Tag: mindset

How To Manipulate Your Training Variables

How To Manipulate Your Training Variables

Everyone will inadvertently hit a frustrating plateau in their training at one time or another. You’re cruising along for a while, gaining strength, losing fat, looking better, and then all of the sudden it hits. Suddenly, you find yourself even weaker than before on your lifts, or you find that you’ve gained back a couple of pounds. It happens to everyone. Most of the time, these plateaus occur because people rarely change their training variables over time. Many people stick to the same types of exercises for the same basic sets and reps and rest periods with the same boring cardio routine. Well, I hope to open your mind and bring some creativity to your workouts with this article!

There are many ways that you can strategically manipulate your training variables to assure that you maximize your fat loss and/or muscle building response to exercise. Most people only think about changing their sets and reps performed, if they even think about changing their routine at all.

However, other variables that can dramatically affect your results are changing the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping (super-setting, circuit training, tri-sets, etc.), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the time under tension, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc.), the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), rest periods between sets, repetition speed, range of motion, exercise angle (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc), training duration per workout, and training frequency per week. Sounds like a lot of different training aspects to consider in order to obtain the best results from your workouts, doesn’t it?

Well, that’s where a knowledgeable personal trainer can make sense of all of this for you to make sure that your training doesn’t get stale. Below are a few examples to get your mind working to come up with more creative and result producing workouts.

Most people stick to workouts where they do something along the lines of 3 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise, with 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Booooorrrrring! Here are a few examples of different methods to spice up your routine.

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  • Try 10 sets of 3, with only 20 seconds rest between sets.

 

  • Try using a moderately heavy weight and complete 6 sets of 6 reps, doing a 3 minute treadmill sprint between each weight lifting set.

 

  • Try using a near maximum weight and do 10 sets of 1 rep, with 30 seconds rest between sets.

 

  • Try using a lighter than normal weight and do 1 set of 50 reps for each exercise

 

  • Try a workout based on only one full body exercise, such as barbell clean & presses or dumbbell squat & presses, and do nothing but that exercise for an intense 20 minutes. With this example, you could try sets of 5 reps at a moderately heavy weight every 2 minutes until you reach 20 minutes.

 

  • Try a workout based on all bodyweight exercises such as pushups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, bodyweight squats, lunges, step-ups, etc.

 

  • Try a circuit of 12 different exercises covering the entire body without any rest between exercises.

 

  • Try that same 12 exercise circuit on your subsequent workout, but do the entire circuit in the reverse order.

 

  • Try your usual exercises at a faster repetition speed on one workout and then at a super-slow speed on your next workout.

 

  • Try completing five 30 minute workouts one week, followed by three 1-hr workouts the next week.

 

  • Try doing drop sets of all of your exercises, where you drop the weight between each set and keep doing repetitions without any rest until complete muscular fatigue (usually about 5-6 sets in a row).

There are many more ways to continue to change your training variables. I hope this article gave you some ideas on methods for you to take your body to the next level.  Keep in mind that no matter what style of training you are using at any given time, progression on subsequent workouts should be your goal. Work hard and train smart and watch your body change!

 

5 Steps To A Better Fitness Mindset

5 STEPS TO A BETTER FITNESS MINDSET

It can happen all too often when you step into the gym, and you’re feeling a lack of motivation. We’ve all had this happen one time or another and it’s extremely deflating for your workout. You think, Man! I was feeling so good this morning but now the drive just isn’t there. Although this problem can easily be fixed through some sort of energy source or pre-workout stimulant, I believe the best fix for this is in the mind. The following is 5 things that I like to do before my workouts to ensure that I’m focused, determined, and most importantly, deserving of stepping foot into the “fitness sanctuary”.

Stretch

Whether it’s before you get to the gym, or right when you walk in, the first thing you should do is stretch. Stretching is definitely important for preparing your muscles for the thrashing you’re about to give to them, but I also view this time as a moment to mentally prepare yourself for what is ahead. As you stretch out your muscles, visualize what workouts you’re going to be doing next. See it in your mind and apply this as part of your motivation in what you hope to accomplish.

