The Connection Between Intension and Technique

Intentions during exercise is this week's theme.

What I love about this aspect is the guiding influence it has when we are trying to learn a new physical skill or technique.

I find it's not enough enough to just know what our body needs to do in order to perform that technique. We have to attain a proper feel for the technique.

The way to gain that feel is usually by way of relating to the movement involved through studying its intended purpose and with constant adjustment of how you perceive the movements.

This results in the discovery of a type of what I like to call guiding intentions.

Example: for proper posture, the spine needs to be in a straight and upright position rather than a slouched, hunched or rounded one. The technique cue commonly stated for that straight and upright position is;

-Shoulders back and down

It might be easy enough to do, adopting it can be difficult based on the level that you might relate to it.

You might respond and relate better to;

-squeeze shoulder blades together
-chest out
-straighten/stretch abs

My point is, it's interesting just how many ways there seems to be to execute the one technique. It just depends what resonates best with you.

Anyway, here is a video of how using intention can guide your attention in strength training and doing it with less weight with better results.





Inspired by fitness,

Clinton Boucheix
Certified Personal Training

Free Exercise Motivation Report

Mental Attitude: The Key to Progress in Fitness

I found this video on YouTube which touches on the aspect of mental attitude and it's effect on physical performance and talent. 






 Mental attitude is key to accessing our best in every area of life. But in sports and physical activities, it can be the difference between excelling and plateauing. You may have heard that its not practice that makes perfect, but it's perfect practice that makes perfect. The quality of an athlete's practice is so heavily hinged on the mindset and attitude that he or she holds during the time of practice. 

The truth About Exercise Consistency

So, you want to get up every morning and jog, or you want to go to the gym 3 times, 5 times or 6 times a week, or you want to get yourself to be in the pool twice times a week for 2 hours. You've heard or read somewhere that in order to get into shape an maintain it, that you have to have a pretty frequent exercise routine.

Yes, it's true, once you start being in shape, it is because you have a consistent commitment to your workout. However, here is the trap that so many people fall into. Starting from where they are in that moment.
they look where they would like to be in terms of their fitness.
they look at the people that have that.
they look at their standards.
and...
they automatically think that they need to train at the same standards as those people right off the bat.

What these people do not realise is the time and process it took them to reach that level of commitment and dedication to their training.

This is probably the biggest reason why so many quit.

Fitness Resolution:Avoid the Desolution

Another year, another goal. Another goal gone unreached.

Every year we do this little ritual where we project our wishes of what we want to achieve, become or do and every year we feel despondent when we realize that not a single step was taken toward that goal.