It's similar contrasts to Karl Gotch's idea of the Conditioned Muscle Vs. Counterfeit Muscle. Looks can be deceiving in the fitness world and just because you look a certain way doesn't 100% tell you how fit someone actually is. You can look like the most fit guy on the planet like those "influencers" on Instagram or Tik Tok but certain things may determine they're not as fit when it comes to real world application. Hell you can look at a bodybuilder like a Physique Contest competitor that has the slimmest waist and has a twelve pack but many of those guys in reality are stiff as a board and have very little flexibility or limberness. Even the Mr. O Competitors that look like a comic book character can barely wipe their own ass or able to touch their toes in a straight legged stretch position.
There's nothing wrong with looking fit and having a good looking body and posing more often in the mirror than walking. Just don't be deceiving and trying to get people to believe you only do this or that when it's not the full picture. Sometimes the most fit guys (ones that last, also limber and have great agility) look average or above average and wouldn't be caught dead on a muscle magazine. They're strong to the extent when they can maintain that strength for an extended period of time and have a stable level of flexibility where they're not so stiff they can't move in awkward positions.
If you want to look at an extreme level of these differences, look up the UFC Fight between Maurice Smith and Mark Coleman. Smith, a kickboxer who was fit but not that big compared to Coleman who was a wrestler and burly. They went the distance (which is awesome in itself) but you can clearly see throughout the fight that Coleman was wearing down and Smith maintained composure, breathing well and had gas left in the tank. Another example was when George Foreman came back at age 45 and was nowhere near the level of fitness (even by a boxer's standards) he had when he was in his prime and practically had a dad bod with some muscle and still fought 10 rounds knocking out Wilcott.
What I'm not saying here is to test this theory by just looking a certain way and trying to be fit. If you're way overweight and can't go up ten steps without breathing like you just ran a sprint, you might want to start somewhere and focus on getting fit little by little. Some people are exceptions and are bigger than the average person and are fit as you can get. Others are much smaller and look like they have stamina when in reality, they're stiff, don't have much muscle that is useful and don't have strength that would be lifesaving. Being fit does have a certain look but people are built differently and can get fit really quickly or it takes a longer stretch of time because their genetic makeup or structure prevents them from having a level of fitness within a specific period of time.
You can get fit and if the look works with it that's awesome but you don't need six pack abs or have a ridiculously low level of bodyfat to be fit. Hell you can look average and be fit. What matters is getting fit using strategies that suit your goals and needs to get there. Sometimes you might have to shimmy around certain areas because none of us can use the exact same strategies and eating plans 100% of the time which by all accounts is impractical. Find ways that work for you and get fit the best way you can. Make it so the quality of life extends as far as it can go. Get strong, be fit and be amazingly awesome in the process.
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