Embrace Your Primary Goal for Unshakable Motivation & Enthusiasm
This Is Where Traditional Goal Setting Goes Wrong
In the realm of fitness, we often set goals that involve looking a certain way or achieving a certain level of physical prowess. Perhaps you want to be 7% body fat, have 16″ biceps or have the strength to bench press 300 lbs. Invariably, what happens, is that we associate achieving these goals with being happy and fulfilled.
We tell ourselves, that finally, when we have those chiseled abs, then life will be really good and it will all be worth it. And so by implication, we perpetuate the notion that we are not enough right now. Instead, we need the enhanced self image from looking a certain way to make us feel more complete and confident.
This isn’t real, it’s an illusion that you created to defer your own happiness and self worth into a future moment. And therein lies the problem – when you project salvation into the future, then the present moment and the adventure to your goals just becomes a chronic obsession to arrive and attain.
When you want to be at your goal more than you want to do what you’re doing, then you become deeply stressed. Working towards your goal becomes a struggle and it takes hard work to succeed. The true beauty and love for life is lost.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! In fact, you can develop a true joy and enthusiasm for the journey. So instead of the workouts, the dieting and the overall process being a means to an end, it is seen as joyful and empowering in it’s own right.
Are You Confusing Your Primary And Secondary Goals?
Arnold glorified bodybuilding and boosted it to insurmountable heights by embracing and loving the bodybuilding lifestyle. His enthusiasm was contagious and everyone wanted to be a part of it and the fitness culture exploded.
Most goals that people create can be termed as secondary goals. Building an incredible physique, reaching elite level lifts and dropping 20 lbs of fat are all secondary goals. Your primary goal is to experience life, deeply entrenched in the present moment – where true joy and happiness can arise.
In fitness, your primary goal is to become deeply engaged in your workout and nutrition practices. And to see how these activities – intense training and healthy eating, greatly enrich and deepen your quality of life. Feel the energy that flows through you from nourishing and exercising your body properly. Feel how everything else in your life becomes charged and you have a newfound focus and enthusiasm.
When you become too attached to your secondary goal – looking a certain way or attaining certain lifts – your primary goal is lost and any and all enjoyment and enthusiasm for the journey is gone. Each moment and step that you take becomes only a means to an end without any real value.
You Need To Embrace Your Primary Goal
By embracing your primary goal and becoming present to the moment, you reinforce the idea that you have everything you could possibly want right now. This moment and the steps that you are taking each day are joyful and fulfilling in their own right. You don’t need to look a certain way to give yourself permission to be happy and feel good about yourself
You’re not lifting that barbell because you so desperately want to build bigger, stronger and better looking muscles. You’re lifting it because you absolutely love it. Gripping the barbell, lifting it out of the rack, and pumping it out with maximum effort becomes highly satisfying. You also love how physically expressing yourself in the gym, carries over to all other aspects of your life.
The fact that you have a vision and know where you’re going is just icing on the cake. But without the raw enjoyment out of the process, the true enthusiasm will be lost and it will just be your ego’s desire for a more inflated self image driving you. This ultimately, is very limiting and it won’t keep you going in the long run.
This Is What This All Implies
Embracing your primary goal, and fully honoring the steps that you must take to get there, is the key to unshakable motivation and enthusiasm. All of the sudden, everything you could ever want is already a reality within you.
Being at your goal isn’t the be all end all. It’s the person you must become to get there. When you begin to embrace the process – the workouts, nutrition and healthy lifestyle – you align yourself with the type of person that you must become to reach your secondary goals.
The overall joy for the process is enough for you and the fact that you’re becoming leaner, stronger and better looking is just a sweet bonus! This is the type of outlook that will lead to amazing results and absolutely incredible fulfillment each and every day.
Now the beautiful thing is that whether you’ve been into fitness for 2 days or 2 decades, you can start living life as if you are already at your goal – with deep fulfillment and happiness! Now the external stuff, how you look and your level of strength will start to manifest with much less struggle on your part.
What Makes Kinobody So Effective?
What sets kinobody apart is how enjoyable the process becomes. A little black coffee in the morning, some fasting, big satisfying meals and intense minimalist workouts are downright enjoyable and can fit within the context of a balanced life.
For my course dedicated to dropping fat and getting lean and chiseled check out – Warrior Shredding Program.
*Your results may vary. Testimonials and examples used are exceptional results and are not intended to guarantee, promise, represent and/or assure that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.
