You get out of bed expecting to get into your workout routine or it may come after a hard day’s work.  It matters not when it occurs, you may not be able to get into it.  Or it could be you just don’t have the motivation.  Every one of us may go through that experience.

Sometimes you may have to take a day off from training.  It could simply be that you’ve over-trained.  The truth for most people is that they don’t train at all and to get into it takes some guts.  That is when a certain amount of mental toughness comes into play.  Once you get the momentum going over a period of time, then it become easier to engage in your workouts.  Now for the really hard part, challenging yourself to do even more.

Again, mental toughness.  While there is no clear cut definition to mental toughness, there are clear areas where it helps.  Two being that of pressure and consistency.  I want to add that of focus and determination.  Elite athletes and military units have a determined focus to reach their goals.  They are among the best fit, mentally and physically, in the world.  Because of that, they are able to reach summits that the normal person can’t.  Though, it is also through constant training that they reached a world class level.  This is the same in every area of life, those at the top have a different mindset.

Mental toughness is the key to keep going when the going gets tough.  In fitness, it is the keeping going to ensure a successful training session, day after day.  The more experience one gains in fitness, the more mentally tough one can become.  Part of this is how each of us thinks about getting fit and of ourselves.  Confidence in one’s ability and in engaging the physical activity leads to success.  The elite of the world are super-confident and also know their skill-set.

When you are beginning in fitness, your skills are going to be at a low level.  Over time and with consistent training, those skills will improve and so will your ability to take on increasing challenges.  Your mental toughness will help determine how much you are willing to do.  I’ve seen people 40+ go from low level athletes to near elite all because of their determination, consistency and confidence.   They wanted it and did it despite the intense challenges.  They showed true mental toughness.

It is ultimately up to you and your goals.  If getting physically fit means to simply burning off fat and looking great, then that is perfect.  You don’t have to become an elite athlete.  Still, a certain amount of mental toughness will come into play when you run into a roadblock.  You just have keep going at it.  If a sugary treat catches your eye, then your mental toughness will have to say NO!  And then refocus on your goals.

I wish you the best with you reaching your goals in fitness.  Be mentally tough and you will.

Bob
America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of ‘‘Mind Your Own Fitness’