What do you think?
Rate this book
Mental Fitness
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
The brilliant new book from the Chief Instructor of Australia that will explain the principles behind maintaining a healthy mind and body.
The mind and body are often talked about as separate entities, but it’s only when they work in harmony with one another that one can truly push oneself to the highest heights.
In his new book, Ant Middleton lays out and explains the principles that he lives by to best keep his mindset and body as strong as they can possibly be.
The brilliant new book from the Chief Instructor of Australia that will explain the principles behind maintaining a healthy mind and body.
The mind and body are often talked about as separate entities, but it’s only when they work in harmony with one another that one can truly push oneself to the highest heights.
In his new book, Ant Middleton lays out and explains the principles that he lives by to best keep his mindset and body as strong as they can possibly be.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 25, 2021
253 people are currently reading
1010 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
August 22, 2022
I find this guy laughable. This guy lectures us about mental fitness and maintaining a positive mindset and phasing out all negative thoughts. Ant I wish you did some of that before you hit a police woman and nearly killed or when you stormed out of your place just cos someone practically made an innocuous comment. Hell, even his brother has been in prison too. I mean I even get the impression you joined the SAS as a badge to flash around and say “look at me I was part of the elites “ when in fact he was barely in it. This guy is looked down upon by many real SAS officers btw.
Ant you are a total hypocrite and a violent weak person who is the total opposite of what your books are about.
Before you say “why did you read this then” I read this for free on Google and stopped shortly after the start. I have never written a review on Goodreads btw but you are a clown.
Ant you are a total hypocrite and a violent weak person who is the total opposite of what your books are about.
Before you say “why did you read this then” I read this for free on Google and stopped shortly after the start. I have never written a review on Goodreads btw but you are a clown.
January 25, 2022
Received this as a Christmas present and spontaneously decided to read it straight away.
First few chapters are great. He writes in a way I enjoy and resonate with. He definitely wants to motivate, he writes in clear simple terms and he swears quite a lot. But crucially, not too much.
The beginning of this book motivated me to implement some changes. Your typical New Years Resolutions. And to not fall by the wayside after a week or two speaks well to this book.
But after halfway in or so it gets a little old hat. I started to wonder when he would say something I didn’t actually already know. And other than 2 brief segments it didn’t bring anything new whatsoever.
This book won’t inspire you intellectually, and I think it’s fair to say that choosing this author for such an experience would be misguided. But if you want some straight talking kick up the backside kind of fodder it could be right up your street.
First few chapters are great. He writes in a way I enjoy and resonate with. He definitely wants to motivate, he writes in clear simple terms and he swears quite a lot. But crucially, not too much.
The beginning of this book motivated me to implement some changes. Your typical New Years Resolutions. And to not fall by the wayside after a week or two speaks well to this book.
But after halfway in or so it gets a little old hat. I started to wonder when he would say something I didn’t actually already know. And other than 2 brief segments it didn’t bring anything new whatsoever.
This book won’t inspire you intellectually, and I think it’s fair to say that choosing this author for such an experience would be misguided. But if you want some straight talking kick up the backside kind of fodder it could be right up your street.
April 8, 2022
Some really good principles in here that we could all learn from and adapt in our lives.
October 27, 2023
It's very, very rare for me to be unable to finish a book. I even tried to take a break from this one, read something completely different and then come back to it. However, I still couldn't go on with it.
He comes over as being sexist, ageist (anyone over 50 can forget it!) and body shaming.
He also seems to be a bit of a hypocrite - there is one chapter where he says that he wasn't around for his kids and then starts to lecture the reader on how to be a good parent - and as I was listening to the audiobook, it really did sound like a lecture. Learning from other people's mistakes is one thing, but trying to make something sound easy when you've failed to do it yourself is completely different.
The book also seems to be very repetitive, not helped by the fact that he starts on one subject area and then disappears off on a tangent.
All in all, I got more than halfway through this but just couldn't bring myself to finish it.
He comes over as being sexist, ageist (anyone over 50 can forget it!) and body shaming.
