BONUS ARTICLE: The Step Construct
by Chris Shugart

Everything you do, every single decision you make, either takes you a
step closer or a step further away from your goal. You either grow or
you regress; nothing stands still. Got that? Good. Now,
let's apply that to your training goal. First, what's your primary
goal? Lose that blubbery gut? Build mountains of muscle? Bench press a
Buick? Look hotter than that slut your husband left you for? Whatever
your goal, get it in your head right now. Whatever you want your body
to look like, visualize that physique. Maybe it's one of these below: Got it? Good. Now,
imagine that you're standing on a long path that's stretching out
before you. Go ahead, do it. At the end of this path is your ideal
body: lean, muscular, powerful. Got it? Good. Now,
imagine that every decision you make during your day regarding your
diet, your training program, or your lifestyle in general, will cause
you to either take one step closer to that ideal physique or one step
further away. Every single daily decision every minute of the day. Everything! It should be easy to imagine this because, well, it's true. What does that mean exactly? Let's break it down:
• That meal you just ate? Did it take you a step forward or backward?
• What about your last scheduled workout? (Or did you skip it and take a step or two back?)
• What about the substances you chose to put into your body last weekend?
• Sleep levels?
• Recovery methods? (Did you even use any today?)
• Energy systems work and NEPA (non-exercise physical activity)?
• Supplement choices and consistency of supplement usage?
• Did you take the stairs or the escalator today?
• Did you choose to educate yourself about something today or watch re-runs on TV?
• Did you choose to perform triceps kickbacks or close-grip dips?
• Right this very second, how's your posture sitting in that chair?
• Did you drink a sugary cola today? Do you think that took you one step forward or one step backward? Negative
actions or behaviors, even small ones, accumulate into regression — you
get fatter, weaker, smaller, dumber, and sicker. Positive actions or
behaviors, even small ones, accumulate into progression — you get more
muscular, leaner, stronger, smarter, and healthier. I'm not
trying to turn you into an anal retentive OCD sufferer. This is just a
mental technique that creates both awareness and accountability. It's a
construct that can keep you on the path to reaching your goals. Whether
you achieve that ideal body or not is up to you and the decisions you
make daily. The fault, if you fail, is yours. The success, if you
achieve, is yours too. Embrace the accountability. How many steps did you take forward today? How many steps did you take backward? They add up. Got that? Good.http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1739907