Strength of Rituals, Rituals of Strength

Strength of Rituals, Rituals of Strength
by Vince McConnell

Intensity is a word used in every gym and has many "definitions." Intensity is the primary consideration when it comes to strength training, more important than volume, and is to be practiced to the point where it becomes second nature.

Intensity and focus are affected by many factors such as the degree of recovery from your previous workout, your nutritional status, physical impairments, and most appreciably, your mindset. The mind is the filter that your environment passes through. Your environment is made up of many elements including your immediate surroundings and your life outside the gym.

If that "filter" of the mind is blocked with subconscious and conscious garbage, the mind will become a hindrance to your physical performance. The key is in removing such impediments.

However, attempts to "clean the filter" through effort or willpower, typically results in frustration and greater obstruction to the intensity and focus, of your training.

Enter the Power of Ceremonious Training

The most effective way of keeping your mental self clear and residing in the optimal performance zone is through conscious practices before, during, and even after your training.

Having specific actions, words, and thoughts that are consistently repeated at dedicated times will empower your focus in a way unmatched before. This is one of the "secrets" of champion athletes. Whether they are aware of this or not is not the issue. For some men and women, this practice come naturally while for others it takes conscious application until it becomes ingrained and part of a sixth-sense.

Effort is primarily a matter of perception. There are several specific rituals that I recommend, and have used with competitive athletes with great success, however you can develop your own "triggers" to heightened arousal that will prime you for maximized performance from warm-up to personal records.



Clear Your Filter

The following techniques are geared towards strength training but with modifications can be applied to a variety of athletics such as tennis between serves and on changeovers, basketball in preparation for free throws, golf, and countless other performance situations.

Approach each workout as if it is the only workout you have. This is not license to abuse yourself, but to transcend extraneous thought and be more attentive. Every workout matters, and is like planting a seed that will soon manifest into greater strength and performance.

Before the workout, take 2-3 minutes to set aside all other life issues. No matter how large or small the topics, discard them like you do your street clothes. You cannot "do" anything about those things during the workout anyway, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much clarity, and mental and physical energy you have to complete those other tasks with a purposeful, and successful, training session under your belt. In this way, your workout actually enhances other aspects of your life (i.e. family, work, school).

It is vital that you go into each workout with a confidence that believes what you are doing is working. This confidence releases typical apprehension and timidity that is a common leech to training's lifeblood. Wait to assess the direction of your training, and any significant changes, until after the workout rather than get into the second-guessing game before, or in the middle of your training session. This analyzing is best left outside the parameters of the actual workout. Save for a slight spontaneous tweaking of your program, leave the cerebral stuff for later. Confusion leads to conceding!

Next, take 5 minutes to set the stage for the workout ahead. First, review your previous workout. It's wise to keep a journal to track your progress and pinpoint areas of advancement, while previewing what will be done in the upcoming workout. This visualization process can take as long as you need but it's best to keep it simple so that you will be consistent and not tempted to skip it if running behind on a given day. Remember, this is simply a blueprint for your progress, as there will be times that a slight on-the-spot variation may be prudent. "No one intelligent workout can make you, though one stupid one can break you".

Going into your workout, see the gym as your territory of purposeful work to be accomplished. This is not the time to socialize, network, or find out how the stock market is doing. I instruct athletes to prepare for a workout like a pilot would before take-off.

During the workout, refrain from sitting, or standing, in the same area that you will be lifting in. You want to develop keen awareness of the training area so that your arousal increases once in that specific space.

Imagine a switchboard and you "plug-into" the set right before you address the weight, and everything else is stopped in time. This reaffirms your commitment to that set/lift as if it is the only one in existence. And, it is for that moment in time!

Keep your attention on training throughout your workout. Between sets, it is typical to allow your mind to drift to other issues but this taints your focus going into the next set. Keep the "training mindset" as opposed to drifting in and out. No matter the "importance" of other issues, you are either in or out during a workout.

Use the time between sets to go through mental rehearsal of the upcoming set/lift. Visualize you performing the set with perfect form, precision and authority. Visualize the weight feeling you are in total command.If a negative thought/image lingers while addressing the weight, simply reset and start your approach again.

Be attentive to your breathing. When approaching a set, inhale and refrain from fully exhaling before commencing the set. By doing this you are "storing" a necessary tension in the body that will be put to use.

Use simple, one-word, positive affirmations, such as "power", "strength", "yes", "right", etc. These words do not have to be shouted, but can even be thought as prepare for the set/lift and even during set.

Place a towel over your shoulders between sets as this helps to maintain body temperature. By removing the towel immediately before the set/lift, you expose your body to a sudden change in temperature (no matter how seemingly minor) that will excite the nervous system into greater arousal. (This is a trick I learned from strength coach mentor Ian King.)

You can also place a towel over your head prior to the set/lift to bring greater "isolation" and focus into your mindset. Upon removing the towel, there is a heightened sense of awareness that can make a huge difference in your centeredness.(I call this the "hide-and-seek" technique.)

Develop a certain approach to each set that includes a "trigger". This might be a slap on the side of your leg, a certain word, or a simple combination of these. Make certain to keep the same "triggers" that you identify with success. Negative triggers can act in the same way, so if you have any of these, change your pattern, and your nervous system will follow.

How you approach a set will transfer into how you perform that set/lift. Focus your eyes on the bar/dumbbells at hand and make a direct beeline to "your area". If you are interrupted, take a step back and start over. Where you focus your eyes is of utmost importance. Allowing your vision to stray off in approach of a set can ruin the optimal arousal. As Tom Platz once said (paraphrase), "An airplane could hit the gym and I wouldn't know it!"

Ignore Distractions. There will be times that other people in the gym will irritate you with their unawareness and lack of consideration. Take it in stride by simply allowing them to pass and back off. If something needs to be said, say it and be done with it; you have more important things to do.

Think of exuding muscular tension throughout your body when commencing a set/lift. This is contrary to the "muscle isolation" fallacy that promotes a compromised address to the bar, especially in exercises such as squat, deadlift, and bench press. For instance, grip through the bar on barbell squats as opposed to just letting your hands "hang on" to the bar. Contract your upper back and "squeeze" the bar off the uprights with assertiveness. Even with prep sets, do it like you mean it!

You will need a slightly different degree of arousal for more technical lifts (i.e. power clean, snatch) as compared to the basic squat, deadlift, and bench press. These Olympic-style lifts require more finesse similar to other athletic performances. This is simply thinking more in line of "precision" than degrees of arousal approaching anger that can be beneficial in the aforementioned powerlifts.

Squeeze through the handles, when using dumbbells, as you lift them from the rack. Irradiate tension throughout your body as you approach and remove them from the rack. Replace them with the same powerful precision.

Congratulate yourself on a task well done after your training session; a mission accomplished. Then proceed to remove your most vital training arsenal (optimal performance arousal) until your next session. It's being able to proficiently transfer from a non-training state to a training mindset and back to a non-training mode in which your long-term success is found.