10 WAYS TRAINING CAN SHAPE YOUR ATTITUDE

Any successful athlete will tell you that the mind is your most powerful tool. The successful athlete is a dream chaser. He sees what he wants to become, he puts in the work and endures the pain necessary to become what he has envisioned; after he achieves his vision, he sets a greater, more demanding vision and sets out to achieve it. For the man with the Iron Mind, nothing is impossible so far as he is willing to put in the work.

I have found that a person's attitude in the gym mirrors their attitude in the world outside the gym. In this article, I will outline 10 ways through which training you body can positively shape your attitude towards other challenges.

THE WORKOUT BEFORE ME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD:     

To the athlete, every workout is the most stepping stone to achieving his vision, and he concentrates all his efforts accordingly.   He does not allow any distraction or dissipation of energy, his mind is always clear and fixed on his purpose.

I NEVER BACK DOWN UNTIL I WIN

He runs until he is exhausted, he lifts until no ounce of strength remains in his muscles, then he pushes for more until he has no more to give. 

I NEVER MISTAKE ACTIVITY FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT

Its not enough to complete your workout. After every workout, the athlete asks himself " Did I do all that I was capable of doing today?" 

 

 I MANAGE WHAT I HAVE TO GET WHAT I WANT

To get more out of his performance he maximizes resources like time, equipment, information, money, and the people around him in ways that help him achieve the most from his physical, mental, emotional, and psychological abilities and genetic potential. If he does not have something, he improvises.

I STRIVE TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE AT ALL TIMES

 The successful athlete knows that there is always room for improvement, and strives to operate at the highest level of his potential at all times. If he doesn't perform to his potential, he rests, prepares himself and returns to the challenge.

I NEVER SETTLE

No matter the challenges or discouragement the successful athlete faces, he never settles for what he can do right now. He is constantly on the lookout for resources, advice and information that can help him break his limits and reach his potential. 

I KNOW MYSELF 
Never ask anyone what your potential is. Stop comparing yourself to other people, you don't need anyone's approval or validation to achieve your goals.   
 


IF I CAN THINK IT, I CAN DO IT!!
Make a commitment to stop questioning that part of you that knows who you are and what you are capable of doing. Follow your instincts and learn from your mistakes; don't be a slave to popular opinions that you have not tested and found to be true. 
 


I KEEP MOVING FORWARD
Every athlete gets to a point in their training where training becomes boring, and the only way to alleviate the boredom is to set a greater, harder, more challenging goal and work towards that goal. They always move forward, irrespective of any failures, distractions, discouragement or difficulty.  

I SURROUND MYSELF WITH WINNERS
 When I have optimistic, disciplined, result driven people around me, I am condemned to operate in an environment of excellence. Avoid anyone who tells you that something is impossible, they can only contaminate your mental state

MARRIAGE AND WEIGHT GAIN

We all see it, a fit and sexy single guy or girl gets married and in a few months gets the spare tire, love handles, pot belly, turkey arms, etc.(If you doubt me, look up your parents pre wedding pictures.)  

Kim +Kanye, 20 years on??

Unfortunately, a recent study revaled that weight gain constitutes the biggest relationship peeve for most couples.

The biggest culprit is the change in lifestyle that happens after marriage. The reason for this is simple; when a person is single, they feel the need to look sexy and attractive, so they adopt lifestyle choices such as dieting and exercise. With marriage and the attendant adjustments however, couples tend to slack off on healthier choices. Your partner may even encourage less-than-healthy habits. "When you're combining lifestyles, sometimes the less active one wins out," says Cheryl Forberg, RD, nutritionist for The Biggest Loser and author of the cookbook Flavor First. for instance when your guy wants you to skip your morning run to sleep in with him, it's easy to roll over and give in.

You don't have to get like this!!!

There's no need to fear, research shows that couples that work out together have a 94% chance of sticking with their fitness programmes. Couples can motivate themselves toward a healthy lifestyle while sharing some emotionally beneficial quality time. In order to do this however, the couples should identify activities which they mutually enjoy. Activities which couples can enjoy together include:

1. Dancing: 

Take a Latin dance class or alternatively, head down to the hippest dance club in town and break out some moves. Avoid too much alcohol and drink lots of water while youre at it (You wouldn't want to do something you'll regret later on!!).