For adding strength and muscle like a Greek god check out – Greek God Program.
*Your results may vary. Testimonials and examples used are exceptional results and are not intended to guarantee, promise, represent and/or assure that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.
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Speaking as a psychologist and a fitness enthusiast – really beautiful article!
Thanks so much Marcus – this means a lot coming from someone of yourself.
Flummoxed?
It’s a Larry David word lol. It means to be in a state of confusion
Very well written article. It’s gonna set me on the right path.. Thank you!
Greg,
Great job on another masterpiece dude! Learning to accept myself and enjoy the present makes life awesome!!
I used to have that attain and projecting happiness mentality and I succeeded but it was never enough. When I learned to accept myself and circumstances I continued to succeed but now the journey is worthwhile and amazing!
Keep up the great work bro! It is well appreciated! =)
Thanks so much Aaron! That’s an awesome revelation you had, it makes all the difference in the world.
Hey Greg!
Cool website!
I like your “heavy training for muscles that are strong and last” strategy.
My shoulders always seem to lag behind. What’s this shoulder specialization I keep reading about?
Well I’d suggest getting very strong on shoulder presses and start hitting some serious rest pause lateral raises.
Ok,
Thanks!
So, Mon, Wed, Fri…
Shoulders first…Every other workout?
Like:
A.
1. Shoulder press
2. Incline press
3. Lateral raise
4. Dips (or triceps exten.)
5. Abs/ core
B.
1. Pull-ups (or Chin-ups)
2. Sumo deadlift
3. Reverse fly
4. Bicep curl
5. Abs/ core
Rinse and repeat???
A B A , B A B, A B A
Or the push workout twice a week until the shoulders kinda catch up.
Like: A B A , A B A , A B A
Note: My legs and arms grow way ahead of the rest of my body. (And calves, always get compliments, I’m lucky to almost never have to work them.)
I WANT MASSIVE BROAD DELTS! more than any other muscles,
but I’m so afraid to overtrain them.
So which schedule do you recommend… Wise Kinobody Creator?
…I know, I’m asking for free advice, but other readers may benefit from your response.
Thanks,
Red
Nope, A B A, B A B
Thanks Dude!
Hi Greg!
The May workout for kinobodyelite does not seem to appear yet when i log in to the kinobodyelite page. :)
Haha well it will be there tomorrow on the first of May ;)
Okay now i see it but it is locked. Thats odd because I didnt quit being a member of kinobodyelite. We will just be automatically billed every month right? :)
Hmmm try signing in again. Make sure your cookies are turned on and you don’t have private browsing on.
Okay its unlocked now when i logged in. :)
Okay great
Fantastic thoughtful writing as always Greg!
How do I build really powerful, athletic, flexible legs?
My latest month of kinobodyelite.com was dedicated elusively to this topic.
I get redirected to the Kinobody Elite login page. But I don’t even have an account with kinobody elite so I can’t reset a password. Should I take a membership to access my fat loss program?
Kind Regards
What are you trying to do?
I’m just don’t know how I get access to my fat loss program. I click the link in the email payment recipt that says ‘click here to access your digital products’ and I’m sent to the kinobody elite login page for which I do not have a username or password.
Getting this sorted out for you yo!
Thanks mate, got the email. I’m all pumped up to kick off with my fat loss program tomorrow!
Awesome dude :)
Hey Greg,
I just bought the aggressive fat loss package and for some reason I can’t access it cause I don’t have the required username or password. I have the payment receipt and order number. Please advice on what I should do.
Kind Regards
Prithvi Naik
Try resetting your password and you should be good.
Hi Greg!
JUst curious, who else in the fitness industry does RPT? Can you name a few? Just wanna broaden my knowledge about RPT style training!
thanks!
Martin Berkhan of leangains uses it extensively. And a lot of people pretty much use it where they’ll build up to a heavy top set and then do a couple back off sets.
Hey Greg,
When do the transformation contest results come out?
Thanks!
This week!
I feel soft and puffy, bloated and weak. Yet Everyone says I look great. I think I’m in a fitness rut. Any advice on how to climb out of it? I’m thinking about focussing in on the GG program and then do fasted walking in the mornings on off days. The only problem I have with the GG program is that I love challenges and improvements built into a workout program. I guess the challenges with this program is to get stronger and improve! Any general motivational advice for a fellow Canuck?
Regards,
Zach
Yes focus on breaking past your personal bests. Greek God program would be a great option.
