from my looks, so I am content with 80% of "perfection" in that area. If I wanted I could swear off all starch and sugar, spend hours a day training, and look better... but I don't want it that bad. I choose to eat pretty good, and still enjoy a cheese biscuit once in a while. I would rather have a few "junk" foods in my life than a perfect body. You can call it compromise or call it moderation, but that's what I do. You might really want that perfect body bad enough to choose different, but that's up to you.

[andygates]

Anything is attainable, without limit? Suddenly, injury. Suddenly, drama. The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay, and all that. Elite athletes have an elite combination of trainability, right-mind, preamble, nutrition, training, coaching, and luck. If you fix on "anything is possible" you might fall at "why am I not an Adonis?" when you've got a decade of sofa to work off and lungs like teacups.

Training for someone else's aesthetic is weird.

Training to be the best that you can be, however you define that, is still weird, obsessive and monomaniacal, but the best athletes are.

[LRB]

Even if I lose all the weight I want, about 30lbs which will bring me to 130lbs at 5'5", I doubt I would be smaller than a size 12 or 14 for dresses and 10 for pants.

Interesting -- I'm 141 at 5'6", and currently am wearing Old Navy size 4 jeans, which just blows my mind. I also recently needed to get some new slacks for work, and went to the Brooks Brothers outlet where I was . . . wait for it . . . a size four. Borderline size 2 (my husband wanted me to get the size 2, but he tends to prefer tight clothes on me, and I'm the one who has to wear them all day around my work colleagues - so I got the size 4).

I've never been a size 4. But it really is fascinating how you and I, with ultimately similar stats but different builds, can wind up such different sizes.

[CalvinHobbes]

I think the "perfect body" is very difficult for each person to say. When we were watching the CrossFit games reruns my roommate (size 4, trying to get down to a 0 by eating only Lean Cuisine's and refusing to exercise at all) said "ew, I would NEVER want to look like those women." Then we have good ol' CH who would LOVE to look like any of those women.

Interesting -- I'm 141 at 5'6", and currently am wearing Old Navy size 4 jeans, which just blows my mind. I also recently needed to get some new slacks for work, and went to the Brooks Brothers outlet where I was . . . wait for it . . . a size four. Borderline size 2 (my husband wanted me to get the size 2, but he tends to prefer tight clothes on me, and I'm the one who has to wear them all day around my work colleagues - so I got the size 4).

I've never been a size 4. But it really is fascinating how you and I, with ultimately similar stats but different builds, can wind up such different sizes.

Now let's add me in--5'7", 145 lbs. Size 6 at Old Navy, 8 pretty much everywhere else. We are all built so differently.

[Raincloak]

I used to be size 8 to 10 at stores. Now I'm a size 4 to 6 and my weight hasn't changed. It's called "vanity sizing." The clothes are the same, they just deflated the numbers. It's annoying to those of us who are less concerned about the number on the label and more concerned with finding clothes that fit in a quick and efficient manner.

When I take over the world, womens' garments will be labeled by centimeters just like mens' and we will have no more of this "small medium large" nonsense.

[Victoriaoke]

(partially off topic) I wish women's clothing was sized more like men's, by waist size and inseam. How much easier would that be? Zero confusion.

Okay, back to the real question. I think it depends on what your image of the perfect body is. I think most of us on the board have an idea that fitness level and health are more important than a "look," but speaking as a woman and as an actor, I have to say that as long as our society keeps putting the emphasis on extreme thinness as "ideal" instead of health, it's a constant struggle to keep my eye on the real prize (healthy, happy, and able to do lots of awesome stuff).

Last night I got into it with some people on facebook; I was trying to defend another actress because of her size. Basically, Penguin Teen is making a video as a gift to the fans; they had the fans vote on what they wanted to see, and yesterday they started filming. Last night they posted a picture of two actors in rehearsal, and almost immediately the backlash began, "that girl is too fat." /"there is no way that girl is a size 4, she's way too big." / "Sydney isn't supposed to look like that, I pictured her as being so thin, like anorexic thin." / "This girl has too much meat on her bones." etc.

You name it, they said it, over and over again. For reference, this is the picture that was posted:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5848[/ATTACH]

My response to them: You want a real girl to develop a real eating disorder in order to look more like the broken picture of "perfect" in your head? That would seriously make you happy? I work in film, so I know the way it works, and I'm guessing this girl is a size 2, and she is certainly not getting paid enough to be harassed.

I know what my "perfect" body looks like, and I also know how sick I was when I was in it. Right now I'm trying to build a new definition of "perfect" for myself; it's hard, but I think it will be worth it, especially as someone who wants to work in the media. Personally, I'd rather be like Spezzi, Jen Comas Keck, and all the ladies over at Girls Gone Strong; even if it means never having the career "success" I want. I hope that's not the case, though; I would really love it if I could get known and help change the perception of what "perfect" is.

So- is it attainable? Is it sustainable? I guess that all depends on your definitions, but, as I read recently on the blog "Beauty Lies in Strength," it helps if you strive for progress, and not perfection.

[Guest Snake McClain]

everyone has a different idea of what is sexy or perfect. this is too broad of a question. I know some girls like the brad pitt fight club look. others like the "Andy Gates" look. everyone is different. i think some are more attainable than others.

my opinion is that we all just work out hard. eat good. do what you want. be confident. and you have the sexy perfect body you want.

[Raikas]

I think it firstmost depends on what kind of body you have..

^ This. If you don't have the same general body type that you see as "perfect" you're probably setting yourself up for disappointment. But if you do and it's just a matter of gaining muscle or dropping fat, than yeah - that's totally possible, go for it! Have ambitions and strive towards them, but be realistic at the same time.

