Bodybuilding like any sport requires a combination of mind and body to obtain the best possible results. By its very nature and title however many people forget the mental aspect of their training. They build their guns, their lats, their wheels… but never think to try building their determination, their love for the sport, or their clarity and focus.
This is a big mistake however for those looking to make the most of their training as even if you do a great workout, eat the right diet and take the right supplements… if you’re just going through the motions you won’t get the best from your training and worse you may give up entirely.
That’s one reason that today’s modern gyms are badly designed – while television in the room is great for those on the treadmill (as running can be as boring as hell) it’s nothing but a distraction in the weights room that will take your attention away from what you’re doing. The worst case scenario here being that you might actually hurt yourself through neglect and lack of concentration.
Focus helps in other ways too – focusing on the movement of your repetitions will ensure you get the technique right and so squeeze every last drop of growth out of the move. Secondly, just visualizing your muscles getting bigger has been shown to help your gains. Whether this works through helping direct blood to the muscles, or whether it works through subconsciously improving form – one way or another you benefit from visualization. In fact Arnold Schwarzenegger allegedly used that very technique when preparing for a contest, imaging his biceps swelling to be ‘as big as the room’.
A wandering mind can also be bad for your energy levels if it means you get bored or complacent in your training. Believe it or not, having a great workout that generates sweat and swelling muscles is a fantastic feeling and if you feel like you’ve done good work then you’ll be raring to go. By focusing on the feeling of the pump you’re getting a direct result from your training and you’re reassured that it’s not all in vein which will just motivate you to try harder and finish that last rep.
So unplug the Mariah Carey, take your eyes off the babes on MTV, and stop blabbing to the hot blonde on the machine next to you… you’re here for one reason only and that’s to train: act like it. Learn more about the importance of mental stability in exercising, on this website: www.celebrityhealthinsider.com
