The Long Game

Sharing stories about high performers and timeless strategies to help you perform at your best. Ex engineer. Markets.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

It was the day before the 1975 Mr. Olympia tournament.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was sitting down to have breakfast with fellow competitor Lou Ferrigno, and his parents.

The interaction was captured in the classic bodybuiling film "Pumping Iron".

During the meal, Arnold casually mentions how he had already won the competition in his mind and downplays everyone elses chance:

"You know, it's amazing, can you imagine the feeling I have? Six time Mr. Olympia. Six fucking times. It's incredible."

Scwarzenegger's use of psychological warfare often went unnoticed at the time.

In an era where most bodybuilders were focusing solely on the science of building muscle, Schwarzenegger was taking it one step further and using rivals own psychology against them.

His approach to competition extended far beyond the gym, it delved deep into his opponent's psychology which gave him and edge before the competition even began.

The Psychological Warfare of Subtle Observations

Arnold had a great ability to point out subtle observations.

Through casual conversations, he would plant seeds of doubt in his opponents' minds about their own preparation and chances of winning.

He would often make offhand remarks about a competitor's weaknesses.

These comments were designed to get inside his opponents' heads, making them overthink and second-guess themselves.

In a conversation with Tim Ferris years later he told Ferris that he would deliberately mess with Ferrigno:

"Let me ask you something, do you have any knee injuries or something like that?"

Then they would look at me and say, "No, why? No, I have no knee injury at all. No, my knees feel great."

And they say, "Why are you asking?" I said, "Well because your thighs look a little slimmer to me. I thought maybe you can't squat or maybe there's some problem with leg extension."

He says, "Really?"

And then I saw them all for two hours in the gym always going in front of the mirror and checking out their thighs ... People are vulnerable about those things.

Takeaway 1 - Mental Preparation

Leaving the morals and ethics aside for a moment, Arnold's actions provide a broader lesson in competitive strategy.

They highlight the importance of mental strength and preparation.

Often, battles are won in the mind before they are fought in the arena.

By playing mind games, he often managed to throw his opponents off balance.

He used self confidence and the ability to project it in a way that unnerved his opponents.

Understanding and influencing the mindset of your competitors can be as important as physical preparedness.

Takeaway 2 - Need for a Competitive Edge

At the highest levels of any field, the differences between top performers are often minimal.

Especially in bodybuilding, most of the top athletes physiques are very similar so they need something to make them stand out amongst the rest.

It's about having that extra something – be it a unique strategy, something competitors don't know or in the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a mastery of psychological warfare.

This edge is often what sets competitors apart.

Schwarzenegger's ability to use psychological tactics effectively illustrates the importance of having an ace up your sleeve, something that your competitors lack.

In the pursuit of victory, especially in a field where attributes are closely matched, leveraging a unique competitive edge can be the key to success.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

The internet gives you the information you need early on.

You likely already have all the knowledge necessary to achieve your goals.

From there, it's about discipline and taking action, not seeking more information.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

"Be satisfied with even the smallest progress." - Marcus Aurelius

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Most of lifes problems are solved by some exercise and a good nights sleep.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

@AMAZlNGNATURE Do Jiu Jitsu

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

The scariest thing in life is climbing the wrong mountain

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

@Musclesaregrea1 Good stuff Andraz

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

A Guide to Systematisation:

When considering what aspects of life to systematise, one of the critical factors to take into account is if there will be short-term or long term consequences.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

@traderHMS Leverage will always be a double edged sword.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Don’t get too reliant on routines.

Life is going to get in the way and your routines will be disrupted.

Being good at routines means being as disciplined as you can while also forgiving yourself if life gets in the way.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

"Dopamine is not about the pursuit of happiness, it is about the happiness of pursuit"

- Dr. Robert Sapolsky

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

@traderHMS Love this

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

“People are stunned when I tell them the quarter-life of caffeine, It’s 12 hours.

So if you drink a coffee at noon, at midnight a quarter of that caffeine is still in your brain.”

- Dr. Matt Walker

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Sir Alex Ferguson on the Importance of High Standards:

“We never allowed a bad training session. What you see in training manifests itself on the game field. So every training session was about quality."

“We didn’t allow a lack of focus. It was about intensity, concentration, speed—a high level of performance."

“Once you bid farewell to high standards and discipline you say goodbye to success."

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Don't expect to be motivated every day.

Instead, focus on building good habits and practicing discipline.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Don’t attach your self worth to things outside of your control.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Reading everything in the news cycle will permanently change your view of the world for the worse.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

There is no secret to high performance, it’s simply turning up day in, day out whether you feel like it or not.

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

@thegrowthlib Of course

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

@TimSRD_ Good man Tim

[The Long Game @thelong_game]

Having a purpose that is bigger than you allows you to keep going when times get tough.