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Ecto’s Bible - A hard-gainers standard for success
Chapters 1 and 2
by Superior1, Moderator @ www.Anabolic-Paradise.com
For more information about Superior1 and his line of Superior Nutraceuticals
supplements, please click on the above banner.
Over the next five months we will be featuring the Ecto's Bible - A hard-gainers standard for success, two chapters at a time. We will highlight metabolism, nutrition, training amongst many other topics. Please check back monthly for the next installment.
Chapter 1 - Mental Preparedness
Vision
A Vision is more than a goal. A vision should lie balanced within the realm of fantasy and reality. It should be seemingly out of grasp and even impractical and slightly unattainable to a degree. Can a true dream or a vision be such if it's there within your grasp? The answer is NO! Then it would be reality and would require little or no effort to attain. Human nature is one of a perpetual discontent. Never happy with what it has in the present and always wanting more, wanting what it doesn't have or cannot obtain. It can be a very unhealthy trait, but at the same rate it can drive one to achieve things that were normally not meant to be. And it's this trait that will drive us day to day to reach our vision. Without a vision is to be without a purpose or a mission. With no purpose you wander to and fro with little value of self worth. With a vision comes a mission, thus a theatre in which to initiate a strategy to accomplish your mission, bringing your vision into reality. A vision should be fairly easy to for us, even second nature, we've been doing it since childhood. Many people's childhood dreams become their destiny, some through the subconscious of the vision due to the sheer magic surrounding a vision. Something supernatural draws you to your dreams again and again. Although some of us seem to have to apply much more conscience thought and effort to attain it and even keep it in focus, it's mandatory that you accept that this is you. And when you do you should strive towards your vision like the world is here to keep you from it. So therefore along with our visions should come the realization that a lot of effort, planning, perseverance and sacrifice, is more than likely required. If your thinking is of the nature that approaching your task at hand in a fashion that is mediocre, then you will always return results that are mediocre in themselves. Until you let the fact sink in that you are required to train and eat like a unbridled, starved and rabid animal, you will always be unhappy, because you only reap in equal measure what you sew.
Many visions never materialize due to the individuals' willingness to easily surrender to the obstacles leading to the goals. Without fixating your eyes and mind on the vision, and instead the obstacles, one can and will lose their determination and their momentum. More that likely you have your vision in your sight, you're now on a quest to obtain the knowledge and instruction to achieve it. If so? You're on the right track. No body, NOBODY has ever failed by having a willingness to learn, and the determination to succeed. Let’s look further at some traits we need to encompass to bring our individual vision into reality.
Determination
The embodiment of desire, motivation and aggressive effort toward predetermined goal. It's the driving force of effort behind the will to achieve your vision, as well as an equal measure of the results.
Its more than just a strong desire, desire in itself has no action unless there is enough motivation to bring with it effort. In your specific case, it's to drive past your genetic potential. Your desire and efforts will have to take priority over lesser goals. Since your starting at a predisposed lack of genetics you'll have to place a lot more effort toward it, in order to achieve it to the fullest. All your thoughts and efforts will need to be obedient to the mission of muscle growth. Any thought or action contrary to moving forward with muscle growth or lack of effort toward it is an obstacle and is only there to thwart your efforts. Weak and untrained minds will fall prey to these obstacles; obstacles will not sway a strong mind. It’s up to you and only you to master your mind, to make mission minded decisions and to not be influenced by opposing factors.
Find what motivates you other than the basic desire of your goal. Let that motivate you to continually drive you to your goals. The desire will pull you towards your goals, so allow it. It’s up to you to create aspects to motivate you to push yourself towards your goals as well. These can be in the form of negative but constructive criticisms, as well as positive encouragements, preferably both to maintain a balance. If it takes you getting up every morning standing naked in front of the mirror looking at yourself and being disgusted by the reflection before you., so be it. Start your morning out with something to push and drive you, something to fuel your mind, to ensure your aggressive efforts and to motivate that first feeding session. Never get content with your progress, and continue to push yourself throughout the day. But also be careful not to beat yourself in an unhealthy manner in the process. But at the same time realize you are in battle with yourself and only you can hinder your progress. Maintaining a healthy self image, but short of conceitedness is an ideal place to be. But you also don't want to allow yourself to get complacent. You want to push yourself beyond your limits, but you should also enjoy yourself, others around you and most of all realize the joys that living your life the way YOU want can bring.
