Michael asks an important questions: Have been engrossed in Mental Muscle for several days (not finished) and am trying to set anchors. there is so much to remember!! Been listening to your tape on strength so my visualizations are of the three primary lifts in powerlifting. I have used visualization …
I blame Descartes
Based on the correspondence I get many people fall into three camps regarding hypnosis. 1) They think it’s BS 2) They think it’s a magical solution 3) They think it’s a useful tool Let’s discuss these in order. For those thinking all hypnosis is bunk, it’s often because they’ve seen …
Saxon on Mental Training
In this article, we break down how the Iron Master, Arthur Saxon mentally approaches a heavy lift, specifically in this case the bent press. From what he has written about we not only know tips on physical technique, but his thoughts leading up to and during the lift. If you …
Autosuggestion and Hypnosis according to Napoleon Hill
Lately, I’ve been reviewing the work of Napoleon Hill. If you’re not familiar with him, he is the author of Think and Grow Rich, probably the most popular book on building wealth ever. It was written back in the 30’s after Andrew Carnegie tasked him with discovering the philosophy of …
Hypnosis for Athletes
Hypnosis for athletes is a powerful tool that few people use. You might be surprised to know that many greats, like Mike Tyson, Tiger Woods and plenty of others have used hypnosis. In the strength training world it may be even more rare. Which is a shame because it could …
Ageist Attitude Poision
I’ve got a popular video on Youtube about How to Get Up Off the Ground without Your Hands. Just as the title says it talks about what it takes to get off the ground from sitting or lying down without using your hands. It gets some interesting comments. The following …
Visualization 101
Welcome to Visualization 101. When I introduce people to how mental training can make them stronger, more fit, and achieve the body they want, I’ll often hear one of two things: “I can’t visualize.” …or… “I suck at visualizing.” If you think you’re in either of the above cases, then …
25 Pounds of Muscle in 30 Days
It may sound unbelievable, but let me tell you a story… Almost two years back I ran an experimental group with a few Inner Circle members. All of them self-proclaimed “Hard Gainers”. The aim was packing on size over a 30-day period. (Okay, it’s not 100% muscle, but a good …
Mind Muscle Connection
Anyone that has been involved in strength or muscle building for even a short amount of time is likely to come across the term, mind muscle connection. But like many things having to do with the mind it is ill-defined. Being ill-defined it is then tough to really develop as …
First Ring Muscle Up at 60
I love to share successes of those who put into practice what I teach. This video from Greg is a perfect example. I did it! My first ring muscle up after 2&1/2 years. I first saw a picture many years ago of someone who had done a bar muscle up, …
Long Term Mental Fortitude
Another great question I received regarding long term mental fortitude that I felt was worth answering here. I guess the main issue I have is long term mental fortitude when it comes to, recovering properly from injuries, attempting new strength exercises, attempting strength gains, training in general. I am impatient. Too much …
The Mighty Atom’s Internal Dialog
When it comes to sports psychology, one big area is that of your self-talk. What you say to yourself makes a big impact on your performance. (Just like with visualization, HOW you say it may be even more important than the words…) And no, this doesn’t mean what you speak …
Dragondoor Health and Strength Conference Review
The jaws of the crowd dropped and the applause was intense as close to 100 people watched Katy go from 2 reps in the one arm pushup to 7. That’s a 3.5x increase! I’ve seen it happen again and again but it still amazes me the results that can be …
The Mighty Atom Hypnotizes
The following comes from The Spiritual Journey of Joseph L. Greenstein by Ed Spielman. It is the first in a series of articles showcasing some of the amazing things The Mighty Atom did and how you can do the same. The Atom always claimed that his mind control could be …
Back One Step to Move Forward Two
Sometimes you gotta push the limits. But, unfortunately, sometimes when you do that, you realize what your limits are. At this point trying to push further can just lead to a stalemate…or even worse, backsliding. I’m a big proponent of listening to my body for training. In doing this your …