Getting into the best shape of your life is tough. Inevitably at some point you will ask yourself: ‘Why am I doing this to myself?’ And it is imperative that you have no trouble answering that question.

It is great if you can always come up with an answer, but it will be even better if you don’t have to face that question so often. By fully understanding the costs of training for a great physique, you can get into the right mindset and prevent yourself from ever asking that terrible question. (Why is it a terrible question? Because you only ask it when you are in doubt).

Before diving in, I would like to encourage you to first check out my post on all the wonderful benefits of training for a great body. Just as you may know only 20-50% of the heavy costs of this journey, you may also know only little of how rewarding this experience can be. I don’t want you to give up training after reading this post before giving some consideration to all the rewards  of training. Also, keep in mind that this blog is all about helping you to balance life and training, so I will help you have a great life even with all these costs.

Costs of getting into the best shape of your life:

Time consuming:

• You have to train REGULARLY 3 to 4 times a week. There is no excuse for missing a work out.
• Since you are an ectomorph, you will turn back to your skinny pathetic body if you stop training. Meaning: you have to train your whole life.
• Training is only 10% of getting a great physique. Sleep and nutrition is the other 90%. Meaning: you have to get at least 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep every night; you have to eat at least 7-8 meals every day.
• Same as for training, you stop eating and sleeping properly, you will become skinny again. Meaning: you have to eat and sleep that much your whole training life.
• You CANNOT miss a meal, a work out, or an hour of sleep. But there are other stuff to do too (homework, business, etc). Meaning: you have to plan days or weeks ahead before you can do anything. Planning is time consuming too.
• You only know very little about training, or if anything at all. The only reason you’re not getting big is because you are not training properly (including sleeping and eating). Meaning: forget your ego and take some time to learn the right techniques and the proper nutrition.

High opportunity cost:

• You are spending most of your day for training, eating and sleeping (TES), and you are going to be doing that forever. Meaning: you will miss out on many of the normal/fun activities that your friends and family enjoy.
• Example: you cannot drink because it messes up everything. You cannot just impulsively go to a night club because you will miss meals and hours of sleep.

Swimming against the tide:

• Not everyone is an ectomorph, and not every ectomorph wants to get big. Meaning: people will NEVER understand why you are spending so much time, money and energy on TES.
• You will have to say NO to a lot of activities with friends and family. They will not just let you be. It will take gut and lots of hard work to balance life and work and everything.
• Example: your friends will chill and take their time with everything because they can stay up till 3 or 4am. You have to go to bed at 12am. That’s crazy… but true.
• We always want to do something that is socially proven. But you will NEVER do anything great by following the crowd all the time. Now it’s your opportunity to really challenge yourself.

For an ectomorph, your life is doomed to being skinny and weak. That is how nature intends it to be. If you want to go against nature, expect to work hard persistently and continuously.

I know that these costs may seem a bit crazy to you. You may say, I don’t want to be enormous; all I want is to gain 10 to 15 pounds and cut some fat from my beer belly. But believe me, even that requires hard work for quite some time. Also, once you have learnt and been able to gain 5 pounds of muscle, it gets easier. So why not dream big?

The costs may seem overwhelming, but the rewards are totally worth all the money, time and energy you put into this. What’s more, this whole blog is here to help you achieve your big goal of getting BIG while living a well balanced life. Remember, I go to school full time, work 12 hours campus job every week, and I also have another serious job on the side. And I am still training hard, eating properly and sleeping enough. I even have time to blog. Think about Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Those guys are ectomorphs too. They are movie-stars; they must be busy as hell. Yet look at Brad Pitt now. Awesome hah? Look at Edward Norton in American History X too.

You need to understand and be aware of the costs in order to prepare yourself for everything ahead. You will not have to ask yourself: ‘Why am I doing this?’ because you know what’s coming. People give up because the initial excitement is soon replaced by the hardships. You will not because once you have accepted these costs, nothing can surprise you.

You can get BIG. Just dream BIG and stay determined and disciplined. These costs are here to help you prepare yourself. Getting big is serious business. It WILL take a part of your life. Accept the fact and move on. Don’t be ignorant and waste your time going nowhere. That is even more costly.

Think these costs are expensive? Try ignorance.

RECAP: Understand and Accept the cost of training first.