Podcast #415: Forging Mental Strength Through Physical Strength

When you start a fitness program, you tend to spend most of your time thinking about the physical part — what movements you’re going to do, how much weight you’re going to lift, or how far you’re going to run. But my guest today argues we ignore the mental aspect of our training at our peril. His name is Bobby Maximus. He’s a world-renowned trainer known for his brutal circuit workouts and the author of the new book Maximus Body.

Today on the show Bobby and I dig into the psychology of fitness. We begin by discussing what holds people back from getting started or going further with their goals and how sticking little green dots all over your house can help you surmount those barriers. He then shares why it’s important to manage expectations when beginning a training program and why there are no shortcuts to any goal. We then shift gears and get into Bobby’s training philosophy. He shares how to train to be “ready for everything,” why you need to do strength training before your endurance work, and why recovery is so important in reaching your fitness goals. 

We end our conversation with some examples of the “Sunday Sermons” Bobby shares on his website and a discussion of why perspective is important whenever you’re going through a hard time in life. 

After the show is over, check out the show notes at aom.is/maximus.

Show Highlights

• How Bobby went from being bullied to the upper echelon of kickboxing and ultimate fighting 
• The biggest mindset shifts that people need to make to prioritize fitness
• Why we tend to set the bar really low when it comes to our fitness goals 
• How to nip negative self-talk in the bud 
• Green light thoughts vs. red light thoughts 
• The 130-hour rule
• How Bobby routinely gets people to do the things they don’t believe they can do 
• Why Bobby believes in “goal directed training” 
• Bobby’s favorite workout circuit 
• The importance of recovery in your workouts and fitness routine
• Why there’s no such thing as “overtraining” 
• Proactive vs. reactive stress management 
• How to handle periods of extreme stress
• How Bobby has dealt with the after-effects of a life-threatening disease
• Bobby’s “Sunday Sermons” 
• The benefits of social media in Bobby’s life 

Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast

• The Whole Man: 25 Men Who Cultivated Mind and Body
• Brains & Brawn — Tips and Inspiration on Being a Well-Rounded Man
• Embrace the Grind
• Making Exercise an Unbreakable Habit
• How Bad Do You Want It?
• Why Every Man Should Be Strong
• Thor Bjornsson – Word’s Strongest Man
• The Burpee — One Exercise to Rule Them All
• Get Stronger by Improving Your Post-Workout Recovery 
• What Every Man Should Know About Sleep 
• 22 Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
• How to Manage Your Stress
• Clostridium difficile 
• Tig
• My interview with Steven Pressfield about the Resistance