The secret to 100% success is motivation. Some clients come to me with a very strange, weak goal: "I want to be ready for my wedding." It’s great if you want to achieve something, but that's a deadline, and it is going to lead to failure if that’s your only goal. Even professional bodybuilders look at a contest as an intermediate challenge; before one show is over, they’re already thinking about the next one.
I see the most success in the clients who come to me hitting rock bottom. They usually come to me after a visit to their doctor. When the doctor says, "You know, I’m going to put you on statins for your cholesterol level," or, "I’m going to put you on insulin because you have low insulin sensitivity."
Some people give up and take a pill. Others go to the gym and try to reverse it. And—oh, a miracle! After three months of training, they come back: their cholesterol level is fine, they are not pre-diabetic anymore, and they are out of the risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, they lost 15 to 20 pounds, they see more strength and tone in their muscles, and it turns out, it wasn't even that challenging. It was just something they hadn't done before.
Then they say, "Wait a second, how can I get your body?" or, "How can I look like that guy on the magazine cover?" The answer is simple: you just continue to do what you’ve been doing for the past three months. Nothing else, nothing new.
The great news about strength training—or bodybuilding (people don’t like that word, so let's call it "strength training")—is that you see results right away. Once you cut down on your calories, you’re going to lose weight. Once you start using weights, you’re going to gain strength, build muscle, and tone your body.
After your first workout, you think, "Oh, my muscles are sore. I guess I’m doing something right." You work out for a few more days and think, "Oh, my muscles feel firmer, like my body is harder." You change your diet, and sometimes people lose 5, 7, or 10 pounds a week just by cutting out the junk and losing a lot of fluid. All of it provides positive, reinforcing signals.
It’s actually very easy to be motivated. Compare it to trying to learn a new language. You might learn thousands of words, but until you become fluent, you’re not going to enjoy it. People aren’t going to talk to you, and you won’t have a meaningful conversation. You have to keep studying and hope one day you will see results. Learning a new instrument takes a very, very long time until you can even start playing—and usually, you play really badly at first. It’s not very encouraging, so the "delta" of the learning process is very long. In bodybuilding, you see it right away—immediately.
So, when you come to the gym, think bigger. Not everyone can be a professional bodybuilder, but who wants that? It doesn’t matter if you are male or female; you can definitely get into fantastic shape. Anyone, without exception, can achieve a six-pack and have a tight, physically attractive body.
Think about how you’re going to look at the end of the process. Think about what your social interactions will be like, what kind of clothes you’re going to wear, and so on. The clearer the vision, the stronger the motivation will be. The more focus you have, the more knowledge will come, along with patience and willpower. And in the future, after a while, you won’t even need that willpower anymore—because your willpower will turn into an addiction.
If you’re in Washington DC and ready to build lasting motivation, get stronger, and transform your body — I’d love to help you get started.
Contact me today for a free consultation and let’s create a plan that keeps you motivated long after any short-term goal.
📍 Bench Gym, Dupont Circle
📞 571-331-1170
TrainerDC.com
The journey is easier than you think — and the results are worth it.
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