The answer is clear. It's entirely a matter of attitude. All things being equal, those who continue to improve have a great attitude, and those who fail to progress have a bad attitude. If that sounds too cute and simple for you, remember, we are talking about the master control center here - your brain.

Your brain is a very serious organ of thought, consciousness and bodily control, which at best is but dimly understood by even the greatest brain surgeons. Your brain is the final frontier to bodybuilding progress. It is the ultimate equalizer for less than ideal genetics. It is also the home of your attitude.

If you are not improving as you should, despite all your hard efforts, you need to change your attitude. That's where it must begin. Let's start by covering what an attitude is. An attitude is a characteristic way of thinking, feeling or behaving toward an ideal, person, object or event. It helps to summarize our general reaction to things, whether it's positive or negative. Keep in mind that an attitude is usually a long lasting way of thinking and behaving, so you really have to work at changing it.

The Bad Attitude

Every time you wake up, eat something, step into a gym, or perform a movement, you are behaving according to hundreds of tiny decisions you've previously made. If those decisions are wrongly made, your behavior will not be in your best bodybuilding interests. Yet this psychological process is so subtle and gradual that, unless you stop to analyze your actions, you'll be totally unaware of it. In effect, you could believe all your efforts are positive ones, when in fact you've got a bad attitude. To give you an idea how common this is, here is a list of bad bodybuilding attitudes.

Auto Pilot Training

This is when you simply go through the motions of your workout routine. Auto Pilot trainers do the same number of reps, sets and exercises every session, with the same poundages, and perform the whole workout with the sum total enthusiasm of a house plant. This is a bad attitude. Those who train like this, view their workout as an inconvenience. Something they're not fond of doing but they do it, so they show up at the gym physically, but not mentally. Auto Pilot trainers look forward to going home while they are working out. They do not vary their workout tempo, hand spacings or style of reps for months on end. You never see them experimenting with unique or unusual exercises. It's just too much bother.

To the casual observer, they appear to be working out, but there's no heart in anything they're doing. Just looking at Auto Pilot trainers is a mentally draining experience. They always act as if their dog just died, but they've still come to the gym. How in the world can you make continual gains with this kind of attitude? Funny thing is, they'll often point out someone who keeps improving steadily and call him lucky.

Specialized Hatred

Over 50% of us are guilty of this attitude. Do you happen to have a body part that you don't like to train? If you answered yes, that's specialized hatred. By simply owning that thought, you are mentally rehearsing again and again that you hate to train that muscle. This fills your powerful subconscious mind with those negative thoughts. Remember, the subconscious does not check what you put into it, so if you don't watch what you think, you'll act out those thoughts. And that's exactly what happens with Specialized Hatred.

The Terminator Attitude

In the movie 'The Terminator', Arnold walks up to a guy using the phone and yanks him away from it. The guy tells Arnold. 'Hey man, you've got a serious attitude problem.' Unfortunately, some bodybuilders have this same attitude in the gym. They walk around with hilariously pumped up lat spreads, drop large plates from a height when stripping a bar, bully others using the same equipment, and generally act obnoxious. This attitude may be responsible for the term 'muscle head'.

While the terminator attitude certainly contributes heavily to a negative image of bodybuilders, it also contributes heavily to a zero growth pattern. It's a side effect of having a Terminator attitude. When you behave like this, chances are you're an unreasonable, narrow minded, highly opinionated human being. These are not golden attributes for a bodybuilder who wishes to progress. So, whether you didn't get enough attention when you were young, or you're really just a scared rabbit underneath all that muscle, there's no reason to posses this attitude. Arnold never wears lat spreads in the gym, removes plates gently, and is the greatest bodybuilder who ever walked the Earth.

The Ultra Critics

These people display a strong and relentless desire to harshly criticize anyone they come across. No one is safe, not even the ultra critics' friends, but successful bodybuilders are a favorite target. And their remarks are always so extreme. Sure, a certain amount of criticism is indeed helpful, but purely destructive criticism shows only one thing. Color this group green with envy. All they are really demonstrating is their incredibly low self esteem.

Beware, the ultra critics will attack you from any angle if they can't find a big enough flaw in your physique. They'll attack your character, your car, your girlfriend, or boyfriend, what you eat, you name it. When a gang of ultra critics get together, you get far away from them. Within minutes, they will whip themselves into a frenzy and fire scud missiles at everyone in the gym. This is a very bad attitude to have. It poisons your mind with pessimism, and you become a very bitter person. Plus, it's a big waste of time.

The Eliminator Attitude

Bodybuilders with this outlook have a bodybuilding outlook and that's it. They eat, sleep and dream bodybuilding. They eliminate everything else from their life because it might interfere with their goals. Don't get me wrong - I respect someone with a totally goal oriented drive, but these people have gone around the bend. It's no wonder they have the conversational capacity of a styro foam cup. Mind you, it's not related to their intelligence at all, but rather a by product of refusing to focus on the world around them. The opposite sex typically doesn't stick around very long in a relationship with the eliminator. How long can you watch someone make a protein drink?

