There is a very subtle change you can make that will take your training and results to a new level. It’s not difficult to do but can often be easy to overlook. Every day I see people who have either forgotten or never knew this foundational rule about training. You can see it in their actions and in the way they go about their workouts. It has slowly evolved into being more of a factor in the past few years as the distractions of the times and our daily lives bleed over into our fitness pursuits. However, this one truth will always remain:
If you really want to get the best results you have to fully concentrate on what you are doing!
This may seem obvious, but a quick glance around any gym and you’ll see that it’s not. I’ll bet you’ve observed people who are in a conversation, either live or on the phone while doing a set. That’s an obvious one. Not so obvious is simply going through the motions instead of truly being in the moment and focusing properly on the activity. Think about your last workout. Did you really focus and feel every rep of every set? Of course, it’s not possible to be 100 percent single-minded, but how close were you? How engaged were you really in what you were doing? We’re you still thinking about work, school, a relationship, finances, your plans for later, some problem or past mistake you made, something you were looking forward to, etc? There can be a lot of involuntary distractions that we are always swimming through. However, as much as possible, if you can lock into and mentally concentrate on what you are doing, your results will go to a new level.
Ideally, in a perfect fitness word, each set or movement you do should be all-encompassing. Your thoughts should be on either evaluating your last set, mentally locking in and focusing on what you want to do on your next set, then pushing yourself to give all you can during the actual set by staying in the moment. Anything that takes away from this mental training rhythm can take away from the effectiveness of what you training.
So, how do you make this happen? First off, try to avoid the obvious distraction. Be prepared to train before you go onto the gym floor. Have everything you’ll need with you like your water, belt, wraps, straps, etc. Leave the phone in the gym bag. If music is that critical to your workout get a separate music device and have the music or playlist preset so that you’re training, not DJ-ing!
Also, train at a location where the other gym members are there to work. It’s OK to be friendly and even strike up the occasional conversation before or after your workout. However, once you’re training there should be minimal distractions or delays. You are there for a purpose and the physical success of what you do will be directly controlled by the level of mental focus you put into it.
Here are 4 key elements that can set you up for success:
Know Your Purpose: What is it that you are trying to accomplish? Why did you come to the gym today? Why are you training in the first place? You should always be in-tune with your purpose and reasons as to why you are training. The difference between training and merely wrong out is a sense of purpose. Training involves doing the things that will take you towards your goal. Staying mentally in tune with your purpose will help to properly direct your actions.
Have a Plan: In most cases you will be a lot less productive if you don’t have a specific plan in place. There needs to be something that you are endeavoring to do in terms of exercise selection or improving areas or aspects of your fitness or physique or specific things you want to do like a routine or performance goals, etc. By having a certain degree of structure, which of course should be in line with achieving your goals, it will help create a mental environment that is focused more on accomplishment and less subject to distractions.
Set a Time Frame: You don’t need to plan every second but there should always be an awareness of how much time your training should take. This will help create a sense of urgency and pace and help you remain on track. By striving to work within a reasonable time frame you are less likely to be open to distractions and more apt to keep a pace that is ideal for the things you desire to accomplish. In many cases, the proper pace relates directly to the intensity of the training and transfers directly into improved results.
Evaluate Yourself: I’ve mentioned before that I attach a grade to each workout that I do. It’s a great way to self evaluate and give myself feedback on if I am doing the things that are necessary for success. I don’t always wait until the end of the workout to do this. I may be 3/4 completed and decide that I’m at a “B” currently, then ask myself, what do I need to do to take the “B” to a “B+” or “A-“? By staying in tune with how you are doing, you give yourself the opportunity to push harder when possible and improve whenever you can. By holding yourself accountable to a standard based on your goals and capabilities, you will greatly help improve your focus and concentration on doing the things necessary to make this happen.
In the information age distraction is a constant. Various things are always competing for our attention. While it may no longer be possible (or even necessary) to completely shut out the rest of the world, being too caught up in the information wave can often take us away from the best direction for achieving our goals. When it comes to working out, if you want to get maximum results, you must be proactive in your concentration and focus on doing the things you need to do. The right mental approach will help to anchor you and allow you to stay on the road to success.
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