The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation

I have been having a lot of personal issues in my life happening all at once, including depression. It had been affecting my workout routine. I have trained for close to 3 years with a power lifter competitor, who is now a friends, and has taught me a lot, I have trained on my own, tried online trainers....the works. But it never stuck.I have recently lost all motivation in many avenues of my life. I had been going over ways I can try and get motivated again and it just so happened that this book showed up on amazon.I read the reviews and took a chance and bought it. I finished it within two days. Some of things he wrote I am guilty of doing (making excuses, finding ways to not do stuff, etc.). I almost wanted to crawl into a hole because I felt like I had been caught red-handed! I kept reading though because his writing was compelling, honest, and a very clear reflection of the things I have done to prevent myself from achieving things I have always visualized but never worked towards.Yes, it does make me a little emotional because aside from wanting to have a healthy body, and wanting to feel happy at what I see, it has also pushed me even more to seek help for my depression. The help is already in the works but reading this is helping me see a little clearer and is positive reinforcement for me mentally and emotionally.This is probably too deep for a book review but I don't care. He asked to review his book after reading it and this is my honest opinion. Now I just need to figure out if I should get Bigger, Leaner, Stronger, or the 1 Year Challenge. I am not sure which I should do first.Thank you Michael Matthews.

Before I review this book, l want to tell you about my opinion of Mike Matthews.His flagship text, self-published through his publishing company, Oculus, Bigger, Leaner, Stronger has been the foundation I use to live my greatest life in my greatest body. I have a long way to go, but Mike has been there every step of the way for me. (I have actually ripped up my BLS and given out various pages and chapters to friends and trainers). As he has become a better writer, this foundational text has become denser and more effective with each new edition.Mike’s Muscle for Life podcast; blog, and videos contain some of the best-researched, most informative articles I have discovered during my health journey. His straightforward, practical, science-based approach has informed my own decisions as well as led me to make better choices and plans for myself.I use many of Mike’s supplements from his Legion Athletics brand. They are expensive but the best and most effective I have ever used. Clean, pure and supervised by his scientific board and clinical team, Legion Athletics is Mike’s market response to the charlatans and chicanery riven through the supplement industry. I can’t say enough good things about every product I have purchased…my bank account groans but at least my gut doesn’t.After following Mike for three years, this is what I know: He used to live in Florida but now lives in Virginia; his Dad is a ‘successful’ entrepreneur; he didn’t go to college; he decided to grow muscles because ‘girls seemed to like muscles’; he’s married to a German ‘unicorn of a wife’; he has two children; he’s learning German; he has an infrared sauna; he recently purchased a car; he has a disdain for government intervention, and he does not like the health & fitness industry due to its rampant deception and narcissism.After three years of thrice-weekly exposure, one would think that we would get to know and love Mike Matthews. But the truth is EVERYTHING I know is listed above. That’s it. All of this leads to Mike Matthews’ fatal flaw: he is not vulnerable and therefore creates no intimacy with his audience and hence doesn’t create connection with us in any meaningful way. Mike loves to use quotes and (well-researched) historical anecdotes to illustrate many of his points, but he NEVER CONNECTS TO US ON A FOUNDATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL LEVEL. He doesn’t share anything of himself and leaves no blood on the floor for us to examine.I desperately wish the people around Mike would tell him to read Brene Brown or to watch Simon Sinek so Mike could finish the job and make us FEEL SOMETHING. Mike doesn’t understand that the personal is political. He doesn’t understand that what people really want is the STORY behind the man, the B-roll if you will. You show that and the products will sell themselves. Mike is really good at giving us the WHAT and the HOW but he has never created a WHY. Mike’s stated goal is to help millions of people…if he is going to do that then he must make himself vulnerable so that we can connect.Examples of this systemic flaw:Every few months Mike will interview someone going through his MFL training program for his podcast. For the last few years, every single person he has interviewed has had some type of athletic background or been in fitness in other ways. Mike doesn’t get that most people who read him and follow him are overweight and unhealthy and are trying to change their bodies and their lives. For the vast majority of us, it’s neither useful nor interesting to hear how a guy went from 14% body fat to 8% body fat. Why doesn’t he get that the real CONNECTION is to the vulnerable and the dispossessed - not the already ripped.Mike was interviewed on another podcast and actually stated, “Do I know what it’s like to fall off your diet during a cut? No.” He went on to say that he does ‘understand it’ because he’s helped thousands of people deal with that issue. How can a person connect with you, EMPATHIZE WITH YOU and ultimately, HELP YOU if they have not experienced these setbacks and failures themselves?Even in the video promotion for this book we see images of Mike running (alone) up marble stairs (a la Rocky); we see him sitting at his desk researching, and (for a very few seconds) we see him in his backyard with one of his kids. What we don’t see is him with anyone else - HELPING anyone else. This video is emblematic of this fatal flaw. WHERE IS THE CONNECTION?All of this leads up to my review of this book: it is NOT motivational because Mike doesn’t connect with us…the little people who want to be big. His writing and grammar are excellent and everything is researched to within an inch of it’s life but make no mistake, there is no soul in this book. Please stick to Bigger, Leaner, Stronger or his cookbook or his other products. Definitely check out Legion Athletics’ supplements, they are fabulous. But DO NOT BUY this book because it will not motivate you. It will make you feel like you are sitting in philosophy class and thinking about what you are going to order for lunch from the food truck outside.I preordered this book and part of the marketing push was that you could win a trip to Washington D.C. to meet Mike and his team. I prayed I would not win because if I had, I would have no choice but to tell him my opinion on these matters. I truly and deeply want Mike Matthews to succeed. I want his message to spread far and wide but he must learn to access emotions and be vulnerable and to connect. No one’s life is that perfect and seamless, it’s just not human and it is certainly not motivating.

