The One Coach You'll Have for Life
By Mind & Muscle Academy. Newsletter nº45 ; 11/07/2025.
Let’s be real, every athlete has that moment.
You’re 3 reps from the end.
Or 10 minutes into a run.
Or halfway through a drill that’s chewing you up.
And then it shows up… that voice.
“You’re tired.”
“You’ve done enough.”
“No one will know if you stop now.”
I know that voice well. Every time I run, it whispers the same thing:
“You could stop now. You don’t really need to finish.”
It doesn’t scream.
It’s not angry.
It’s reasonable.
And that’s what makes it dangerous.
But here’s the thing:
Every time I hear it, I force myself to do the opposite.
Not just to finish the run.
But to prove something much bigger:
That I don’t listen to limits.
That I’m stronger than my comfort.
That I’m in charge, not that voice.
What’s In This Week’s Article?
Where Does That Voice Come From?
Your Most Powerful Coach
How To Train Your Inner Voice
Where Does That Voice Come From?
Let’s break it down scientifically.
Your brain has one job: keep you alive.
It doesn’t care about your goals.
It doesn’t care about medals, muscles, or personal bests.
It just wants to keep you safe, and comfort is safe.
That voice? It’s your amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex teaming up to detect fatigue, stress, and danger.
When you're under pressure, like during a hard workout, your brain literally starts sending signals to downregulate effort.
That’s not weakness.
That’s neurobiology.
But here's the twist:
Just because the signal fires, doesn’t mean you have to follow it.
The best athletes?
They hear the same voice.
They just don’t let it lead every single decision they make.
Now don’t get me wrong, everyone tells you to follow your inner voice, and most of the time, they’re right.
If you’re in an uneasy situation, and you feel constricted or limited, then yes, trust that voice.
If your gut tells you a friendship is draining you, or a certain path isn’t right for your values or your future, listen.
If something feels off, if you're constantly anxious or losing sleep over it, that inner voice might be your most honest guide.
So follow your inner voice when it speaks with wisdom.
But when it whispers fear, prove it wrong.
Your Inner Voice IS Your Most Powerful Coach
Think about it.
You’ll have hundreds of coaches, teachers, and teammates in your life.
But the one voice you’ll hear every day, in every workout, every exam, every tough decision, is your own.
So what kind of coach are you being?
One who folds under pressure?
Or one who says, “You’ve got more in the tank, now prove it.”
Because your body listens.
Your nervous system responds.
Positive self-talk has been shown to increase endurance, reduce perceived effort, and even boost strength output.
(A 2021 study in the Psychophysiology Journal showed athletes who trained with positive self-talk improved time-to-exhaustion performance compared to those who didn’t.)1 (Basset et al.)
That’s not magic.
That’s mental training.
P.S. Check out this older article on “Building Resilience Against Mental Blocks” to learn more!
How to Train Your Inner Voice
Like any muscle, your inner voice gets stronger with reps.
Here’s how to start:
1. Catch It Early
Notice when the voice shows up. Mid-set? At the first sign of fatigue?
Awareness is step one.
2. Talk Back With Intent
Say:
“That’s exactly why I’m going to keep going.”
“If I stop now, I train my mind to quit.”
“I don’t listen to comfort. I train for greatness.”
(Yes, it’ll feel awkward at first. Say it anyway.)
3. Build a Mantra Arsenal
Create a few personal mantras you can repeat in tough moments.
My favourites:
“Prove yourself wrong.”
“Push yourself beyond your limits.”
What’s yours?
4. Reinforce the Win
When you ignore the voice and finish strong, celebrate it.
That’s a rep for your mental strength. Bank it.
Final Thought: Who’s In Charge?
You can train every muscle in your body.
But if you leave your mind untrained, if that voice still runs the show, then you’ll always hit limits that aren't really there.
So the next time you hear it?
That whisper saying “stop, slow down, it’s too much”?
Smile.
Because that voice just reminded you:
You’re about to grow.
You’re about to separate yourself.
You’re about to win the rep that counts.
And that’s why we don’t stop.
Stay tuned for more tips, stories, and advice in our upcoming newsletters, and feel free to check out the last editions!
As always, I’m open to new ideas or suggestions you may have, so feel free to leave a comment, and ask any questions! I’d be glad to help!
Thank you all for joining me today, and I wish you a pleasant rest of your day.
Quote of the Day:
“Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
- Steve Jobs
Best regards,
Ruben
Founder, Mind & Muscle Academy
Basset, Fabien A., et al. “Type of Self-Talk Matters: Its Effects on Perceived Exertion, Cardiorespiratory, and Cortisol Responses during an Iso-Metabolic Endurance Exercise.” Psychophysiology, Nov. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1111/PSYP.13980.