Music

One of the biggest philosophies I like to live by is FIND SOMETHING THAT MOVES YOU. Music is a great tool for building and creating that passion, determination and motivation to power through your workouts. The best way to ensure you feel this motivation throughout your entire workout is creating playlists. I personally have many different playlists, and each one is dedicated to whichever type of mood I may be in. As an example, screamo/hardcore rock for when I’m feeling strong, hip-hop/rap for when I have a slight chip on my shoulder, and a much slower, steady mix of rock for when I’m doing cardio to help me focus. Whichever the case for you, have your music ready for a strong fitness mindset!

Pre-Workout Meditation

Whether you’re new to working out or an experienced veteran, the benefits of meditation are exponential on many different levels. Where the gym is concerned, I view meditation as a time to focus all of my thoughts strictly on the gym and my fitness goals, as well as creating a time to pray and thank God for giving me the time to make myself better, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I strongly recommend practicing some sort of meditation at some point during your day to enhance your overall health!

Motivational Videos/Images

One thing I personally like to do before workouts, especially if I’m not feeling quite 100% is find something to get me pumped up. Nothing works better than visiting YouTube and looking up some insane bodybuilding/fitness videos. This may not suit everyone, but it certainly aids in giving you the strong motivational push to get through your workout and to succeed with all your goals. We also have the Motivation link here at MindsetFitness.Net if you’re looking to find more motivational music and videos!

Gym Apparel

I’ve saved the most important one for last. You may not think that what you wear to the gym has anything to do with how your workout will turn out but take a minute and think about it. Why do most gyms have mirrors on the walls? First, mirrors help you see what you’re doing and second, to ensure you’re using correct form. This may be the case but they also can be very distracting to some people. I think I can speak for most of us when I say it’s great seeing your fitness progression but if you really want progress, wear apparel that doesn’t allow you to become distracted in the mirror at the gym! I’ve found that since I’ve switched to a wearing a long-sleeve hoodie during my workouts, my focus is taken off of how big and ripped I may look and placed where it is most important: the workout itself! Focus for your fitness mindset is key.

Now that I have shared my 5 steps to a better fitness mindset, it’s time for you to apply what you think may help you on your road to fitness success. Stay focused, stay driven, have faith and hit the weights!

Matt Muller

CTO – MindsetFitness.Net

 

Related Articles:

5 Steps To A Better Workout Mentality

The Top 8 Keys To Intensity

Using Visualization To Increase Mass

Top 4 Ways the Mind Can Influence Your Muscle Growth!

Top 4 ways the mind can influence your muscle growth

I don’t want you to get the wrong impression here. Just thinking about something doesn’t manifest itself into a physical object, especially when building muscle. Work must be put in to build up progress in some tangible form.

From the title of this article though, you can probably tell that there will be some information that can be used for your benefit; Right here, right now, today. I want to dive deep into a subject that doesn’t really get much attention aside from watching bodybuilding motivational videos before a workout.

It may sound somewhat complicated, but believe me, it really isn’t.

I want to dissect the mind completely from a physical standpoint and an emotional standpoint that will leave you feeling more pumped and excited than you’ve ever been to step foot in the gym and annihilate the weights.

“…Even perfect nutrition and training will only get you so far. The rest is made up with the mind.”

Many times the mind will get shoved aside by the bigger bullies of bodybuilding today. At the front of the pack you have your nutrition, which is the clear foundation of any noticeable physique. Next is your training. Everything from intensity, duration, sets, reps, rest periods, tempo and technique are used to maximally help increase your muscle size. This is like a broken record. We’ve all heard this stuff on repeat.

If you’ve been lifting consistently and have experienced the great benefits of strength and muscular adaptation, then you probably already know what works best for you. But I’m here to tell you today that even perfect nutrition and training will only get you so far. The rest is made up with the mind.

