By Dayne Hudson
Going to the gym doesn't make you big, or increase your fitness.
That's right! It's the HARD TRAINING in the gym that will give you results, followed by correct rest and nutrition.
I've seen some guys in the gym this week - working out their jaws non stop, with hardly a repetition in sight. That's what's motivated me to hit the keyboard for this post!
Because these are the guys that wonder in a few months time WHY their bodies aren't changing. This post is about NOT underestimating the power of focus BEFORE and DURING a workout.
You must have the right MIND SET before training, something I like to think about before I storm into the gym at full throttle. I want to start by quoting the legendary 6-time Mr Olympia DORIAN YATES - who says:
"Each workout is like a brick in a building, and every time you go in there and do a half-ass workout, you're not laying a brick down. Somebody else is."
Think about that for a moment.
Every time you walk in there - you have to focus.
Get in the zone. Talk to yourself inside your own mind.
You have to REMIND yourself WHY you are there.
Visualise the physique you want, imagine it right there in the mirror, starring back at you.
As you do your warm up sets - think about HOW much you will lift, how good your form will be, and the incredible pump you'll achieve by paying attention to the time between sets.
All the money you've spent on supplements, the time you've spent in the gym, the lengths you've gone to get your meals in on time.
Think about all of it.
This is where it happens. Right here.
It's just you, the weights, and all that you are.
One of the great film scenes to talk about focus and getting in the zone comes from the film The Legend Of Bagger Vance, starring Will Smith and Matt Damon.
This is one of the more motivational videos you'll ever see in your life. Will Smith, playing the character of Bagger Vance, is the caddy for Matt Damon's character, who is a washed up golfer.
At one stage during a town exhibition match, Matt Damon isn't hitting the ball like the other contenders. He's struggling.
Bagger Vance proceeds to tell him that he's simply not hitting the ball - but doing a whole lot more than that. He needs to do more than just "hit the ball"
Check out this mesmerising scene here
That's exactly how we all have to be before training. In the zone, with a purpose, and in a special place in our soul.
Not just in a gym, throwing weights around and talking aimlessly.
Every time I walk into the gym, I don't leave until AT LEAST ONCE, I've frightened myself.
Squeezing out that last rep I thought was impossible, or increasing the weight in a safe manner that I haven't yet lifted before. It's a great little rule to live and train by.
I hope this helps you get in the right frame of mind before your workouts, if you haven't nailed this already.
Because really, at the end of the day, every workout counts.
Just ask 6-time Mr Olympia Dorian Yates.