Dedication
A devotion to a purpose or cause.
Without applying much thought to it, determination and dedication are not easily differentiated. Let’s look closer to see the difference, and think of the ways each can relate to your mission. With determination being a culmination of desire, motivation and effort, invariably on the basis of principle. Dedication is more based on the matter of affection or zeal for the cause. With determination it's likely that less emotion is involved in striving towards your goal, but only the factors required for accomplishing it. Much like a tactical exercise by soldiers, they are commanded to complete a mission and they do so based on the fact that it was an order. The actual maneuvers they perform they may not enjoy but it’s required to complete the mission. With dedication there is more of an affectionate devotion to the mission. You could compare it with missionary work; people sacrifice because their heart is in it. Not only is the vision a desire but it's a love as well. With dedication you're motivated to make sacrifices based on loyalty to the vision, with determination it’s a matter of mere prerequisites to accomplish the vision.
Basically determination is a have to, dedication is a want to when it comes to the accomplishing your mission. An equal measure of both is essential, since emotions will often change and you may not "feel" dedicated but you press on because you are determined to bring your vision to reality despite your ever-changing feelings. It's easy for loss of focus, boredom or even aggravation to peak their head. You may become complacent but you press through despite, this is a true reflection of your determination. If you’re happy and you truly love your purpose in life you will remain dedicated. Equally important is the determination, which is the exercising the power of your will, and dedication is the level of your loyalty. Dedication will keep you healthy if you truly love your cause, and for you it’s to achieve an impractical level beyond what your lacking genetics calls for. It's all up to you, no one is stopping you , no one has the ability to really get in your way unless you allow it. The only constraint to you achieving your vision is your own level of dedication towards it.
Discipline
A controlled behavior
If discipline is a controlled behavior one first has to know, to realize and to understand the behavior that they are to control. So it’s extremely important to first gain knowledge in reference to how you should alter your behavior. This has been discussed as far as your mental attitude, but we will touch on the practical aspects of what you should and should not do. Once your finished reading you will have some very specified ideas of what decisions will empower your mission. So with that said how is discipline incorporated into my lifestyle?
Strong discipline is essentially the ability to make a decision and sticking to it. Discipline in action exposes your ability to not be influenced to make decisions that are not inline with your mission. Having discipline is pushing all obstacles to the wayside that negatively influence your decisions. Obstacles will certainly try and creep up on you, and actually they are in reality, unavoidable. Your behavior when obstacles approach you is the essence of discipline in action. So you have to know what your behavior should be beforehand and know what decisions to make in order to get there and just simply following through with them. Some people have discipline and some people do not. In fact most people are not willing to step outside their comfort zones and make decisions that sacrifice that comfort. The good news is discipline is a learned behavior. It's usually instilled at childhood and develops into maturity with age. However discipline can atrophy by lack of exercising it. If you're not already adept in the area of discipline it’s important that you begin training yourself to be so. The ability to make excuses is disciplines biggest foe. Actually when true discipline is being exercised, excuses and obstacles are non-existent. Based on their very nature they just cannot dwell together. Discipline can and will be testing for its strength and integrity if not by your natural fundamental laziness then from outside influences.
It’s up to you and your level of self-control to determine your level of discipline. Outside influences can come in the form of friends or family, girl/boy friends and spouse's, kids or job requirements. Your ability to anticipate unavoidable outside influences and deal with them accordingly with little or no swaying from the mission, is an empowering attribute. This could be coercion into going to a ball game or the movies with friends or family instead of the gym. Making decisions outside the plan that are based on convenience or laziness is a definite culprit to look out for. It comes down to planning, planning events around your training, and sometimes planning training around unavoidable events. For God sakes don't miss your brothers wedding because its leg day?? Especially if your supposed to be the best man. It's learning to say no to unexpected influences that are not a priority in your life. It's being honest with yourself in relation to your life and training and knowing what you need to do and doing it. But also a healthy approach to giving to others and not being selfish with yourself when it comes to those in your life, both is important for overall quality of life. So learn how to schedule your gym and meals around your life. And also your life around your meals and training. And learn to say no to negative influences in any shape or form.
