{"id":5755,"date":"2021-07-20T20:49:51","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T18:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/?page_id=5755"},"modified":"2021-09-06T10:28:44","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T08:28:44","slug":"power-of-visualization","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/home\/bodybuilding-guide\/bodybuilding-exercices\/bodybuilding-methods\/neuromuscular-connection-in-muscle\/power-of-visualization\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Mental Strength Using Visualization to Push Your Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"5755\" class=\"elementor elementor-5755\" data-elementor-settings=\"[]\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"penci-section penci-disSticky penci-structure-10 elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-40f5b41 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"40f5b41\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"penci-ercol-100 penci-ercol-order-1 penci-sticky-ct  elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-82cca7a\" data-id=\"82cca7a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0150118 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"0150118\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p>\r\n      Just like endless hours of training, diet and supplements, <strong>mental \r\n      preparation<\/strong>&nbsp;is also important, in the sports field in general, and in \r\n      bodybuilding, in particular. It is in this perspective that professional \r\n      coaches invented the technique of visualisation, and which is currently \r\n      put into practice, especially during major competitions.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Visualization is used in high level sports to improve the performance of \r\n      athletes, and in the field of bodybuilding, it allows to exceed the \r\n      limits if it is used wisely.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <h2>\r\n      What is visualisation?\r\n    <\/h2>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Visualization is a technique that has been used for decades in the world \r\n      of major competitions. In most cases, an athlete's failure is not due to \r\n      poor coaching or lack of physical or technical ability. It is mostly due \r\n      to nervousness and poor concentration during practice or competition.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      To avoid lack of concentration, the athlete must learn, during his \r\n      training, to manage his emotions, to control himself in order to better \r\n      face his opponent. In this perspective, he learns to generate mental \r\n      images of his performance, using the technique of visualisation to \r\n      reinforce the power of the athlete's mental strength.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Along with mental imagery, visualisation is a technique that is part of \r\n      psychoneuroimmunology. Both use methods such as meditation or hypnosis \r\n      to treat the athlete concerned.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Visualisation works on the mind and spirit of the athlete to help him or \r\n      her concentrate and manage emotions by imposing specific images on the \r\n      mind. Mental images of success, well-being and achievement are \r\n      cultivated in the mind. It teaches the athlete to manage fear and stress \r\n      so that he or she can have confidence in his or her performance.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <h2>\r\n      Visualisation: what are its benefits?\r\n    <\/h2>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Visualisation is used to reduce the stress and anxiety of a sportsperson \r\n      or high performance athlete. Combined with other similar techniques, it \r\n      can also improve stress-related health problems such as high blood \r\n      pressure, arthritis and heart attacks.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      By focusing on pleasant and enjoyable imagery, the relaxed athlete is \r\n      able to reduce the sensation of pain that his or her body may have \r\n      experienced. Backache, migraine, cramp. . . these are some of the \r\n      illnesses that can be treated by the visualisation technique.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Visualisation can also improve the motor functions of the athlete. \r\n      Indeed, scientific studies have shown that virtual training can be as \r\n      effective as real training, especially when it comes to teaching motor \r\n      skills to a patient or an athlete.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Finally, visualisation builds self-confidence for the athlete. \r\n      Accustomed to imagining victories and success, the athlete gains \r\n      confidence and comes to believe that he can succeed in what he is going \r\n      to do. His mind is at its highest level, and it will be much easier for \r\n      him to face his opponent with less anxiety and fear.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      In the field of strength training, visualisation helps to activate the \r\n      neurons. The combination of visualisation with an exercise or training \r\n      session results in a greater gain in strength than training alone. The \r\n      athlete also improves his or her precision and concentration.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <h2>\r\n      How does visualisation work?\r\n    <\/h2>\r\n    <p>\r\n      During a visualisation session the athlete receives a nerve stimulation. \r\n      We try to develop the propagation of a relevant message, related to what \r\n      we want to transmit and make the patient believe. This can be a \r\n      repetition of movements, a simulation of a victory. . .\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      We work on the nervous command in order to improve the execution of the \r\n      targeted motor movement. In the same way, we also try to develop \r\n      strength through better recruitment of muscles, because it is strength \r\n      that allows better recruitment of muscle fibres.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Once the muscle fibres have been recruited and stimulated, the athlete \r\n      will be able to lift more weight for the same muscle mass. It is always \r\n      important to note that visualization allows you to work on your strength \r\n      and your mind. It is through intense training, combined with \r\n      visualization sessions that one can develop muscle mass.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <h2>\r\n      What are the stages of visualisation?\r\n    <\/h2>\r\n    <p>\r\n      For a visualisation session to be beneficial, there are certain steps to \r\n      follow.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      First step: the athlete should sit comfortably and relax. He\/she should \r\n      not think about anything and clear his\/her head and mind. By closing his \r\n      eyes, he tries to concentrate on his breathing for a few moments.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Second step: the athlete imagines his environment and the setting he is \r\n      used to (gym, equipment, teammates. . . )\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Third step: he\/she imagines himself\/herself preparing and warming up for \r\n      a training session or for a high level competition. The coach or the \r\n      person assisting him during the visualisation can help him by describing \r\n      in detail certain elements of his environment.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      If the athlete is used to visualising, he will have no problem \r\n      visualising his environment, but for a beginner, it is always better to \r\n      be assisted to optimise the results of each session.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      Fourth step: the athlete tries to visualise every movement he has to do \r\n      in his discipline, from the starting position to the finishing position. \r\n      He should try to live the mental movie of the action, as if he was \r\n      actually performing it. All actions should be visualised at a high level \r\n      during each session.\r\n    <\/p>\r\n    <p>\r\n      If an action does not suit the athlete during the session, one should \r\n      not be afraid to interrupt the session or to rewind the mental film. The \r\n      athlete thinks about each difficulty encountered in order to provide \r\n      solutions to rectify the situation. From one session to the next, try to \r\n      increase the level of difficulty encountered. In weight training, you \r\n      can for example visualize the virtual weight of the loads, the number of \r\n      series or the speed of execution.\r\n    <\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just like endless hours of training, diet and supplements, mental preparation&nbsp;is also important, in the sports field in general, and in bodybuilding, in particular. It is in this perspective that&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":27294,"parent":5623,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_UK.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/71"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5755"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5797,"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5755\/revisions\/5797"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5623"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ericfavre.com\/lifestyle\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}