Biceps, quadriceps, pecs, glutes, willpower. What do these all have in common? They’re all muscles we should train in the gym. The one I want to talk about today is willpower.
Willpower is your inner strength. It’s your ability to push through when things get tough, to dig deep and work hard. It can be measured by how well you can say yes to something, but also say no: yes to another kilometre on the treadmill or another rep in the squat rack, but no to another piece of dessert or a cigarette.
In a sense, it’s a muscle that needs to be trained. By practising positive self-talk and clear focus, we can strengthen our ability to push through a tough workout, or to not give in to temptation. Proper practice leads to mastery, and it’s the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle.
What the army knows
Military training is all about willpower. To make it in the army you only need a satisfactory level of fitness. They’re more likely to screen you for mental clarity and integrity. They want people they know they can push, and who they can condition to be mentally tough.
A drill sergeant yelling at his recruits to dig deep and keep moving isn’t going to show any restraint, no matter how much the soldiers complain. He knows that when a recruit says they can’t, it’s usually not true. The recruit simply hasn’t built the mental strength to push through the pain and ignore it.
The human body can withstand an enormous amount of pain and pressure, and normally what gives out first is the mind.
The mind convinces the body it can’t go on, when really it can. Drill sergeants know this, and that’s why they ignore the complaining.
The mind is a powerful thing. Give a child a pair of shoes, tell them they’re magic and will make them run faster, and you can bet your bottom dollar that kid will come first at the next athletics carnival. With those shoes on, the child convinces themselves they’ll win, and their legs actually move faster.
Why it lets us down
If our minds play such a big role in our results, why do we let them get the better of us sometimes? Although we can strengthen willpower just like our pecs or glutes, we all still have limits.
What affects willpower is the stress we deal with day to day. If you come into the gym one afternoon stressed from work and emotionally drained, it will show in your performance. That defeated attitude leads us to give up early, when we know in our hearts we could have squeezed out an extra rep. The bottom line is, if you’re not in the right headspace, you’ll train like crap.
Think of your willpower as your body’s fuel tank. If you’re relaxed, well rested and genuinely happy, your tank is full. You’ll have the energy and power to perform. But if you’re upset, stressed or anxious, your tank drains, and by the time you get to the gym you’re running on fumes.
This might explain why you eat so well in the morning, and then by evening, after dealing with all the stresses of the day, your tank is empty and you end up bingeing on chocolate or ice cream.
Train it anyway
To get yourself out of the rut, you’re best off training anyway. Even if it’s a lacklustre workout and you walk out feeling a bit defeated, your mood will still be better, simply from the endorphins.
The best thing about strengthening willpower is that you don’t need a specific day of the week or a special program to hit that muscle. All you need is a positive mindset every time you walk into the gym, and you can train it every day.
Eventually you’ll build the mental resistance to ignore that slight discomfort in your body. And you’ll realise the drill sergeant (that is, your personal trainer) yelling in your ear is actually on your side, helping you quiet that little voice called weakness that only exists in your mind.
For a real-world test of all this, read A Difficult Decision.
