Your inner coach #2
Last week I introduced you to your three inner coaches. One of them deals with the high level organization and management of your training. The second one deals with the narrative that goes on in your mind all the time you’re awake. The third one will deal with the micro control you exercise over your muscle exertion during lifts.
This week I discuss Coach #2 and how to utilize your internal mental dialogue in ways that can significantly enhance your performance.
Eliminate internal chaos
Most people find that the stream of consciousness in their mind tends to be extremely chaotic and jumps from one subject to another.
The ancient Buddhist teachers called this Monkey Mind.
Each of us learn to manage this internal stream of consciousness to minimize the chaos that can dissipate our energy and keep us from succeeding.
I am going to present a system that you can use to minimize (or eliminate) the chaos in your mind when you are in the gym. This system will enable you to focus your energy and attention in ways that will help you reach your best performance.
This involves developing disciplined practice habits that you routinely apply every time you work out.
Going to the gym
Each time you visit the gym whether it’s in your garage or whether it’s a commercial gym, you should apply the following strategy.
As you walk into the gym you clear your mind of everything except what you intend to accomplish during the workout.
This will be difficult initially because gyms tend to be places of maximum visual and auditory chaos.
There is visual chaos from many people walking around doing exercises. The noise and distraction from music and the sound of people working out creates to a totally chaotic sound environment.
Your task is to focus only on what you are going to do during this workout and ignore all that’s going on around you.
I find that one of the best things to do is focus on the first exercise I intend to perform, which is often the bench press. As I enter they gym my attention is directed to whether the benches are available.
If the benches are busy, I immediately look for openings on other apparatus that I would use such as deadlift platforms or power cages.
Once I decide what exercise I’m going to do first, I take my equipment bag over there and begin to prepare to do my exercise plan.
Eliminating distractions
You will be striving for total concentration in the midst of a cacophony of sound and visual stimulation.
You must focus on your task and not be disturbed by all the noise and activity.
Unfortunately a lot of people do just the opposite and ADD to the chaos and distraction in their mind. This happens when they multi-task.
The worst things anyone trying to focus can do are:
- Listening to music
- Looking at oneself in the mirror
- Looking at their cell phone
- Checking out what other people are doing in the gym
Constantly looking at yourself in the mirror when you work out is one of the worst distractions imaginable. You cannot focus on your inner sensations if you are watching your reflection in the mirror.
Rather than look at a YouTube video of an exercise, you should mentally rehearse the exercise you are going to do in your mind.
When you are ready to do a specific lift, get the bar loaded then take a few moments to visualize in slow motion how you will do a perfect lift.
If this is a deadlift, sit next to the platform and visualize yourself doing the lift perfectly whether it is one rep or five.
Then walk on the platform and set up to do the lift you just performed in your mind.
At no point should you allow other thoughts or images to creep into your consciousness.
From the time you stand before the bar on the platform until the time you have set it back on the platform after the last rep nothing else should enter your mind than the perfect execution of this lift.
Perfect practice
it may take time and many sessions of disciplined repetition to learn how to do this intense focus.
Do not allow yourself to backslide and regress to the distracted chaotic mindset that most lifters appear to have.
I have watched several Facebook videos of lifters doing deadlifts. It is apparent to me often that their mind is in near total chaos as they are nervously jumping around trying to pull the weight with little or no mental focus.
Your goal to perfect your own performance is to become as sharply focused as possible when you need to perform at your best.
Using your mental discipline to focus intently and constructively on what you intend to do and nothing else will be critical in your realizing your full potential as a lifter.
This is no different than the requirement for achieving excellence in any other field of activity.
When your mind is all over the place you cannot put out your best effort or consistently build good practice habits.
Coda
Next week I will go into the third internal coach you need to develop. This is the one who helps you control your individual muscle groups as you lift.
In the meantime I wish you sharp focus and great workouts.
Lift big!
Richard
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