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IF you want to look like an athlete you need to train like one. This is true. However, before you can train like one, you need to begin thinking like one. True strength, the kind of strength that generates life change, always begins between the ears.
Vince Lombardi popularized the term “mental toughness” with his well known quote: “Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind – you could call it ‘character in action.’”
Mental toughness, in other words, is something you NEED if you are going to train, eat, and sleep like an elite athlete. Before you generate any results in the body you must first strengthen the mind. Often times the difference between someone who succeeds in their fitness goals and someone who does not is simply a lack of mental strength, or of grit.
It’s great to talk about mental toughness… but what does it actually look like in the real world? In my opinion, In a word, toughness and grit equal consistency. Mentally tough athletes don’t miss workouts, or skimp on sleep. They don’t abandon their nutritional plans and they don’t shy away from the hard work required to pursue their goals. They are consistent, day in and day out. Try making sure you incorporate the following concepts in to your definition of mental toughness:
1. FOCUS ON DAILY PHYSICAL WINS
Mental toughness is like a muscle. It needs to be worked to grow and develop. If you haven’t pushed yourself in thousands of small ways on a day to day basis, of course you’ll wilt when things get really difficult.
It’s the individual choices that we make on a daily basis that build our “mental toughness muscle,” so the best way to start working on your mental toughness is to begin by making better choices.
2. MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS ABOUT FORMING HABITS
Mental toughness isn’t about getting an incredible dose of inspiration or courage from watching some YouTube of your favorite athlete training. It’s about building the daily habits that allow you to stick to a schedule and overcome challenges and distractions without second thought. It’s about getting yourself into a routine that commits you to your training, whether you are “in the mood” or “motivated” or not. Motivation may get you going but habit is what will keep you compliant.
3. DON’T LET SETBACKS SET YOU BACK
People who are mentally tough understand that failure is inevitable. There will be times when you slip up, falter, or really struggle with your fitness goals. Whether it’s poorly planned meals, bad training sessions, missed lifts of PRS, or the face dive you did into the ice cream the other night, you are going to have to learn to roll with the punches. Part of being mentally tough is realizing that setbacks only set you back if you allow them to. Part of being able to handle failure with maturity is reliant upon your ability to have a positive outlook, to focus on the lesions to be learned from the failure, instead of the failure itself.
The great thing about mental toughness is that you are not born with it. You don’t have to learn it at a young age. You can commit to implementing mental toughness at any point in your life, because it simply comes from the decision to apply some of the traits I’ve mentioned. Getting your mind right is going to be paramount in your ability to make changes to your physique through hard training and structured nutrition. Most people fail to reach their potential because they simply lack the consistency, discipline, and commitment that comes from being a mentally tough person. Commit to making the mind stronger first, and you’ll find that the work you do in the gym and in the kitchen will be that much easier. Without some measure of “grit”, you’ll never reach your full potential.
GD
Vince Lombardi popularized the term “mental toughness” with his well known quote: “Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind – you could call it ‘character in action.’”
Mental toughness, in other words, is something you NEED if you are going to train, eat, and sleep like an elite athlete. Before you generate any results in the body you must first strengthen the mind. Often times the difference between someone who succeeds in their fitness goals and someone who does not is simply a lack of mental strength, or of grit.
It’s great to talk about mental toughness… but what does it actually look like in the real world? In my opinion, In a word, toughness and grit equal consistency. Mentally tough athletes don’t miss workouts, or skimp on sleep. They don’t abandon their nutritional plans and they don’t shy away from the hard work required to pursue their goals. They are consistent, day in and day out. Try making sure you incorporate the following concepts in to your definition of mental toughness:
1. FOCUS ON DAILY PHYSICAL WINS
Mental toughness is like a muscle. It needs to be worked to grow and develop. If you haven’t pushed yourself in thousands of small ways on a day to day basis, of course you’ll wilt when things get really difficult.
It’s the individual choices that we make on a daily basis that build our “mental toughness muscle,” so the best way to start working on your mental toughness is to begin by making better choices.
2. MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS ABOUT FORMING HABITS
Mental toughness isn’t about getting an incredible dose of inspiration or courage from watching some YouTube of your favorite athlete training. It’s about building the daily habits that allow you to stick to a schedule and overcome challenges and distractions without second thought. It’s about getting yourself into a routine that commits you to your training, whether you are “in the mood” or “motivated” or not. Motivation may get you going but habit is what will keep you compliant.
3. DON’T LET SETBACKS SET YOU BACK
People who are mentally tough understand that failure is inevitable. There will be times when you slip up, falter, or really struggle with your fitness goals. Whether it’s poorly planned meals, bad training sessions, missed lifts of PRS, or the face dive you did into the ice cream the other night, you are going to have to learn to roll with the punches. Part of being mentally tough is realizing that setbacks only set you back if you allow them to. Part of being able to handle failure with maturity is reliant upon your ability to have a positive outlook, to focus on the lesions to be learned from the failure, instead of the failure itself.
The great thing about mental toughness is that you are not born with it. You don’t have to learn it at a young age. You can commit to implementing mental toughness at any point in your life, because it simply comes from the decision to apply some of the traits I’ve mentioned. Getting your mind right is going to be paramount in your ability to make changes to your physique through hard training and structured nutrition. Most people fail to reach their potential because they simply lack the consistency, discipline, and commitment that comes from being a mentally tough person. Commit to making the mind stronger first, and you’ll find that the work you do in the gym and in the kitchen will be that much easier. Without some measure of “grit”, you’ll never reach your full potential.
GD
