THE ARTICLE
Resistance training is an integral part to accomplishing your bodybuilding goals. Whilst getting into the weights room is not the only requirement to induce muscle synthesis, it is undeniably a vital aspect to your muscle building goals. Therefore, it makes sense to get the most out of each and every weights workout.
Intensity is vital to developing muscle tissue. Going into the gym and giving a half-hearted approach to your workout is simply going to result in substandard results. Elevating the intensity of each workout is going to place a far greater overload on the targeted muscles, which when used in an effectively periodised and structured approach to training, can produce amazing results.
So, how do you enhance the intensity of your workouts? It’s primarily psychological and there are many techniques you can learn. Let’s discuss some very effective methods that you may choose to employ in your next training session.
Warm Up Effectively
It’s obvious that warming up is vital in the prevention of injury by encouraging blood flow to the targeted muscle groups. However, warming up also plays a vital role in preparing yourself psychologically for your workout.
When you warm up at the beginning of the workout, you are effectively practicing for the heavy lifting sets. This means that you are delegating time to forget about the stresses of your day and focus on perfecting your technique on that particular exercise.
During a warm-up, you do “re-learn” the exercise from a neurological point of view. It may have been a week since you last performed that particular movement and the neural connections within your brain need to be reinforced for maximum efficiency during the conditioning sets. Consequently after a warm-up, you will actually be able to lift more in subsequent sets when training to failure.
Have a Training Partner
If you can find a suitable training partner, this will significantly enhance the effectiveness of your workouts. This will be mutually beneficial to the both of you if:
- You have common goals
- You have similar training philosophies
- You enjoy each other’s company
- You are equally dedicated
- You are able to motivate one another
Psychologists have shown that inter-personal competition drives us to achieve greater feats than if we were to pursue a goal in isolation. You can therefore integrate some form of competition between the two of you to maximise your output. Of course, your physical strengths will be quite different, so set some handicaps to make the competition fair and successful.
On a side note, a training partner can be disadvantageous if you do not have a sound training relationship. One example is if you are the motivator and your friend lacks interest. In this case, you are not going to find this relationship beneficial and “team morale” will be negatively affected. You need to be smart in choosing someone to train with.
Music
Psychologists have also shown that music can be highly effective in enhancing the output of your exercise sessions. Listening to a motivating track (one that you personally find motivating) can help you in pumping out that additional rep or two.
During weight training, music can also be distracting to you, especially if you are intensely focusing on the execution of each exercise. So, whether or not you decide to use your mp3 player is a matter of personal opinion. You may choose to listen to music on simpler, isolation orientated exercises rather than more complex compound movements.
Keep a Training Journal
Logging your results can be a powerful motivator. If you record your repetitions and weight lifted from each set, you can set goals to achieve in subsequent sets and workouts. This keeps your training objective, which will keep you accountable. Just knowing that your results are going to be recorded in black and white can propel you to make the most of every single set.
Plus, a training journal allows you to be fully prepared for your workout. You eliminate any guesswork when you enter the gym and know exactly what you must achieve.
Follow a Routine that You Enjoy & Spice It Up
There is nothing worse than undertaking a monotonous and boring weight training routine. If you’re heart isn’t in the programme then you won’t be able to produce an effective workout – period. Be sure to change your routine up regularly too, as intensity is greatly affected by the degree of variety that you inject into your workout.
Always remember that the key to a high intensity workout is your mental application. You’ll note that every one of these tips is psychologically orientated. Whilst your fitness level, nutritional intake and supplementation can assist in the intensity of your workout, your psychological approach can be far superior.
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