The Psychology of Strength Review (Mike Gillette)

I’ve had the opportunity to look over a new program called The Psychology of Strength.

Mike Gillette

ThePsychologyofStrengthReviewLet me start by telling you a little about he author.  Gillette is a former Army paratrooper, SWAT commander, Homeland Security consultant, and armed forces tactical trainer.  He is currently an executive bodyguard, performing strongman and martial arts expert (the bar you see in the picture was bent with his bare hands).  He holds the world’s record for the most steel-tipped arrows broken simultaneously with his neck.  He’s also the creator of the Savage Strength Training System, a popular program on this blog.  Needless to say, he knows a thing or two about developing both physical and mental strength.

Program Components

Now let’s talk about what you get when you order the this program:

StrengthPsychologyReview Strength Psychology Instruction Manual:   This document begins with a summary of Gillette’s fascinating life story.  He was raised in a very dysfunctional environment that left him afraid and suicidal (literally) by the time he was 18.  But he made the decision to turn his life around and discover his purpose.  The author goes on to explain the mindset of mental Toughness he was able to develop and gives specific steps on how you can do the same.

The Videos:  This program also includes videos where you can hear Mike Explain the concepts in more detail.  The videos are the most important component of The Psychology of Strength program.

Video 1: Introduction–Mike begins this video by describing people who are not mentally tough–people who “just get by.”  These kinds of people, he argues, have a tendency to settle for less in life.   This can be changed if you develop mental toughness and take control of your mind, which will enable you to pursue the life you want.  He explains how this happened in his life and how he wants to help it happen for you.  This program, he explains, combines things he has learned from the various phases in his life (military, law enforcement, etc.).

Video 2: Personal Story of Strength–As I’ve mentioned, Gillette had a rough upbringing.  Hearing him share it personally is very powerful: “My story is one of weakness transformed into strength and second chances.”

Video 3: Mental Toughness (Part 1)–The primary concept in this video is the mindset of mental toughness.    Mike talks a great deal about the connection between the body and the mind.  Physical talent, for example, is not maximized until one develops the mental focus need to perform optimally.  He also discusses how negative emotions can affect everything we do.   This video includes some specific strategies to change negative emotions.

Video 4: Mental Toughness (Part 2)–-This video focuses on fear–learning what it is so you can begin to overcome it.  Mike starts off by sharing a personal testimony of how fear used to control his life.  Fear management training is a concept you’ll be introduced to–not banishing fear (which is impossible and even inadvisable), but learning to face it. “What I want you to be able to do is recognize fear and do what you want to anyway,” he says.

Video 5: Mental Toughness (Part 3)–Mike talks about overcoming fear in this video.  Once again he shares a personal story (this one from his days as a police officer) illustrating our tendency to “freeze” when we are afraid.   He takes his life-or-death experience and explains how the same principles apply to almost any fear-based experience.   Mike then gives some practical steps that will help you confront and manage your fear.

Video 6: Life by Design (Part 1)–This video teaches you how to make effective plans for your life.  People often fail, Mike argues, because they don’t plan well.  Example: someone may say he wants to lose weight.  This is an admirable goal, but it just isn’t specific enough to really mean anything.  One component of proper planning is a specific, measurable goal.   This video really focuses on how to make challenging yet attainable goals and reach them.

Video 7: Life by Design (Part 2)–Mike shows you how to set long-term goals for five different areas of your life (physical, financial, etc.).

Video 8: Mind Strengthening Skills–This final video offers several mental exercises you can practice.  Mike encourages you to try all these skills/techniques so you can gain better control of your thoughts and improved awareness of your body (breathing, etc.).  Practicing these techniques can help you become physically stronger as you improve over time.

Review:

Sometimes we think mentally strong people were just born that way or grew up with every possible advantage.  This may be true in some cases, but it definitely wasn’t in Mike’s.  Mental strength is something anyone can develop if he/she will simply commit to new ways of thinking.

Most of the programs I review are about diet and training–physical aspects of self-improvement.  The Psychology of Strength is unique in that it deals almost exclusively with the mental aspect of improving your life.   I think it is worth your time/money.

I think this program would be good for the following:

*Athletes/trainees that want to overcome psychological barriers and further develop the mental aspect of their skill/game.

