Autumn Calabrese is the creator of The 21 Day Fix and The 80 Day Obsession.

She is a Beachbody trainer and bodybuilding competitor. Yesterday she took to IG to address an issue which she feels is plaguing the bodybuilding community, especially it’s female contingent.

The photo is split in two. She captioned with:

“The pic on the left is me in my third fitness competition. That’s 4 months of eating 110% perfect. No treats, no alcohol, no really going out, several hours a day in the gym…The pic on the right is from two nights ago when I was going swimming with dom. This is me on a regular basis. Still working super hard in my workouts but about 45-1 hour a day instead of 3. Eating 90-95% of the time on point. Not always getting enough sleep but doing my best. Being a busy mom, an entrepreneur, a sister, a daughter and wearing many other hats.”

She says that one major factor in people shying away from fitness or dropping off their plan is the ubiquitousness of stage photos which can “make people feel like their hard work isn’t enough.” These photos are posted year round and give the illusion that stage physiques are sustainable. She also comments on the difference between health and aesthetic.

As for why Calabrese doesn’t compete anymore, she explained:

“It takes all my focus to train for that and that’s not where I’m at in life anymore.”

Competition takes almost complete focus, and dedication year round. She says that to post year round stage pictures with the implication that it’s a year round physique does a disservice both to the art of bodybuilding and to the discipline required to compete.

“Cause walking around stage ready every day all year just doesn’t happen.”

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