Master Your Mindset

The way to attack your goals is to detail your direct path in order to get there before you haphazardly attempt them. If you want to go at it with the high possibility of failure, then you may begin now or continue what you are doing already. Have you ever heard of the saying, "fail to plan, plan to fail"? If you want to attempt your bodybuilding goals with the least possibility of failure, then I suggest you read the following editorial first.

Gary Strydom has for years practiced the importance of mental preparation. He goes as far as training in Gold's Gym in Venice at 10.30 in the evening knowing that the facility will be quiet at this time, allowing very little distraction to break his concentration when obliterating his muscles. He has a picture in his mind of what he wants to achieve and look like, and he will do everything necessary to keep that picture in his mind during his entire workout. 6 Times Mr. Olympia, Dorian Yates did something very similar. He remembered the exact sets and reps he did on every exercise to write into his training log book when he returned home over an hour following his workout because his entire day revolved around the certain body part he was training. "I knew what exercises I was going to do and in what order before I even got to the gym because I had already done it several times that day in my mental preparation. The image was so vivid, I could even picture what I was wearing," said Yates.

First of all, with your genetic disposition in mind, picture a perfect physical mental image of yourself, and then write down in detail how the image looks. Don't write anything too far fetched, - be objective. Write down how you would like to have your abs look like, - are they deep, muscular, toned, complete with obliques and intercostals? How do the biceps look? Would they be peaked and sharp or longer but thick and bulky? Your genetic heritage and mental image should predetermine how these will appear with the help of an impeccable nutrition and training regime in place. Another good idea is to look through your copies of bodybuilding magazines and locate an athlete whose physique you admire and feel that you would like to physically mimic. Cut that picture out and place it somewhere where you are reminded of your goal on a frequent basis.

Before you leave your home or workplace for the gym, try to focus on the body part you are about to train. Picture how you are going to attack your workout and whether it may be a heavy day or a higher repetition day. Prioritize your weak points at the beginning of your workout and predetermine what exercises you will do on that day. If you feel that you are lacking motivation, enhance the feeling of embarrassment and failure on a bodybuilding stage in front family and friends, all because you didn't give your all on that day. This will help you dig down deep and prevent this occurrence ever happening by having a harder workout. Take some time to sit in your car before you walk into the gym and enhance the feeling of adrenaline that comes with victory, clear your mind and focus on the job in hand.

Endorphins are "feel good" drugs that are naturally produced within your body, and these little magical friends can work wonders towards your physical capability if you can tap into them. Mixing the potion of endorphins and adrenaline is the real key to breaking past barriers and reaching personal bests in and out of the gym. Power lifters use this combination to break records all of the time.

Different people have motivational factors and it is up to you to find which unlocks the key to your enhanced feeling of euphoria. Some people look at bodybuilding magazines, pictures and/or posters upon the gym wall for their source of inspiration, whilst others use high energy music to get the adrenaline surge needed to push out that extra rep. Sometimes mental imaginary of the muscle's anatomy can get you to where you want to go. Whatever it may be that works for you, tap into it and maintain that focus for your time in the gym.

One of the main things that you need to do when you are working out is to focus on the muscle you are working. Use the mirror, not to look at you hair or blemishes, but to see the muscle working, filling with blood and molding to the shape you have longed for.

Champion bodybuilder and former Master Olympian Robby Robinson constantly focuses on how he wants to look onstage when he is training. You can hear him say "side chest, most muscular" when he is completing a set of flyes, and "rear double bicep, lat spread" when hitting selective back exercises. This may sound extreme and odd to people within the vicinity, but the proof is, it works for him. Find what works for you.

Most gyms are busy so you need to take extra care not to get distracted by people walking by when you are training. IFBB Pro, Ernie Taylor occasionally used to drape a towel over his head so no distractions would come into his vision, besides I think it would scare other members away from approaching him. Place headphones on your ears, even if you aren't listening to music to avoid people talking to you and interrupting your concentration and focus.

Remember, many people are the masters of nutrition, training or both, but a lot of people choose to ignore the power of what can be accomplished when more attention is paid to the power of the mind. High class business men, inventors and success stories use this much forgotten power. If you want to your physique to look like it resides on a professional, I suggest you use this abundance of power too.