Mind & Muscle Connection: In the Proper Mood for Muscle Growth & Progress
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Good, bad, happy, sad, positive, negative-the range of moods is almost endless. Is one mood best for building muscle? "Of course not," you say.
"Muscle isn't a mental thing. Muscle is about as real as it gets, and moods are some fuzzy idea psychologists dreamed up." Moods, in fact, influence
muscles. More to the point, your moods will be a major determinant of how much muscle you build, how fast you build it and whether you like the process
or not. Add to this the tact that your moods are far more under your control than you might imagine, and you have a powerful training tool. Let's lay
out the program.
For starters, your mood influences whether you even make it into the gym. For example, if you're feeling sluggish, you'll probably be "too tired" to
train; or if you're feeling discouraged, you'll probably feel that training isn't likely to be productive anyway, so why bother trying? If, however,
you're brimming with enthusiasm, you'll probably have energy to burn and a sense of being able to accomplish pretty much whatever you like. If you want
proof of that process, think about a time when, out of the blue, you got some great news and your overall enthusiasm and energy levels soared as a result.
On the other hand, you know what a damper bad news can be-it just takes the wind out of your sails.
Your moods have a strong physiological component. These events that you think of as existing only between your ears are tied to myriad biochemical processes
in your body. You know the line about how stress kills? That means a host of internal changes are triggered by a reaction to stress. Those physiological
processes are most closely tied to negative emotions such as anger and anxiety.
Training in and of itself is a stressor, and, in fact, it has to be if you're going to gain in size and strength. Too much stress, however, especially
unproductive stress, triggers all the negative emotions, which will only impede your training progress because they squander resources that you could use
for muscle-building purposes.
Think of yourself as having a stress budget: Whatever you spend on worrying won't be available for building muscle. On the other side of the equation,
certain positive emotions can not only help you get to the gym and give each workout your best shot but also help you recover from your training. That's
why some of the fabled Eastern European training systems specifically cultivate a tranquil, relaxed state of mind as a restorative post-training tool. In
other words, if you focus on being calm and relaxed after your training, it will help you recover Is that a deal or what? Relaxing and feeling good will
help you grow.
While some researchers might argue that the physiological reactions are nearly automatic, we can learn to control such things as the intensity and duration
of our emotional reactions. The process begins when we understand that we don't have to be slaves to our emotions. Put two people on a freeway, for instance,
have them both get cutoff by another driver and, while one explodes with a string of vile epithets, the other might calmly say, '1 guess he didn't see me."
The first driver goes over the edge emotionally while the second keeps his reserves for a more productive purpose. Try to moderate your reactions to unexpected
situations, realizing that 1.) you can influence your response, 2.) you'll benefit from staying in charge emotionally and 3.) giving in to the full force of
your moods is a childish indulgence.
Interestingly researchers have found evidence that we begin to learn some of our most basic lessons about emotion management when we're mere infants, and one
of the striking findings is that even when we're only a few months old, we can catch the emotions of the people around us. Infants can become more passive,
depressed and a variety of other negative things when they're around mothers who are so inclined themselves. The flip side of that finding is the suggestion
that we can learn to seize control of and manage our moods.
First, remember that you're in charge, so if you're tempted to just blow up, give up or in some other way throw in the emotional towel, remind yourself that
you're in control. Talk to yourself and come to grips with the upsetting event in a levelheaded manner. If you don't succeed immediately, try again.
Second, use some specific mood-management tools in your training. For example, if you tend to have trouble with the idea of going through your whole workout,
coax yourself into the gym by saying that you're only going to do the first part. Similarly try to structure your workout to best complement your emotional makeup.
Some people like to build up momentum by doing all their favorite exercises first and then hitting the dreaded-but-effective ones. Other people prosper by getting
the tough stuff out of the way first and glide through the remainder. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what works best for you.
Third, remember that good old behavioral psychology principles apply here: Act angry and you'll feel angry. Act calm and you'll feel calm. That's why-even though
it sounds dopey to tell people to try smiling if they want to feel better-it really works. Talk about a free and easy mood elevator.
Fourth, bad-hair days will come around, but don't let them ruin things for you. When you're not on track for a peak performance, rather than caving in and
quitting, cut the weights, shorten your routine or follow some other plan that enables you to train productively Doing a new persona best each day isn't a
realistic goal, but doing the best you're capable of that day is.
Fifth, remember that your moods are contagious, so if you want to be bummed out or unproductive, hang out with negative people. On the other band, if you want
to get somewhere, spend your time with a positive, productive crowd-you'll be swept forward on the wave of collective optimism.
Enthusiasm, optimism, purpose, determination, focus, control-the moods for muscle are many put them to use for yourself.
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