2. Martial Arts

 Taking a martial arts class together helps the couple build a healthy respect for each others physical abilities, in addition they can work out together and provide mutual support to each other in the process.

 

3: Swimming:

 This low impact and enjoyable activity can provide hours of quality and healthy entertainment to the couple, as well as being a wonderful prelude to some bedroom activity (*wink*)

 

4. Biking:

 You and your partner could take a nice bike ride and enjoy the environment together reminiscent of how you hung out with your siblings when you were young.

   

 

STYLE IN FITNESS: THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN FITNESS

Bodybuilding is an art form, and I have always held the opinion that a person's physical structure should be aesthetically pleasing, whilst retaining functionality. I have found that the kind of body developed by individuals has changed over the years in line with the kind of physical structure favoured by the media. However, I have realised that there are a lot of people out there who like training, working out, and even like competing, but who don't want to look like the modern bodybuilder. 

The Modern Man

In the period between 1890 to 1920, when bodybuilding was still called 'physical culture' emphasis was placed on a practitioner's ability to perform magnificent feats of strength whilst looking presentable in suits, which were the everyday clothes worn at the time. Thus his training was focused on lifting consistently heavy weights and performing gymnastic and calisthenic exercises. A lean, muscular and strong physique was favoured, and definition and symmetry was not particularly required in competitions, leading to the rather rough edged bodies of the time. 

 

In writing this article, I had recourse to Health and Strength magazine, one of the oldest fitness publications, reaching back as far as 1876 as well as Mens Health, Flex and other fitness material.

  

 

With the period between 1925 and 1950, the aesthetic seemed to have changed due to the increased acceptance of fitness, the advent of fitness competitions and increased magazine distribution, requiring bodybuilders to develop more visually pleasing bodies as well as a bulkier physique.  Definition, symmetry and cleaner lines were prized at this time, and emphasis on strength  was reduced in order to appeal to the general public.  

Women started to participate in fitness competitions as feminism gained more adherents and women became increadingly encouraged to take control of their destinies. This led to fitness publications featuring more female models, presumably because women clad in skimpy outfits may have sold more magazines. Female fitness models were expected to retain their femininity have broad shoulders, flat stomachs and tiny waists.

 

 

I believe something went wrong between 1950 and 1960, especially with the increased proliferation of the television and the development of broadcast media as a competitor to print media. It seemed like the media was trying to define how a bodybuilder should look. There was a conflict between the way print media believed an accomplished bodybuilder should look, and this influenced the governing aesthetic.  As you can see in the magazine covers below, the model on the left is far slimmer and more defined than the model on the right. A bulkier, less defined physique with broad shoulders and slim arms was preferred in the 50's and you can see this in the way movie stars of the day were built.

 At this time, it seems that female fitness was de-emphasised, as female models seemed to appear only on precious few covers. It should be noted that the Miss World (1951) and Miss Universe (1952) pageants commenced within this time and it is possible that public opinion may have required that emphasis be placed on female beauty, as opposed to athletic ability. The rise of beauty pageants possibly led to the rise of the 'burn fat!!!' movement and the portrayal of the thin woman as 'beautiful'.  

 

Happily, the conflict of the 50's gave way to a resurgence of enlightened bodybuilding between 1960 and 1969, probably due to increased education about nutrition and innovations in training equipment which enabled bodybuilders train with improved effectiveness and recieve quicker results.  However, this aesthetic changed with the rise of the Mr. Olympia and media preference for larger than life bodybuilders. Between 1970 and 1990 the increasing use of steroids and supplements by bodybuilders led to the evolution of the superhuman bodybuilder. There was also a resurgence of interest in female fitness, although the reappearance of women on magazine covers was more of an exploitation of their sexuality than an affirmation of their place within the fitness world.

From 1970, increased emphasis has been placed on muscle size and definition, leading to the prominence of the 'six-pack' as evidence of fitness. Innovations in training methodology also enabled the development of finely defined physiques. 

The rise of the internet and the explosion of fitness websites and enhanced information about fitness has led to the growth of a movement towards individual fitness. Ordinary people are becoming increasingly aware of their ability to change their bodies and improve their quality of life.