Before we dive into the pool of your muscle-building potential though, I want to emphasize that even if you think you’ve reached your limit with muscle gains and you’ve absolutely used all of your available resources, then think again! This is not the time to be held back by limiting beliefs.

If you are truly serious about your results in and out of the gym, you need to first come to terms with your physical mind. Let’s get after it shall we?

Neuromuscular Shaping

I’m guessing you haven’t heard of this term before.  Put simply, it just means that the mind and the working muscle need to develop a better relationship to perform optimally. It is your goal as a bodybuilder to “shape” your muscles into whatever you want them to look like. Traditionally, this just meant training that muscle a bit more or tweaking your diet to increase growth.

Now, that’s only part of the equation. You’re missing a huge piece of the muscle-building pie my friend! You’ve done more exercises, you’ve increased the resistance, you’ve changed your routine, but when was the last time you mentally recruited more muscle fibers?

This isn’t a simple question to answer, so I’ll have you figure it out for yourself. Here’s an analogy I like to use a lot when referring to neuromuscular shaping:

Suppose your goal is to climb a mountain that you’ve never climbed before. In fact, neither has anyone else. There are no trails or easy ways to the top. Your only option is to forge your own path until you reach the peak. The first trip is the hardest, and takes a long time to finally reach your destination, but somehow you get there. It’s a long walk back down but you try to follow the same path that you took.

So now that you’ve climbed it once, do you think it would be easier to climb it a second time? After all, you made your own trail in the first round. All you have to do is trace your steps back up the mountain again, right?

Let’s suppose that you did this same routine every day for a year, or 5 years, or even 10 years? How do you think your trail would look after all that? I’d say it would be pretty easy to get to the top with a clear trail to navigate, wouldn’t you?

You see, we are trying to shape and direct the neuromuscular pathways to your muscles. In order for a muscle to contract, it must first receive a signal from the brain to do so. When this same signal is repeatedly sent back and forth between the mind and muscle over time (climbing the mountain), MORE neuromuscular pathways are created to enhance the strength of the contraction. It’s safe to say that this is an exciting piece of information to have, especially when your main goal is to add some serious mass to your frame!

I want you to practice some of this “mind-muscle” connection on yourself…

From a sitting position on your chair or bench that you’re on right now, try to mindfully contract your hamstring on the right side WITHOUT contracting the quadriceps. Be sure to place one of your hands on top of the quad to make sure it doesn’t move.

How did it go? Did it work?

More often than not, if the hamstrings aren’t developed correctly, the signal from your brain will make its way down your leg but will not have a CLEAR path to dictate what muscle should contract; therefore the signal is sent to the stronger muscle of the two, the quadriceps!

Now try repeating this signal over and over again to the same right hamstring, and see what happens…

Are you able to contract it without the quadriceps moving? It’s funny how this system works and it really makes all the difference with how much muscle is stimulated during exercise. This same concept can be applied to every major muscle of the body.

Once a thorough neuromuscular connection has been established to your major muscles, it’s time to put them to the test.

 Imagery

This concept can be extremely profound and powerful when done correctly. The best part is that research even backs it up; mentally performing an exercise in your mind will directly enhance how much power output your body produces once performed in real life.

When I learned this concept for the first time, it was like I struck pure gold. I was doing what no one else was doing and I was getting better results because of it. Here’s some research from a blog of the muscle-building master himself, Charles Poliquin:

“For example, one study had novice weightlifters imagine that they were performing a bicep curl exercise three times a week for eight weeks. The participants did not actually do any bicep curls or any other elbow flexion training during that time. However, they still gained strength in both the elbow flexors and extensors (44 and 32 percent increase in strength, respectively). A second study found that college athletes who performed visualization before strength training had more confidence and lifted more weight in a leg press exercise than they had done before without imagery.”

