Upgrade Your Attitude: 15 Ways To Build A Mindset For Results

Nicholas Sherwood
04/20/2013
Motivation

I am interested in researching motivation because I have a very large interest in my own personal motivation. All humans are significantly unique in their own way. What makes them unique is the ability to express what they want in life. What they want can be as diverse as eating food to becoming rich. It is the drive in their motivation, and the feelings and emotions that they feel during their drive that makes humans behave this way. That is why this topic is so interesting, in my opinion. This material is linked to chapter eight in the book. The topics “Motivation” and “Upgrade Your Attitude: 15 Ways To Build A Mindset For Results” are related in a sense that the article is truly about inner
motivation. When a bodybuilder is determined to work for the body he or she wants, they use their drive. According to the book, “drive” is motivational tension, or arousal, that energized behavior to fulfill a need. When a bodybuilder wants to build muscle, they become aroused by their motivational tension, and use this energy to fulfill their desire of building muscle. Also, the cognitive approach to motivation states that motivation is a product of our thoughts, expectations, and goals. When bodybuilders think about building muscle and expect to see results, they are using the cognitive approach to motivation to reach their goals.
Most bodybuilders go through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in order to obtain the body they desire. They satisfy their physiological needs like eating healthy, drinking a lot of water, and sleeping eight hours a night. When they work out, their safety needs are met. They work out in an environment with other individuals with the same kind of motivational mindset. Some bodybuilders develop a sense of love and belongingness when they work out. To be admired by a significant other, family member, or judges all build onto
their own personal motivation. This is where esteem falls into place.
Some bodybuilders seek esteem through lifting weights and working out. It develops a natural high that most of these bodybuilders get, which makes them feel a sense of self-worth. Whether it is before during, or after their workout. Finally, some bodybuilders develop a sense of self-actualization when lifting weights. They realize that they have a vision for the perfect body. They naturally mistake the pain in the gym for pleasure, and become self-fulfilled from the pain. They wish to reach their highest potential, and nothing gets in the way of their goals. The article “Upgrade Your Attitude: 15 Ways To Build A Mindset For Results” by Skip La Cour is a very powerful article for motivation, in my opinion. Skip La Cour went on to become a six-time national champion drug-free bodybuilder by maximizing his mindset on his motivation and personal goals. Throughout the article, he gives fifteen tips that will help any bodybuilder build their own motivation and seek their goals by performance. Tip one explains how “What You Do Right Now Is the Most Important Thing in the World.” Nothing else matters except for what you are doing in the moment. Tip two stresses
bodybuilders to “Be the Best ‘You’ Possible.” Everyone has natural weaknesses and genetic weaknesses, but do not let that stop them from being the best THEY can be. Tip three states “There’s Always More.” No matter if you have completed your goal for the day, there is always room for more development. Tip four explains “Results Are What Matter.” Bodybuilders never confuse activities for accomplishment. Tip five pushes bodybuilders to “Learn, Share and Learn Some More.” When teaching a workout to another, bodybuilders develop a better sense of that particular workout as they are breaking it down. Tip six says “Use Science, but Don’t Make it Your Religion.” This tip strives to remind bodybuilders that a great physique is the ultimate goal, not a designed routine. Tip seven states “Look for Effectiveness, Not Perfection.” Bodybuilders need to keep their head and heart together through desire and determination, not by an absolutely perfect strategy. Tip eight says “Let Yourself Be Motivated by Others.” When bodybuilders admire more advanced bodybuilders, they want to become more like the more advanced bodybuilders and train like them. Tip nine pushes bodybuilders to “Associate with People at Your Level or Higher.” Hanging around with people who are optimistic and determined is very important in the process of muscle building. Tip ten includes “It’s About Your Results, Dude.” If one bodybuilder outworks another bodybuilder, it does not mean a thing. As long as each individual bodybuilder is pushing to their maximum level, that is all that matters. Tip eleven states “The Basics Work.” Trying to learn more complicated workouts too quickly may take a bodybuilder a step back. Regular workouts like push-ups and pull-ups will always work. Tip twelve reminds bodybuilders to “Keep Moving Forward.” Even if a bodybuilder becomes ashamed that they did not work as hard as they could, they do not dwell on it. They look forward to their next workout and strive to do better than yesterday. Tip thirteen says “If You Think It, You Must Do It!” Bodybuilders do not let their minds feel fatigue, they let their bodies become fatigued. Tip fourteen states “Potential Is Meaningless Until Actualized.” Most bodybuilders need to realize that it does not matter what anyone else thinks of them. They chase their dreams anyway. Tip fifteen reminds bodybuilders to “Measure from Start to Finish.” Bodybuilders do not compare their situation to more advanced bodybuilders. They worry about their own situation, and continue to build from that point on. This article strongly influences me as a learner because I work out six days a week. I learned quite a bit from this article. I learned that the mind is bodybuilding, not the body. My interest in bodybuilding has increased even more after reading this article, and pushes me to work even harder at the gym. In my opinion, this was a great article to read for anyone who works out, whether they are a marathon runner or a bodybuilder, because it contains information that is more about the mind than the body.