I'm not a fan of the "everything is possible" line (although I do like the sentiment behind it) because it's just not true. Limitations are real things, but striving within those? That beats perfection every time, in my opinion.

[andygates]

Word.

[aj_rock]

The Adonis path is littered with the broken bodies of men and women who pushed too hard, too fast.

What andygates says alludes to it, but behind every Micheal Phelps, Anderson Silva, or Adrian Peterson are the bitter, battered, broken bodies of the men who tried just as hard and the only thing they have to show for it is a life that will never be what they wanted it to be.

Being rich, powerful, famous, Adonis... It's never cracked up to what it appears to be.

[flourless]

Even if I lose all the weight I want, about 30lbs which will bring me to 130lbs at 5'5", I doubt I would be smaller than a size 12 or 14 for dresses and 10 for pants.

And I'm 5'3, and ~ 170lb. The last two dresses I bought were a size 12 and a size 10, and the skirt I wore shopping that day was a size 8. Weight and shape are funny things.

[Waldo]

The Adonis path is littered with the broken bodies of men and women who pushed too hard, too fast.

What andygates says alludes to it, but behind every Micheal Phelps, Anderson Silva, or Adrian Peterson are the bitter, battered, broken bodies of the men who tried just as hard and the only thing they have to show for it is a life that will never be what they wanted it to be.

Being rich, powerful, famous, Adonis... It's never cracked up to what it appears to be.

There is a big difference between performance and form though. The 80/20 rule definitely applies. For 20% of the effort you can have 80% of the effects. Is that good enough to be a famous athlete? Heck no, not even close. Is that good enough to have the physical appearance of a pro athlete? Absolutely.

You wanna look like Phelps? Do several hundred pullups a week. Like Peterson? Max out the amount of muscle your frame can hold naturally at about 10% BF.

[LRB]

I will add to this that I took on, as one of my six-week challenge goals for the challenge that ended in July (? early August? something like that), getting down to 20% bodyfat and below 140 lbs. I did it. I got there, and I took care of myself while I was doing it -- I ate well, I slept a lot, and I exercised regularly. I focused on maintaining or improving performance in athletics, and met my goals.

But I felt like I was just on the verge of getting a cold. I felt like I was tapping out my resources all the time. It wasn't until I went on vacation for two weeks (camping in Namibia - far from scales, internet, programmed workouts, etc) and gained about two pounds that I realized the additional weight made me feel "solid" and strong, rather than wispy and insubstantial.

So - is it attainable? For me, yes. I honestly don't think I've ever looked better, and I certainly wasn't risking my long-term health (5'6", 140lbs, 20% bodyfat is healthy by just about any measure), but I didn't feel good.

[Zima]

That depends on your definition of perfection and your genes. For most people, I would bet the answer is no.

I'm saying no even though I assume the following:

- You are diligent with working out

- You eat in a manner that puts you at your desired size(as in, amount of muscle, and fat), and cheat only moderately

- You get enough sleep

- You actually push yourself when you work out.

So not working out because you didn't have the time, or eating cookies and cake at the office because someone left them on the table, or regularly going out for big dinners - Those things are not happening under this assumption.

It's perfectly reasonable for almost anybody, with the exception of people with EXTREME conditions, to reach a fairly decent level of fitness, not be overweight and often have a flat stomach/slight degree of abs, and some muscle mass. That body is definitely attainable. There seems to be a plethora of success stories of people who were extremely skinny or overweight attaining that.

However, the "perfect" body? Personally, I'll never attain my idea of perfection. Because my bones are not built with the most aesthetic proportions, and I have scoliosis so I'm not as symmetrical as I'd like. I'll also never be tall. And finally, my body gets down to 10% body fat just fine(with hard work, of course), but I could never realistically maintain 5-6%. You may say 10% is enough, but some people look better than others at the same exact body fat level simply due to bone structure. Me at around 10-12% body fat is not something I'm all that proud of, despite the abs and vascularity. Having said that, I don't consider my body particularly unattractive compared to most people. I'd say the vast majority of people are in the same boat as me, or worse. Their standards likely different, but I'm willing to bet that, in most cases, their genes prevent them from ever attaining whatever they consider perfection.

[Cruella T'Kill]

As for me, fitness is primarily a hobby, and not an obsessive one. I don't make my living from my looks, so I am content with 80% of "perfection" in that area. If I wanted I could swear off all starch and sugar, spend hours a day training, and look better... but I don't want it that bad. I choose to eat pretty good, and still enjoy a cheese biscuit once in a while. I would rather have a few "junk" foods in my life than a perfect body. You can call it compromise or call it moderation, but that's what I do. You might really want that perfect body bad enough to choose different, but that's up to you.

THIS. Who wants to look amazing when your diet causes you to be miserable all the time?

[Atalan]

Given that I am not going to grow seven inches, the body I envision as perfect is not attainable. Accepting that I can not have a perfect body has made it easier for me. I work towards the best I can make my body.

[Ghost]

Wow, you guys have some great views on the subject.

[Leimanu]

When I read "perfect body," I immediately thought of our culture's idea of perfect (especially for women) and I'm just gonna say....nope. Every image of a woman, whether for fitness or fashion mags, is photoshopped. Even Danicka Patrick (sp - Whinnie from The Wonder Years) has written "Want to look like the women in the magazines? Get someone to photoshop you." They're gonna slim the waist or plump the lips or even change the ankles or haze out the thigh definition.

As for men...gonna say no again. They're always shown at like 5% fat, which is only for performance or photo opps, not for everyday life.

PS Tonight I just feel ornery and don't want to say "it depends."