Do you ever wonder if some of those “amazing physique transformation” pics are actually legit?
“Before and After” transformation pictures can be very motivational to those who are working on transforming their own physique, and an impressive progress photograph is one of the most powerful testimonials you can have for any given product, supplement, training program or nutrition plan.
However, in many cases there is more going on in these pictures than meets the eye.
While you can’t just assume that any unbelievable transformation pics are “fake”, IMO it’s also important to realize that most before/after or ‘progress’ photos involve a little tweaking… such as tanning, shaving, optimal lighting, posing, sticking your gut out vs flexing, pumping up, water and carb manipulation, etc.
Even just the camera angle or changing your body position can create an “illusion” for the camera. This isn’t even getting into the discussion of whether photoshop was used, or steroids for that matter.
While some of the strategies I mentioned above don’t necessarily qualify as “cheating”, but it helps to know this if you expect to achieve the results you see in those ‘testimonials’. I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t aim high and set very challenging goals for yourself, however it can be very disappointing to work hard towards an unreachable goal you set based on unrealistic expectations as a result of the crazy transformation promises made by some products and programs.
To avoid being misled, adopt a healthy skepticism, look for actual videos of the transformation, check if body weight and measurements are indicated, and just use common sense. Watch my video below to see how I made my own “Same Day” Transformation Photo:
In this video I’m demonstrating a simple example of how you can temporarily attain a noticeable change in your physique over a short period of time, implementing some of the strategies I listed above. Of course this is just within a few hours; if you apply these methods more conservatively over 6 or 7 days it can make a more noticeable difference.
With this in mind, you can not only look at before and after pictures with a healthy degree of skepticism, but the other consideration is that once you are lean enough (ie: single digit body fat with visible abs) you can use some of these techniques yourself to transform your body over a few days leading up to a contest, photoshoot, or a beach vacation.
In my 3D Abs product I include a bonus report call “Beach-Ready Bod: Peak Week Prep” which explains all of this in detail. Check it out at: http://yourgymtrainer.com/3d-abs/
Loved it Josh! It was hilarious!
Just goes to show how much you can spin just about anything. Good lesson on healthy skepticism!
I also tried this once before but I failed to do the photo tricks LOL