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Old 04-07-2006, 06:32 AM
EricT EricT is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,314
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You know, this reminds me of hardgains Warrior post. I've noticed you've put a lot of emphasis on focusing on this or that. Also the comment of "mind-muscle connections". I've also noticed that many people talk about being distracted or unable to concentrate, etc...

Now, I can understand all this when it comes to learning things. Learning the proper form of an exercise and "getting it down". Also, some exercises, at least to me, are harder to maintain form on and require more attention. For instance, deadlifts. But in general, once your body has learned something, it's learned, and no thought process need be involved. In fact, it is this active thought process that is more likely to screw you up.

I really don't mean to insult anyone, but some people make lifting weights a whole lot more complicated than it is. I'm not sure exactly what you meant by mind-muscle connection, but if it is what I think it is, I would say that you can not change your body's biomechanics with a concious thought process. That's like focusing on your breathing to make sure air goes into your lungs. You make a certain movement, in a certain position, and certain muscles are called into play. Period. Even trying to get that "squeeze" at the end of the contraction shouldn't require some monumental mind-body connection. You just do it. Just like you pick up a gallon of milk.

All of this isn't meant as a criticizm of your methods. I am only trying to get accross that so many people, when they try to "concentrate" or "focus" are just creating a sort of sticking, or stopping. The more you think, the harder it is to do. When all your really doing is moving weights up and down. The other day I was changing a tire and the lug-nuts were stuck. In the absense of liquid wrench I had two choices. I could concentrate all my mental powers onto loosening the lug-nuts, or I could turn the lug-wrench harder....I chose the latter.

What I am getting at is that unless you have a real reason to concentrate on a particular thing, i.e. getting the form down, which can take time I know, the next time you find yourself not focused, don't fight it, just let your mind do what it wants and trust you body to do what it does. You'll probably find that, if enough effort is required, everything becomes channeled in to what you are doing anyway, whereas before you may have been preventing that by all the mental "striving".
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If you act sanctimonious I will just list out your logical fallacies until you get pissed off and spew blasphemous remarks.
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