Let's Go Mental

Olivia Newton John had the right attitude.

Let’s get physical.

But as we prepare to go ‘mental’ in our next grind session, we know that it is equally important to prepare your delicate psyche for those ravaging workouts. After all, bodybuilding is all just a question of mind over matter.

There are many stumbling blocks when it comes to preparing mentally for a workout, whether it be the weather outside, personal problems, or a lousy diet.

If you’re been feeling down every time you wander into the gym lately, here are a couple of elements that could be factoring in on your uninspired attitude. And there are many ways to get your attitude – and the weights – back into an upswing.

- Mental stress – The job may have your mind zig-zagging around like a fighter jet. Maybe that long-term relationship has gone sour or your favorite football team has been knocked out of the playoffs. Who knows? The point is, if your mind is anywhere but in your workout, your body may as well not be there, either.

- Diet – Your mother used to lecture you all the time on this. Too much sugar is not good for you. Well, she was right. But the sweet stuff isn’t the only detriment that could be poisoning your mind. Overdosing on fats and sodium or deficiencies of proteins and carbohydrates will also leave you feeling mentally tired and lifeless.

- Injuries and sickness – It could be as serious as the stress fracture in your leg or as trivial as the aching in your head. It doesn’t really matter. Nothing will divert you from mentally focusing on your workout the way a nagging, discomforting pain will.

- A negative attitude – Too much pessimism and not enough optimism can badly warp your workouts. You need to find a healthy balance of confidence, enthusiasm, and realism to vault your workouts to the next level and propel yourself out of that rut.

Finally, after your mind is set and your head is focused on your workout endeavors, it’s time to let your body talk.