Look Into My I’s – The Fighter
This is part 5 of the “Iron, Intelligence, Inspiration” series. Make sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
MINDSET FUELS GYM SETS
Clearly, iron training is super laborious. Fitness neophytes and experts both have days when we need extra verve to withstand our workouts. On such days, we can seize superb power from mental visualization. The “Look Into My I’s” Series illustrates how iron, intelligence and inspiration intertwine and, in turn, reinforce a creative mentality of fitness achievement.
The range of iron lifters, from newcomers to oldtimers, practice motivational techniques to survive gym sessions. Sometimes motivation comes from outside I’s — iconography, impressions or irritations — external sources in the form of our favorite brands, focus on others’ perceptions, or frustrations with other pressures. But, when we look into our own I’s, we use intelligence to pull from internal sources of inspiration and absorb the power of our imagination to enhance physical performance.
The principal philosophy: Mindset Fuels Gym Sets. In effect, when laboring through iron training, imagine transforming into a character or series of characters that embolden you to prevail. Who are these characters? Further analysis identifies the dominant, primary Motivational Archetypes: The Warrior. The Champion. The Machine. The Fighter. The Hero. Which one(s) are you, and when do you call upon your iron alter ego(s)?
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Motivational Archetype Profile
YOUR INSPIRATION:
The Hero.
YOUR ITINERARY:
The Mission.
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YOUR IMAGERY:
The Hero swoops down from the sky and into the gym, with your super-self emblem emblazoned across the chest of your costume and your grand, symphonic, theme music announcing your arrival. The concerned citizens of Gym-ville (other gym-goers) gather to watch their beloved superhero tackle the mission you were called to complete: defeat the evil villains (i.e., the weights, dumbbells, barbells, equipment). You stand poised, summoning your special abilities. Ominous, the villains stare back at you. This is the climactic fight scene… “Action!”
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YOUR INSIGHT:
Generally, you call upon the Hero mindset when you are excited about a workout and want to celebrate afterward. Unlike when you mope into the gym unmotivated from the start, when you are eager to prove yourself — to yourself — the “showoff” in you wants to “put on a show.” For instance, you woke up with extra energy and want to beat your personal best on an exercise. You overcame an illness or injury and are enthused to return to the gym to test your revitalized body. Unexpectedly, you “catch a break,” receive a gift or opportunity, and you want to channel your excitement into a tougher-than-usual workout. The Hero loves the heightened sense of performing heroic acts like a larger-than-life, comic-book character. As you fight through your mission, every rep, set, and exercise is accompanied by sounds written in big cartoon letters: BOOM! POW! BAM!
For the Hero, the iron plays the role of the arch nemesis in your fictional blockbuster adventure flick. Playing your part, the Hero trains with multiplied intensity, fighting fire with fire, power with power, your godly super strength versus the wickedly massive weights. In the cinematic finale, the Hero longs for the rush of overpowering and ultimately defeating the villains in the classic battle of good versus evil.
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YOUR IMPACT:
Iron training fluently feeds into our hero daydreams, painting mental pictures of the brave, strong immortal flinging hulking, seemingly immoveable objects. The Hero views the iron as an epic challenge and is unwilling to be outdone by silent heaps of heft. Gym language suits the concept of a tug-of-war between powerhouse rivals as one displays feats of superhuman strength with boisterous talk of “super sets,” “strength training,” “power lifting,” “body building,” “strongman training,” etc.
The audience is on the edge of its seats as the big-screen fight scene escalates. Each time the iron gets heavier, the Hero activates more super powers. You leap over squat racks as tall as buildings in a single bound. You stop treadmills speeding like trains with a single foot. You chuck dumbbells the size of planets with a single finger. WHOOSH! WHAM! KAPOW! Gym-ville cheers the valiant victor…yet again. Chest puffed up, theme song trumpeting to the heavens, and cape billowing in the wind, the Hero winks. Your strut into the sunset is the fun part. As the Hero, who barely broke a sweat, exits, your spandex super-suit melts away to reveal a sweaty T-shirt that makes a regular person feel like the strongest in the world. The movie director yells, “Cut!” Your next mission, should you choose to accept it: return tomorrow and save the day once more. Yet again, you will.
Remember, the next time you face a mirror and look into your eyes for motivation, you can do it (push it, pull it, squat it, lift it), whatever it is, if you put your mind to it.
Andrew Oye is an iron enthusiast, a media adviser, a preeminent professional, sports, bodybuilding, and fitness industry journalist. He is also a television, film, and entertainment creative director and writer. You can see all of his work on his official Facebook page.
