Giel Beelen: “How do I get a six-pack”?

Geschatte leestijd: 3 minuten “How do I get a six-pack?” Giel Beelen asked the question and worked hard for the answer. Now, he proudly shows off the result.

“How do I get a six-pack?”

That’s the question Giel Beelen asked himself almost exactly a year ago. Yesterday, he posted a video online from his documentary “Giel’s road to six-pack”. In it, we can see the result of nearly a year’s work. Congratulations, Giel. You set a challenging goal and did everything necessary to achieve it. Major props for that. For most, it remains a case of “if only I could”, “if only I would”, “if only I was able to”. You just did it. It’s also a nice bonus to silence the skeptics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=69&v=7whKcv0gDeA

It takes a village to raise a six-pack

It’s obviously smart to seek help for such a project. In our online coaching app, we also connect people with such a goal with an expert who advises and supports them. With one expert. But you can also overdo it with the help. Couldn’t you have opened a few more cans of YouTubers, personal trainers, and physiotherapists, Giel? I knew it takes a village to raise a child, but never knew this also applied to a six-pack. Jonathan Anthony Cruijver, with whom you started training twice a week. Olympic speed skating champion Mark Tuitert who showed you some knee raises. Physiotherapists (yes, plural) and bodybuilders taught you how to tense your core muscles. JayJay Boske advised you on supplements. YouTubers I’ve never heard of and YouTubers you have to hear because they’re always shouting. They all were ready to provide you with advice. I recognize the need from newbies to quickly gain as much information from as many sources as possible. Hoping to learn those ‘secrets’ and tricks that speed up the process. However, I believe there were a few people among them who could have given you (all by themselves) all the necessary tips and info. Like Jeffrey Suijkerbuijk, for example. For those who also want a six-pack, don’t worry: You don’t need a whole team of advisors. After all, you’re not searching for the Holy Grail. It is a science, but not rocket science.

Not too skinny?

Giel: “Shouldn’t I bulk up first?”. Peter de Harder: “No way” Giel: “You don’t think I’m too skinny?” Peter de Harder: “No, not at all. Athletic is better” Marathon runners are super athletic. Hundred-meter sprinters are also super athletic. Personally, I’d rather look like a sprinter. What you find beautiful in others and for yourself is subjective. Many people who start their fitness journey do so with unwanted body fat. So, I understand the fixation on getting lean. You don’t have to look like a bodybuilder for me, but just breaking down without building up? I also understand that it could not have been achieved in the same time otherwise. You were clear in your goal. You wanted a six-pack once, and you achieved it. Nobody said anything about muscle mass.

And now?

Once again, congratulations. You have a six-pack. What now? One of the oldest fitness clichés is “fitness is a lifestyle”. For you, however, it was a challenge.

After that, I’m just going to be normal again

Back to the beer belly, then? That would be a shame. First of all, it would be foolish to eat away that six-pack before you’ve properly captured it with a specialized fitness photographer. I know a guy for that. Then, you can look back wistfully at the photos from time to time and share throwback pics on Instagram every Thursday for years to come. Later, you can show them proudly to your grandchildren: “Look, kids, this is what grandpa Giel used to look like.” Only to say “yes, really!” a few seconds later, after seeing them glance back and forth from the photos to grandpa in the rocking chair. But of course, that’s not necessary. What I always find dangerous about such a challenge is that it can create a wrong impression of what a “fitness lifestyle” should look like. Like Filemon, you want to go from a 3 to a 10 in as little time as possible. Metaphorically speaking. This requires drastic steps including an extreme diet. “Your work will just have to suffer for a while,” according to Martijn de Jong from Men’s Health (about making time for sleep). “Just endure it for a few weeks.” However, from now on, you don’t automatically have to associate fitness with complete exhaustion and starvation. You don’t have to set the bar and thus the threshold so high. Why not go back to a 7?

Athletic Giel

Personally, I think you might have benefited more if you had learned how to go from a 3 to a 7 with a balanced diet and training program. Then you would probably have been introduced to a lifestyle that is actually sustainable. One that doesn’t feel like you have to run a marathon after an Expedition Robinson. Then it actually becomes a habit to go to the gym and not a form of self-flagellation. Then you learn that a healthy diet can also be a tasty diet. Colleagues might even call you ‘athletic Giel’ from now on. Your grandchildren could then only see the beer belly in photos from your pre Veronica years. That’s a much nicer future to look forward to.