Motivation is a key component in sustainable strength building and for that reason I thought it worthy to dive into some so-called “new age” motivation tricks, as well as more grounded, practical ideas that any skinny guy can use to not give up.
- Visualize. What will you look like when you’re not skinny? What will it feel like? What will you be like? Revisit these questions regularly and firmly imprint the responses in your mind. See yourself at the weight and with the strength you desire.
- Make it fun. Enjoy all you do. Sacrifice effectiveness if need be, but just make sure when you go to train or it’s time to eat a calorie-dense meal that you don’t dread it. The second you dread a part of the process it’s time to rethink the path you’re taking.
- Take one step per day. Progress fuels happiness which in turn fuels motivation. Ease the pressure and just make sure you do one simple thing every day to take you towards your goals.
- Break it down. Write lists of everything you need to do including meal plans, training routines, and all the other small details involved in building strength and gaining weight. Clearly outline the steps you need to take. Obscurity is overwhelming. Clarity is calming.
- Share it with the world. One of the primary purposes of this blog is to motivate myself. As I write about my own progress and share advice along the way I reignite my own motivations. Setup a blog at WordPress or create a thread at a popular fitness forum and start recounting your efforts to the world.
- Work with a buddy. Perhaps you’re an introvert like me and prefer to work alone. That’s fine. But I’ve worked with buddies towards other goals and there’s certainly a motivational factor in having someone to keep you accountable. Just be sure you pick someone with similar desires to your own.
- Read success stories. Scour internet forums and books to read about other skinny guys who have gone through what you’re going through yourself. Consider keeping a copy of these in Evernote as a sort of “inspiration museum.”
- Connect with a purpose. Understand your why and use muscle building as a means, rather than an end. Have an overriding, clear cut reason you don’t want to be skinny and then revisit this reason frequently (although phrase it in a way as to focus on what you do want, rather than what you don’t want).
- Compare implicit vs. explicit motivations. Not all motivations are created equal. Make sure you know the difference between the two different types and get yourself on the right side of the fence. Motivations should be inherently personal, influenced by your internal desires only.
- See the pain. If you were to remain skinny for the rest of your life how would you feel? Unleash that pain and use it as a tool to boost you into activity. Don’t focus on it though. Dwelling on the pain will bring you down. Just use it as a jolt when you feel like giving up (as you inevitably will at times).
- Take your time. Life is not a race. Building muscle is not a race. Be content with the process of strength training, the joy of food, and organize your life so you wake up each day and can honestly say “Yes, I’m doing what I want to be doing.” Once you achieve that state there’s a sense of effortlessness you’ll feel in your progress.
- Simplify. Complexity kills motivation. Do fewer, but more intense exercises. Eat the same types of meals again, and again, and again (but feel free to mess around with the composition of them). Oh, and any idea that sounds too kooky probably is too kooky. Avoid any muscle building approach that makes you look or behave weirdly.
- Take constructive breaks. You’re not a machine and sometimes you need an extended rest period. In those situations though make sure you deliberately choose your extended breaks. Never let training become dull. Instead, take a break for a week or so by your own decision, before you run out of fuel. Then, when you come back you’ll be roaring to get back into the game.
- Monitor success. Either start taking pictures of yourself each week to determine how much muscle your gaining or take the lazy (and so much easier) approach of looking at yourself in the mirror. The latter is less “truthful” at times, but for an ectomorph strength gains are usually fairly noticeable.
- Celebrate success. Reward yourself when a goal of yours is achieved. This could be when a muscle pops up on your arm, or you pass a certain weight milestone – it doesn’t matter. Just make sure you’re crediting yourself for your progress.
