Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews - Stop Trying to Have Great Workouts

Episode Date: September 9, 2019

This episode is part of a monthly 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: One Monday every month, 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: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Hey, Mike here. And if you like what I'm doing on the podcast and elsewhere, and if you want to help me help more people get into the best shape of their lives, please consider checking out my VIP one-on-one coaching service where we can help you get in the best shape of your life. My team and I have helped people of all ages, circumstances, and needs. So no matter how complicated or maybe even hopeless you might think your situation is, we will figure it out and we will get you results. Every diet and every training program is 100% custom. We provide daily workout logs and do weekly accountability calls. Our clients get priority email service and discounts on supplements and other products, and the list of benefits goes on and on. So to learn more, head over to www.legionathletics.com slash coaching. That's legionathletics.com slash coaching and schedule your free consultation call. I should also mention that there is usually a wait list and new slots do fill up very quickly. So do not wait. If this sounds even remotely interesting to you, go ahead and schedule your call now. Again, that URL is legionathletics.com slash coaching. 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. Raise your hand if you know the answer to the following question. What is the enemy of great? Chances are a montage of social media posts, motivational speeches, and self-help books just flashed through your mind, all proclaiming that good is the droid you are looking for. Good, they cry, is what is holding you back from dreaming your quest and manifesting your visions into fantasy. Good, you must understand, is never good enough. To truly live, good must die. You must

commit every fiber of yourself every day to the pursuit of great. You must strive, suffer, and surpass. You must go big or go home. Beware satisfaction as well, because it is not enough to never come up short. You must also never come down with a case of contentment. Remember, whatever you have accomplished, you could have done at least a little more if all your chips were in the middle. And on and on, little more if all your chips were in the middle. And on and on this type of philosophy goes, winning wide approval among people from all walks of life. Now it rings true because it's not wholly misguided. By definition, you can't achieve the extraordinary through the ordinary, but there's a problem. It is impossible to be great all of the time. Most of the time, good enough is all we can muster. And that's perfectly okay because ironically, a whole lot

of good enough can make you great. In fact, it is the only way to get there without losing your nerve or your sanity. I mean, think about it for a minute. When's the last time you were truly outstanding in your performance of any activity? When your faucet was fully open and you were fully in a state of flow. Now think about how much effort, energy, and presence that demanded and how drained you probably felt afterward. Does it make sense to continually expect that from yourself? Of course not. That is a surefire way to destroy motivation and mood and eventually burn out because as sexy as perfect is, it's equally elusive. Like the muse, it can't be commanded, cajoled, or contracted with.

It comes and goes as it pleases. Thus, appreciate the fleeting moments of perfection, but do not calibrate your expectations to them. Instead, you should demand something else from yourself, something rather mundane, but also readily available and sustainable. And that something else is consistency. In other words, the big secret to achieving excellence is developing your ability to be great at being consistent, not consistently great. And this mostly comes down to just showing up again and again and being just good enough to get just a little bit better. If you can do that, you can make steady progress that compounds over time because it relieves pressure and anxiety, it reduces the risk of injury and burnout, and it provides useful feedback.

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 MuscleForLifeFitness, Twitter at MuscleForLife, and Facebook at MuscleForLifeFitness. By the same token, did I show up and put in Yeoman's service is a much more productive question to ask yourself at the end of every day than,

was I great? Or even worse, was I perfect? Now, that isn't to say that standards don't matter and good enough means just going through the motions. It also doesn't mean that you shouldn't force yourself to do difficult things or that you should just resign yourself to mediocrity. Good enough is about accepting and working with what you've got and where you are at, not what you wish you had or where you want to be. It means acknowledging the fact that you can't microwave real results. They take time no matter how optimized your approach. Take dieting, for example. Many people want to know the best diet for losing weight. And these days, many of those conversations revolve around carbohydrate intake. Well, guess what? According

to research conducted by scientists at Stanford University, how much or little carbohydrate you eat doesn't matter. What does is adherence. That is, people who are great at being consistent lose the most weight regardless of carbohydrate intake. The same thing goes for training. Simple, even simplistic programming and rock-solid consistency beats even the most scientifically sound routines and shaky compliance every time. Similarly, an obsession with heroic effort in the gym is a vice, not a virtue, one that ultimately and inevitably leads to disappointment, injury, and flame out. So stop trying to have great workouts. Stop trying to be invincible. Stop trying to rush the process.

Strive for consistency instead. Stay patient. And in time, once you've given enough good enough, you'll find yourself capable of great. Hey, Mike here, and if you like what I'm doing on the podcast and elsewhere, and if you want to help me help more people get into the best shape of their lives, please consider checking out my VIP one-on-one coaching service where we can help you get in the best shape of your life. My team and I have helped people of all ages, circumstances, and needs. So no matter how complicated or maybe even hopeless you might

think your situation is, we will figure it out and we will get you results. Every diet and every training program is 100% custom. We provide daily workout logs and do weekly accountability calls. Our clients get priority email service and discounts on supplements and other products and the list of benefits goes on and on. So to learn more, head over to www.legionathletics.com slash coaching. That's legionathletics.com slash coaching and schedule your free consultation call. I should also mention that there is usually a wait list and new slots do fill up very quickly. So do not wait. If this sounds even remotely interesting to you, go ahead and schedule your call now. Again, that URL is legionathletics.com slash coaching.