He also seems to be a bit of a hypocrite - there is one chapter where he says that he wasn't around for his kids and then starts to lecture the reader on how to be a good parent - and as I was listening to the audiobook, it really did sound like a lecture. Learning from other people's mistakes is one thing, but trying to make something sound easy when you've failed to do it yourself is completely different.
The book also seems to be very repetitive, not helped by the fact that he starts on one subject area and then disappears off on a tangent.
All in all, I got more than halfway through this but just couldn't bring myself to finish it.
dnf
September 27, 2022DNF @ 9%
I'm not interested in all the army stuff tbh.
I'm not interested in all the army stuff tbh.
November 19, 2022
There’s a thin veneer of misogyny & body shaming. There’s a blatant refusal to accept or acknowledge other points of view. How he describes his mother and wives are one-dimensional. In the 1st chapter read how he describes the locals of Afghanistan. Problematic and privileged individual.
January 10, 2025
Some pretty generic, extremely obvious advice that you already know. Ant comes off as a bit of a nonce.
July 30, 2023
I think it’s fair to say I’m not the intended target market for this book. I’m female, 35, working in a desk job, no kids. I’m the opposite of Ant.
So I didn’t go into this thinking it would perfectly resonate with me. Of course it won’t.
What impressed me about this book is that Ant addresses topics that are important for his target market, which I imagine is young men who have lost their way or aren’t connected to their feelings. Ant is the ultimate tough guy and he has made a lot of mistakes and lapses of judgement. Who could be more qualified to talk about learning from mistakes?
Ant has some solid things to say about acknowledging your emotions, learning from your mistakes, and taking control of your present. Nothing groundbreaking but I wasn’t expecting that - he’s not a professional counsellor or psychologist.
What he is an expert in is pushing through the most difficult circumstances. I learnt a lot from his experience of extreme physical and mental pressure and how to find your limits.
All in all, this book has a lot to offer to the right person, and I took a fair amount from it too.
So I didn’t go into this thinking it would perfectly resonate with me. Of course it won’t.
What impressed me about this book is that Ant addresses topics that are important for his target market, which I imagine is young men who have lost their way or aren’t connected to their feelings. Ant is the ultimate tough guy and he has made a lot of mistakes and lapses of judgement. Who could be more qualified to talk about learning from mistakes?
Ant has some solid things to say about acknowledging your emotions, learning from your mistakes, and taking control of your present. Nothing groundbreaking but I wasn’t expecting that - he’s not a professional counsellor or psychologist.
What he is an expert in is pushing through the most difficult circumstances. I learnt a lot from his experience of extreme physical and mental pressure and how to find your limits.
All in all, this book has a lot to offer to the right person, and I took a fair amount from it too.
September 4, 2023
I do like to listen to non-fiction audiobooks. This book was a welcome relief to listen to while I was lying in bed with covid. Although I can’t say I learned anything new, it was nice to hear him talk about some the difficulties he has had in his life and how he has overcame them. Although I couldn’t relate to being a young man in the forces or security services, things like like taking control of your emotions, being true to yourself, keeping mentally and physically fit and saying no were all good to hear his perspectives on. I will recommend this to my son (aged 25) who might relate more to this.
March 15, 2022
Like him or dislike him, he has excellent experience in the most extreme circumstances. The thing I like about Ants books is that he tells you these extreme stories from the forces and then translates them into relatable stories for those who aren’t in the forces. He also does so in a way that isn’t patronising in any way. I think everybody could relate to at least one of the stories told.
The tips are great and the book is the perfect length for a refresh on self care and rules for life.
The tips are great and the book is the perfect length for a refresh on self care and rules for life.
March 6, 2025
REALLY enjoyed this! Enjoyed it so much I've literally added every book he's done to my Good Reads. I was also surprised to see that he said his good friends were Liam Payne and Rebel Wilson. Had a look online and they've all done shows together which I'm going to try and see if I can watch. I believe they may be on Sky?
As for this book I really enjoyed how vulnerable he made himself but also on the flip side of that he really is a mentally strong person. Reading this book really does make you believe you can achieve any thing and I think you can too.
As for this book I really enjoyed how vulnerable he made himself but also on the flip side of that he really is a mentally strong person. Reading this book really does make you believe you can achieve any thing and I think you can too.