Allow me to preface this review by saying that I've read a LOT of personal development and workout books. I'm the Director of Content for a major self help podcast and have (quite literally) listened to over 400+ expert interviews, read 500+ books, and read an incalculable number of articles on the topics Mike discusses throughout his book.So when I say that Mike BLEW me away with this book, you can rest assured that my endorsement actually carries some weight.Unlike many of the so-called "Gurus" and "Experts" Mike doesn't fill his book with pseudoscientific b.s. or hide behind his (admittedly impressive) credentials so that he can profit by feeding you regurgitated platitudes and vannila life advice.No...This book is chocked to the brim with the latest scientific evidence and research for getting the most out of yourself in the gym and in life.Mike is a masterful wordsmith who manages to beautifully weave together some of the more important concepts and ideas that you need to know to change your life in a way that is approachable, digestible, and immediately actionable.He's like the Breville Juicer Elite of the fitness world... The man knows how to take an important topic and squeeze everything out of it until you're left with only the purest and most nutritious parts.If you're struggling to get motivated, stay disciplined, and generally get your sh... stuff together, read this book.DO IT NAUW!

In a nutshell, it's a good summary of all the latest motivational research, delivered with a healthy dose of go-get-going tough love. I've read a lot of this stuff before, it's not new (to me), but it's delivered well and includes real actionable steps. I'm not completely sold on the avoid-mediocrity-at-all-costs message - there's a lot to be said for being content with what you have - but even if your goals aren't to be traditionally 'successful' I bet there's something you'd like to be better at (hugging your kids, smelling the roses :)) and this will help you do that. It works well to read between sets!

I really enjoyed reading Mike's new book, and to be honest it was expected if you've read his blog. Everything presented by Mike is FACT-BASED and to me this is key. He does this when providing content within the fitness industry, and now in other areas.I loved the actionable "Do This Now" sections after each chapter, as when reading similar books, I struggle to put the knowledge into practice, so this was extremely helpful.I used a lot of the information in this book in my day to day routine (outside of the gym) and will be my little bible for years to come.Finally, if you're not aware of the author (Mike), I could not recommend his site enough!

Just finished listening to the audible version of this book and will now begin reading the hard copy. Mike is a great writer and gives great scientifically backed information along with techniques on how to utilise it in your training and every day life.This has definitely reinvigorated my mentally to my work outs and can't wait to get back in the gym.A must read for all interested in creating the best environment and mental support frame work to achieve their Goals.

Really happy with my purchase. Michael’s book is very motivational and upbuilding on life’s topics and challenges in general. This book is not just structured around workout as I had expected it to be. I am very impressed as this book has surpassed my expectations. I can safely say this is one of my favourite of two, down to earth motivational books to date. This is a book I will repurchase as a gift for others to benefit from as I have.

Bought this book recently, I am 65 years old but still love going to the gym, but my biggest problem has always been what to do and how to do it, this book really helped me out, now I have a set plan every time I hit the gym, a very good read, puts things in to perspective, and helps to organise my goals, will keep referring back to it, well worth the money, so if your in need of a bit of motivation for what ever give this book a go, you wont be disappointed. A lot of what we do is in the mind, get that right and your on a winner, this book certainly does that, just re read it, for that added bit of motivation, to start my new journey.