Take a moment now, and write down your bad habits that negatively influence you on your road towards your goals. I won’t even touch on the vast array of obstacles and excuses that we allow to affect us as humans. You probably are fully aware of what those are. Let me ask you something, or better yet ask you to give this some thought. Have you up to now decided to turn your head and not face your flaws? If you fall prey to avoiding the conflict of changing your behavior and bad habits, then you’re on a long hard road to failure. The path you have chosen is the wrong one from the start and the further you take the road to failure the more lost your going to be. Step back now and realize your flaws and tackle them, beat them down and eliminate them from you life. There are too many to give as examples, and the road to failure is far too wide to try and touch on. The road to your success is narrow and it’s going to take a keen and sharp focus on those particular aspects to succeed. So those are the ones we will continue to discuss in more specific detail as we move along.
Focus
A point of concentration
You often hear about focusing in the gym. The entering into that mind muscle connection that is so essential to taxing that muscle to a point of breakdown. This is an area that we will touch on in the section on training principles. What I want to touch on now is having an overall focus of your goal. Let’s breakdown the Webster’s definition of Focus; (A point of concentration). In our case the ‘point’ is your goal and that is one of pushing your body past its genetic potential.
This is the area where you will apply your concentration. Let’s clarify that. Let’s ‘Focus’ on this a minute. “Your ‘point’ is where you apply your concentration”. Let’s look at it from a contrary perspective. If your point is in fact ‘failing’ then you’re at liberty to apply your concentration on the obstacles. You’re more than welcome to pre-determine your own failure, most people do. Do you believe that obstacles are a figment of your imagination? Or do you believe that they are real and active in your life? This point can be argued, but what you believe is up to you. You can sit back contemplate the obstacles before you, and 99 times out of 100 a normal human being is going to say to themselves “this can’t be done”. Are you in the 99 percentile range? Are you an expert in the field of pessimism? Or do you carry within you the elite character traits that set you apart from the rest? I am here to tell you that you have the ability and the power within you to determine your own destiny. You and no one else control your thoughts, your beliefs and ultimately your actions and behavior. As you focus on your goals, and focus on your strengths, and even focus to not focus on your weaknesses and your obstacles you will find that you are in fact your own master, and nothing in the world can stop you, if anything does, it's only because you allowed it to. And the chances are you lost somewhere along the line one or more of the above traits. Or even more so you got lazy which that in itself snuffs out them all.
As stated before the road to success is a narrow one, focus on the aspects that get you there. Train yourself and instill within yourself a level of intense focus in your overall being that is always considering the actions required to reach your goal. It’s up to you to stay on top of this, if you leave others to make your decisions for you they are going to lead you down the wrong path every time. This isn’t to say don’t take advice from those that have been there. This is to say to make your own decisions, and choose your own actions. Turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to those that say "you can’t and you won’t and it’s impossible." Who are they to determine what you are capable of? The limits are truly endless if you focus and apply your concentration in areas that are obedient to your purpose. Once you gain knowledge on the practical and the drastic measures to reach your goal, you then can exercise your newly honed level of focus on these areas that you have newfound knowledge of. You are the ONLY one that is going to get you there!!!
Chapter 2 - Setting Goals
If you speak with anyone successful the chances are you will find that their success was a result of many goals set and accomplished. Establishing a goal in your mind is important, but more so than just imagining it or thinking it or even obsessing over it, is in writing your goal down, it gives it the realism that it IS attainable. Plus writing the goal down and seeing it daily is an affirmation, it helps to engrain it into your psyche making it as an involuntary action as breathing. Writing down your goals also is as an act of faith that you are set on accomplishing something that you have set out to do. Predominately every great feat in the history of mankind both big and small started with just one small step forward in faith. There is truth in speaking something into existence, an idea becomes your thoughts, your thoughts become your beliefs and your beliefs either empower or cripple you. If you think in a positive manner and set goals according to those and continually strive for them and begin accomplishing them in increments you will begin building the confidence needed to empower your thoughts and your belief in yourself. Keep each goal realistic; doing so will be many mini-rewards along the way to the grand prize. It will keep your main vision in perspective it will keep you confident, encouraged & thus enable you to gain & maintain momentum as you go. When you fail to set a goal you subconsciously believe you cannot achieve it. You fail to layout the game plan and you have no way to measure yourself and no way to gauge your efforts or the results. You'll find with a failure to set goals, your purpose is virtually non-existent or at most stagnant with no significant results. You can easily lose confidence since your likely to have no way set in writing to measure your improvement, that's if you are making any at all. Neglecting to set a goal is setting your own self up for failure from the start. What is the best way to set goals? Let's look at some effective ways to do so.
