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The Cursed Article. This article has 1,700 words plus and I have worked pretty hard on it. It would have been done long ago but I've re-written it several times both to make it better and because it's been deleted on me twice. I am glad to be done with it that's for sure. It is like the cursed article but it's finally done. I think you'll enjoy it and maybe you can benefit from it yourself. :) I will hopefully have more articles coming soon. I have several started and I just want to finish them.
Also... If you have enjoyed my article and feel you want to be generous and donate to my writing fund, here is my address. Seriously, all donations cheerfully accepted!
Anthony Church
64 South Side Drive
Monroe, N.Y. 10950
Now, without further ado...
As you have heard, Bodybuilding is just as much mental as it is physical. Motivation is created in your mind. It is something can only be generated from your feelings. It is something that is deeper inside you than your everyday emotions of happiness, sadness, fear and anger. It is a will, a desire and a determination that comes forth only when set off by something more. It is one step deeper than these, and for this reason it is much more difficult to attain. It is my true hope that with the help of this article, you will acquire the ability to reach deep into the depths of your mind where motivation sits sedentary and allow it to thrive in the gym as well as other aspects of your life where its existence is intended.
Read this article - By reading this article you are taking the first step to becoming more motivated. Congratulations on your wise decision. Don't forget to read other articles as well and perhaps they will motivate you as much as this one is intended to.
Get a workout partner - Having a workout partner can have huge advantages to your training and help you to reach heights you've never even seen before. The thing about workout partners is that their benefits are most often thrown away and even countered by the improper use of them. A workout partner is NOT a social partner. They are not for you to socialize with and to have a good time with talking about their day, or telling old high school stories. They are there to force you past where your current limits, to help you make gains, and most importantly to help you get the most out of your training. If you are serious about training, your workout partner will not always be your best friend but rather someone who has similar goals to yours and is close to you in physical attributes such as strength and condition.
A good effective workout partner will know your limits. They will know when you can get out another rep, they will be able to give you advice, give you feedback, and give you motivation. They will know when to grab a weight from you or when you want help with another rep and when you don't. All of this will usually come in time. The relationship between workout partners should be mutual. You are not feeding off of your workout partner but rather sharing a meal with him. He should want to see you excel just as you should want to see him excel. If there is some sort of big egotistical unspoken secret competition going on, then you both lose out. If that is the case, then get yourself a new workout partner. If your workout partner isn't benefiting you and you are of no benefit to him, just politely get a new partner. Remember, this is for motivational purposes. A workout partner should give you some sort of motivation. even if it is just giving you a good reason to get to the gym!
Music - Music is more powerful than most would think. It can set off an array of emotions, or just put you in the mood to get done what it is that you need to get done. It can change the way you feel, think and even act. There is quite possibly no other intangible motivator as strong as music. It doesn't matter exactly what type of music you listen to, more what the music does to you. If you workout best when your angry, then listen to loud angry music, Metallica for example is a good choice. If you workout best when you are feeling peaceful, then listen to music that is more mellow and perhaps has 60 beats or less per minute. Sometimes people will find that when something depresses them, they can turn that depression into energy through the use of music. There are also the people who like music with a lot of beat in it. For these people R&B and rap music will work wonders, especially for pumping out rep after rep. No matter what type of music you try, try something and you will not be let down!
Gym Membership - If you workout at home then getting a gym membership or committing yourself to a gym environment can be a huge motivator all in itself. Just the mere presence of the atmosphere can assist you in training harder and longer with more focus and concentration. The sound of the metal weights banging together as someone piles on the 45's for a grueling vicious set of squats or the sound of your local bodybuilder screaming his bloody head off as he attempts to get that one last rep can put you right where you want to be in order to make your gym sessions the most challenging, fun and rewarding moments of your life. Another priceless advantage of going to a gym is what is called "networking," or meeting people with whom you can associate about Bodybuilding, share ideas, give suggestions and most importantly use to motivate you. They just may open up a gate into a whole new area of Bodybuilding for you. Meet as many people as you can in the gym and you can may have a lifetime of benefit from a single source. It could be the dawning of a new era.
Buy Something - In order to get yourself back into a training mood after a mental descent try purchasing something new for yourself that is training related. For example, buy yourself a new pair of workout gloves or a new weight belt. Maybe even buy yourself new lifting shoes or clothing. Having the new item will make you more willing to get back into the gym and start your training again. If that doesn't work, try buying a new CD to listen to while you train or reading something that you might want to give a try in the gym. This will usually make you slightly more positively anxious to get back into the gym.
Mental Pictures - Your mind is an EXTREMEMLY powerful and underused tool. Just thinking about something will make you more likely to do it. Try looking at magazines with pictures of your favorite bodybuilders to inspire you or make you try harder to achieve your goals. A film of your favorite bodybuilder can also be motivation. For example, many people are motivated by Arnold Schwarzenegger's classic film, Pumping Iron With Arnold. Try buying a video of the most recent Mr. Olympia and picture yourself up there on stage. Go to the gym and imagine where you want to be. Picture yourself onstage winning your first Sandow. Feel the excitement, hear the crowd and smell the tanning oil. Use your senses and you will be glorified with a great treat from your adrenal gland, your best friend, adrenaline! You will be lifting so hard that everybody else in the gym will be able to feel it!
Consistency - Once you start seeing gains, that will be your BIGGEST motivator that you could possibly ever see. As a result of your new gains, you may never want stop lifting consistently again. This is called the "lifting bug." As a result, you will have a lifetime of muscular gains, more self discipline, self respect and esteem, self worth, confidence as well as countless additional benefits. For example, especially if it is your first gains you are seeing, if you see your arms getting bigger, your abs coming through and your body fat decreasing, you are going to want to lift 24 hours a day and never stop. You will be so motivated that you will be thinking of Bodybuilding when you go to bed, dream about it, then wake up thinking about it. It happens to many people and it is the road to a life of Bodybuilding and competing. Never give up!
Set Goals - A big motivation is having something to work for. This applies to all areas of your life, not just Bodybuilding. Once you set goals, if you really want them you will be motivated to get them. Don't set yourself unrealistic goals and then be disappointed when you can't reach them. You know what is attainable and what is beyond your abilities. Make the distinguish between the two and work from there.
I hope I have shed some light into your training and set you back on the right track to making the gains that your hard work should yield and that you deserve!
Thanks,