Visualize

Geschatte leestijd: 10 minuten

Sprinters who mentally “pump themselves up” through visualization are faster in the 10 meters and 30 meters sprint. This is the outcome of a soon-to-be-published study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (1). The results have already been published online. This provided a good opportunity not only to delve into this research on the benefits of visualization but also to look at similar studies focused on strength training.

What is visualization within strength training

Within strength training, visualization is widely used in practice. Participants in strongman competitions and weightlifters, for example, visualize and “pump themselves up” with a lot of shouting and shoulder claps by the coach, which would normally result in an injury for an ordinary person.

Ronnie Coleman has enriched the gym vocabulary for generations to come with terms like “light weight,” “Nuthin’ but a peanut,” and “Yeahh buddy!!”.

Personally, when it comes to visualization during very heavy exercises, I tend to treat the dumbbells, barbell, or the machine I’m training with as if it’s a personal battle between me and the metal (I would prefer to shout this out, but given the nature of the terms, I refrain from doing so to prevent anyone from feeling targeted).

Considering that some may be bothered by such visualization, it is good to know the added value of it.

Not to convince the complainers, of course.

These are generally people who come to train once, at most twice a week. Based on the intensity with which they train, they probably do it for social reasons. Given this intensity, they hardly come close to their maximum capacities, and you won’t convince them that shouting beforehand is necessary to push out that extra 5%. However, for yourself, knowing this might make enduring those disapproving looks a little easier.

So, let’s take a look at the added value of visualization and mental pumping, and in what way this should be done, starting with the sprinters.

*I use “mental pumping” as a translation for “psyching up”.

Faster sprinting after visualization

Researchers from the National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports in Tunisia had sprinters sprint 10 meters and 30 meters under four different conditions:

1. “Imagery” (Visualization). In this condition, the successful activity needs to be visualized beforehand. Literal instructions included:
   You have 30 s during which I would like you to visualize yourself performing sprints as best you can. Please, close your eyes and imagine yourself doing sprint as fast as possible. Visualize yourself setting a new personal best on each trial.
2. “Preparatory arousal condition”. Mentally arousing and charging oneself up. Literal instructions to participants were:
   You have 30 s during which I would like you to “emotionally charge-up”. Psych yourself up for maximum performance by getting mad, aroused, pumped-up, and charged-up.
3. “Attention placebo-control”. This group had to focus on something other than the upcoming sprint. Literal instructions included:
   You have 30 s during which I would like you to clear your mind and focus on your body and your muscles without thinking of the sprint you will perform shortly.
4. “Quiet control condition”. The control group had to relax, in a calm and quiet environment. Literal instructions included:
   You have 30 s during which I would like you to clear your mind and relax by closing your eyes and clearing your thoughts and letting your body go loose and limp.

The conditions were assigned in random order.

The researchers observed that the sprinters were faster after mentally “pumping up” and visualization than after the placebo condition and the control condition.

Visualization results

On average, the sprinters were faster after visualization. They were 0.02 seconds faster over 10 meters (1.69 vs. 1.67 seconds) and 0.06 seconds faster over 30 meters (4.50 vs. 4.56 seconds) than during the placebo condition. The differences with the control condition were even greater.

The sprinters were 0.03 seconds faster over 10 meters (1.69 vs. 1.72 seconds) and 0.12 seconds faster over 30 meters (4.50 vs. 4.62 seconds) than during the control condition.

There was no difference between the placebo condition and the control condition.

Effects of mental preparation vs. relaxation

But does mental preparation necessarily yield better results than relaxation? The researchers also checked this for squatting. This was not the case, but there was a positive relationship between squatting and visualization and the preparatory arousal condition.

“No difference mental preparation vs. relaxation in squats”

During squats, there was no difference between the placebo condition and the control condition. There was also no difference between the preparatory arousal condition and the relaxation condition.

The weight that could be lifted was an average of 117.3 kg during relaxation, 117.8 kg during mental preparation, and 118.5 kg during the preparatory arousal condition. There was also no difference between the preparatory arousal condition and the relaxation condition when it came to the perceived effort. The perceived effort was 7.0, 7.3, and 7.3 respectively.

Visualization not suitable for every sport

It is not certain whether visualization also works for bench presses. Based on the same instructions, the researchers observed no difference between the preparatory arousal condition and the relaxation condition.

Visualization in fitness and strength training

So, visualization works for sprinting, but not for squats. This is in line with earlier research that showed that squats become heavier when you focus on the lift. For sprinting, the focus shifts from the starting block to the sprint itself, which may explain the difference.

