| Understanding the mind's role in motivation and | | | | like a squat or bench press. |
| behavior is one of the most critical elements in | | | | One creative way you can use mental imagery is |
| fitness success. If you struggle with changing | | | | called "process visualization." Once you've set your |
| habits and behaviors or if you can't get | | | | goals, it's easy to come up with a list of the daily |
| motivated, then even the best training and | | | | habits, behaviors and action steps necessary to |
| nutrition program is not much help. | | | | reach your goal. So write down the action steps |
| A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is | | | | and visualize them - the entire process, not just |
| that it's completely deductive in nature. In other | | | | the end result. See yourself food shopping and |
| words, it's fully capable of working backwards | | | | grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, |
| from the end to the means. If you "program" | | | | ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, |
| only the desired outcome successfully into your | | | | saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, |
| "mental computer," then your subconscious will | | | | and going to the gym consistently and having killer |
| take over and help you find the information and | | | | workouts. Some people visualize their entire |
| means and carry out the actions necessary to | | | | "perfect day" as they would want it to unfold. |
| reach it. | | | | When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as |
| Many people are familiar with affirmations and | | | | much detail as you can, you will be neurologically |
| goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your | | | | priming your brain to carry out those behaviors. |
| subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate | | | | The least known of all mental imagery techniques |
| mental training" technique is visualization. In one | | | | is called "physiology visualization." An example |
| respect, affirmation and visualization are the | | | | would be picturing the fat burning process in your |
| same, because when you speak or think an | | | | body or seeing the muscle fibers growing larger |
| affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, | | | | and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible |
| being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures. | | | | that you might be giving subconscious instructions |
| You can use visualization to plant goals into your | | | | to your body's cells, organs and tissues? |
| subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, | | | | Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a |
| use your imagination and mentally create pictures | | | | physician and cancer researcher who taught his |
| and run movies of your desired results. If | | | | patients (as one part of a comprehensive |
| repeated consistently with emotion, mental | | | | program), how to visualize powerful immune cells |
| images are accepted by your subconscious as | | | | devouring the cancer cells. I'm not suggesting that |
| commands and this helps with changing habits, | | | | you can cure cancer or materialize a lean and |
| behavior and performance. | | | | muscular body just by visualizing, (there's a step |
| Although there are some new and creative ways | | | | in between thought and manifestation - it's called |
| to use visualization, (which you are about to | | | | action - a step that many self help 'experts' |
| learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has | | | | forget to mention). However, thoughts and |
| been used formally in the fields of sports | | | | mental images are the precursors to action and |
| psychology and personal development for | | | | the fact that a mind-body connection definitely |
| decades and philosophers have discussed it for | | | | exists makes this an exciting prospect. |
| centuries: | | | | Scientists have established the mind-body link in |
| "If you want to reach your goal, you must 'see | | | | many contexts, and not just by the existence of |
| the reaching' in your own mind before you actually | | | | a placebo effect. There's also direct evidence as in |
| arrive at your goal." | | | | the way emotional stress can contribute to |
| - Zig Ziglar | | | | physical disease. The mind does influence the |
| "The use of mental imagery is one of the | | | | body! The mere fact that a branch of science has |
| strongest and most effective strategies for | | | | been devoted to this area is proof that it |
| making something happen for you." | | | | deserves critical investigation and is not just the |
| - Dr. Wayne Dyer | | | | domain of infomercial self help gurus. The science |
| "Perhaps the most effective method of bringing | | | | is called psychoneuroimmunology. |
| the subconscious into practical action is through | | | | Using "physiology visualization," you could, even in |
| the process of making mental pictures - using the | | | | the middle of a workout, imagine the fat burning |
| imagination." | | | | process taking place, and visualize fat being |
| - Claude Bristol | | | | released from adipose tissue storage in your |
| "There is a law in psychology that if you form a | | | | abdominal region or elsewhere. You could see the |