I’d say this is a pretty significant piece to your muscle-building puzzle. From an application standpoint during your training and even before your training, try these techniques:

  1. Use internal imagery to practice your main core lifts in your mind before you even set foot in the gym. Using a bench press as an example, this would involve you thinking about loading up the bar with new weight, sitting down on the bench, getting your back position down into the pad, getting a perfect grip on the bar, lifting it, and performing every single rep in your mind as clear as you possibly can – feeling your chest contract and release each time.
  2. Use external imagery to imagine watching yourself perform this same movement but from a spotters position or a coaches position. Having a birds-eye-view can give extra motivation and willpower to complete the set from a different point of view.

Having a Compelling Purpose

Here’s a question for you:

What is your reason to build muscle? More specifically, what is your purpose for working so hard in and out of the gym? Someone with a weak mental capacity would answer this question by saying, “I want to build more muscle and get ripped.”

Dig deeper guys!

You want to build muscle because…?

There is ALWAYS an underlying reason that you do the things that you do. For me, my reasons are a few things: I lift to release aggression (my form of therapy), I lift to feel more dominant when around other males, and more importantly, I lift because it is my passion – the feeling, the sacrifice and all the rewards that come with it.

From my example you should be able to figure out what your own “purpose” is for wanting to build muscle. If you don’t’ have a clear purpose then you are only walking blindly towards your cherished finish line.

“Purpose has a direct correlation with motivation. A lack of motivation will always point back to an unclear or unsatisfied purpose.”

Once your reasons are made clear for building up some serious mass, it’s time to tap into the best part of the mental picture…unleashing your inner BEAST!

I Am Powerful Beyond Measure

I want you to adopt this mindset right now. You’ve already proven yourself by making it this far, you’ve shown that you truly want more muscle, so go get it!

It is during this mindset “phase” that the true “you” comes out. There’s no time to mess around anymore.

When you reach inside and are able to harness the most powerful part of yourself, your potential to build real muscle becomes unlimited. To get to this mental state, it requires complete concentration on the task at hand. Whatever it takes to block out the distractions of the gym atmosphere, then I advise you to do it.

I haven’t known many guys that have the ability to reach this “monk-like” state when working out. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t do it yourself.

And the best part?

This process is entirely up to you. If praying or meditation works to block out the world then do that. If you need loud music in your ears then listen to that to get you amped up.

The only way that I can truly describe this “state” is being in a completely different world once the headphones go in. My mind tells me I am powerful beyond measure before I even pick up a weight.

Don’t make the mistake of being inconsistent. The more you practice this principle day-in and day-out, the easier it will be to control the amount of generated power produced.

Conclusion

The mind has always been at the core of building muscle. Most often than not though, the importance of having a strong mind is overshadowed by being strong physically. Sure, there is a genetic potential about how much muscle you can build naturally, but I doubt that you’ve hit that point yet. If you’ve truly accepted that you’ve tried everything in order to build new mass then that’s your opinion. But for those of you who are willing to strengthen up your mind today, you will undoubtedly see the amazing muscle-building potential that you can reach for tomorrow.

 

-Mitch Muller

(Your Mindset and Muscle Coach)

CPT/CEO – MindsetFitness.net

 

Sources: Poliquin, Charles (Oct 2012) “Tip 459: Use Mental Imagery Before Workouts To Improve Performance.”http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1623/Tip-459-Use-Mental-Imagery-Before-Workouts-To-Improve-Performance.aspx

Top 5 Six-Pack Mistakes

Top 5 Six-Pack Mistakes

It is safe to say that the list of today’s ab exercises is nothing short of unlimited. The act of achieving a six pack is generally considered some sort of untold “secret” in the gym, and most people fall for the same trap over and over again. There has become a common belief that an abdominal exercise must be of some “fancy” variety in order to become effective. But why is this even the case?

More often than not, the guys you see performing these advanced moves generally already have a strong core. The problem comes when younger lifters attempt to mimic these ab routines thinking that they’ll get a six pack, when in reality they might be working anything BUT their abs.

