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Positive Mental Imagery is key

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by Zillagreybeard, Aug 11, 2020.
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Zillagreybeard
Zillagreybeard
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  • Aug 11, 2020
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There is good evidence on mental imagery and sports performance [1]. By visualizing yourself performing a certain movement before actually doing it, you can mentally practice the motor skills involved in a certain lift.

Let’s take the squat, for example. Instead of just putting a bar on your back and lifting the weight up/down, most people can benefit from actively thinking about “how” you will squat. Visualize the way you unrack the bar, how you will go down, essentially visualizing your desired squat form.

Visualizing how you will perform a movement will help you master the form a bit better. Since you may have improved technique when making use of mental imagery, your lifts are also more efficient and this can benefit strength performance. As an example, in a 2012 study, researchers found that mental imagery helps improve leg press performance [2].

Now, to make the mental imagery effective, it’s a good idea to mimic the conditions you’re in when performing a task. So you can do this in between sets and/or during your warm-up to mentally prep yourself for lifting weights.

References:
1. Richter, J., Gilbert, J. N., & Baldis, M. (2012). Maximizing strength training performance using mental imagery. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(5), 65-69.
2. Lebon, F., Collet, C., & Guillot, A. (2010). Benefits of motor imagery training on muscle strength. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(6), 1680-1687.21h

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