Weight Training Tips

There are a lot of weight training tips on building muscle and visualization is one of the most effective ones. To maximize the effectiveness of this method, remove all extraneous thoughts from your mind. This can be done in a variety of ways, ranging from meditation to more conventional relaxation techniques. Focus on one particular thought until it dominates your entire mind. This thought could be as simple as repeating the word "relax" over and over, or it could be a mantra like those used in Eastern meditation. Concentrating on your breathing may also help, especially if you count to ten while doing it. Another method is to alternate flexing and relaxing each bodypart, starting with your feet and continuing muscle by muscle until you reach your neck.

You'll probably find that thoughts pop into your head even when you don't want to think about them. Don't suppress these thoughts. You can't keep the genie in the bottle. Let all of them escape. Then your mind will be free to concentrate on the important task at hand: tomorrow's workout.

Weight Training Tip: Visualize In Detail Your Weight Training Exercises…

Visualize the weight training exercises that you will do tomorrow and imagine yourself achieving the short-term goals you have set for that day. Picture the execution of the movements in your mind. Sure, the first few reps are easy, but you keep on going. Five, six, seven (they're getting harder now), but you dominate the weight. Now, visualize yourself pumping out that final repetition, fighting against a piece of iron that seems to get heavier by the instant. But you don't give in. No, you achieve the goal you have set for yourself. Mission accomplished. Now all you have to do is go to the gym and repeat the exercise.

With practice, you will be able to reach this level of focused concentration during each set. Withdraw from the world around you and enter a training trance where your entire consciousness centers on the performance of the exercise. During this trance, block out all of your other feelings and temporarily lose touch with reality. Lock onto the same thought patterns you focused on the night before. Breathe in the same slow, rhythmic way so that the trance "clicks in." (It may sound difficult, but it gets easier with time.) Become one with the movement. The resulting intensity will make a significant difference in your lifting performance and you won’t have to look for other ways to build muscle.