I’ve put together the top 5 six-pack mistakes that most guys make when ab day rolls around…

#5 Too Much Variety

Not many times in bodybuilding will you hear that variety can be a bad thing. Too much of it will most likely detour your mind into thinking that more is better, when in reality, the opposite is true, especially for the abdominals. I’ve seen guys train their abs for an hour straight on some days, and sometimes only for a couple minutes. So which one is the correct way?

Let’s break it down…

The rectus abdominis is primarily made of Type 1 slow twitch fibers. For those of you who aren’t physiology buffs out there,  this means that these fibers hold more endurance-like contractions and are stimulated mostly during aerobic activity. The point that I want to get across here is that the abs are better controlled through slower movements. None of those fast, crazy sit ups here. The abs do not need explosive repetitions like the calves do to grow. Just use the moto I like to live by: keep it simple.

Like the other major muscle groups of the body, sufficient time under tension is needed in order to initiate the growth response within the abs. My advice to you is not go all out in your abdominal training in one day; there’s no need to spend a full hour just training your core if you’ll be back the very next day doing the same thing. Split up your sessions across the week. I like to stick to the every-other-day approach, and it has worked for many of my clients as well.

#4 Upper Abs VS Lower Abs

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that crunches are for the upper abs and leg lifts are for the lower abs. This is one of the biggest myths that has surrounded every gym in America for quite some time. Let’s

get this straight, the rectus abdominis is ONE sheet of muscle. It contracts as one unit and therefore cannot be split up into upper and lower exercises.

You can go ahead and test this one on yourself. Sit up straight in your chair and place one of your hands just underneath your belly button and firmly into your “lower” ab muscles. Now try to perform an “upper ab” crunch.

What happened?

The whole thing contracted didn’t it? Hmmm, I thought so…

Once you understand this simple physiology of the ab muscles, you can then further your knowledge into the exact exercises that are worth your time and those that have no business ever being performed again.

#3 Breathing

I think we’ve all been guilty of holding our breath at some point during a workout. It’s inevitable, especially for the inexperienced lifter. Ab training tends to get this a lot more than other muscles though. The reason this happens is often because of a lack of focus, improper technique – like fast movements, or just plain “forgetting.” Not many times in life do we FORGET to breathe, but apparently doing abs is one of them!

When the breath is being held, not only are your muscles unable to receive sufficient oxygen, they are unable to contract completely due to the thin, parachute-shaped muscle that surrounds the upper portion of the abdomen under the ribs: the diaphragm. When a breath is taken in, the diaphragm contracts expanding the chest cavity to allow the lungs to move freely. With this contraction taking place, it makes the abs unable to FULLY contract the way they normally would. Breathing OUT during the “up phase” of an ab crunch signifies this importance of getting a full contraction.

#2 Training The Fat Out Of Your Stomach

Just because you train your abs multiple times per week doesn’t mean that they will become more visible. Ever heard of spot reducing? Yeah, it doesn’t work. Sorry to burst your gullible bubble. Training your abs will not get rid of the fat on TOP of the abs. This is where nutrition becomes a huge weapon in your six-pack arsenal.

“Abs are not made in the gym, they are made in the KITCHEN.”

This quote hits the nail on the head. Without proper nutrition to help cut excess body fat, you can train your abs all day long, but they will never show up like you want them to. My advice to you is to get on a cutting program that will slowly taper off your carbohydrate intake over a period of time. This will better help you get the results that you’re looking for.

Use this training and nutritional program for the next 16-Weeks to get SHREDDED! >> MASS CONSTRUCTION 16 WEEK PROGRAM

#1 Technique, Technique, Technique

No more hanging upside down from the pull up bar, those days are over. It’s time to train your abs in a logical way, not always the most impressive way. Your technique should be nothing short of perfect every workout, every set, every rep. What most people don’t understand is that your abdominals flex your SPINE. They have no concentric action at the hips whatsoever. So how does this apply to your exercises? Let’s examine the sit up:

 

From a physiological standpoint, this does not make much sense at all. Although the sit up targets the abs to a degree, it is not the most effective in strengthening the abs because the movement is happening at the HIPS not the spine. Remember from above, the abdominals only create spinal flexion – about 30 degrees or so, that’s it! For the rest of the movement, the abs are statically working to hold the spine in place. Most of the movement happening at the hips is due to the major hip flexors, the psoas major muscles.