July 9, 2022
It was an interesting book, and some good tips. But I feel it was more directed towards under 30s
August 25, 2022
Very good book about mental resilience and how to cope with situations daily. Learned alot about certain aspects of life and how to deal with them. 9/10
October 24, 2022
Quite nice book. Stories of his experiences during training and deployment are great, the rest a bit less. Would have been 1 star higher if not for the boring voice (listened on Audible)
November 13, 2022
brb strengthening my body and mind
April 14, 2022
actually life changing, I’m speechless at the extent of how good and inspiring this book was
November 12, 2023
Interesting listen on borrowbox, wasn’t life altering but was an easy listen.
January 8, 2022
This book showed potential in the first couple of chapters, but the contents of the book quickly grew to file dry and regurgitated from the words of hundreds of other authors before him.
His RM and SF stories are always interesting. Just from this alone you can glean plenty of lessons without grinding through a 300+ page book. Maybe it was because many of the chapters I couldn’t entirely relate to, or quite simply read the chapter header and my instant reaction was either, “You’ve got to be kidding me”, or “No, thank you.” As previously stated, the contents of this book are lessons that you can find in work of countless other authors that have come before AM to preach of mental resilience; or the power of habits; or the benefits of looking after your body. If you want to skip all the droning on, just turn to the last page of the chapter and read the lessons. They contain the pertinent bits of information from the whole chapter whilst skipping the boring bits. It often felt like he had a certain word count to reach and was just fluffing up the chapters in any way that he could.
I must state, this is a personal review of the book from my perspective, and whilst I found it uninteresting and generally bland, others may find it to be a guidebook for a lot of their issues and find troves of helpful information within its pages.
His RM and SF stories are always interesting. Just from this alone you can glean plenty of lessons without grinding through a 300+ page book. Maybe it was because many of the chapters I couldn’t entirely relate to, or quite simply read the chapter header and my instant reaction was either, “You’ve got to be kidding me”, or “No, thank you.” As previously stated, the contents of this book are lessons that you can find in work of countless other authors that have come before AM to preach of mental resilience; or the power of habits; or the benefits of looking after your body. If you want to skip all the droning on, just turn to the last page of the chapter and read the lessons. They contain the pertinent bits of information from the whole chapter whilst skipping the boring bits. It often felt like he had a certain word count to reach and was just fluffing up the chapters in any way that he could.
I must state, this is a personal review of the book from my perspective, and whilst I found it uninteresting and generally bland, others may find it to be a guidebook for a lot of their issues and find troves of helpful information within its pages.
January 16, 2022
Best self-help book out there!
Ant does not mince his words. He offers sound, and above all, believable advice. You get the impression from 99% of authors of this genre that they are just trying to fill the pages. Mr Middleton gets straight to the point and provides feasible ways of improving your mental fitness. Thanks, Ant.
Ant does not mince his words. He offers sound, and above all, believable advice. You get the impression from 99% of authors of this genre that they are just trying to fill the pages. Mr Middleton gets straight to the point and provides feasible ways of improving your mental fitness. Thanks, Ant.
August 5, 2022
Definitely worth reading, got quite a few lessons out of it. The structure is really nice, as he describes his own experiences first and then draws lessons from them. Keep in mind, tough, to convert the SAS extremes to normal extremes as this man's experiences don't line up with those of the average human being.
Sometimes I missed a bit of depth in his rules, but besides that a great read.
Sometimes I missed a bit of depth in his rules, but besides that a great read.
December 20, 2023
Before reading this book I read some reviews which I found to be more of a personality clash built on jealousy of the author than the books potential to inspire and help other readers. This book is designed to assist people, give clarity and strength to know who you are, grow and learn from life’s experiences and become who you strive to be. I got all of this from reading this book by Ant Middleton. It’s so easy to read and relate to, and I don’t have to be in the Special Forces to learn what Middleton is teaching. I have read many books on self reflection and growth and each one strives to lend a hand in a persons life, this book did that for me and much more.
