“I want to work out, but I don’t have the time or the energy. I’m just. too. busy.”

As someone who has been immersed in the fitness space for years now, I’ve heard the same trite remark from friends, family members, and internet strangers. It’s a common fallback for the unmotivated–those who prefer to spend their nights on the couch than in the squat rack. “Motivation” is a difficult concept to define, but you know it when you see it. Motivated people have some intrinsic force that persuades them to act the way they do as opposed to giving into easier alternatives. Motivation is what one needs to transform his or her life and body, and motivating people is Mike Matthews’ forte.

Matthews has written several books, including Bigger, Leaner, Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body, which has been a constant in the Amazon.com’s top 5 fitness books for a while now. This time, Mike ditches the exercise science and opts for a more psychological approach to fitness, one that focuses more on getting and keeping people in the gym rather than guiding them through what to do once they show up.

The result is The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation, and this glossy hardcover certainly lives up to its name. It’s small in stature and contains just over 200 pages of no-nonsense content, meaning it’s easily read in a couple of hours. However, as you’ll see, this isn’t the optimal approach to the book, as each chapter is packed with “Do This Nows” and additional reading supplements that give it value much beyond the $15 price. Continue reading →