Finding your philosophy of training

With accumulating training age and just age in general! I find myself getting more and more interested in mind-set and developing my own training philosophy. The science of training methodology is of course interesting, but it's the application of this knowledge that keeps me constantly entertained and tinkering.


In fact, I believe there are no real mysteries in program design. Within our current knowledge of muscle physiology, leverage and mechanics, there are not actually that many variations of exercises and training parameters that we know work for hypertrophy (I talk about muscle growth because bodybuilding is currently my area of interest). The challenge can lie in individualising and application of knowledge to oneself or an athlete - and that is where things can get tricky because people are humans, not machines.  This is where I believe self awareness and cultivating a strong intelligent mindset is vital and can make all the difference to achieving a goal. We already know what  programs the great athletes use but yet...the number of people that make it to top level sporting success is infinitesimally small. So, success is so much more than the sum of the parts.

This post is about a few little truths and mental tools that I have learnt along the way. They were hard lessons learnt but ultimately have made my life much easier and I hope there will be some value in sharing these.

What does your sport give to you? 

My chosen sport at the moment is bodybuilding and to me, it is about physical and mental mastery rather than aesthetic beauty. That is my journey with it. My body over the years has acquired injury and illness and sometimes quite frankly it gets really tired! Bodybuilding is a surprisingly creative sport, it is about sculpting a body. It isn't a performance sport as such, like power lifting  - so absolute weight lifted is not important. You therefore have control over the "what" and "how" of your training. It allows one to get creative about overcoming obstacles like injuries; as there is usually a way to work round it.
I love the sport for these exact reasons - there is never an excuse, because most obstacles can be overcome. You can train on your own time, with or without a training partner - there is a lot of freedom within it. It also teaches you about focused concentration (mindfulness), about really understanding what you are trying to do and connecting with body parts. In this respect it is actually the perfect tool to practice mindfulness in sport, something I have been playing around with to good effect. Low and behold I find this articulated superbly in the following documentaries 1) Generation Iron and 2) Kai Greene - a New Breed Volume 1.

What was really interesting about these films was more a glimpse into the mind-set of these world class professional bodybuilders.
They all appear to be big thinkers, but Kai Greene is the athlete who demonstrates his philosophy very publicly. He speaks freely and articulately about mindfulness and being in the present moment. I don't believe it is unusual for bodybuilders to think these concepts, I just think these thoughts are kept locked away privately. The growth of social media platforms means that athletes can't hide away to easily. They are encouraged to connect with their fans and so we have a chance to see more of the personality behind the bodies or performances.
Whether these athletes talk publicly or not about it, what seems to be evident in all the top Mr. Olympia athletes is the level of focus and attention in training. The consistent ability to concentrate in the "now"; to remove attachment to the past and to forget about the future and associated anxieties. This is likely a theme amongst all world class elite athletes - the ability to concentrate and not get distracted.

Actions speak louder than words - a true indicator of one's belief system

I believe one's unconscious belief system, the ideas they truly believe about themselves are the real drivers of a person's thoughts and ultimately actions. Hence the lovely phrase "actions speak louder than words" - very simple and very true. It can be very illuminating as you can not hide from your beliefs. It can be the reason for unexpected success against all odds, or the self sabotaging of relatively easy goals.

If your choice of goal is not in alignment in some capacity with your unconscious belief system, then there will likely be troubled waters along the way. This is where honesty comes into play and either changing the belief system or changing the goal.

The sport of bodybuilding doesn't allow you to hide. It uncovers your authentic self more rapidly than any other sport I have ever done. I have changed my goals along the way because I have been forced to be more honest with myself. At the beginning of this journey 7 months ago,  I would have been happy to just get up on stage, but the goal has evolved to wanting to actually place in my category. Therefore, it makes sense to choose a federation, a date and a category that supports this. Quite honestly, I had no idea of my unique time line for body transformation when I started. No idea how to "shred" or diet to optimise fat loss and maintain muscle. Many many mistakes made; but things unfold and you realise your own natural pace. My own personal preference is for a longer prep phase, very gradual calorie reduction and higher intensity workouts over high volume.

I have at least found that being completely honest and realistic has helped buy me peace of mind and full commitment to my goal, as they are somewhat aligned. To also be honest enough to say how important the goal is and what I am (and am not) prepared to sacrifice for that.

Obstacles are not that important....

Just like someone's life history is interesting of course and is the source and explanation of habits and behaviours but actually it's no more than just a story. I personally think it is the attachment to the story that can create problems. Getting caught up in obstacles and losing perspective on their magnitude prevents attention on the thing that actually really matters, which is the end goal or the journey to get to that end goal. That allows one to make skilful decisions about coping in the present moment. 

What you put attention to grows.....

I learnt the lesson of "target fixation" when I decided to spend a year jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes (skydiving) in the USA. You will inevitably ALWAYS land where you put your attention. So if you're looking at a cemetery or a road or electric cables in attempt to avoid them...that is exactly where you WILL land! Lesson learnt! Obstacles inevitably come up, that's just the nature of life but you have control over how much attention you give to those - minimal attention!!

The 24 hour rule

Another little trick for coping with adversity, failure and obstacles is the 24hr rule. An effective trick my boxing coach used to tell me about. You have exactly 24hrs to indulge in whatever behaviour you deem necessary to cope with a failure or success - cry, shout, hit (non-human's or animals please)...walls will do, gloat, boast, glow...whatever it is but after that 24hr window of opportunity has past, it is time to get back to work again.  It's a way of expressing natural emotion but getting it out of your system so you can get on with the job in hand. It works a treat and it is something I use to deal with pretty much everything.

A small lesson in mindfulness

The idea of mindfulness I talk about a lot. There is nothing particularly esoteric about this concept. No mention of god or spirituality, it is plainly a method of practicing "being in the moment" - so call it what you will, but I believe it is an absolutely essential tool for performing and actually just existing and living fully.


Having the ability to control thought and emotion is such a powerful skill - to have the simple understanding that thoughts are NOT reality. Thoughts pass; they ebb and flow with mood. What you think at the beginning of the day is not the same as ending the day. They change depending on whether you're hungry, need the toilet, are tired...any number of small things. To attach too much meaning to thought can be exhausting and disillusioning. Mindfulness is just a really simple effective tool in practising awareness. It's observing that thoughts and thinking will and do happen - which is natural and healthy but it's also about just as quickly letting them pass by again, without attaching too much meaning to it. It is essentially the same as the 24hr rule but in a much shorter time frame (momentary) and not acting on it!!


I recommend the following book; the author talks very simply and effectively on the topic and introduces small tasks that can be completed easily over 8 weeks.

•  Mindfulness - a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman.

•  Jon Kabat Zinn also talks eloquently on this subject. Lots of videos on Youtube

In short....

Thoughts and actions are derived from our belief system. Goal setting feeds into this and that is why it is important to truly know what you believe at the deepest level. The practice of mindfulness or concentrated focus is absolutely invaluable to fully applying oneself to focused training but it also brings about an awareness of unconscious habits that may not be helpful. I believe it is these sorts of skills that can be transformative both in and out of the gym. They are tools that can help create a more meaningful life and I am all for that!