January 2, 2022
Inspirational
15 rules, straight to the point! Amazing teacher and helps with mental health and moving forward with yourself. No messing about, helps you stay focused. Thankyou Ant 👏🏼
15 rules, straight to the point! Amazing teacher and helps with mental health and moving forward with yourself. No messing about, helps you stay focused. Thankyou Ant 👏🏼
December 30, 2021
Another great book. This man makes sense of life
May 31, 2022
This was good stuff, Ant Middleton is an absolute legend and he brilliantly finds a way to blend his own fascinating/often heartbreaking life experiences with the genuine life lessons he's learnt. He offers everything to the reader and doesn't hold back, allowing me to learn a lot from his writings :))
The lessons he echoes are crucial to not just a life demanding physical and mental toughness but generally any meaningful life. Here's what I took from each lesson:
. To push yourself to your limits- you have to work hard to develop a strong harmony between your mind and body.
. Building confidence is the work of a lifetime by coming back stronger from struggle.
. Discover what your authentic, true self is and guard it fiercely.
. Build up a healthy, balanced lifestyle to build the bedrock of your success.
. As a parent, embrace the fact that you have to give your children the best of you.
. Turn setbacks into opportunities and make failure the engine for your success.
. It's difficult not to say things you know to be untrue but it's always the best thing to do.
. Use your time and energy to focus on what you can control, using anxiety to push you forward.
. Take care of yourself and your body, never being ashamed of what your body is.
. Pay attention to people you invest in relationships with and talk about things you actually care about.
. Acknowledge your feelings, understand them and make them work for you.
. Bad things will happen but you get to choose how you react to them.
. You can push yourself through pain if you harness your mind and develop an excitement towards physical discomfort.
. Don't give bullies a chance to infect you with their misery- but use confrontation when it's needed.
. Be proud of who you authentically are.
The lessons he echoes are crucial to not just a life demanding physical and mental toughness but generally any meaningful life. Here's what I took from each lesson:
. To push yourself to your limits- you have to work hard to develop a strong harmony between your mind and body.
. Building confidence is the work of a lifetime by coming back stronger from struggle.
. Discover what your authentic, true self is and guard it fiercely.
. Build up a healthy, balanced lifestyle to build the bedrock of your success.
. As a parent, embrace the fact that you have to give your children the best of you.
. Turn setbacks into opportunities and make failure the engine for your success.
. It's difficult not to say things you know to be untrue but it's always the best thing to do.
. Use your time and energy to focus on what you can control, using anxiety to push you forward.
. Take care of yourself and your body, never being ashamed of what your body is.
. Pay attention to people you invest in relationships with and talk about things you actually care about.
. Acknowledge your feelings, understand them and make them work for you.
. Bad things will happen but you get to choose how you react to them.
. You can push yourself through pain if you harness your mind and develop an excitement towards physical discomfort.
. Don't give bullies a chance to infect you with their misery- but use confrontation when it's needed.
. Be proud of who you authentically are.
January 26, 2023
2.5 stars
I got the hard copy as a Christmas gift and although there are so good takeaways in there, it was a struggle to get through. For one it was very disjointed and for another it was more about proving himself then helping others
He’s all about not letting any failure or success define him but then doesn’t go into any details as to why he went to prison in the first place, but goes into how brands and charities didn’t want to work with him after the fact
Nothing he says is actually based on research, all of it is just his opinions written as fact. Yet he states things like; if you’re over thirty or god forbid fifty you can’t develop new habits. It all has to be formed in your twenties. Like says who? Based on what research?
I got the hard copy as a Christmas gift and although there are so good takeaways in there, it was a struggle to get through. For one it was very disjointed and for another it was more about proving himself then helping others
He’s all about not letting any failure or success define him but then doesn’t go into any details as to why he went to prison in the first place, but goes into how brands and charities didn’t want to work with him after the fact
Nothing he says is actually based on research, all of it is just his opinions written as fact. Yet he states things like; if you’re over thirty or god forbid fifty you can’t develop new habits. It all has to be formed in your twenties. Like says who? Based on what research?
