Muscle Mentality: What it takes to Really Grow

A progressive mindset and muscle mentality are the founding principles for which everything else you do will rely upon. When you set out to establish your goals, have created the markers of success and have eliminated any and all obstacles in your way, this is when real growth can and will occur. Building serious muscle mass is no easy task; in fact it’s extremely difficult.

It takes a considerable amount effort with each waking minute of your life and relies on the precision in your actions. The process may be long and there will be times when you doubt your expectations but fear not my friends. There is a light at the end of the barbell and through your consistency, dedication and sheer will to succeed, you too will grow and this is the muscle mentality it will take.

See Your Muscle Mentality Success

It all begins upstairs in your thoughts. When you close your eyes and imagine yourself training and eating and taking all of the necessary steps to grow, can you actually envision yourself getting bigger and stronger? This is an extremely important mental exercise to master as it is a strong indicator of where your mindset is.

If you are envisioning failure when you close your eyes and open your thoughts, you have already put yourself at a disadvantage. If, however, you can consistently picture yourself progressing through each stage of your training, pushing more in the gym, seeing the sleeves on your Gasp t-shirt getting tighter with each week that passes and growing into the bodybuilder you have always imagined you would be, then you are on the right path mentally. Remember to see what you want first, establish the plan second and then execute with methodical perfection to ensure success.

Know Your Numbers

The next important facet of muscle mentality is knowing your numbers. Your approach has to be precise, you put all your effort and give all of your attention to how you train and eat but are you really looking at this as closely as you should be? You have to get yourself into the practice of looking at the numbers, recording the numbers and then adjusting as need be.

This means recording the sets, repetitions and the weights you use on a weekly basis. This will give you a ledger of accomplishments to reflect upon and then ultimately surpass. Secondly, if you aren’t already, count your calories and your macronutrients.

This is ultra-important within the entire process and you can’t just guess your food if you’re serious about this. Finally, set times and dates. By doing this you will be holding yourself accountable for your actions with each day that passes. Yes, these may seem like extra steps but they are necessary and prudent to the process.

Go All In

Finally and most importantly, you cannot, and I repeat, cannot do this whole bodybuilding thing half-heartedly if you are aiming to attain the type of muscle mass that makes others shake their heads in disbelief. You have to settle in with the fact that you are going to miss out on certain things in life. You will have to exempt yourself from the nightlife your ‘normal’ friends are enjoying each weekend. You are going to bring Tupperware containers with you everywhere you go so that you do not miss your meals. Your day will revolve around those meal times, your cardio sessions and your weight training. This is what it means to have muscle mentality.

Eventually, you won’t be able to buy clothes off the rack and you’ll be placing weekly orders with Gym Star Apparel and yes, you will be looked upon differently from others around you. If, in your mind, you are at peace with all of this and could care less because you are laser-focused on the task ahead, then you can expect to make the gains you are in search of.

The mindset of a bodybuilder is unlike any other. Our mentality is one of perfection, constant manipulation and a ton of ambition fuelled behaviour. We enjoy the challenge, we relish in our desire to be better with each day that passes and we can troubleshoot our thoughts and subsequent actions in great detail and care. This is what we want to do, what we love to do and what we will continue our muscle mentality until the very last rep.

Author: Dana Bushell

Gym Star Team Member