MIND GYM: Everything STARTS with State of Mind (MiNdSCoRe Series)
You’ve made the decision to change your body. Take it to the next level. You’re at the gym working hard. With every repetition, your body grows and gets stronger. Your mind concurrently needs that same rigorous training. Physically, we call it a repetition. Mentally, we call it an affirmation. In conjunction, these two necessary components strengthen us in mind, body and spirit - essential to holistic personal growth for optimal and organic growth.
We have 60-80,000 thoughts per day, most of which are negative and regurgitated. It's no surprise to me when new clients enroll in my program, that the first thing they tell me is that I’m their last resort. A BIG responsibility, but understandably true. These people have attempted and been defeated by every exercise program available. Spending thousands of dollars, and after everything is said and done, even with some success have fallen victim to the yo-yo syndrome and been left in a defeated state, worse than ever. This is because people don’t understand the hierarchy or chronology of personal transformation.
Consider the following analogy: Think of your body as an apple tree. A necessary condition for this “tree” to grow beautiful, ripe and delicious fruits is the roots need to be watered and firmly engrained in the ground. MIND GYM (Mindset training) is the water for your mental and spiritual roots. These “roots” need to be watered daily through meditation, affirmation and clarity, if you wish to have passion, consistency, love and sustainable lifestyle change. On January 1 gym enrollment spikes! People spend hundreds of dollars with the resolution for CHANGE in their physiology. It breaks my heart to know that less than 10% of these people will have sustainable and tangible successes in the gym (and in their lifestyle) over the long term. I was inspired to develop the concept of MindScore for this reason. Earlier, I mentioned a hierarchy and chronology of personal transformation. MindScore uses these two variables as a central theme to create balance, energy and long lasting success in fitness and life.
Most people will tell you that the key to success in fitness/well-being is 80% nutrition. Respectfully, although each variable is mutually exclusively a critical success factor, I believe that state of mind is equally important and higher on the hierarchy in terms of chronology of mastery. (see figure 1.0)
MindScore is a system based on the flow of collaboration of 5 key components: MIND GYM, Nutrition, Stretching, Cardio and Resistance.
Mindset training: Mindset training involves defining your objective, framing your affirmations and priming them with social proof.
1. Defining your objective: Choose something that’s really important to you. Something you feel will help you grow as a person inside and out. Make sure it’s something you’re passionate about. For the purpose of this example, let’s say it's weight loss.
2. Framing your Affirmations: An affirmation has to be positive, in the present, true and YOU-oriented (nobody else is responsible for the success or failure of your goals). A great affirmation would be, “I’m in the process of getting six pack abs.”
3. Prime your Affirmation with Social Proof: As human beings, inherently our thoughts are negative. We are more receptive to other people’s success (or ability to succeed) than our own. For this reason, we must “energize” our objective and affirmation with statistical achievability through social proof. For example, the social proof to our weight loss affirmation could be as follows:
a. There are 6 1/2 billion people in the world. Last month 10,000 men and woman achieved their DreamBody by getting six pack abs. They did it. I can do it. It’s been done before and it IS possible. There is hope.
Our minds are powerful, but can be manipulated. An incredibly effective tool that works well for many of my clients is Rep Illusion. Rep Illusion works on the same concept as the saying, “Shoot for the stars and if you miss you’ll hit the moon."
Consider the following scenario:
It’s the end of a hard day, you’re at the gym and you need to do 20 alternating weighted lunges. Exhausting!
Using the concept of Rep Illusion, you tell yourself that your goal is to do 40 alternating lunges. Project that image of you conquering 40 alternating lunges in your mind’s giant movie screen. You’ll be amazed at how seamlessly 20 or 25 lunges will have come and gone.
There are so many techniques you can use to conquer your limitations. We haven’t even touched on Winning Meditation, used regularly by 10 time NBA Championship winning Coach Phil Jackson.
MIND GYM works and we’ve proven it. According to a one year tracking study conducted by Brand/Marketing Company StyleLabs (www.stylelabs.ca), two groups of respondents were tested (same age group, BMI, Activity Levels, etc.). Both groups received personal training 3 times a week, 2 days of cardio and a nutrition program. The Red group was also primed with MindSet training one week prior and during the six month trial. As you can see the Red group not only lost more weight, but also maintained it post-monitored training.
Your mind controls everything. Investing time and ritualizing the exercises discussed as a key component in your program will fuel your ability to conquer your goals and surpass any limitations you may have.
20 Year Industry Veteran Paul Anthony is the founder of MindScore and The Dreambody Challenge, is a World Champion Natural Bodybuilder, and is the winner of the WBFF Top Trainer in Canada. Among 400+ trainers in Alberta, Paul has won Trainer of the Year 6 consecutive times and currently holds this rank. MIND GYM has successfully been implemented by World Champions Annette Milbers and Miryah Scott, as well as pros - Heather Robertson, Amrit Dhaliwal, Shaun Kelly and Shannon Delves. Check out Paul’s Dreambody Challenge at www.paulanthony.ca or email Paul at me@pauanthony.ca.
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