MENTAL GAMES PEOPLE PLAY......

B

briee

Cathlete
Just a question I have out of curiousity for everyone who would care to respond. What kinds of mental games do you play to get through really tough workouts.

For instance when I'm doing slow and heavy, actually I do this during endurance work as well, I like to think of my body as being a machine. This helps me avoid momentum that sometimes occurs when I'm really tired. It also seems to really work the muscle harder. For example lunges, I try to visualize my body moving smoothly down for a count of 2 and up for a count of six just as a machine would. Sometimes closing my eyes and concentrating on this helps or I mentally step outside myself and see my body doing this so the pain doesn't seem so great. Okay, I'm not trying to get bazarre on this, but I just know that others must use some type of tricks at times.

On the other hand, I have times when I just try to visualize my bicep vein starting to pop out in order to keep going (though it's just not happening yet!!!!).

So let's hear it, any other ideas that help you concentrate, etc...

Briee
 
Wow! I was just thinking about this last night!
I was sooo pooped from going to this class w/a friend (at the gym , a NIA class) but it didn't feel like a workout to me, but still left me tired-I decided "just do 5minutes of Circuit Max, then see if you want to stop"-and I made it through the full thing

I totally see what you are sayin' I do the same thing! Also, I have this Gilad tape where he talks at the beginning how everyone has days that they don't feel up to working out, but to imagine how great you feel afterwards-this has helped me sooo much!

Whatelse..sometimes I will trick myself on the treadmill-say to myself that I will only workout today for 30 minutes of jogging-and by the time 30 min rolls around, I will say, I am working out 15 minutes more, then 15 minutes more, and I have done an hour

Anyway..great post! ;)Jaime
 
When at the gym I kind of compete against the people around me when doing cardio. Also I must admit, if there is a good looking woman exercising in front of me, I will just watch her(not ogle!) discreetly and this causes time to fly by. I know..I am a pig. lol!!
One trick I do when exercising alone is to pop in a breath mint before I start. This is a great pick-me-up. Try it!
Trevor :)
 
Trevor
You can't help it..All men are pigs. This is what my husband tells me all the time. It is one reason why we (he & I) work out at home! LOL :)
Judy
Live by the golden rule: treat others as yourself :)
 
I do what Cathe recommends--VISUALIZE my muscles getting bigger & stronger. Sometimes I close my eyes & actually picture what you might see in an anatomy book--the fibres & ligaments. I also picture what I'm going to look like in a year from now--I will lose weight, I will be buff!!!

Trevor, I just can't imagine you oogling! You come in here & add such a different perspective on things. Most men are pigs but I just can't see you doing it!!!

I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif
 
During cardio workouts, I am sheepish to admit, I pretend I'm one of Cathe's crew, and we're performing live at Madison Square Garden. That helps me get through power blasts and intervals big time.

During strength training, I find myself saying "Yah" a lot when I've completed a set, and as I near the end of the session I start talking to myself a lot like Charlotte A. Cavatica did one night when she was spinning a new web for Wilber in "Charlotte's Web".

A-jock
 
Briee, you are going to think I am a total nutcase after you read this.

Sometimes when I'm cross-country skiing up at our lake home (and of course I'm totally alone on the surface of the frozen lake) skiing back and forth like a demon. I pretend that I'm one of the Norwegian cross country skiers from back in Nazi occupied Norway, who, during WWII, skied in at night through the woods and rugged terrain on their XC skis and relentlessly sabotaged the "heavy water" making facility there. (Neener, neener, neener the Nazis can't catch me.) Thus preventing the creation of a Nazi nuclear weapon. Yes . . . me . . . saving the world . . . on my cross country skis. ROFTL

Yes, I do have a creative mind. Yes, I love WWII spy novels. I may have to apply this to the Intensity Series to try and get through it.

Julie
 
I use various tactics. Sometimes the music inspires a certain imagery. In IMAX, there is a song that sounds like the theme song from Peter Gunn or some spy program. The move that's coordinated with it helps me imagine that I'm one of the good guys chasing the bad guy.

When doing Cardio Kicks, I sometimes work off a fantasy that I'm one of the crew of SG-1 (those of you who know, will know) and I'm in training for a new mission.
 
It depends on what type of workout - if it's strength/lifting, I really do concentrate on what I'm doing and trying to think about the muscles, like Cathe says, etc. If it's cardio that's repetative, esp. the Imax intervals, then I think of anything else - weekly menus, grocery lists, list of things to do today. In fact, today I completely zoned out of interval #2. I came back at the recovery and really couldn't remember whether I had done the interval or not, but decided not to rewind and do it over. When I mountain bike (when we don't have tons of snow and ice!), on the really hard hills, I either count out reps of 8 pretending I'm hooked up to a large winch that's hoisting me to the top or do times tables or any sort of arithmetic to keep my mind off my burning quads.
 
I pretend that Cathe and crew can see me through the TV. This helps. Also, when I climbed Half Dome there were lots of steps and and tree branches to duck under so it involved lots of squatting. I kept thinking to myself 'this is just like LL' so I would say (in my head of course) "Down, half way up, down, half way up" just like Cathe does in LL. It was a lot longer than LL, but I didn't have a barbell on my shoulders so I really think it helped. During the rock stairs portion, I would think of Imax or Step Works and think "all I have to do is walk up these stairs. I don't have to learn arm patterns or do any airborn jumps." And I did it! The Terminator, however, is going to be another story...
 
These are great guys....I especially liked yours Julie, I too have a WAY over active imagination which has become a little boring lately and I knew I'd need a pick me up for the upcoming IS series. Keep them coming, I will need everything to get through Bootcamp it appears via the reviews. (when ARE my tapes going to be shipped x( I'm trying my best to be patient!!!)

Briee
 
During cardio, I pretend I'm either in a fitness competition or am filming an exercise video. Then I focus on form and not messing up.

If it's a somewhat complex video, kinda like how Rhythmic Step, I try to make it through a sequence with no mistakes (rarely happens!)

If I'm at the gym doing spinning or aerobics, all I need is a *somewhat* cute guy near me to motivate me :) Then I work harder.
 
This is a great thread...I was thinking about the same thing today! Although I was wondering what everyone was telling themselves to get themself out of Christmas-eating-mode and back into healthy-eating-mode...perhaps imagining one of those little talking cooking jars that yells at you "Get your hand out of the cookie jar!".

For treadmill time, I always play little games like try to make it to 300 calories, okay now try to make it to 45 minutes, okay now try to make it to 4 miles...
 
I'm sorry, but I just can't believe that poeple actually have thoughts while working out ala Cathe!!! I was trying to think about what I think about but pretty much I have come to the conclusion that most of the time during my Cathe workouts, I am just praying for the torture to end soon. Yep. Sorry. No Norwegian Nazi chaser here...

Although in IMAX I do pretend someone is watching me, like I have an audience and I DO count with Cathe when she gets to those last few..8...7...6....you know...

Janice


http://www.picturetrail.com/thrashej
 
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