The Power of the Mind

You may have heard of the phrase "mind over matter", but what about "mind over muscle"? Most of you put so much stock into your nutrition and weight training (as you should), but do you compliment this with the mental fortitude to see the results you seek? How can you prepare yourself to dominate your training and maximize your results? This can be applied to muscle gain as well as fat loss/weight loss. If you believe, you can achieve...and it can make ALL the difference.

POSITIVE MIND-SET: We are surrounded by so much negativity in our lives. Pessimism runs rampant, stress rules all. From traffic, to family problems, work issues, injuries, all things that can stand in your way to seeing the development you strive for. Try creating positive mental statements about your upcoming workout. Sit in the car for a few minutes before entering Intensity X3, tell yourself what you will achieve, how much weight you will lift, how many reps you will get, how far you will push yourself.

"My back is made of iron, I am going to power through these dumbbell rows"

"My muscles will grow from my post-workout meal"

Just a couple positive statements can deliver advanced results. These affirmations will give you the confidence as well as the foresight to complete your workout as you IMAGINED it.

MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION: Do you view your workout as a series of exercises? Do you see the schedule as "Chest and Back" and simply that? Do you think about how many reps you are completing each set? Are you really aware of the weight you are choosing and if it is truly ideal for what you want to achieve?

First off, you need to break down your workout not into exercises or sets, but into repetitions. And after you break it down into each individual rep, you need to tear apart each repetition, so each moment you feel the muscle fibers contracting, wrapping around themselves to move the weight against the force of the earth. This may seem excessive, or even spiritual, and in a very real sense it is. However, when you think about it, all your workout is, is a series of moments, and each one counts. Focus on each repetition being quality, squeezing the muscle all the way through all parts of the movement, wrenching every ounce of force from your fibers. Each quality rep will result in a quality set, and guess what: You'll have a badass workout.

MASSAGE THE MIND: Ahh yes, after a tough workout, just rub your skull and feel your muscles grow. That's one big LOL. What I mean is to relax after your training. Here at Intensity X3, yoga is an integral part of our program for a reason. It takes the body through postures that soothes both mentally AND physically. This is why stretching and meditation is so important. In a world that is ever more fast paced, with pressure on "right now" and "I want it yesterday", there needs to be down time to create balance. I have already described how important the mind is to improve your training, and it is equally important to rest your mind as you would rest your muscles between training sessions. Your mind controls your body, and therefore your muscles. Take time for yourself for some creative relaxation: reading, meditation, listening to music, drawing...Something to develop some peaceful moments where you can allow your mind and body to recuperate for the next day of war.

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