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8 Sure-Fire Mental Techniques
For
Blocking Out Training Discomfort
Let’s face it; intense weight training is no easy task.
It’s no secret that if you want to see dramatic results in both muscle size and
strength, you must be willing to push yourself to the limit every time you enter
the gym.
This is one of the biggest reasons why most people don’t see the
muscle-building results they desire; they just plain don’t train hard enough.
And why don’t they? Here’s why…
It’s painful. It’s uncomfortable. It’s downright gut wrenching.
Too bad, so sad, my friend, because if you want real muscle gains
then you’ll have to rise above and conquer the natural feeling of pain that is
associated with intense sessions in the gym.
Luckily there are a few special techniques you can use to “mentally
numb” these feelings and to blast through the pain barriers that separate you
from the gains you deserve. Give some of the following methods a try and I think
you’ll be pleased with the results:
1) Life-Threatening Situations - In the middle of
your set, transport yourself to a life-or-death situation where your life or
someone else's life depends on your ability to move the weight. For example,
when performing chin-ups you could pretend that you are hanging from a cliff, or
while deadlifting you could imagine that you are rescuing someone who is trapped
underneath a car.
2) Magnetic Force - Pretend that the weights you
are using are powerful magnets that are being attracted in the opposite
direction. If you're performing a bench press, imagine that the bar is a magnet
being attracted to the ceiling.
3) Envision Your Muscles - Remember that your
purpose in the gym is to break down your muscle fibers in order to trigger an
adaptive response from your body. While performing your sets, visualize what is
happening inside of your muscle tissue. Imagine the fibers tearing and being
engorged with blood and nutrients and realize that these processes will equate
to muscular growth.
4) Have Someone Watch You - I'm not talking about
using a spotter here, I'm simply talking about having a friend or training
partner watch you perform your set. We usually tend to push ourselves harder
when we know that someone is watching.
5) Positive/Negative Force - For pushing exercises,
imagine that you are moving something negative away from yourself. You can
associate anything with this: someone you don't like, a negative emotion or
something material. For pulling exercises, imagine that you are bringing
something positive towards yourself. It could be money, someone you love or a
positive feeling.
6) Set Ridiculous Goals - If you need to perform 7
reps on a given set, imagine that your goal is to perform 100. Don't just tell
yourself this; believe it. As you begin to perform your set, truly convince
yourself that you will perform 100 reps.
7) Close Your Eyes - This should only be applied on
certain exercises that are very simple to perform. You definitely wouldn't want
to employ this technique when squatting or deadlifting. On other, simpler
exercises, try closing your eyes. This will block out all of your visual stimuli
and will allow you to focus 100% on performing the exercise.
8) Pretend It's Someone Else's Pain - Training to
failure is physically discomforting. While you are approaching muscular failure,
pretend that the pain you are experiencing is also being felt by someone that
you dislike. The harder you push, the more pain you will transfer to them. It
may seem like a cold-blooded technique, but it works.
If you're ready to put these techniques to use in the gym, click the
link below and visit my website. I'll teach you several more of these
psychological strategies and will provide you with a step-by-step workout plan
that you can follow...
About The Author
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