Inferior Superiors

Rare, but extremely gifted group of bodybuilders who train less intensely than most, yet grow faster and bigger than anyone else. Nothing's wrong with that, except they coast on the strength of their genes. Unlike average types, who have to resort to great efforts to gain a shred of improvement. Inferior-Superiors never strain to gain. Instead of acquiring that battle hardened 'Go for the Gusto' attitude, their mindset is softened by the false belief that genetic superiority does it all. Unfortunately, that's an inferior attitude. Sure, you'll hear them say, 'I'm better than that pro,' or 'I could beat this guy on the cover,' and the truth is, they probably could. But they never will. That cruise control attitude of theirs will always hold back the reins to their ultimate physical development.

Past Dwellers

Persons in this group (mostly over 35) dwell on their past bodybuilding accomplishments to a disproportionate degree. You get to hear how big, cut or just plain amazing they used to be, regardless of whether you asked or not. Past dwellers are easy to identify because of their 'glory days' comments. 'You should have seen my legs back then.' 'I could train for hours in those days.' 'Bodybuilding was less complicated in my time.' An excellent attitude to have if you want to spoil the preciousness of the present moment.

Size Monsters

These people might as well have 'Bigger is Better' stamped across their foreheads. Their primary goal in life is the acquisition of sheer body mass to the exclusion of all logic. No consideration whatsoever is given to the quality of the bigness, just quantity. They are happiest when carting around huge conglomerations of muscle, water and fat that pin them to the planet's surface and extra 60 - 70 pounds over a defined state.

Ask a size monster, 'Why don't you start cutting up?' and you'll get the standard reply, 'I still need more size.' This attitude is like heroin addiction - they're hooked on it. If you meet a size monster who has lost weight, don't mention he looks smaller because you'll hurt his feelings. For the size monster, body weight is a mood thermometer, the bigger he is, the happier he is. Size monsters are usually friendly and have a harmless as a hamster type of personality. Nevertheless, their attitude assures them that a lean, healthy, dynamic type of physique is something that cannot exist except in theory for them.

The Good Attitude

Question. How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer. One. But the light bulb must want to change. You must be like the light bulb. This article is not intended for you to just read about attitude, it's aim is to change your attitude, into the right one. And that's the good attitude.

Unlike the bad attitude, which has many manifestations, the good attitude is a single headspace. It's a persistent, all encompassing outlook that converts all thoughts into behavior that is entirely positive in action. It can radically affect the destiny of you as a bodybuilder, as well as a person.

People with a good attitude live in the now. Not in the future, which is uncertain, and not in the past, which is gone forever. They live life to the fullest in everything they do, and that includes training. Unlike auto pilot trainers, bodybuilders with positive attitudes constantly experiment with new concepts and methodologies to ensure continual improvement. Furthermore, a good attitude causes you to be reflective and insightful. This means the overlooked becomes the obvious.

Along the same lines, you can't foster a specialized hatred toward a body part when you know you're doing it. Instead, with a good attitude, you look forward to training it. That weaker body part actually stews in your mind as a challenge. It's something to conquer, not just carry along. That difference spells growth.

A good attitude never produces overly harsh behavior. So instead of being mean and unapproachable, like the terminators, you're warm and very approachable. Socially likeable instead of socially purple. This creates a positive public image.

Unlike ultra critics, people with a good attitude have high self esteem. They like themselves a lot. That's why it's easy for them to give credit where it's due. When Arnold was defeated by Sergio Oliva, he kissed Sergio on the forehead after the show. He didn't criticize his opponent, he congratulated him. How often do you see competitors doing that now? This good attitude has clearly made Arnold the success he is today.

A good attitude is also a balanced one. One in which work and leisure are in harmony for optimal productivity. Somewhere between the inferior superiors and the eliminators is the right amount. The former needs a hotter flame of desire, and the latter needs some moderation. The key is balance.

A good attitude lets you be objective. You have the correct perspective. Past dwellers focus on the yester years. Size monsters are fixed on bigness. A good attitude makes you know what you want, what you're doing, and why. At all times.

10 Points on How to Obtain a Good Attitude

1. Set goals for yourself. Make them believable and clearly defined. Write them down every morning, vividly imagine those goals throughout the day. Once achieved, create another.

2. Avoid negative people. You cannot help them, unless they are willing to be helped.

3. Actively seek positive people and cherish everyone you meet.

4. Eat extremely well. Maximum nutrition levels create greater strength, tissue growth, mental clarity and a superior attitude.

5. Increase your self discipline. Fight against laziness. Stay hungry.

6. Delay gratification. Do what must be done now, rather than what you like to do. Never make the mistake of serving two desires. You can only serve one.

7. Consider spiritual values. Research the area closely. Approach it with an open mind. It can profoundly affect your attitude.

8. Use time wisely. Do the most productive thing possible at any given moment.

9. Learn from mistakes. Analyze why they happened. Use them as tools for growth.

10. Develop a sense of humor. Don't take everything so seriously.