Using Dr Covey's 2nd Habit to Build Muscle,

                    

By: H. Kim

     Dr. Stephen Covey's 2nd habit from his seminal book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is begin with the end in mind. It is a habit that can be crucial to your success in building muscle. Without it, I will argue that you will lack the "reason" for continuing when the going gets hard.
 Because statement "building muscle is simple but it is 
not easy" is true. In fact, it is very, very hard. If it were easy, there would be 
a lot more Arnold Schwarzenegger's running around.

     Dr. Covey talks of envision a your wake. He says to imagine a co-worker, 
a family member, a friend, and so forth coming up and speaking about you 
and your life. What would they say? What would you like them to say?

     What would you have to do now to influence what they would say about 
you then. That is the end that you must have in mind. And you must begin 
now if you want to influence how that will end.

     To dial it back, what do you want to look like in 5 years? What do you want 
to look like in 1 year? What must you do to get there?

 Click here to watch this video

The Beginning

     First and foremost, you need to know where you stand. GPS will get you 
anywhere but not unless you input a start point first. What is your start point.

     When you take stock of yourself, you must consider your overall health, 
your bodyweight, your body fat content, and your lean muscle mass content.

     You should take pictures of yourself and test yourself. How many push-ups 
can you do? How many chin-ups can you do. How many bodyweight squats 
can you?

See your doctor and get his clearance.

The Ending

     There is a dimension to this habit that goes beyond simple goal setting. 
You must set a goal. And the goal you set must be specific, measurable, 
attainable, realistic and timely. No secret here, it is the SMART acronym to 
goal setting.

     Having set that goal, you must also ask yourself is it relevant? And that's 
the dimension that can make all the difference.

     You want to add 30 pounds of lean muscle in the next 12 weeks but why? 
First, it's not realistic. Gaining more than 2 or 3 pounds of lean muscle mass 
a month would be fantastic, so please regard any claims of adding 50 
pounds of muscle in 6 months.

     It is not the what but the why that drives us. What you do to build lean 
muscle is simple. The why you do is fundamental.

     Once you determine your way, then cobbling together a program to get 
you there is the simple part.

Modeling

     You do not need to reinvent the wheel to get from the beginning to the 
end. You just need to model a successful approach.

     If you want to look like a Hollywood action star, then do not model a 
powerlifter's program. But if you want to be a powerlifer, then you do not 
want to lift like a bodybuilder, per se. Model the person you want to emulate.

     But modeling brings with a caveat that calls another nugget of wisdom 
from Dr. Covey. Modeling is like having a street map. What if, as you are 
following the map, realize that you have a map of Detroit and you are in 
Boston.

     Having a street map is great. Knowing what city you are in will make it 
even greater. But better than both is having a compass. A compass with a 
street map is unbeatable.

     Understanding your beginning and the end you seek is the compass. 
Modeling is the street map. You keep both as you progress.

     You want to build muscle. You want to look great. Begin with the end in 
mind first, and you will achieve your vision.

     If the look you want is that lean, Hollywood action star physique, then 
check out Visual Impact Muscle Building.

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