You should be setting goals that are not only specific in reference to weight gained or a level of strength achieved, but they should also have time parameters set on them. Set a 1 month goal, a 3 month goal, a 6 month goal and a 1 year goal to start. Even set one final and ultimate goal for yourself. If you just set your final goal, you may be setting a goal that is far too unrealistic for your current state. Set smaller, short term goals and keep a log or chart or some measure to gauge them. Meeting each goal on, or before, or even around the time you had set for it will fuel you and will build confidence in yourself. Once you have reached your 1 month goal you will be primed and prepped for the 3 month, then the 6 month and so on and so on. There is nothing more exciting than setting out to do something whether it's big or small and achieving it. Even achieving something small whether it be a few lbs in overall weight or 5 lbs on your bench press. Doing so will empower you in ways you cannot currently fathom. Your goals will begin coming to pass and once you have reached them you will look back and they will be remembered as an easily handled and nearly effortless tasks. Looking forward on new goals might seem much more objective and unattainable. But remember once they are reached and accomplished you will look back on them and your same thoughts of your previous goals will be reflected in the same manner. Simply because you wrote them down and continued daily to shoot for them. It's all just in the matter of how you look at you goals in reference to yourself. If your goals are big and mighty and much more massive than you, you may be less likely to tackle them. However if you see them as daily menial tasks then you will just do them without question. At times you will even have to set daily goals or goals even by the hour. If your goal s to eat 3000 calories by noon then wake up at 5:00am and get started. By doing that, by days end after eating 7000 calories everyday each week for 4 weeks, you'll look back and your 1 month goal will have been a breeze. It's up to you to take the time and effort to write them down and it's up to you and your level of discipline, determination, and dedication to make it happen.
As a beginning ectomorph or even a semi advanced one, your primary goal should be putting on raw weight. Body fat levels and how pretty you look should be secondary. Too many beginners will let the fact that they lost sight of their abs affect the objective of their long-term goal of building mass. Too much focus on the secondary aspect of seeing your abs will cloud your thinking and your decisions. Thus resulting in hindrance of gains on your overall mass. Luckily for an ectomorph, excessive body fat levels are generally not going to be a problem. Keep in mind when it is time to shed fat, this is the area your body is most effective and efficient at accomplishing. Your body type is not geared to gain mass easily, so create your plan and set your goals and reach it by sticking to the tasks that focus on gaining the raw weight and the total overall mass and bring your goal to reality. There will be a time to lean out and tighten your physique but not at the cost of body mass, by prematurely shifting your agenda before your goal is attained. Again it comes down to applying the focus and efforts on your weak aspects and not worrying too much about the areas you have strengths in and this is the ability to lean out. Ultimately coming down to realizing the full potential of your gains by taking advantage of your body type, strategically applying focus and effort where you need it most.
No matter what your goals are precisely, whether sparse or grand, you should give it your all. I've consulted with numerous beginners in the past that will say, "Well I don't want to look like a freak. I just want to gain some weight and tone up some. "That's ok if that's your goal! But the problem comes when it's actually a statement that says, "I'm not going to try with all my effort because I'm fundamentally lazy and I want easy results." They say it like they don't want to accidentally look like the freak. Like that's something you accidentally stumble upon. It shows that they do not understand the sacrifices and grueling efforts required. I say shoot for the freak and hope you meet your goals. Giving 100% is not an automatic one-way ticket to freakism. Deep down we all know that, so let’s continue to be honest with ourselves. Don't be one to try and pre-excuse yourself as to why you only give less than 100%. I'd much rather you take with you the principles you read here and apply them in the field, than reading them and making no use of them at all. Never get comfortable, never give up and always strive for better. You are empowered to exceed even beyond your own expectations. The only obstacles in your way are the ones you allow. In closing let's keep the words of Leo Buscaglia close. "So much of what you are not, is because you are literally standing in your own way of becoming.
* Article by Superior1, Moderator @ www.Anabolic-Paradise.com.
* Back to Issue #7 Frontpage
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