Hey Greg,
I know you are strong and ripped.
I just read an article on Ryan Reynolds working out every day, one muscle group a day for Blade 3, and I know you don’t advise that.
But he’s ripped too.
But I think in an interview, he said he looks great, but feels like crap.
Anyway, I’ve noticed your progression of different strategies over the months. So what’s your most recent workout & diet strategy?
Thanks,
I mean, what are YOU currently doing?
Thanks.
Mostly just working on maintaining while leaning down. I’m still fasting and eating 2 meals per day.
Well the reason he is ripped comes down to having a very low body fat. He could have built the same level of muscle development and actually gotten a lot stronger lifting three days per week. He was doing the basic 6 meals a day protocol of “clean food”. He would have loved his routine if he focused on flexible eating. Hitting calories and macros with foods of his preference.
I see…
Thanks for explaining it.
I guess these HOLLYWOOD trainers have a deadline to get the actors to a certain look, and train them hard for hours a day, which works, but their muscles and CNS’s are shot.
They need to hire the KINOBODY GUY.
Keep sharing…
Thanks.
hahaha thanks Rob!!!
I’ve been trying to cut like Patrick Bateman, eating low cal and following the lift program. But I’m looking more like Christian bale from Batman instead. Not necessarily a bad thing but the cut-ness isn’t happening?
It will take time. I suppose you have more muscle. You may need to keep dieting while taking a couple weeks of any lifts. Maybe just do whatever muscles are stubborn. This will slim down your physique. BUt once you get to 7-8% body fat, you should look like Bateman. You’re probably just not lean enough yet, that’s why.
Wow! Did you not accept my comment because I recommended mike Matthews work? Lol
I do think your an absolute legend as well don’t worry! Ha
lol I accepted it 5 minutes ago and now I’m just reading this comment right now. You do realize that I have to manually approve all comments and I respond to each and everyone. So my apologies if it wasn’t approved instantaneously ;)
Hey Greg nice article man! Really good read!
On another note – I thank rusty moore because it’s sent me in the direction to people like you and I never thought I’d say this but I’m coming to realise a lot of his stuff really is bro science! You an mike Matthews are the man! Mike has really shown me getting in shape is just a game of numbers – calories and macros. Lift heavy. Job done. :) I would really recommend trying his programme if you haven’t. Perfect ratio of sets and workload. The gains are just unreal! Ha anyway keep up the good work man!
Greg,
You probably already know this, but this is your best article to date IMO. I totally, 100% agree with you. Arnold’s enthusiasm and charisma is a big reason he has been an idol of mine since I was a kid, and why I have adopted the iron lifestyle the way I have. Looks like some of that has rubbed off on you. Awesome!
Thanks so much Michael!
Greg what you think about inverted row, and did you ever used it?
I think it’s a good exercise but I like movements that I can adjust the resistance.
Greg I love the article and I will take advantage of your advice. Off topic question though. I just bought a dip belt and I am considering buying a lifting belt for back and abdominal support, what is your experience and thoughts on the lifting belt? Necessary?
I don’t really see the need for lifting belts. I’d rather I see people build a naturally strong core.
I have been mostly in a calorie deficit for the past 6 months with some binges and some 1 week maintenance breaks, but have not dropped fat down significantly. Finally, I’ve found what’s worked for me, which is just about 200 calorie deficit per day.
After I reach my goal in about 8 weeks, I was wondering if I should reverse diet because will going straight to maintenance make me gain fat because of possible metabolism slowdown/ adaptation? Do you think my metabolism has slown down?
No adding a mere 200 calories to your diet will not make you lose fat. Whatever deficit you’re in while dieting, is the amount of calories you can add to be at maintenance. You won’t gain fat at your actual maintenance, unless you overestimate your maintenance.
Greg have you ever thought about posting recipes on this blog? Like, muscle building meals, desserts, snacks…
I think it’d be a great idea! ;)
Yes I will be starting that up soon :)
Greg,
How does this look for a 2 meal per day plan to cut up.
Meal 1: 14-16 oz chicken breast with baked potato grilled with a little olive oil.
Meal 2: Same chicken or steak with spinach salad with homemade dressing of oil and vinegar with some dried fruit and almonds.
Thanks,
Ed
Definitely not taking in enough calories. What are your macros on this?
