Many bodybuilders who have been training for muscle gains realize that weight training workout sessions can become quite mentally difficult to sustain, especially during high volume periods, and this emotional battle causes many to abandon the bodybuilding process before substantial results are achieved. Yet, there is a proven method that enhances motivation, and can even inspire a bodybuilder to put forth far more effort than otherwise seems possible.
Music, what many of us listen to in our spare time, or to lift our emotions when we are feeling less than stellar, is in fact one of the most powerful weight training workout aids for enhancing workout focus. It would seem that any background noise may in fact distract a bodybuilder from his weight training workout obligations, but this is not so, as the mind, when focusing on a weight lifting set absent music, is more inclined to begin repelling from the stress that is about to occur, while the music can provide a pleasant distraction from this reality, one that amazingly can cause a bodybuilder to lift more weight and perform a set with greater intensity than is otherwise possible.
During times when I have selected music that I either have not heard for some time, or a newly released song that I find appealing, I've been able to attack the weights with a level of intensity and focus that has never been possible for me in any other way. But doing so obviously requires selecting a certain type of music, and this will differ based upon our own individual preferences. If you are not a music listener, load Itunes on your computer and sample some free radio stations that play various types of music (80s, 90s, current, rock, pop, etc), and see if you can locate some songs that seemingly cause your blood to boil and goose bumps to surface, as when you begin to experience an adrenalin rush through a specific song, you know that this is ideal for a weight lifting workout session, and should become a part of your arsenal.
In addition to music, I have recently started to alternate using songs with watching TV programming, as I've found that a weight lifting session which otherwise may seem redundant can become quite entertaining with the proper television programming. Record your favorite shows on video tape or DVR, and play them back during your weight lifting workout session (training at home allows me the luxury of doing so), as this can also distract you from weight lifting workout stress, and put you in a frame of mind where enduring a 60-90 minute battle with weights becomes far more desirable.
I've never experienced the same motivational surge with TV as I have playing music, so the proper songs I feel have a greater positive impact on a weight lifting workout session, but television, for me, provides another form of entertainment that can cause a workout to seem far more tolerable than simply focusing on the sounds of weight crashing to the ground. With TV, I especially like the fact that time between sets is mentally occupied, as opposed to focused on the remaining workout, and this helps to successfully complete the weight training session without any significant difficulties. There are even times when I have formed a hybrid, alternating between TV and music in the same workout, playing songs during a weight lifting set, while using TV during breaks between sets, and this has also worked very well in diminishing negative components that accompany many weight lifting workout sessions.
Although many bodybuilders have already discovered the power of music to fuel workouts, many do not spend the time diversifying their music selections, as inevitably, regardless of how much motivation a song may provide, after a few plays, the positive impact from a particular musical selection will fade, and those who load their IPOD with the exact same group of several songs will soon no longer feel inspired.
Therefore, seeking out a wide range of music is helpful, and cycling through the music will allow what now may seem old and no longer exciting some time to leave the mind, and upon returning in several weeks, the same song will boost workout intensity once again. The key is to have enough music prepared to cycle between sets of songs over several months, as this keeps the selections fresh, and will enhance the positive distraction in your workouts that will keep you consistent and fueled for success.
Francesco Castano is the owner of IncrediBody, a physical fitness company dedicated to helping others learn exactly how to gain muscle mass and lose weight without supplements or drugs. He authors two programs, one called MuscleNOW, teaching the correct weight training and diet program to gain muscle mass without bodybuilding supplements at MuscleNOW.com, and Fat Vanish, which teaches how to lose weight & burn stomach fat for permanent weight loss, at FatVanish.com. He includes lifetime email personal training with both programs, where he personally assists all of his clients with training and diet questions, and has hundreds of testimonials validating the effectiveness of his techniques. He also offers weight lifting equipment, protein powder and fitness accessories at IncrediBody.com. Please visit his web sites, and feel free to contact Francesco at any time with your muscle building or weight loss questions!