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For Arnold Schwarzenegger, discipline wasn't painful; it was pleasurable. He famously compared 'the pump' (the feeling of blood rushing to the muscles) to sexual satisfaction. This reframing allowed him to train with an intensity that others couldn't match. He teaches that if you can learn to love the discipline—to find joy in the struggle itself—you become unstoppable. Discipline is the bridge between the vision in your head and the trophy in your hand.
"Sleep faster. We have 24 hours a day. You sleep six hours and have 18 hours left. Now, I know there are some of you out there that say well, wait a minute, I sleep eight hours or nine hours. Well, then, just sleep faster, I would say."
"I don't do things halfway. I'm very obsessive."
"If you don't find the time, if you don't do the work, you don't get the results."
"Pain makes me grow. Growing is what I want. Therefore, for me pain is pleasure."
"The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character."
"The only way to be a champion is by going through these forced reps and the torture and the pain."
"Confidence is not something you are born with. It is something you earn through sweat and discipline."
"I welcome the pain. I don't know why, but I just like the pain."
"Every rep counts, every set counts, every meal counts."
"The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion."
"The only way to be a champion is by going through these forced reps and those moments of pain."
"I welcome the pain because I know that the pain is necessary to be a champion."
"You can't expect to see results if you only put in the work on the days you feel like it."
"Every rep I did, every set I did, I was thinking about the dream."
"Dreams are the fuel for the fire of discipline."
"Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach."
"Rest is for the weak. You can sleep when you're dead."
"Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets."
"There is no magic pill. There is only the work. You have to do the reps."
Seeing how Arnold Schwarzenegger approaches Discipline helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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