This idea started with me thinking about how focused I am during my training session. "How present am I while doing "x" exercise?". I like to put esoteric concepts into quantifiable terms and eventually I asked myself, "Percentage-wise, How many reps am I mindful for?". It had me thinking for a while and I ended up with low 80% - high 90%. Either way I still have room for improvement. How long would it take for one to improve 10 from 20%. Do I get 100% in with all of my reps one day and the next day get 75% because I get distracted?
Definition for mindfulness:
the trait of staying aware of (paying close attention to) your responsibilities.
Definition of Practice - prac·tice/ˈpraktəs/
Noun: The actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories about such application or use.
Verb: Perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency
Here is a skill that will make you gain more out of your exercise routine, set new personal records and can be implemented easily. It doesn't take weeks to be able to reap the benefits of this kind of skill. Mindful Practice in this context is being aware of your body and giving each rep in each exercise complete concentration. It requires constant attention to detail. If one can become mindful in each repetition they will get more out of their training.
Let's start with mindset.
In my opinion, mindful practice is a consequence of the right mindset. It is a mindset that commands focus and dedication. I think people need to have a mindset that is more conducive to them reaching their goals. The first step in this is deconstructing ones intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for exercise training. This requires a critical lens put on ones self to rationalize and derive logic from a behavior. "Why do I train?"
For me exercise has always been an outlet since I could remember. My grandfather tells me I was picking up small logs to help him throw in the fire when I was 2. I started martial arts when I was 6 and it gave me an emotional outlet and a vehicle for self improvement. Exercise and just being plain physical active has been one of oldest and constant themes in my life. Now I am setting up a foundation to create a career for myself doing something I am passionate about. I want to be the "strongest" version of myself I can be physically, mentally and spiritually. So I need to make sure I get the most out of my time spent in my own training program.
Now I don't think everyone has to go so deep, about why they lift weights. However I encourage people to challenge themselves on why they train. Keep revisiting that idea, as time passes it is likely to change and evolve as you do(hopefully). To get started in a good direction:
What are you goals?
Why do you train?
Who are you training for?
How will this improve your life?
Are you having fun?
I think possessing a motivation that is well thought out, personalized and intentional gives root to a great mindset. Having the right balance of intrinsic and extrinsic mindset will help foster greater probability of Mindful Practice.
Now that you know why you are here lets working on ways of actually being mindful during exercise reps.One thing I like to do is have little checklist in my head. A lot of the items on the list are shared through multiple exercises. I try to have anywhere from 1-3 self cues. They are put in a hierarchy of importance. These are based on how I move in certain exercises .I have different checklists for the people I work with as they may have different things to focus on in a particular exercise. The good news is if you can practice some of these mental techniques eventually they will become ingrained and intrinsic. Not just going through a check list but the actual lists itself. Things like brace core, keep knees out, pack the neck will become automatic and eventually all you have to do is make sure the auto pilot is working with selective awareness.
Front Squat:
Elbows up
Braced Core
Finish with hip thrust
Single Leg Squat:
Good alignment ( ankle, knee, hip)
Control
Finish with hip thrust
Trap Bar DL:
Straight back
Braced core
Shoulders back
Single Leg Hops:
stick it
Good alignment
Brace
Hip Flxr stretch:
tuck pelvis
Squeeze glute
Trx Row:
Pack the neck
pinch shoulder blades
3 Dimensional Breathing:
Spare tire (when breathing in if you had a spare tire around your diaphragm make sure to touch all sides of it)
No second boobs ( make sure the lower rips aren't poking out with a partial brace)
This is just top give you a logistical idea of what I am talking about. Not everyone exercise requires a check list, but it should be performed correctly. From stretching to Olympic lifting. Mindfulness needs to be practiced in order to ingrain good patterns and to avoid injury.
Make sure every aspect in your program has a clear and legitimate purpose for being their. Being able to confidently believe that will give you more stock in your training program, naturally increasing a need for awareness.
Distractions:
Distractions while training can be one of the biggest roadblocks for progress. We are all guilty of it. They can be internal distractions coming from our own mind or they can be external distractions coming from our environment.
This is where mindset and motivation keeps us on a steady course of concentration. If you're training for a metabolic demand and want to keep rest intervals short, is talking to someone for 5 minutes in between sets really going keep that metabolic demand up enough to make the session optimally effective? Probably not.
Music- This is a very interesting subject for me because I have recently had a change of heart when it comes to listening to my head phones while I train. I use to be all about it, putting on my gym playlist and going to town. However I started talking to people way smarter than me about exercise and was introduced to some good points about how it can take away from lifting. Noise is just another thing your brain has to process and deal with. So mental resources are diverted into dealing with this other stimulus you have added to the equation. IF strength is a skill than it requires as much focus as possible.
Nick Winkleman at Athletes' Performance brought up a great point about why chimps are so strong. Excluding the obvious reasons of more muscle fibers and a better cns. They are so strong because they can focus immediately on the task at hand. They don't have all these other thoughts rushing in taking away mental concentration. He then did a demonstration. He asked me to raise my arms at my sides( lateral raise) , he tried to push them down at my sides and could not. He then ask me to relax and focus on his hand. He brought his hand to my face and started wiggling his fingers. About 10 seconds later they asked me to raise my arms up again and was able to push them down to my sides with out ease. Its all about FOCUS.
If you ever look at the west side barbell guys or any other lift who is going for a max pr that is near or beyond world records. They have this dead stare where it almost looks like they are staring right though what is in front of them. They aren't listening to Mos Def on their ipod, they are entering a temporary trance of hyper focus.
Other strategies for helping develop focus and intent
Have an event to prepare for - In my own training having a grappling tournament or power lifting meet always gave my programs intention and I've had some of the best training sessions preparing for a competition or specific event.
Get a training partner who is as serious if not more serious then you. Someone who will hold you accountable and will be the first to start the next set.
Make sure your training program flows. If you have to fly from one side of the gym to the next over and over then you're going to be preoccupied and more likely to get off task. It is also time wasted running back and forth.
To Wrap Up:
Mindfulness during training has one of the biggest bank for buck ratios when it comes to improving training, results and overall the outcome of what you are trying to accomplish. This needs to be fueled by a thoroughly charted mindset that is sustainable and comes from who you are.
Distractions are everywhere and they need to be minimized as much as possible to elevate and maintain concentration. Keep things simple, the more variables involved the more likely things are to fall out of sync and focus.
Always remind yourself why you are doing what you do.
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