Setting and achieving goals can change your mindset and get you out of that funk. Check out this article from Men’s Fitness:

For those of us who don’t pump iron to make our living, going to the gym might feel like a chore. But stick with it and your sentiment might change, according to a new Rutgers University study.

Researchers asked students to keep a difficult goal (like going to the gym five times a week or quitting the tube) for 40 days, and found that those who were successful at maintaining their goals actually ended up liking the activity more—even if they didn’t enjoy it initially. Why?

“If a person performs a behavior regularly and for long enough, the behavior becomes part of the person’s self-identity or self-concept,” speculates study author Alison Philips, Ph.D. “For example, if I made a goal to start running and succeeded, I’d begin to see myself as a runner.”

This just reinforces the notion that attitude is everything. But you can change your attitudes by developing habits. This then makes you feel better about what you’re doing and makes it easier to plow ahead.

Boise State’s loss last week to TCU was a classic reminder that there are no guarantees or forgone conclusions. Despite being undefeated and at home on the famed blue turf, the Boise State Broncos could not put TCU away and the Horned Frogs rallied with a late TD and then took the lead on a gutty 2-point conversion in the final moments when an extra point kick would have sent the game into overtime. Boise State was aided by a horrible pass interference call and blew a field goal at the gun to stun the nation as they were two-touchdown favorites. This was also a great lesson on the dangers of taking a great program and coach for granted as Gary Patterson of TCU has rebuilt his team quickly after staggering graduation losses following the Rose Bowl win last year. Patterson has proven that he will reload rather than rebuild and that giving his team two touchdowns is a risky proposition at any time.

UCLA is proving how risky it is to believe in a mediocre team that is inconsistent. After a huge upset home win over a ranked Arizona State team the Bruins went on the road and were dominated by an up and down Utah team. Coach Rick Neuheisel is hanging by a thread and that loss to Utah was a reminder why fans are so frustrated with him. He has simply not yet built a team to believe in.

Speaking of hot seats, Mike Sherman’s is about to burst into full flames. Sherman’s Texas A&M teams continually build up double digit leads early, only to blow them late. Kansas State defeated Sherman’s Aggies in a four-overtime thriller that nobody who saw it will ever forget. Sherman is now 5-5 with a team that was expected to contend for the Big 12 title and facing the daunting prospect of joining the Southeastern Conference next year. Sherman has been reputed to have good recruiting classes, which might buy him an extra year, but blowing double digit leads in sports betting to Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Missouri, and K-State is making Aggie fans anxious about the step up to the SEC.

The switch grip explosive pull up demonstrated in this video is just one aspect of an intense training regimen from MMA superstar Georges St-Pierre.

Workouts come and go, but with the emergence of mixed martial arts we’re seeing a whole generation of guys getting motivated to get into shape like these fighters. The result is a lean but sculpted look that is all the rage and is definitely popular with women of all ages. Guys want this look, but the key is you have to be willing to follow an intense work out program like the ones used by MMA fighter like St-Pierre.

We also discuss the need to do something and how to find a workout routine that fits your goals. This program should be considered by people who are motivated to test themselves and push themselves to the limit. If you’re serious, you should get results.

Strength training is not just for powerlifters, bodybuilders or high impact sports. Strength training can benefit everyone. At a minimum you should be strength training to ensure your health and overall wellbeing. And I’m not just talking about today, but for the future as well. As we age we lose muscle. This is an undeniable truth. This facet of aging has several negative outcomes:

Losing muscle will cause a decrease in your basal metabolic rate. Muscle drives the metabolism. The more you have the more calories you burn. Conversely, the more you lose the fewer calories you burn. It doesn’t stop here.

The weaker one gets as a result of muscle lost, the tighter one gets resulting in a loss of flexibility. And as one loses flexibility, they lose more strength, which also creates a loss of muscle. This loss of flexibility coupled with a loss of strength dramatically increases ones risk for injuries.

Are you starting to see what a vicious cycle this becomes?

So, I think my point that despite your genetics, experience, what you know (or what you think you know) about training, strength training is for you.

-Abraham Lincoln