The Female Athlete Triad is a serious health concern that every trainer should be aware of. It involves disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and lower-than-normal bone mass, often driven by the societal pressure many women face to be thin. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, “A young woman or girl who is determined to achieve a lean appearance or athletic success may attempt to excel through compulsive dieting and exercise.” Unhealthy weight-control methods are frequently used.

At some point in your career, you’ll likely work with a client experiencing the Female Athlete Triad. I know I have. Let me tell you a story…

One day, I got a call from a woman in her early twenties who wanted to set up a consultation. She mentioned that she was a Budweiser girl in pretty good shape but was experiencing some problems. So, we booked an appointment.

The day arrived. The doorbell rang. And when I opened the door, a tall blonde stood in front of me, wearing a white tube top, a black mini skirt, and high heels. To top it off, the sun was beaming perfectly behind her—it was like a scene straight out of a movie.

Once we got down to the basement studio and had a seat, I asked, “How can I help you?”

She looked at me for a second, and before saying a word, she broke down in tears.

I was completely caught off guard—I did not expect that reaction at all! Of course, I offered her a tissue and told her to take her time. When she was finally able to speak, I was in for quite a surprise.

You’ve heard the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, that was definitely the case here.

This young woman was training an average of three hours a day—an hour of weights and two hours of cardio. She barely ate, and when she did, it was in the form of meal-replacement shakes. She worked late most nights, so to keep going, she relied on stimulants. And I don’t mean the occasional coffee—she was popping caffeine and ephedrine tablets like they were Tic Tacs.

All of this came straight from her trainer. “You want to look good? This is what it takes,” he told her. And apparently, he didn’t just train her—he annihilated her every session.

Every joint in her body hurt. She was having digestive issues and other internal problems. She was absolutely exhausted—the pills were the only thing keeping her going.

Here was someone who looked incredible on the outside but was completely falling apart on the inside. You never would have known just by looking at her the turmoil she was going through.

I really felt for her, and I wanted to help. The first thing I did was refer her to two colleagues in my professional network—a medical doctor to run some diagnostics and a chiropractor/soft-tissue specialist to help with her physical issues.

Then, I laid out a nondestructive approach to nutrition, supplementation, and exercise, along with a discussion about the crucial role of rest and recovery.

She left with valuable information, reassurance that she could achieve her goals without destroying her health, and—most importantly—a smile on her face.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated case. I’ve worked with several clients in similar situations over the years.

What’s disturbing is when a new client walks in, throws down a magazine, and says, “I want to look like this model.” And they want to do it as quickly as possible. That’s their ultimate goal. The problem is, most people have no clue what it actually takes to achieve that level of condition.

A lot of trainers talk about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals with their clients, so I won’t beat that horse to death. But the reality is, most clients focus on the outcome rather than the process. And the truth is, neither the trainer nor the client can fully control the outcome. Instead, clients need to shift their focus to the process required to achieve their goals—and let the outcome take care of itself.

So how does this relate to the classic “I want to look like the model in the magazine” scenario?

Well, aside from genetics, disciplined nutrition, and lifestyle habits, it also takes extreme dieting, frequent training, possible drug use, airbrushing, and years of hard work. Not to mention the number of people involved and the time it took to capture that one “perfect” shot—when the model was peaking at the right moment of the year.

Some of the performance feats these models achieve should also be taken into account.

For instance, it’s not uncommon for top female fitness models to bang out multiple reps of chin-ups and dips (sometimes with added weight) or squat with a load equivalent to their body weight—or more—for high reps.

So, if a client wants to look like that model, their first goal should be to achieve at least one controlled, unassisted chin-up and dip, and to squat with at least half their body weight on the bar for up to 20 reps. That’s the starting point, and they can work up from there.

The take-home message is simple: appearances can be deceiving. When setting goals, focus on the process, not just the outcome. Looking good doesn’t always mean being healthy. If you want to win the race over the long run, opt for slow and steady over quick and dirty. It takes patience and discipline, but the rewards will keep you smiling for years to come.