Have you been working out intensely for months preparing for a big competition? It can be gruelling, especially when you are going from one competition to another quickly. It is easy to lose momentum, right when you need it the most.
The constant push to get better, to lose a few extra pounds to get cut, and to add a little more muscle can leave you feeling drained, sore, and distracted. You lose focus. You start to wonder if it is really worth all the effort. Doubt starts creeping into your mind. You were focused, driven, and energized when you started training for competitions, but you’ve reached the limit. You feel as drained as a cell phone beeping that it is time to recharge.
You still want to compete. Your core decision has never changed, but your body and mind are starting to rebel. This is when the connection between the mental and physical aspects of training becomes crucial.
Does this sound familiar? You started off ready to go. You were 100% focused on the competition and your plan to succeed. You were energized, fired up, and driven. You had everything planned. Your food regimen was precise; your training intense, you planned your days to make sure you achieved your goals. Your energy was at an all-time high fueled by your enthusiasm and desire to excel. You would not be denied.
Then reality started to creep in. The toll of pushing harder, heavier, and more intensely week after week began to get harder. The gains which were so easy at the beginning are coming slower and slower. Your momentum is slowing, your energy is draining, right when you are trying to push towards the finish line and need to be hitting your high point. This is when the average person gives up. It is when success switches from enthusiasm and physical into the mental game of bodybuilding.
It is the mental edge which makes all the difference between becoming a champion or giving up. Champions create a mental toughness which drives them into the gym to train, even on those days when they don’t “feel like it”. They recognize that their ability to push through, to keep moving when everyone else takes a break, is the defining difference. Intense focus and mental toughness is the difference between success and stopping.
Staying focused and building mental toughness and clarity is what allows you to overcome the gruelling workouts and diets needed to finish a series of competition. That mental toughness re-energizes you and gets you back in the gym. It is the defining point to your success.
The philosopher William James made a critical discovery in the late 1800s, which unlocked our understanding of neurology today. He determined that our brain and our mind are two separate things, a discovery many other psychologists and doctors argued against, but a critical aspect to our success.
What William James meant is that our brain is the machine. It is no more than the memory, hard drive, and processor of a computer in a robot. So what makes us different?
The human will is the defining difference. He pointed out that our mind controls our brain. We are not subject to simple calculations, we have a human will.
Human will has the ability to overcome physical weakness and shortcomings. It allows us to complete tasks and keep battling even when our “logical brain” says it is time to stop. It is our will that gives up the power to perform above what our brain thinks is possible.
Years of research based on his assumptions has proven that it all comes down to our attention, our focus. Our mind can override physical limitations and create energy and ability.
Focusing intensely on your goals and your actions turbocharge your brain. It allows the brain to go into overdrive, stimulating your entire body, thought processes, and emotions. Your focus is what creates the smooth flowing conversation between your mind and every muscle in your body.
Your will, your focus, your intense desire, is what allows you to overcome those tough times when your body starts off lazy. You take control through your will. Your ability to use the mental aspect of the game is what separates you from all the other people who skip a workout and fail. It is the defining difference when you step up on the stage. You know you have mastered your workouts, your body, and your mind. You have hit a peak many of them don’t understand. You may not be consciously aware of what you are doing, but you recognize you pushed past limits you previously believed impossible. Your will lifted you to the pinnacle.
You discovered the small difference that separates champions from the average bodybuilder. It all starts by gaining control of your will, your focus, and your intent. When you win the mental side of bodybuilding, you are on the road to success.