The exerciser starts flat on the ground most likely with a training partner standing on the toes (This same thing can be done with a sit up bench that holds the legs in place). You begin the movement, curl the spine and sit all the way up to your knees. You perform about 20 reps or so and the abs start to burn like crazy. Because this exercise has been used for so many years, beginning lifters do not question it’s effectiveness on the abs. Instead, they feel the abs burn and automatically place it in the “ab exercise” category.

CONCLUSION

I hope this article helped clear up some very popular myths among today’s ab mistakes. Take these 5 principles and bring them into the gym with you, or wherever you train. My advice to you is to become familiar with how your muscles act at their specific joints. This will give you a better inclination as to what exercises will work best and which will not.

Have fun and train hard!

PS – Click HERE to download my brand new and FREE report that utilizes these techniques: 10 Muscle Activation Techniques for Permanent Muscle!

 

– Mitch Muller

MindsetFitness.net

Pushing Past Mental Barriers

pushing past mental barriers

Pushing Past Mental Barriers

The mind can be a powerful thing. Without it, your muscles wouldn’t function. They wouldn’t be told when to contract or when to release. Your body would be useless. And what good is that when our primary goal is to train our bodies into better shape and condition? It only makes sense to train your mind just as much as your body.

Through this last year I’ve seen more and more emphasis put on the “power of mind” concept. At first glance it seems simple, but if you’ve trained for awhile and you’re looking for pushing past mental barriers, then you are well aware of just how much your mental focus can affect your workout. Going through the motions may help maintain your current progress, but if you’re striving to push past your barriers then your mind must be set to limitless. Take this quote from pro bodybuilder Kai Greene:

“There’s a success that you’re able to walk away from this experience with, and it’s your responsibility to use it effectively. Be encouraged when you see someone else achieve something; make sure you understand what is at the core of their success… At this moment, I’m encouraging each and every one of you understand that the POWER OF MIND, the power of the ability to make a decision, the power to decide and to be, and tap into my better resources, are at the core of my success today. The portrait of my life that I choose to create is done so by MY MIND. Realize today that you have power, as do we all.”

Pushing Past Mental Barriers: THE TEST

I’d like to share a test that I used on a few clients of mine. The results were extremely motivating and shocking to say the least. The reason why this test was so successful is because they unknowingly were pushing past mental barriers that they set in their own minds.

I used a male and female client, both in their 30’s and in fairly good shape. After testing their maximal strength on a standard chest press machine during the previous week, I took them through a chest workout. I informed them that they will be performing 3 sets of 12, 10, and 8 reps respectively, each using a pyramid-style of training going up in weight each time.

The second week I took them through the exact same workout with only one small difference: The weight we used was heavier than before. I instructed them that I was going to start out with the same weight as last week, while simultaneously leaving out the fact that I would be increasing each set by 10-15 pounds instead of five. I emphasized only putting forth 100% effort and to do their absolute best, as I do with every workout.

pushing past mental barriers

The trick here is that they believed completely in their mind that they were lifting the same weights as the previous week. This completely took any possible negative thoughts out of their heads given the awareness that they already completed this particular weight before. The only thing left to do was lift the weight!

The results were incredible. Not only did both of them complete the exercise with the same reps (12,10,8) but they used about 20% more weight than before! It’s truly amazing how the mind can make or break pushing past mental barriers and just how successful you can become.

Pushing Past Mental Barriers: Conclusion

If you’re looking to achieve anything, regardless if it’s in the gym or not, your mind must first BELIEVE it is possible. Setting a mental barrier for yourself will only hold you back from life’s successes. In relation to the gym, I challenge you to allow your mind to be strengthened along with your body.

“Before you can win, you have to believe you are worthy.” – Mike Ditka

-Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net

Pushing Past Mental Barriers