If you’re anything like the thousands of gym goers I’ve observed over the years, you’ve got your head and your ass wired backward in a lot of ways. This is not entirely your fault but it doesn’t mean you can’t make a few simple adjustments in thinking and find yourself on a much clearer, outcome driven path to success. The most basic paradigm shift you can make is exchanging when you think you know and when you actually know.
Nearly everyone walks into the gym actually knowing what it is they are going to do.
This might be a list of resistance exercises, a running program or, more likely, it is just a list of things you did the last time you walked in. Either way, you will go through the exercises, do a few repetitions or miles, a few sets or minutes, and then walk out thinking you know what you’ve accomplished. I see this over and over on a daily basis.
This is backward. Why put in the effort and time, no matter how well intended and clear cut the plan was, if the end result is a gray area of hopefulness? Why hope for the best when you could do your best?
Why not know that the effort and time resulted in the positive outcomes you were seeking?
Make the exchange, the paradigm shift. Walk into the gym thinking you know what you’re going to do, with a more general plan of action. This is probably something you’d actually like to do today instead of what was arbitrarily scheduled, but also leave it open to what actually feels good*. Focus, have fun, do well and, most importantly, highlight what you’ve done better than before. This is called a Personal Record and is more or less the entire point of going to the gym. This is when you actually know what you’ve accomplished. More repetitions, heavier weight, more meters, etc. Whatever the task may become for today you will know as you walk out, how and why you did better than last time.
This is positive feedback at its finest. No gray area, no frustration.
*In addition to training what “feels good” I was going to mention what “tests well” but if you’re using biofeedback tactics, it’s unlikely you made it through this article…
PMH
