As with all endeavors in your life, emotions play a key role in both your motivation to perform, and the level at which you perform. People who love their jobs will undoubtedly perform better at their jobs. People who love their children will be better parents. People who are able to channel their emotions into tools to assist them with tasks are able to complete these tasks with more success. Bodybuilding is no exception.

Momentum

When you’ve been following a diet or training routine religiously for a few weeks, you begin to see consistent progress. This progress creates a feeling of self-satisfaction, which creates motivation to train and diet harder. It’s like a snowball. Every day you see greater results, you are going to have more reasons to keep eating and training correctly. Use this momentum to your benefit. Record it so the memory is fresh when you need it. Each time you encounter an obstacle, look back at your journal for successes, and relive those memories to get the momentum rolling once again.

Negativity

Use your emotions to your benefit. Feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt, while destructive in many avenues of life, can be remarkably effective for giving you an extra rep or two each set when you’re in the gym training. If you are unhappy with your body, you’re more likely to finish your cardio session instead of stopping early. If you are well aware that your arms lag behind the rest of your physique, you’re going to find the energy to complete every rep in a deliberate, controlled motion. After all, you are saddened by the fact your arms lag. However, you are also aware of the fact that whatever you did to get those other body parts to excel, you can do for your arms. So there is hope. Apply the feelings of frustration and self-disappointment to motivate you to perform better. It’s tough to take that hit to ego, but it’s only after admitting our flaws that we can improve upon them.

Keep negative emotions in check

While negativity can be used as a tool for creating progress, don’t let it work to your detriment. Cortisol levels can rise when feelings of negativity begin to erode the performance of the central nervous system. Be aware of your weaknesses, and use this awareness to perform better. But don’t let the negativity rule you. Keep your emotions in check by exploring them; using them to your benefit, but never letting them destroys your progress.