| picture in your mind of what you would like to be, | | | | free fatty acids entering your bloodstream, being |
| and you keep and hold that picture there long | | | | carried to the working muscles and being burned |
| enough, you will soon become exactly as you | | | | for energy in the muscle cells. You could also |
| have been thinking." | | | | visualize the physiology of muscle growth. |
| - William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and | | | | To make your imagery as accurate and detailed |
| Author | | | | as possible, my best suggestion is to refer to an |
| Despite these glowing endorsements and a long | | | | anatomy & physiology textbook that shows |
| track record, some people can't get past feeling | | | | pictures of fat cells, blood vessels, myofibrils, |
| that this is just a "hokey" self-help technique. Rest | | | | motor units, sarcomeres, and cell organelles like |
| assured, however, that visualization is an effective | | | | the mitochondria, so you know what the |
| and time-tested method for increasing personal | | | | structures look like. You could also get more |
| success that has been used by some of the | | | | details about the processes by looking up lipolysis, |
| highest achievers the world. | | | | hypertrophy or beta oxidation. |
| The Soviets started to popularize visualization in | | | | Even if you had no idea what the internal |
| sports psychology back in the 1970's, as detailed | | | | structure and workings of the body were like, |
| in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak | | | | you could still use this method. Your body |
| Performance." They dominated in many sports | | | | responds to mental imagery even if it isn't |
| during that period, which validated visualization | | | | anatomically correct. We know from the field of |
| anecdotally. | | | | hypnosis that the subconscious mind responds well |
| In the last 10-15 years, there has been some | | | | to metaphor - maybe even better than literal |
| groundbreaking new brain research which has | | | | suggestions. Facts and logic are the domain of the |
| validated visualization scientifically. Here's | | | | conscious mind, while emotion and metaphor can |
| something that was written recently by Dr. | | | | slip right past the conscious and into the |
| Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 | | | | subconscious. Dr. Simonton often wrote about his |
| books about the human brain: | | | | young patients who created (metaphorical) mental |
| "The process of imagining yourself going through | | | | images of immune system cells as "knights in |
| the motions of a complex musical or athletic | | | | shining armor", slaying "the dragon" of cancer cells. |
| performance activates brain areas that improve | | | | One of your greatest mental powers is |
| your performance. Brain scans have placed such | | | | imagination. You can visualize anything you want |
| intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron | | | | and you can embellish and exaggerate your |
| emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the | | | | imagery as much as you want. For example, you |
| mental rehearsal of an action activates the | | | | could imagine the free fatty acids being burned |
| prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the | | | | for energy in the "cellular powerhouse" - the |
| formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In | | | | mitochondria - and you could imagine the |
| practical terms, this means you can benefit from | | | | mitochondrion as a fiery furnace... "incinerating" the |
| the use of mental imagery." | | | | fat! I think it's a pretty cool idea to "see" your fat |
| So much for being a "cheesy" self-help technique. | | | | cells shrinking and visualize your body as a "fat |
| Although visualization is widely used today, even | | | | burning furnace." |
| people who are familiar with it often don't realize | | | | Should you not believe that there's anything to |
| its many applications. Arguably the most common | | | | the physiology visualization technique, that's ok, |
| use of visualization is by athletes, musicians and | | | | because we know that the subconscious is |
| other performers as a form of "mental rehearsal." | | | | deductive. Just give it a goal, tell it what you want |
| Research shows that "practicing in your mind" is | | | | and it will get you there automatically by altering |
| almost as effective as practicing physically, and | | | | your attention and behavior. Therefore, we can |
| that doing both is more effective than either one | | | | be confident that physiology visualization will be |
| alone. | | | | effective even if only as a subconscious directive |
| A common use of visualization in the fitness | | | | about your desired goal. If science someday |
| context is "goal visualization." In your mind's eye, | | | | provides us with conclusive evidence that |
| you can see yourself having already achieved | | | | visualization actually does cause cellular - |
| your physique goal or your ideal goal weight. You | | | | physiological changes in the body, well, that's just |
| can also visualize a specific performance goal such | | | | all the better. |
| as completing a difficult workout or a heavy lift | | | | |