An Introduction to Strength Training Part IV

This post will conclude the Introduction to Strength Training series.

The driving factor which will determine your success with strength training has got to be self motivation. You're not going to go to the gym and bust your ass for an hour and a half if your heart's not in it. You need to find out what motivates you to drag your ass to the gym no matter what the weather is like outside be it rain, hail or shine. Your drive will make however you are feeling that day irrelevant. Countless times I and many others have gone to the gym feeling like total crap and still managed to set a Personal Record (PR).

A lot of people train with an incorrect outlook in my opinion. You don't train for the experience (having fun in the gym or whatever); you train for the results. If your training sessions are a breeze and very enjoyable, chances are you're not training correctly and you won't get results. If you are not getting the results you want you need to analyze what you have been doing in terms of training and recovery (eating and sleep). Your training sessions should be challenging (once the weight is heavy enough since at the start you focus on the technique when the weights are light) and require some level of mental preparation. One of the great things about strength training is that not only does it strengthen your body, but it also strengths your mind. Bring yourself to squat 140kg for 5 sets of 5 reps and suddenly day to day tasks don't seem all that bad.

When you go to the gym, you need to know exactly why you're doing what you're doing. Doing curls all day because it's fun is not good enough. Doing squats because it strengthens your posterior chain and because you will be able to handle heavy weights on the squat is a real reason. Doing the bench press (correctly) because it is the upper body exercise that allows you to handle the most weight is a real reason, not just because it makes your chest look nice.

What motivates me? I got tired of being seen as a skinny pretty boy, and I wanted to be more of a man. I could care less how my hair looks these days and I'm happier with my life than I've ever been. What motivates you can change over time, but how much it drives you to want to succeed shouldn't change, in fact it should drive you even more. Nowadays I'm motivated by wanting to get as strong as possible.

One last thing, be sure to set measurable goals. Are you motivated to get bigger and stronger? How do you know if you're getting bigger if you don't take measurements every month? If the weight on the bar is not increasing then you are not getting stronger. You should be motivated to work towards your goals, and achieving your goals should keep you motivated. It's like ying and yang.