*People who want to overcome fear or lack of confidence.

*People who want to live more intentionally.

*Coaches and/or motivational speakers who want to add to their personal development library.

I think The Psychology of Strength would be a worthwhile investment if this describes you (or if what I’ve shared in this review/summary appeals to you).  The digital version is $49 and the “hard copy” version is $99.  This is relatively inexpensive when compared to what it would cost to go to a seminar of this length and quality.

JUST CLICK HERE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER THIS PROGRAM OR LEARN MORE.

Note: You may see a video called The End of the American Male at the bottom of the program page.  I personally do not endorse (or use) any “testosterone booster” supplements.  My review only covers the program I have described, not any other products.

Alternative Products:  As I’ve mentioned, Mike Gillette has a program called the Savage Strength Training System.  Feel free to check it out if you want to learn more about his physical approach to strength training.

High Rep Training

I’ll start this post off with a video I first saw years ago.  Here is the legendary Tom Platz doing high repetition squats with heavy weight (well over 500 lb).  This video was filmed back in 1993.  Tom Platz and Dr. Fred Hatfield (aka “Dr Squat) were doing a “squat off” in Germany.  Hatfield won the one-rep max competition by squatting 855 lb.  Platz won the rep competition with the weight you see here:

A while back I wrote an article on the best rep range for building muscle and burning fat.  I basically argued that a 5-10 rep range is going to be ideal for both of these goals.  I still believe that–most of your gains will probably come from this range.

But more advanced and older trainees may want to consider experimenting with higher repetitions (let’s say 15 and up).  There are some good reason to do so:

Leg Traininghighreptrainingplatz2

I’ve heard several bodybuilders say they had better leg growth from training with higher repetitions.  This makes sense because the quadriceps in particular tend to have a high number of both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers.  You’ve just seen what Platz was capable of in his prime–his legendary thighs were built with both heavy lifting and high reps.

Joint Health

High rep training has the advantage of being able to stimulate the muscles with less strain on the joints.  Older trainees in particular may find this to be very helpful.  But even younger guys can benefit from simply giving the joints a break.

Lactic Acid

Training with higher reps will produce more lactic acid, which in turn tends to produce growth hormone (a helpful hormone for burning fat).

Mental Toughness

I’ve found that training beyond my usual rep range also helps me learn to push beyond the pain barrier and force my body to keep going when my muscles are screaming to stop.

Variety in Training

Going to the gym can get kind of boring if you do the same thing week after week.  Dropping the weight and going for higher repetitions is a simple way to challenge yourself and keep things interesting.

Research

Some recent studies indicate that training with high repetitions is an effective way to build muscle.  One study, for example, took fifteen healthy young men and randomly assigned them to different workouts, measuring their bodies’ responses to different training stimuli: 1.  One set to failure with 80% of one-rep max (1RM)  2.  Three sets to failure with 80% of 1RM, and 3.  Three sets to failure with 30% of 1RM.  Needless to say the third workout tended to be much higher in repetitions (20-23).   They found that lower weights/high reps produced a similar anabolic response to lifting with heavier weight and low reps.1 This is just one of many studies you can find verifying the efficacy of this kind of training.   Bottom line: training heavy is not the only way to build muscle.

These are just reasons to consider incorporating higher reps into your workout.  Now let me give you some practical tips (in no particular order of importance):

Exercise Selection:  I think you’ll find some exercises simply aren’t good choices for high reps.  I love deadlifting, but I rarely go over 5 repetitions for that particular exercise.  My form simply starts to break down if I try to go beyond that.  The same goes for front squats.

I tend to be old-school and prefer free weight exercises, but it may be advantageous to consider machines with this kind of training–especially if you are working out without a spotter.

Time Under Tension:  Using less weight will mean you can lift more slowly and deliberately.  Take advantage of this and maximize the time your muscles are under the tension of the weight.

“Burnout” Set:  One of my favorite techniques is to finish my training with one or two sets of high reps after I’ve done some heavier sets.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  Try them and see if they don’t produce new gains.  Please check out my list of recommended workout programs if you’d like more detailed training guides.

1. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012 Jul;113(1):71-7. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00307.2012. Epub 2012 Apr 19. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men.