Summary
VISUALIZATION.Mental preparation is just as crucial as long hours of exercise, food, and supplements in sports in general, and in bodybuilding in particular. Professional coaches devised the concept of visualizing, which is now widely used, particularly during large events, with this in mind.
Visualization is employed in high-level sports to boost athlete performance, and when applied correctly in bodybuilding, it helps you to go beyond your boundaries.
What exactly is visualization?
Visualization is a strategy that has been employed in big contests for decades. Most athletes fail because of bad coaching or a lack of physical or technical skill. It is mostly caused by anxiousness and lack of attention during practice or competition.
To prevent loss of attention, the athlete must learn to regulate his emotions and control himself throughout training in order to better confront his opponent. In this view, he learns to build mental representations of his performance, using the visualisation method to enhance the power of the athlete’s mental strength.
Visualisation, like mental imagery, is a method used in psychoneuroimmunology. Both employ techniques such as meditation or hypnosis to treat the athlete in question.
By forcing certain pictures on the mind, visualization works on the athlete’s mind and soul to help him or her focus and regulate emotions. The mind cultivates mental pictures of prosperity, well-being, and accomplishment. It teaches the athlete how to control anxiety and stress in order to be confident in his or her performance.
What are the advantages of visualization?
Visualisation is utilized to lessen a sportsperson’s or high performance athlete’s tension and anxiety. It may also help with stress-related health issues including high blood pressure, arthritis, and heart attacks when combined with other comparable treatments.
The calm athlete is able to lessen the sense of discomfort in his or her body by concentrating on pleasant and delightful images. Backache, migraine, cramp… these are some of the ailments that the visualizing approach may heal.
Visualisation may also help athletes enhance their motor skills. Indeed, scientific studies have shown that virtual training may be just as successful as in-person training, particularly when it comes to teaching motor skills to a patient or athlete.
Finally, visualizing boosts the athlete’s self-esteem. The athlete builds confidence and learns to think that he can accomplish in what he is about to perform after being used to picturing triumphs and success. His intellect is at its peak, and he will find it much easier to confront his opponent with less worry and dread.
Visualisation aids in the activation of neurons in the realm of strength training. The combination of imagery with exercise or training resulted in better strength increase than training alone. The athlete’s accuracy and focus are also improved.
What is the process of visualisation?
The athlete gets nerve stimulation during a visualization session. We aim to spread a meaningful message that is connected to what we want to relay and make the patient believe. This might be movement repetition or a win simulation…
We focus on the nerve command in order to enhance motor movement execution. Similarly, we strive to improve strength via stronger muscle recruitment, since strength allows for better muscle fiber recruitment.
The athlete will be able to lift greater weight for the same muscle mass after the muscle fibers have been recruited and activated. It is worth noting that visualization helps you to work on both your strength and your intellect. Muscle mass may be developed by hard exercise paired with visualization sessions.
What are the different phases of visualisation?
Certain procedures must be taken in order for a visualization session to be helpful.
The athlete should first sit comfortably and relax. He or she should not think about anything and should cleanse his or her thoughts. He attempts to focus on his breathing for a few seconds by shutting his eyes.
Second, the athlete imagines his surroundings and the environment he is accustomed to (gym, equipment, teammates, etc.).
Third, he or she imagines himself or herself preparing for a training session or a high-level tournament. The coach or the person aiding him during the visualization might assist him by detailing certain parts of his surroundings in depth.
If the athlete is accustomed to visualizing, he will have no trouble visualising his surroundings; nevertheless, for a novice, it is always preferable to be supported in order to maximize the outcomes of each session.
Fourth step: the athlete visualizes every action he must do in his discipline, from the beginning to the ending position. He should strive to visualize the activity as if he were really executing it. During each session, all activities should be visualized at a high level.
If an activity during the session does not suit the athlete, he or she should not be scared to halt the session or rewind the mental tape. The athlete considers each issue faced in order to give answers to the problem. Attempt to raise the degree of difficulty experienced from one session to the next. In weight training, for example, you may view the virtual weight of the loads, the number of series, or the execution speed.