How important visualization is for strength training remains to be seen. According to a study from 2019, visualization of a bench press makes the lift feel heavier than it actually is (2). Another study from 2019 showed that this is not the case with deadlifts (3).

Both studies used a similar method to the current study.

Perhaps, visualization is more suitable for fast, explosive movements.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve”

It’s a quote attributed to Napoleon Hill. According to the researchers, the results suggest that preparatory arousal and visualization are effective mental techniques that could be used by athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists to enhance sprinting performance.

This was, of course, just one study. However, it was already found that imagining exercises activates the muscles (4).

“Those who believe they can do something and those who believe they can’t are both right.”

That’s a quote attributed to Henry Ford. If you believe that shouting and pounding on your chest makes you sprint faster, it will do so. Conversely, if you believe that this is complete nonsense and only children and animals behave that way, then it is highly unlikely that it will work.

So, if you want to get the most out of your sprint training, find out if visualization works for you. In any case, don’t laugh at the person next to you who’s using it. Even if it doesn’t work for you, it might do for them.

Nobody will deny the statement above, and in all its simplicity, this statement precisely indicates why it is so important to develop the belief that you can achieve all your dreams and ambitions, just like Arnold Schwarzenegger did. Beliefs are simply nothing more than the “glasses” through which we view the world. Anthony Robbins even describes them as the “compass and map” that lead us towards our goals, and give us the certainty that we can achieve them.

When someone doesn’t believe in themselves, it’s like having a car without an engine. However, when you do believe in your own abilities, and in our case, in our ability to develop the physique of our dreams, you find the power to take the actions that can make this vision a reality.

Powerful beliefs help you see what exactly you want to achieve, and give you the energy to achieve it. They give you the strength, for example, to squat that 250 kg or perform that impossible 200 kg deadlift, because you have a burning desire to develop your dream physique, and you are 100% certain that you will have this physique in the future, knowing that every set and every repetition brings you closer to this physique.

So far, the tone of this article has been abstract, but believing in yourself is absolutely no magic. Having a belief in yourself is nothing more than having an internal representation, a way in which you mentally visualize something, evoking a certain emotional state in yourself (like anger or sadness). For example, when you’re at home and your partner is half an hour late, you may have the belief that he or she has had an accident, or that something serious has happened.

Because of this internal representation (or belief), you will be very relieved when your partner finally arrives and happily embrace them. Imagine having a different belief, thinking that your partner is late because they spent too long with their secretary at the copier, your behavior when they finally arrive will be very different from the previous example! You are sending a different message to your nervous system at that moment, leading you to behave differently.

The reason the behavior of these individuals differed was because they had different beliefs, and thus were in a completely different emotional state. Imagine what kind of behavior someone exhibits who doesn’t believe they can finally bench press 100 kg. Will they make a heroic attempt and put all their energy and willpower into pressing that 100 kg? Probably not. Our beliefs are nothing more than internal representations that determine our behavior. When you believe in success, the chances of achieving it are therefore greater. When you believe in failure, these messages to your brain will prevent you from experiencing success because these beliefs guide your behavior.

It is important to realize that your beliefs about your own abilities determine what behavior you exhibit, and therefore what results you will achieve. However, this does not mean that someone who believes in themselves cannot fail. History does show, however, that people with powerful beliefs about their abilities continue to come back despite setbacks, because they believe that they will be successful in the long run. Remember: when you say you can or cannot do something, you will be right in both cases. The question is which beliefs are best to have and support you in achieving your goals in the field of sports.

“Seeing is achieving”

The example of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the monumental work of Napoleon Hill make it clear that developing the belief that you are capable of achieving your goals, and cultivating your “self-belief” can be achieved through visualization.

Successful people like Arnold Schwarzenegger became successful because they were able to develop within themselves the absolute certainty that they would be successful, even though nothing indicated that direction and they received no support or confidence from any direction needed to achieve their dreams. Thanks to vividly visualizing their goals, they developed an unparalleled belief in themselves, and were able to take inspired actions with great confidence that brought them closer to the realization of their dreams.

This is something you can do too! When you have an ideal image of how you want to look, and nothing suggests that you will ever achieve this, create a belief in yourself, just as Schwarzenegger did.

Create the body of your dreams in your consciousness, and visualize how you want to look, and how through hard work, thousands of workouts, and good meals a day, you will have that body.

