Our world can be chaotic, at times filled with stress, loads of responsibilities like bills to pay, kids to feed then taxi around town, and on top of it all we need to eat healthy and stop to exercise. Life can be down right hard but we need to make the workout a better priority every time we hit the gym. Simply, you need to make all of that dedicated workout and gym time count.
I can hear you all now, I am here aren’t I? I made the time Ish give me a break! Well my response to you is are you really all in? Sure your body might of walked through that gym door but did your mind and focus? Look, well done in that huge first step on taking the time to get exercise in, but the bottom line is that you need to check in and make it count the whole time you are working out. Similar to a previous blog – Leave Your Attitude at the Door, where I explored that a positive, encouraging attitude about yourselves and others around you can build a strong foundation for a better workout. This blog is about focusing on the workout that day, that moment, every rep, every movement, making the ultimate connection with the mind to the muscle. Here’s my advice on how to achieve mind-muscle connection and be more successful in your next workouts.
- Only think about form. Learning proper form is hugely important on many levels. It allows the muscles to work properly and not get injured. Proper form helps fire those muscles to get the results you want. If you are in my gym and you are not sure on the form, yell out and I will help you. Also follow us on our Facebook or Instagram page for video posts about proper form and technique.
- Have a game plan. Do not just go through the motions, station to station, exercise to exercise without a plan. Before you even walk in the gym door or start that workout, you need to start visualizing it. If you imagine the goal ahead and think about the reps and exercises you are going to do studies have shown that visualization can strengthen muscles. Before the workout starts, clear the mind and start thinking about how you are going to focus on your form by visualizing it in your mind.
- Target the muscle group you are working. Be aware that when you are working different muscle groups that you could be tensing in other areas that are taking away from those movements. For example, relax your neck muscles when you are doing bicep curls. You are wasting energy by tensing and not focusing on the muscle group you are working. One way to combat tension is to focus on form, but also your breathing. Breathing can help relieve tension throughout the workout and help bring the focus back on the mind and body.
- Control your thoughts. Our minds have a tendency to wander and tasks we still need to complete pop in the brain at random times. If thoughts enter the brain that are not about your workout, push them back down and refocus. You need to keep the focus on the task at hand – the workout. Let go of what happened earlier in the day or what you are planning to do this weekend. That can be dealt with later. Check in and make it count the entire time. You are only hurting yourself by not getting the best workout possible but not focusing on mind-muscle connection.
For more advice and workout-related topics, please visit Ish Fitness blogs and feel free to reach out if you would like a complimentary evaluation and to learn more about our gym life.
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