Probably around 1500 calories. Would you suggest more carbs? Protein is around 150 grams. I weigh 165 with 33 in waist. Ht is 5’8″. Want to cut up for a summer trip. Should I go a bit higher in calories?
That’s very low in calories. I wouldn’t go below 11 cals per pound.
Is that 11lbs per current weight or goal bodyweight. I think you have addressed this but I can’t remember
Goal
You are wise well beyond your years Greg. I love your holistic approach to fitness; I look forward to your posts bc they are genuine and completely quality.
thanks,
Thanks so much Linds!
Hey Greg what are you thoughts about using hypergain with your new aggressive shredding program, I have lost so far 6-8 Pounds in 3 weeks and I am planning to go further dropping another 20 pounds in the rest of the 9 weeks. Is it going to help me build extra muscle while cutting ? or is it going to interfer with my cut ?
I would suggest taking it when you finish cutting so you can focus on gaining muscle. It will work better when you’re taking in more calories.
Hey Greg!
I just bought your new warrior shredding program but it seems that I can’t download it from links of the Clicbank email I got after the purchase. Thx for the help!
Shoot me an email – gregoryogallagher@gmail.com
Although I believe we may have already addressed this.
Man… you are becoming good writing this type of stuff. Keep workin’ in this side and you soon or late will hit a nerve — again — in this topic. Im already subscriber to not lost this momento. Nice article btw.
If you work at a restaurant about 3-4 times a week, and have no trouble over eating any other meals or nights, but every night I work there’s always left over food or free food, and my Will power seems to be magically gone then, I always go out of control and over eat by 500-1000 calories the nights I work, which in turn offset my whole week and then I try longer fasts which suck, so I was wondering if there was a mind set shift I could practice to not do this any more? It really takes a toll on the mental part of cutting, and I know I can get over this hump, because really once I can I know my goal will be with in reach, thank you Greg if you coild help me in any way that would be so appreciated
Allow yourself to have some of the left over when you work. Leave room for it and don’t overeat. Just enjoy as much as you need to hit your cals.
Greg,
Love your site, man. Quick question, can I do rest pause training on my shoulders for lateral and rear raises on a cut? My shoulders are a little bit undersized. I plan on doing your upon body perfection workout with two refeeds on the upper body days and doing two working sets for the RPT movements (Monday and Friday). Also how much rest between assistance exercises on a cut? Thanks.
Yes, definitely! You can rest 2 minutes between assistance exercises.
Mind blown. I have nothing but utter respect, your articles are just genuinly intriguing and just amazing.
Thanks so much Imad
Amazing article Greg! Your work is always amazing and really helps my own personal development.
I wouldn’t say I got nowhere by obsessing. I certainly got progress, but it is just a pain if you don’t enjoy the process. If you constantly project happiness into the future and keep seeking more and more for that furfillment you will never be truly satisfied. This is so true in every way! Embrace the present moment, enjoy what you are doing and still keep track of your vision. Then the journey will be just as rewarding and fun as the end-goal.
– I want to add that this shouldn’t be interpreted as a method for the lazy. You can still be very dedicated and obsessed with your goal. You just refrain from the self-imposed agony and instead you enjoy the journey.
Hey Greg,
Is grilled beef tenderloin ok to eat? Grilled at home without butter or bacon wrapped of course. If so, how much would you eat per portion oz wise raw?
Ed
Yes! Just hit your daily macros of proteins, fats and carbs and you’ll be good.
hey Greg do u think this workout its okay. SlowPull ups 5*5 Slowhandstand 5*5 one arm pushups 5*5 Slowchinups 5*5 Slowleg raise 5 *5. i do this 3 times a week.can u please tell me what u think
I don’t really believe in slow rep training. You should train for progressive strength increases for maximum results.
Great article as usual!
Alternatively, living in the moment or present does not have to be a “goal”, but a *requirement* to make sure all other goals are completed to their full potential.
Awesome article that can broaden people’s perspective!
Greg,
Honestly I was just having an argument with a friend regarding the best approach to fitness. I think your article/video really get at the core of what a healthy mindset is, applicable to any goal that we may have. Posts like this are very inspiring, thank you for sharing them with us. Congratulations on an awesome site and lifestyle. 16 years old, I still have a long way to go, but I’ll enjoy every single day, every single step like it is my last.
Right on Rafa!
And once you adopt this proper viewpoint youll actually make better progress toward that secondary goal! At least, thats what happened with me. I got almost nowhere until i quit obsessing.
Exactly!