In this way, you will eventually believe in your vision, and these thoughts will influence your beliefs and actions that can make your athletic goals a reality.

In the same way, the Italian artist Michelangelo created the statue of David. Before he chiseled the statue from a block of marble, he stared at it for three years. When someone asked him what he was doing with the block of marble, he said, “I am working.” Three years later, that block of marble became the statue of David.

The statue is a timeless artwork that was created because its maker had a burning desire to produce it, and it already existed in Michelangelo’s consciousness, allowing him to continue to believe in his gift with which he could transform this block of marble into a timeless artwork. He did this in the same way top bodybuilders visualize and train to develop a dream physique.

Visualization as the Key to Success

What we can learn from all this is that it is incredibly important to have an image, a vision of the physique you want to develop. Just as it is more difficult to put together a puzzle without seeing a picture of the completed puzzle, you cannot achieve a goal if you don’t know what it is or what it looks like. According to Anthony Robbins, something incomprehensible happens when you have a clear internal representation of your goals, and in this way, you program your body and your consciousness to achieve these goals.

When you visualize, this is exactly what you are doing: you first create an image in the internal world, after which you can create this image through actions in the external world. By visualizing what you want to achieve, you ensure that our brain experiences what it is like, for example, to have the physique of our dreams, giving you a sense of certainty that you can achieve this goal. This new belief about your abilities, fueled by the burning desire you have to develop the body of your dreams, gives you the fuel you need to complete the grueling sets that make your muscles grow, and the discipline to eat the right meals, day in and day out.

We hope that thanks to this article, you have at least become convinced of the power of visualizing your bodybuilding goals, and thereby developing a belief in yourself and your ambitions. Don’t believe in the notion that successful people have some mysterious gift that allowed them to achieve a lot. If you have a burning desire to develop your talents because you have something to share with the world or something to prove to yourself, you can cultivate this ambition!

The energy that Arnold Schwarzenegger and other champions had can be yours. Every human being possesses a certain will, a certain drive that motivates us deep inside to act.

The ability to evoke this will depends on the beliefs we have about our own abilities, and the reasons we have to achieve a certain goal.

By visualizing, you can develop the same beliefs about your abilities in the same way Arnold Schwarzenegger did. So hold on to your vision and visualize every day what exactly you want to achieve.

To conclude with the words of Mike Mentzer:

“Hold on to that noble vision. Don´t betray that fire. Give it shape, reality and purpose. Let your muscles serve as an expression of your victorious will and your glorious reason. Don´t just be a bodybuilder –be the greatest bodybuilder you can visualize yourself to be”.

Conclusion

Visualization can directly improve performance depending on the sport. For example, it seems to be of added value to speed in sprinting and increase strength in strength training. However, there is also research that did not see a difference during squats. It is unknown whether this is due to the participants (all were experienced in all studies) or the chosen method of mental preparation that differed per study. Regarding strength training and other sports mainly focused on strength and explosiveness, I would say: “If it doesn’t help, it won’t harm.” After all, there is no research showing worse performance in strength training after mental pumping. For sports where fine motor skills or endurance are more important, this is different. Mental pumping may cause unnecessary tension and ineffective use of oxygen in these cases.

References

• Hammoudi-Nassib, Sarra; Nassib, Sabri; Chtara, Moktar; Briki, Walid; Chaouachi, Anis; Tod, David; Chamari, Karim. Effects of psyching-up on sprint performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research:POST ACCEPTANCE, 28 January 2014 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000373 Original Investigation: PDF Only
• Pierce EF, McGowan RW, and Eastman NW. Effects of progressive relaxation on maximal muscle strength and power. J Strength Cond Res 7: 216-218, 1993.
• Tod DA, Iredale KF, McGuigan MR, Strange DE, Gill N.”Psyching-up” enhances force production during the bench press exercise.J Strength Cond Res. 2005 Aug;19(3):599-603.
• McGuigan MR, Ghiagiarelli J, Tod D. Maximal strength and cortisol responses to psyching-up during the squat exercise.J Sports Sci. 2005 Jul;23(7):687-92.
• Weinberg, R, Genuchi M. Relationship between competitive train anxiety, state anxiety and golf performance: A field study. J. Sport Psych. 2:148-152. 1980
• Benson H. et al. Decreased Vo2 consumption during exercise with elicitation of the relaxation response. J. Hum. Stress 4:38-42. 1978
• Morgan W. et al. Psycogenic factors and exercise metabolisme: A review. Med. Sci, Sports Exerc. 17:309-316. 1985