Sorry, a long one today.

We had a really busy weekend starting on Friday morning.

Team Achieve headed over to the BodyPower Expo, which is predominantly aimed at the more muscled members of the world.  

It's a great show and fantastic for people watching.  Lots of people walking around with their tops off hoping to get sponsored by a supplement company or get a magazine cover.  I have a couple of physique athletes and cover models that I treat and there is a lot more to it than just having a good body but they try regardless.

Some look good, some look kind of freaky.  At times, I didn't know where to look as there were girls walking around in skimpy bikinis with boobs that didn't fit, handing out protein shakes and supplements.  It was amazing to see how many people just took whatever was on their tray without asking what it was or what it would do.  Such is the power of boobs and free stuff :)

Fran worked at the show on Friday and Saturday and succumbed to the pressure and got a fake tan to blend in.  I really stood out having the skin tone of Casper the Friendly Ghost.

We went to check out the latest in supplements for health and to meet up with our friends from Get Lean with Greens, they had a stand there to promote the benefits of a nutritious drink rather than a silly meal replacement.

There were a lot of supplements on offer that just had ridiculous amounts of ingredients, chemicals, e-numbers etc all preying on those that are looking for a quick fix or easier way to get in shape.  Unfortunately, the only way to get in great shape is to put the work in.

My clients that are physique athletes work insanely hard and have inhuman control over what they put in their mouths but it shows in their bodies.  They look amazing.

Saturday night we went to one of friends 30th birthday parties, it was an amazing event.  Her husband had got Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls to come and perform and spend some time with her.  She had a much better voice than I remember :)

Something that she said during her performance, really resonated with me and is something that I am strive to help people see on a daily basis.  She spoke about Martha's inner beauty and how nice it was to meet somebody who was so beautiful on the outside match it with her soul and actions.

Martha is stunning and a truly wonderful person.  As we all are.

The problem with being externally beautiful or buff is that some people around you can jump to conclusions about your personality.  They assume you are bitchy or really vain, they find struggle to see beyond the image and to the person below which is where the true beauty really lies - like in 'Shallow Hal' :)

My physique athlete clients have amazing bodies and when when I post or share something on Facebook from them, there are usually comments about photoshop or that they must be boring and have no life, that they can't be happy etc.

They are all great people, who go out of their way to help people and spend time explaining exactly what is necessary to look the way they do.  They don't judge people on their appearances yet are judged by everybody they meet.  Their personalities are far more appealing than their perfectly formed physiques ;)

Everybody is beautiful, it's simply a matter of whether they can see it or not.

Being beautiful on the outside seems to have some advantages but it also has it's disadvantages too; it's just that not everyone accepts that.

Be who you are. 

If you are unhappy with your appearance, take steps to change it.

If you are unhappy with your body, take steps to change it.

If you are unhappy  with your diet, do something about it.

We can help you make a start and give you the tools to make change but you still have to put the effort in.

We all have our struggles but we can overcome them.

We live in a beautiful world (someone should write a song about that), surrounded by beautiful people we just have to take the time to look around you and within you to see it.

As my friend Rich Barnes posted on Facebook earlier today - 

"To see the extraordinary, beautiful, amazing, first you must 'take time' to look."

We start our next Achieve Bootcamp on Monday, if you would like to work with us, you can apply by clicking the link below.

http://www.achievebootcamp.co.uk/when/application-form/

Be beautiful,

Darren 'zig-a-zig-ahh' Checkley

P.S. On Sunday we had stunning conditions for our 3 peaks training walk in the Brecon Beacons, I'll post some pics tomorrow.