Why do people think that working hard is wrong?

Why do people want to experience change, but are not willing to do the hard work required to get there?

Why do most people find it so hard to be consistent?

Why do so many people let life get in the way of their important endeavors?

Why is our society slowly changing its values?

Why can’t people learn to take it to the next level?

Why would anyone want to take their muscles to complete and total failure?

Why do people who are doing strictly body weight exercises expect major muscle growth?

Why do people think you can’t build muscle and burn fat at the same time?

Why do people claim they don’t have the time to work out?

Matty’s Workout Log:

Competition is my favorite motivational approach.  I use it in every single workout.  What I do is write down my workout in my log before going to the gym.  I also note the weights I want to use for each lift prior to hitting the gym.  With these notes in place I use them to compete against my plan every single workout.  I find that I push alot harder with this methodology.  The approach is alot of fun because it immediately gets you competing with yourself.

I hate losing, so I find that I beat my numbers 99.9% of the time.  It is a great feeling of accomplishment when I am competing with myself.  If is a great way to make giant gains. 

You can turn the competition into a game.  You can see how many times you are able to beat the numbers.  You can post “stretch” numbers on your log and then attempt to hit them.  You can turn things around in your workout by making a strong effort to beat your previous workout.  As training should be progressive, this type of approach is extremely natural. 

When you hit the gym and are feeling angry about something you can use that to push yourself even harder.   I have hit some of my biggest lifts during times of anger.  I transfer my feelings of anger into my workout.  I use those feelings to dig down deeper.  It is an amazing motivational tool to use anger to get bigger and bigger lifts.  I am extremely focused when I am angry.  This goes in my favor at at the gym.  In the end the use of anger to motivate myself actually puts me in a better mood.  The endorphins in my blood help me to feel better and this is all from the exercising.

Matty’s Workout Log:

When you embark on a mission you have great ideas and goals you want to accomplish.  You are certain that you are going to achieve everything you set out to accomplish.  For whatever reason, it is inevitable that you will hit a spot where you are discouraged with your progress or discouraged with your ability to hit your goals.  What you do with that discouragement will determine what happens next.  I am simply suggesting that you use the discouragement you feel to motivate yourself.

Really get in touch with how horrible discouragement feels and use that feeling to motivate yourself to accomplish your goals the next time.  Let the memory of the discouragement push you towards your latest goals.  When you feel like doing something that takes you off course, remind yourself of how the discouragement felt and how you never want to feel that way again.  It is a powerful feeling, discouragement is.  I personally hate the feeling and would never want to experience it willingly.  I use discouragement to remind myself that I need to work hard to accomplish my goals.  I am not trying to chase after my goals, I am trying to draw them to myself.  The feeling of discouragement as a reminder helps me to draw my goals in.

Using disappointment for motivation

When we work hard at something (in our perception) and the results just don’t come, we experience a large amount of disappointment.  It can be quite discouraging and you may want to just quit.  Afterall, why even bother if nothing you do is going to work, right?  Wrong!

The smart person will use the disappointment in their favor by gaining motivation from it.  It isn’t that hard to do.  When you are disappointed you just need to be completely honest with yourself.

Most likely you cheated on your nutrition in places.  Acknowledge that so that you will be able to move forward with a clear conscience.  Give an honest assessment of how you’ve handled your entire nutritional and exercise program.  Use the things you learned from the disappointment to start motivating yourself to do better.

Remember what it feels like to be disappointed in yourself.  Have it ingrained into your memory.  By doing so you will never want to experience that feeling of disappointment again.  You will change your behaviors and start being more consistent.  You will do the right things the majority of the time and this will bring about better results.  It is a purely psychological form of motivation, but it is effective. 

Matty’s Workout Log: