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The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation

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The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation

By: Michael Matthews
Narrated by: Michael Matthews
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About this listen

Fitness isn’t everything. But everything is harder if you’re not fit.

The strength and discipline you develop in the gym go far beyond physical appearance. It shapes who you become—someone resilient, focused, and capable of achieving more in every area of life.

The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation is your personal guide to cultivating mental toughness, beating procrastination, and staying consistent with your fitness goals, even when motivation fades.

Instead of vague hype, every chapter is grounded in psychology and gives you a simple, concrete exercise you can apply immediately. You won’t just be inspired—you’ll be taking action.

Inside this motivational fitness guide, you’ll discover:

  • The “What Kind of Pain Do I Want?” exercise for setting goals that actually matter to you
  • Three simple questions to uncover your true “why” for training—and unlock a deeper source of motivation
  • The “What, When, Where, If-Then” formula to rewire your brain for consistency in and out of the gym
  • Environmental design hacks to make healthy habits automatic and sustainable
  • Why action beats perfection—and how to stop waiting for the “right time” to change your life
  • How to overcome negative thinking, build grit, and use “productive pessimism” to turn doubt into confidence


This isn’t a cheerleading book full of clichés. And it isn’t about the perfect program or the newest trend.

It’s about rewiring your mindset to persist when it’s easier to quit—especially when life gets hard. Because getting in shape isn’t just about muscles or weight loss; it’s about becoming the kind of person who doesn’t give up on themselves.

The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation is your daily reminder that you’re capable of more—and it’s time to prove it.

©2018 Michael Matthews (P)2018 Michael Matthews
Bodybuilding & Strength Training Physical Exercise Inspiring Self-Discipline Health Body Building Workout Motivation
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Most relevant

Before reading your book I was in a slump. My motivation was gone not just for training, but for life. My work, my home life, everything was suffering because of the headspace I was in.

I have just finished the book and at this point in time I am pumped! I’m looking forward to training and my work ethic is better than it’s been in years! I’m doing things with purpose and with goals in mind.

There are many things in the book that are helpful not just for training but for life. I definitely recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a help in making better life choices and becoming the best version of themselves.
Since reading the book there has been times that I’ve had to make a choice on a certain situation and I have made the right choice, the choice that gets me closer to achieving my goals instead of the taking the easy and lazy way out.

It’s motivating, inspiring and truly helpful.
Fully recommend!

Loved the book! I found it to be motivating, inspiring and helpful on so many levels!

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I liked this book for its simplistic approach to motivation , a great place to start and build good systems to succeed. Something for everyone to help achieve a better you.

Bitesized ways to be better

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This is a comprehensive book which illuminates the importance of understanding the process of motivation and how to achieve your objectives. So pleased that I found this as I very recently swapped HIT after one year for weight training. The detailed subject matter was excellent & author delivers on a very interesting narrative reading it himself & evident that he closely connected to the material. Just finished TLS so it was also for me a good consolidation of topics I had already been introduced to. The book finished too quickly but there is a lot of content to digest & looking forward to further listenings to take some notes. Overall I enjoyed it immensely. Anyone on a fitness journey or not would really benefit from the information in this book. Well referenced for further reading & it doesn’t disappoint.

Definitely worth your time.

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Thanks Michael for collating such a well researched and written book. It was easy to listen to and understand the fact based motivational tools and techniques.

While the content is focused on workout motivation, I believe the tools and techniques can be applied across broader spectrums.

The bonus materials provide a succinct overview of the exercises discussed in the book and really help to kick start applying the techniques.

Well written and researched. Great motivational tools.

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Loved this book. I stopped and started listening at the beginning as I was travelling and thought this would only apply to workout motivation. However, the more I listened the more I realised this approach applies to your whole life. Looking forward to implementing the techniques both for my workouts and life in general. A massive thanks to Michael Matthews. I will be re-listening and telling my friends.

Not just for workout motivation!

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