Strength Mindset: From Weak Like Near Beer to Potent Like Moonshine

by- Josh Bryant

Tom Haviland forging a way!

Forget motivational posters, overpriced supplements, or that influencer spewing clichés between sips of sparkling water. This isn’t about showing off your new pump in the Allsup’s parking lot or doing three sets of curls before morning chow at Waffle House. 

This is strength like West by God Virginia moonshine—raw, real, and strong enough to peel paint off a barn. If your training mindset’s been shaped by TikTok trends and group chat cheer squads, it’s time to recalibrate. Here are six no-BS mindset shifts to flip the switch from a casual lifter chasing likes to a results-driven powerhouse that doesn’t miss.

1. Don’t “Work Out”—Train

“Working out” is what the average Planet Fitness goer does before they hit the smoothie bar and post a sweaty selfie. You’re not here to “feel the burn” or “get a pump.”

You’re here to TRAIN—that means a deliberate and structured pursuit of strength and performance. Training has a destination. It follows principles: progression, overload, specificity. If it doesn’t have purpose, it’s just movement. And movement without purpose is just cardio in disguise.

Working out is what folks do to look decent at a high school reunion. Training is what you do to build a body and mind that dominate.

Train for results with one of Josh’s Proven Plans HERE.

2. Set Goals That Matter

Don’t step into the gym like you’re lost at a buffet. Have a damn plan.

Real lifters set real goals. SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. You don’t say, “I want to get stronger.” You say, “I want to deadlift 500 by December 1st.”

And if traditional goals feel too far off, start with process goals:

• Train 4 days per week
• Get 8 hours of sleep
• Log every workout
• Hit your protein target

Outcomes are never guaranteed. But the process? That’s 100% in your control.

3. Visualize Like a Maniac

See it before you do it. Top performers don’t just train their bodies, they rehearse greatness in their heads.

Visualization isn’t just daydreaming. You imagine the bar in your hands. You smell the chalk. You hear your breath. You feel your feet rooting into the platform.

Use both angles:

• Internal (through your own eyes)
• External (like watching yourself on film)

And rehearse the tough stuff. Rewind the missed lift and play it back with a different outcome. Train the rep in your head until it’s second nature.

4. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Fixed mindsets are for people who peak in high school and never stop talking about it.

A growth mindset means you believe you can improve. That you can build skill, toughness, and strength through work. That setbacks are setups for comebacks.

Michael Jordan got cut from varsity. Didn’t cry on TikTok. Didn’t blame the coach. He went to work.

Start where you are, use what you have, and trust that you can improve. That’s the real edge.

5. Build Habits That Outlast Motivation

Motivation’s like a fart in the wind—shows up loud and proud, disappears when it matters. Habits are what carry the torch when the excitement wears off.

Jack Nicklaus is to golf what Popcorn Sutton is to moonshine—GOAT status. Jack won 18 majors and finished runner-up 19 more times. He didn’t get there by feeling “motivated.” He got there by building airtight routines.

One psychologist tracked him in a tournament. From the first green to the last, pulling the club, lining up, swinging—Jack’s timing never wavered more than a second. That’s habit forged in fire.

Same with Valeriy Borzov, the Russian sprinting machine. When he ran, he’d raise his hand at the finish line like he just won Olympic gold—even when he didn’t. Why? Because he trained himself to finish like a champion. Winning became his habit, not just his outcome.

You don’t rise to your goals, you fall to your habits. So build ones that hold up when motivation vanishes.

6. Build Resilience (aka Don’t Be Soft)

Injuries. Setbacks. Bad training days. Life’s gonna throw wrenches, not roses.

Training mindset means you adapt. Miss a lift? Learn from it. Can’t access your gym? Improvise. On the road? Find stairs, sandbags, or your own bodyweight.

Control the controllables. That’s not just fluff—it’s the secret sauce. Greg Harden taught it to Tom Brady. You can use it too. Your job is to adjust, stay in the fight, and keep moving forward.

The Minimalist Bible:

Final Word

Training mindset doesn’t come from a podcast or a hoodie. It comes from commitment, consistency, and cold steel discipline.

Be the person that shows up when motivation disappears. Be the one who finishes strong while others fade.

And remember:

Train with purpose. Adapt under pressure. Embrace the process.