Mindset Mantras for More Muscle

9 Mindset Mantras for More Muscle

Most of us tend to look for external solutions to our bodybuilding problems. But did you ever stop and think that the true key to progress might lie somewhere within yourself ? Do you realize that the most powerful computer known to man is not sitting on your desk, but is stuck right between your ears, and smack inside your skull. I am talking about your brain, but more specifically, your MIND. The extraordinary power of one’s thoughts cannot be denied. “Mind over matter,” is real.
Turning the impossible into the possible begins in your head. Learn to “use your mind in lifting,” and your body will follow! Here are my top 9 mindset “mantras” for continuous progress in the gym.

1. Visualize

Every night before you go to sleep think deeply about exactly what you would like to look like. Form a strong visual in your “mind’s eye” of every muscle…every vein…every cut…and every striation that you want to see on your body. See the beast! Then, visualize your workout for the next day from start to finish in your head. See the gym, the people, and the equipment. Hear the music. Smell the atmosphere.

Feel the sweat dripping from your forehead as you perform every rep with masterful precision, causing the most intense pump you have ever experienced in your life. Imbed into your subconscious exactly what you want to accomplish during your workout, and your body will be pre-programmed to follow.

2. Be Positive

Learn to approach each and every workout with an enthusiastic and positive attitude. Expect that you will have a more productive workout today than you did yesterday. Know that the weights are going to feel lighter, and each exercise, easier.

Enjoy the pain. Embrace the pump. Be fully aware that this workout will bring you one step closer to your goals, and that every rep of every set is going to force your muscles to grow bigger, harder,  and stronger. Leave doubt at the door. You WILL have the best workout of your life today…and NOTHING can stop you

3. Be Aggressive

Don’t just lift the weights…ATTACK THEM! Tear them apart! Treat every rep as if it were your last. Lift like your life is on the line. Look at the weights and then listen as they mock you. Then, go ahead and retaliate with ferocity that you are saving for your worst enemy.  Do whatever it takes to psyche yourself up. Yell, growl, slap yourself, think of people you can’t stand. Then, channel all of that intense anger and emotion into every rep of every set. 

4. Focus

During a set, concentrate deeply on what you are doing. While resting, concentrate on what you’re about to do. Put away the cell phone, drop the newspaper, quit the chatter, and stop staring at the hot babes (ok, stare a little, just for a testosterone boost). Think about the body part you are working with laser-like focus. Forge the “mind/muscle” connection. And if you want to workout with a partner, make sure he or she is just as passionate about training as you. If you can’t find someone like this, than go it alone! Always remember one thing: Your time in the gym is a gift. Don’t waste a single moment.

5. No Sulking

If the first few sets of your workout don’t go as well as planned, Do NOT let that get to you and don't let that set the tone for the remainder of your workout. If you attempt to set a personal lifting record and miss, Don't get depressed. Regroup! Leave negativity behind, and look ahead. You KNOW your next set will be better.

The gym is no place to hang your head low or feel sorry for yourself. The gym is your sanctuary, your domain,your temple. It is where you go to leave life’s problems behind. While at the gym YOU are the boss. You make the rules, set the pace, and make the decisions. Remember, the gym is the one place where reaching “failure” is a good thing.  

6. Don't Get Complacent

It’s perfectly OK to pat yourself on the back after a solid set or productive workout, but don’t let that smile get stuck on your face. Set your sights on the next set or next workout and think about how you will crush your previous accomplishments. Complacency is the enemy of a bodybuilder.

Remember, your body is an adaptive machine! You must push further to progress to the next level. You just benched 315 for the first time…awesome! Now its time to figure out what it will take to do 320. To truly succeed you cannot merely be hungry…you must be starving.

7. Toughen Up

Do not avoid pain, embrace it! “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” This applies to the art of bodybuilding perfectly. There is simply no way around it.  You must learn to deal with, even enjoy, pain. When pain occurs (unless it is “injury” pain…learn the difference) while lifting, do not think this is the end of your set, but just the beginning. 

Think of pain as a signal. It is telling you that you have entered the growth zone. The juncture of the set that will trigger the physiological reactions that will lead to growth. When your muscles are burning, your heart is racing, and nausea is looming, simply smile - you are now one step closer to your goal.

8. Have Faith and Get A Grip

You must have faith in yourself and faith in what you are doing. If you have faith in your workout program, your dietary regimen, and your supplementation strategy, you will greatly increase your chances of being successful. 

9. Dream

Don't set limits! Don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot accomplish. Your body is only limited by where your mind is willing to take you. A 800 lb bench press was once thought insurmountable…now there are men that rep with it. Conceive, believe, then achieve.

Those that are afraid to dream are bound by the limits that their mind sets for them. Dreamers see beyond what is and look to find what can be. So dream BIG! Always seek to raise the bar, then go after it with every ounce of your being.

Source: Google,  muscleandfitness.com