“Seeing the mind as separate from your body can be very detrimental to your success. When you start to see them as one, you will accelerate your success and get so much more out of your workouts.”¹
Find a fitness center that values and fosters the Mind + Body = Power™️ equation.
I am appalled by gyms that allow and even encourage ridiculous behavior such as staff providing tootsie rolls to clients, or pizza parties, and I have even seen youtube videos of members eating sandwiches while sitting on a workout machine. What is that?
Sorry, but a fitness center should BE a fitness center, a health club should BE a health club…a place for results and not a $10 per month slot machine with no hope to win the fitness jackpot. The only path to the fitness jackpot is through mindful dedication to results.
Results, my friend. It’s about results for your mind and body!
Without a doubt the first priority in your quest for a high level workout is to place yourself into the proper results oriented environment.
Most people are aware of the notion that a mind/body connection is beneficial in some way. However, most people have no idea what it really means or how it benefits a fitness program.
Mind + Body can be a powerful way to get you to the best workouts of your life.
It begins with this simple truth. You get what you focus on. When you focus your attention on what your body is doing during your workout, then you will perform better and your results will be greater. The more often you practice high level mental focus on your muscles and movement, the stronger you will become. You will absolutely gain more strength quicker if you begin to view the mind and the body as one.
Envision high levels of focus and determination just before your workouts. Rid your mind of daily stress and focus on your workout.
Never forget that the workout environment can make or break the mind/body connection.
One of the reasons we created the HOTWORX workout sauna was to provide a tool to help clients with workout focus. Inside the infrared sauna, the setting is intimate and designed for three clients only. Add the infrared energy and heat at 125º and your ability to be present in the moment for all of your workout sets is more fully enabled. Your mental engagement with your body movement in this small group training always higher than air-conditioned workout rooms.
I am reminded of one my off-season coaches who helped me train for arena football. Coach Duke used to always tells us to “Get your mind right” in an effort to keep us focused on what our bodies were doing.
“…instead of just going through your next workout in an automated fashion, bring more awareness to what you are doing and to the ‘here and now’.” ²
Focus your thoughts inward and about your muscles doing the work. Zone in on balance and form. Your brain sends signals to your muscles and you should ensure that there is no distraction for this connection.
“Yoga is an excellent way to develop this mind muscle connection through movement and meditation. The practice of yoga forces you to dig into your mind and be present. Heated yoga is even a more advanced variation that will take this mind body connection to another level. It is hard to hold a balancing posture when your mind isn’t 100% fully focused on the present moment.” ³
With the HOTWORX yoga workout we currently open the posture sequence with Eagle pose. The Eagle is a good example of an exercise that requires a high level of mind/body connection for power in a posture hold over an extended amount of time.
Power according to Webster’s is, (1) : ability to act or produce an effect.
So, for more power to move and to deliver fitness results to yourself, practice the integration of mind + body!!!
Experience more fitness power when your mind and body work together as one.
Steve¹ http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/training/workout-tips-advice/the-mind-body-connection/² http://www.bodyrock.tv/fitness/mind-body-connection-maximize-workout/³ http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/training/workout-tips-advice/the-mind-body-connection/