February 18, 2022
It was a good read with lots of amazing tips. My only issue with it is that it seemed quite disjointed and sometimes a bit random. It didn't have the same consistent flow that the rest of Ant's books seem to have. Rather, it seemed almost like a collection of journal entry style thoughts. As if Ant had bursts of thought or inspiration relating to each chapter and then and there wrote it out and added it, without the smooth transitions he has used in his previous writings.
If you are looking for a simple, straightforward read about basic ways to improve your daily and longterm life, then this is a good solid book. It just isn't on par with his previous writings.
If you are looking for a simple, straightforward read about basic ways to improve your daily and longterm life, then this is a good solid book. It just isn't on par with his previous writings.
March 7, 2023
Medicore. Nothing ground breaking. I didnt like how parts were trivialised and other parts were made to be earth shattering revlations. I also found a lot of these self help revelations he made were AFTER the fact he messed up and doesnt seem to have real world basis or evidence that its worked for him. I dont want to hear how you fucked up and then realise later on its better to walk away? Like everyone knows hindsight is 20/20? How is this new information. Also sexist, body shaming undertones?
August 11, 2025
This one had some useful insights and practical tips, but overall I found it a bit hit and miss. Some parts felt really motivating, while others were a bit repetitive or obvious and it didn’t quite grab me fully. A decent read if you’re into self-help, but not one I’d rave about.
February 9, 2022
The latest in the Ant Middleton self help books, 15 Rules to Strengthen Your Body and Mind, does exactly that.
Presented in a similar vain to the previous collections, Middleton expertly takes you on a journey of the aforementioned 15 rules. Talking from the heart and a life of experience, this is a book that quite simply, makes you stop and think.
Middleton is clever in his approach, he shares enough of himself to then allow him to teach you how we should be responding in order to live that healthier life without boundaries or judgment.
For the duration, this is a solid outing, although, it does drop off on occasion and I did feel that some of it was repeated in previous tellings. However, I am pleased and satisfied by the read and will be making a few key adjustments to my outlook going forward.
I hope there are more books of this nature, by Middleton, on the horizon. Because I for one, will be picking it up.
Presented in a similar vain to the previous collections, Middleton expertly takes you on a journey of the aforementioned 15 rules. Talking from the heart and a life of experience, this is a book that quite simply, makes you stop and think.
Middleton is clever in his approach, he shares enough of himself to then allow him to teach you how we should be responding in order to live that healthier life without boundaries or judgment.
For the duration, this is a solid outing, although, it does drop off on occasion and I did feel that some of it was repeated in previous tellings. However, I am pleased and satisfied by the read and will be making a few key adjustments to my outlook going forward.
I hope there are more books of this nature, by Middleton, on the horizon. Because I for one, will be picking it up.
December 16, 2022
"Mental Fitness: 15 Rules to Strengthen Your Body and Mind"
by Ant Middleton
Reviewed on 16 December 2022
I have listened to this book on Borrow Box and the first chapter did not capture my interest. As I read on, I understand that the author, himself, is also working to improve himself. However, I didn't find anything helpful in this book. There is nothing mind-blowing or new in this book. There is a lot of army jargon and curse words in this book, that I didn't care too much about. I didn't think the profanity were necessary.
According to Wikipedia, Middleton was convicted of the unlawful wounding of one police officer and common assault upon a second in 2013. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, of which he served four months. I listen to this book knowing that he was one violent, reactive person. Of course, everyone can change. I am just cautious of people's behaviours.
Anybody can be confident, but you just need to work for it.
by Ant Middleton
Reviewed on 16 December 2022
I have listened to this book on Borrow Box and the first chapter did not capture my interest. As I read on, I understand that the author, himself, is also working to improve himself. However, I didn't find anything helpful in this book. There is nothing mind-blowing or new in this book. There is a lot of army jargon and curse words in this book, that I didn't care too much about. I didn't think the profanity were necessary.
According to Wikipedia, Middleton was convicted of the unlawful wounding of one police officer and common assault upon a second in 2013. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, of which he served four months. I listen to this book knowing that he was one violent, reactive person. Of course, everyone can change. I am just cautious of people's behaviours.
Anybody can be confident, but you just need to work for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews