Preparation is often the key to success, and it is no different when it comes to your bodybuilding sessions. Our minds are incredible. They can be trained and prepared mentally to achieve the desired result. No matter the reason for your physical activities and bodybuilding session, one thing is sure: they require strong commitment and determination.
Almost all goals people have in relation to their body rely on mental planning and preparation. Many have already started bodybuilding only to quit it at some point. Before starting, it is vital to prepare yourself not only physically but psychologically. Otherwise, you may find yourself exhausted and your determination hitting rock bottom. Many people say bodybuilding is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental.
To help you prepare your mind for your next bodybuilding session, keep in mind these helpful tips.
- Set Personal Goals
Goals are as important as the process; goals help you keep your eyes on the right track. Early in the process, aim to set a goal that you must achieve by the time your session ends. When setting a goal, remember to keep it SMART: specific, measurable attainable, realistic, and time-bound. This way, you don’t just fulfill a goal for the sake of fulfilling something.
To give you added motivation, try to write your goals down somewhere visible. Seeing your goal will fuel your determination, and having a visible goal is an excellent way to remind yourself why you’re doing the bodybuilding session in the first place.
- Reward Yourself
Along with a goal, a reward should also be planned. A reward serves as motivational fuel that can impact the way you see the bodybuilding process. A lot can happen in our everyday life that can make you lose focus. Prevent this from happening by reminding yourself of your goal through a reward. It is natural for people to focus more on what they can gain, so take advantage of this tendency even in your bodybuilding session. Keep your positivity on fire by rewarding yourself for a job well done.
- Use Negative Reinforcement
Motivation plays a vital part in achieving your body goals. Aside from rewards, another source of motivation is to think about what you don’t want to become. For example, if you’ve already lost weight and gained muscles after being overweight in the past, it’s only natural that you don’t want to go back to your former state. Using negative reinforcement is also helpful in increasing the intensity of your workout.
- Think of Improving Yourself
To help prepare you mentally, think about the next session as a means to develop not only your physical body but also yourself as a person. Ethics equally applies to sports training, personal development, and lifestyle enhancement. Knowing that you’ll emerge as a better person while doing session after session will give you the energy to continue.- Use Mental Imagery
Although it may be perceived as a funny concept in bodybuilding, mental imagery helps big time in preparing your mind for another session. Psychological imagery involves picturing an event that you want to take place. So before you lift that weight, picture in your mind some techniques you can incorporate to accomplish it.
Because our mind controls the way we act, no one can deny the significance of mental preparation in bodybuilding. Many people try to get in the process without proper psychological planning, only to fail and give up on building their muscles. It is very easy to get swayed by other things, so don’t make the mistake of starting another session without being prepared mentally, and call Endeavour Wellness for help.
Joel CurtisJoel Curtis is a registered Psychologists with Endeavour Wellness and has over 17 years of experience. Joel holds a Masters’ Degree in Psychology from Western Sydney University. Joel owns a number of private practices in Sydney and provides expert content for several national TV and Radio programmes.