Getting the Visuals

You’re plopped down in a lounge chair, basking under the hot, tropical sun. A Pina Colada rests comfortably in your hand, a tray of fresh fruit sits to your side. And the women. Oh, the women.

Two of them are rubbing your shoulders, each one working out the knots in your delts and traps. Another is feeding you the fresh fruit while yet another is busy fanning you with a soothing breeze.

Then, your visit to paradise comes to an abrupt halt. As you’re snapped out of your dreamy vacation in the Bahamas, you’re now faced with a cruel reality. It’s time to get back to work. That lounge chair you were sunk into is actually an office chair and the women surrounding you are angry bosses and nagging secretaries, burying you with more and more work as the day wears on.

While the return trip to reality may be a painful one, visualization in the fitness and bodybuilding world can be an invaluable asset to achieving your goals. Without a vision of what you particularly want to accomplish, your fitness voyage will be lacking direction and purpose.

You must first map out your mission and your plan. Paint a picture in your mind of how you wish to look. Guys, you may want the sensational look of a hulking Schwarzenegger or a bulging Haney. Or perhaps you prefer the more moderate look of a Stallone or a Van Damme. Ladies, you may be looking for the rock-solid Cory Everson look or perhaps the sleek, shapely exterior of Demi Moore.

Nonetheless, there are several steps through visualization to mold your body into the shape of your choice.

First, get a picture or a photograph - probably out of a magazine – of somebody that you want to look like, somebody who has the physique you desire. Keep it in your locker or on your dresser, somewhere that you’ll be on a daily basis. This will remind you of what all those painstaking visits to the gym are all about. Keep the image fresh in your mind throughout the day. Visualize the goal and take the necessary means to become it.

Secondly, train your mind and your muscles in becoming one. When you’re performing an exercise, you want to do more than just merely cover the range of motion. While paying the most strict attention to form, you want to visualize in your mind what you’re muscles are actually doing. If your goal is to develop a bulging, imposing chest, you’ll want to imagine your pectoral muscles spurting to new growth while you’re cranking out those strenuous bench presses.

If you want chiseled, defined biceps, imagine the shredding process in your mind as you grind out those excruciating curls on the cable machine. If you want a trim waistline and a hardened six pack of abdominal muscles, you want to visualize your midsection becoming trimmer and sharper while you churn out the intense sets of crunches.

You want your mind to form a direct line of communication with your muscles. In other words, your mind is the boss here and all your various muscles are the workers that it dictates to.

And like that daydream you spend in the tropical sun, your mind will need to discipline your muscles for any overindulging vacations.