Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews - Motivation Monday: I Will Not Train Until...

Episode Date: November 20, 2017

This episode is part of a weekly series that I have dubbed “Motivation Monday.” (Yes, I know, very creative of me. What can I say, I’m a genius…) Seriously though, the idea here is simple: Every Monday morning, I’m going to post a short and punchy episode that I hope gets you fired up to tackle the workouts, work, and everything else that you have planned for the week ahead. As we all know, it’s one thing to know what you want to do, but it’s something else altogether to actually make yourself do it, and I hope that this series gives you a jolt of inspiration, energy, and encouragement to get at it. So, if you like what you hear, then make sure to check back every Monday morning for the latest and greatest installment. Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here: www.muscleforlife.com/signup/

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say that the average attractiveness of my fellow gym goers should be like as close to a 6 as possible. I mean, anything below 5 and over 7 is just completely unacceptable, and I will not train under those conditions. Hey, this is Mike from Muscle for Life, and welcome to another episode of my podcast. This episode is part of a weekly series that I have dubbed Motivation Monday. Yes, I know, so creative of me. What can I say? I'm just a genius. Seriously, though, the idea here is simple. Every Monday morning, I am going to post a short and punchy episode that I hope gets

you fired up to tackle the workouts, work, and everything else that you have planned for the week ahead. Because it's one thing to know what you want to do, but it's something else altogether to actually make yourself do it. And I hope that this series gives you a jolt of energy and encouragement to go ahead and do all of those things that you want to do. So if you like what you hear, then make sure to check back every Monday morning for the latest and greatest installment. As always, let's start this episode with a quote and this one comes from dr clarissa estes and she

said quote when a great ship is in harbor and moored it is safe but that is not what great ships are built for i will not train until my gym removes madonna from their damn spotify list i listen to my ipod when I train, but I do have to take out my earbuds now and then. And when I do, there's at least a 50% chance that I'm going to have to listen to Madonna squawking about penises or lesbians or something. And you know, my workout really just goes downhill from there. I will not train unless I have wall to ceiling mirrors on three, but only three sides of me. I mean, I'm not picky, but the mirrors must be quite wide and quite large. And the lighting must make me look better than I actually do.

I mean, poor lighting is a complete deal breaker for me. There must be the right kind of people in the gym as well. I mean, I don't want anyone to look significantly better than me because that makes me feel uncomfortable, but I also don't want anyone to be too out of shape either because that's just demotivating. So on a scale of one to 10, I would say that the average attractiveness of my fellow gym goers should be like as close to a six as possible. I mean, anything below five and over seven is just completely unacceptable and I will not train under those conditions. I also have to have the right pair of weightlifting shoes.

They can't be too tight on the sides of my feet because that chafes them and that's really a big pet peeve of mine. And they can't be too loose though either because then my feet slide around and that makes it really hard to maintain proper balance. I mean, I really can't stress enough the need for a perfect fit to have a perfect workout. My pre and post workout meals are super important too. I need to make sure that I consume a shake exactly 15 minutes before I work out and after I work out. And I have to make sure that those shakes contain just the right amount of protein and carbs and absolutely no dietary fat. I mean, I'm not really sure what the proper amounts are just yet, which I probably actually should really figure out before I start training because I know that can make a really big difference. I mean, all I know

though is if I don't drink my pre-workout shake on time, I just feel lethargic in my workouts and they're just no fun. And if I'm late with my post-workout shake, then I'm really not going to build any muscle and I'll just have wasted my time. So why bother? Hey, quickly, before we carry on, if you are liking my podcast, would you please help spread the word about it? Because no amount of marketing or advertising gimmicks can match the power of word of mouth. So if you are enjoying this episode and you think of someone else who might enjoy it as well, please do tell them about it. It really helps me. And if you are going to post about it on social media, definitely tag me so I can say thank you. You can find me on Instagram at muscle for life fitness, Twitter at muscle for

life and Facebook at muscle for life fitness. I have to train early in the morning too, but it can't be dark. And additionally, I must have slept at least eight hours. And I also like to make sure that I've shaved and showered the night before. And I prefer not to have to do my hair before leaving for the gym because then it just gets messed up again. I also need to make sure that I'm fed, but I can't be too full because that makes me feel bloated and that's really uncomfortable if I'm trying to work out. My music playlist has to be just right too. It has to be encouraging and energizing, but not overly stimulating because then I get anxious and that really throws off my rhythm and tempo and it makes it impossible to focus on my lifts. And, you know, if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of a workout, I mean,

I just, I have to go home. I just can't do the gym stalls. The squat racks also need to be in the right place in the gym. I prefer the North Eastern corner facing West. And I don't know, don't ask me why, but for whatever reason, I've always had my best squat sessions when the racks were oriented that way. And, you know, if I don't have a good squat workout, it actually ruins my entire week. And I really just don't want to risk it if the racks aren't set up properly. I also prefer to be given at least one compliment while I'm working out, but no more than three, because then I get a little bit self-conscious and, oh, and I definitely cannot wait for

equipment. I mean, life is just too short to wait for a bench press. And if all this sounds a little bit ridiculous to you, I mean, I don't know, a friend once told me that Abraham Lincoln said that you should sharpen your ax for days before trying to fell a tree. And I don't really know anything about Lincoln or woodcutting, but training is kind of the same way. It's just really hard to cultivate the right conditions for training. And that's why I've really only gone to the gym a few times in the last month.

why I've really only gone to the gym a few times in the last month. People that are less exacting and demanding than me suggest that, you know, I should probably just relax my standards and train under suboptimal conditions because that's what everybody has to do. But I mean, I quickly dismiss that as nonsense. Those three workouts that I did do were some of the best workouts that I've ever had and they produced dramatic improvements in my physique. So, you know, I really believe in working smarter and not harder. Or maybe they're right, and maybe I should just shut up and train. Hey there, it is Mike again. I hope you enjoyed this episode and found it interesting and helpful. And if you did, and don't mind doing me a favor and want to help me make this the most popular health and fitness podcast on the internet, then please leave a quick review of it on iTunes or

wherever you're listening from. This not only convinces people that they should check the show out, it also increases its search visibility and thus helps more people find their way to me and learn how to build their best bodies ever too. And of course, if you want to be notified when the next episode goes live, then just subscribe to the podcast and you won't miss out on any of the new goodies. Lastly, if you didn't like something about the show, then definitely shoot me an email at mike at muscleforlife.com and share your thoughts on how you think it could be better. I read everything myself and I'm always looking for constructive feedback. So please do reach out. All right, that's it. Thanks again for listening to this episode and I hope to hear from you soon. And lastly,

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