How Bad Do You Want It?

Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle

By: Matt Fitzgerald

Narrated by: Matt Fitzgerald

The greatest athletic performances spring from the mind, not the body. Elite athletes have known this for decades, and now science is learning why it's true. In his fascinating new book, How Bad Do You Want It?, coach Matt Fitzgerald examines more than a dozen pivotal races to discover the surprising ways elite athletes strengthen their mental toughness.

Fitzgerald puts you into the pulse-pounding action of more than a dozen epic races from running, cycling, triathlon, XTERRA, and rowing with thrilling race reports and revealing postrace interviews with the elites. Their own words reinforce what the research has found: Strong mental fitness lets us approach our true physical limits, giving us an edge over physically stronger competitors. Each chapter explores the how and why of an elite athlete's transformative moment, revealing powerful new psychobiological principles you can practice to flex your own mental fitness.

The new psychobiological model of endurance performance shows that the most important question in endurance sports is: How bad do you want it? Fitzgerald's fascinating book will forever change how you answer this question and show you how to master the psychology of mind over muscle. These lessons will help you push back your limits and uncover your full potential.

©2015 Matt Fitzgerald (P)2016 Recorded Books

How Bad Do You Want It?

If you like endurance sports and pushing your limits this is the book for you. Great examples. Matt did a really nice job in reading as well.

Good but feels incomplete

Would have been better if he dived more into the science and how to practice some of the mental techniques. Especially in the later chapters.

Thrilling and inspirational!

Matt Fitzgerald creates an exciting book filled with amazing physical achievements and thought provoking science.

It would make an interesting read for anyone curious about psychology, sports or history but it is equally engaging for the aspiring athlete and casual exerciser alike.

As a someone who identifies more with coming in last than in winning a race, I found this book extremely motivating. Matt had me on the edge of my seat with his recounting of race events. I was also constantly bookmarking passages for future reference.

Thanks Matt for a fun, inspirational read!

Lifes a firewalk, just like racing.

Wonderful mix of evidence based studies, anecdotal stories and colorful messages encapsulated in an amazing way.

This book kept me engaged with each chapter

As a non-professional athlete with ambitious goals, I loved this entire book. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys putting themselves out there and testing their limits. This book kept me company and motivated during many of my runs.