Mind Over Muscle

Back again, and this week I’ve been reflecting on my journey over the last 12 weeks. I’ve discussed the physical side of the routine and the tangible things like the diet and supplements, but looking back at my journey and the progress I’ve made so far, along with the hurdles here and there, I thought it would be good to talk about something that I’ve come to realise is the most important part of achieving what I’m working towards; the mind.

As always, none of what I say is authoritative in any way, I’m simply on a journey and relaying my experiences. Perhaps my thought process is the same as yours and you may be able to take something from this, but then maybe it’s not.

So, buckle in as we navigate my mind over the last 12 weeks.

Motivation

I thought I’d start with motivation, since it’s something I hear a lot when I talk to people about getting started on a new fitness journey and it’s something I’ve said in the past; “I want to do it, but I just have zero motivation”.

What I’ve come to learn is that for me at least, action comes first and motivation is earned.

I’d got to a point where the disgust I had for how I felt and looked forced me to act. I wasn’t motivated per se, because the last thing I really wanted to do was get up at 5:45am to go to the gym, but my disdain for myself took over and I acted on that emotion impulsively, lining up a meeting with Tom to discuss what could be done.

Even up to the first session, I was starting to regret committing to the initial 8 weeks, but as soon as I finished that first group session, I had earned myself some motivation, finally.

With each session I attended, each run, each day I hit my calorie target, I gained a little bit more motivation. So 12 weeks on and with all that compounded motivation, this new way of life is becoming a habit and I feel so much better for it – physically and emotionally.

Don’t get me wrong, I still wake at 5:45am on gym days and wish the alarm would kindly f*$k off, but as soon as I’m in my session, it’s like a switch flicks and not once do I give half of me, it’s always 100%. At the end of the day, it’s only me losing out if I let myself off lightly in a session.

Funnily enough, whilst aimlessly flicking through instagram yesterday, having already decided on today’s blog post topic, I came across a post that stuck out to me. I don’t know who to credit it to, but here’s what it said:

If you want to change the trajectory of your life, embrace these rules and apply them: commitment is what gets you started, consistency is what gets you somewhere, and persistence is what keeps you going.

– Someone on Instagram that probably stole it from someone else.

That succinctly states what I’ve come to learn over the last 12 weeks. I committed to starting by signing up for the 8 weeks with Tom. I’ve been consistent for the last 12 weeks with my diet and exercise and I’m persisting still, with the 2 year goal in mind.

The Comfort Zone Demons

Ok, the comfort zone demons as I call them are what are trying to get you to stay in your comfort zone, you know, where everything is easy, Netflix is on, you don’t have time for training, that Domino’s pizza is calling. You know it right?

I’d been living in this comfort zone for way too long. I have a happy home life with someone who loves me unconditionally, regardless of the impending dad bod and whilst this is exactly where you want to be in life in your forties, it’s also a dangerous place to be in my humble opinion as further growth is hindered within the comfort zone.

What I’ve realised is that over the last 12 weeks, I’ve become comfortable with being uncomfortable. No gym session is nice, they hurt like hell, leave me feeling sick sometimes and force me to get up way too early for my liking, but it’s not permanent, it’s for a couple of hours and then I’m done. So I now accept this discomfort and embrace it. The feeling coming out of my sessions is great. I’m exhausted, drained and in pain, but the sense of achievement makes it all worth it and compounds a little more motivation in the process!

Honesty

Quite an obvious one, but it’s been imperative for me to be honest with myself (and my coach, Tom). It makes no sense to come up with BS about why I missed a session, and I feel like the minute you start down that path, it will just open the floodgates for more excuses that you’ll probably somehow validate in your mind.

Any time my diet’s been off or I couldn’t get to a gym session/5k run, I’ve been honest about why and this still keeps me accountable to myself. If I’m going to start lying to myself, I’m stuffed!

Wrapping It Up

At risk of taking you past what is an acceptable time in the toilet, I better wrap things up.

I’ve had a great week when it comes to my routine. I’ve put in solid gym sessions and managed to reach the 2000 calorie target that was set, which has now been upped to 2100 this week and so far, so good. I’ve found that front loading my meals, so I’m having the majority of my calories earlier in the day really suits me and prevents me from struggling to hit the target at 10pm each night.

Below are this week’s progress pictures and I’m really pleased. If you would have shown me the pictures on the right at the start and asked me if I could achieve that in 12 weeks, I wouldn’t have believed it possible, but with Tom’s guidance and the effort I’ve put in, it clearly is.

One final thought whilst on the subject of the mind, what I’m doing here and the progress I’m making is not the result of anything special. The diet isn’t anything bizarre, the gym sessions are nothing out of the ordinary, in fact they’re mostly old school exercises that target the necessary areas efficiently. The key is the repetition and consistency. Show up, truly put in the work and the results will come.

So, before I start to sound like I’ve read one too many self help books, here are the pics.

Have a great week folks and as ever, thanks for reading and taking an interest in my journey.

Zach