Rule #4: Train the Mind
📖 Part of the GYMHOOD® Discipline Series
Everyone talks about training hard.
Very few talk about thinking hard.
Your body doesn’t quit - your mind does.
Before the rep fails, your head says “that’s enough.”
Before the alarm rings, it tells you to stay in bed.
Before the work starts, it gives you a reason to wait.
If you don’t train the mind, the body will follow it backwards.
The Mental Side of the Grind
This hit me one morning at the gym - barely 10 minutes in, already telling myself I’d done “enough.”
But I hadn’t.
I just didn’t want to push further.
That wasn’t physical. That was mental.
That moment changed everything.
I stopped focusing on reps and started focusing on resistance - the kind in my head.
And every time I pushed past it, I won something more than strength:
Control.
The Science Backs It
Research from the Journal of Sports Sciences shows that mental fatigue significantly reduces physical performance - even when the body is fully capable. [Marcora et al., 2009] found that mentally drained participants gave up faster, despite their bodies being ready to keep going.
Translation? If your mind’s weak, your body doesn’t stand a chance - no matter how strong you are. Just ask Goggins. He built his body by dominating his mind first.
How to Train the Mind
You don’t need to meditate in a cave.
You need to build mental reps the same way you build strength - daily, consistently, with focus.
Here’s how I train the mind:
📖 Read 10 pages a day.
Start with something that actually makes you think.
One of the first books I read when I started this journey was Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat. It helped me get my head right - before the gym started fixing everything else.
A few pages a day won’t change you overnight. But they build the foundation.
📊 Log your workouts with intent.
I start with 3 x 12 reps. When I hit 3 x 16, I add weight. It’s not just about tracking progress -it’s about proving I don’t stall.
🧠 Visualise the day before it begins.
Know what you’re hitting, where the resistance will show up, and how you’ll push through. No guesswork. Full focus.
🐸 Eat the frog.
You do the hardest thing first - because if you don’t, it controls your day.
Whether it’s a tough session, deep work, or a hard decision - you knock it out early while your willpower is fresh. That one win carries momentum into everything else.
It’s not about being “motivated.”
It’s about being prepared.
Mentally locked in. Ready to go to war.
What to do today:
✅ Read 10 pages of something that challenges you
✅ Reflect on a mental win (or loss) from this week
✅ Share it and tag us → @WearTheMindset / #GYMHOODDiscipline
You train your body to be strong.
Train your mind to be unstoppable.
🔥 Wear the Mindset. Strength starts in your head.