Matthew Hussey offers two ways to stop comparing yourself to others at the gym. First, focus on your future self in six months instead of what others look like now. Second, if you do compare, pick someone with your body type as a realistic role model, not Dwayne Johnson.
Hello. I want to talk today about bodies and body images. I don't know what it's like to be a woman and worry about body image, but I do know what it is to be a human being and be concerned about body image. I thought I would talk today about an experience that I've had going to the gym. And then if you're a guy watching this, hopefully you'll be able to relate to it. If you're a woman, hopefully it won't make any difference. You'll still be able to relate to it. I remember many times going into the gym and seeing somebody who clearly had been working out a lot longer and a lot harder than me and, dare I say, eating a lot better than me and looking at them. And, you know, the ideal is that you walk into a gym and it's a very motivating environment, right? That should be the place that really makes you want to work out. And having the opposite experience, seeing that person and thinking, that's not something that I'm going to have for a very long time, if ever. Ironically, I remember times when working out at home actually was much more energizing and motivating because there was a certain energy with just trying to beat my own best, with trying to improve myself. And if every day I woke up feeling and looking a little bit better, that would motivate me more than seeing someone who's s seem to be a year ahead of me. My first tip, if I can translate this into a tip, something that helped me was instead of comparing myself to somebody else who clearly had been doing it a lot longer than I had and feeling like it was impossible to catch up to them, I'd start looking at myself six months from now and saying, where will I be if I don't do this? And where could I be if I do do this? And creating almost a fair race, a race with myself, I found that much, much more motivating. Now, if you must compare yourself with someone, because I think we'd be disingenuous if we said we never compared ourselves with people. Many of us are quite good at saying that. I don't compare myself with other people. I only compare myself with me in real life. I think we do, on some level compare ourselves with other people if we must. I think we need to compare ourselves with someone in our category, and by that I mean our body category. There's no point in me ever comparing myself to the wrestler, the Rock, Dwayne Johnson. Right? There's no point, because this guy is a giant he's huge. He has a completely different body type than me. Comparing myself to that person is creating an impossible standard for myself. I have a friend who is always talking about how he has really narrow shoulders and then he compares himself to NFL players who are these big, broad dudes instead of for me, I look at that guy and I'm like, who's the badass in your category? Who's the guy in your category that is just amazing? I'm like, compare yourself to Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee's amazing. This is a guy who had an incredible physique. Who's in your body type. Take that guy. If you must compare yourself to somebody, find someone in your category for your body type and aspire to create what they've created. Instead of comparing yourself to somebody, someone who is biologically built differently to you and will always cause you frustration and sadness and resentment by looking at them, there's someone who's killing it where you are. Find that person and make them your hero. Before you go, leave me a comment. I want to challenge you not to be negative in these comments. Anytime things like body image come up, it becomes a can of worms. Challenge yourself right now to be positive about this. Write down the person that has created something amazing from having the same body type as you, and you want to aspire to be like them. Who's the badass in your group? I want you to find that person, put them in the comments, and talk about maybe one thing you want to do today to increase your confidence in your own body. I'll see you in the next video.
