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I’m talking about mindfulness, of course.  More than just mere mindfulness,  however – I’m talking about putting conscious intention into all of your exercise efforts.

There’s more to exercise success than merely showing up and going through the motions.  Exercising with intention – making the so-called “mind-muscle connection” – is more than just a bunch of bodybuilder nonsense.  When you’re determined to make your target repetitions and weights, your performance is better.  You get a deeper sense of fatigue and stimulation in your muscles.  And, arguably, you set the stage for better gains – at least, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science (full text found here.)

In this study, Drs. Langer and Crum examined the role the mind plays in the benefits received from exercise (vis a vis the “placebo effect“).  A group of 84 hotel room attendants were randomly divided into two groups and were tested for various measures of health (BMI, blood pressure, weight).  One group was given a consultation explaining that the work they do was good exercise; the other group, nada.

The end result?  The group that got the consults (that “believed” their work was exercise) lost weight, while the other group didn’t.  The informed group improved on other measures of health as well, and if the study is to be believed, the differences between the groups were nil (aside from the information sessions, of course).

The results imply that merely thinking about exercise’s benefits can amplify (or in this case, create) its effects.  Placebo – yes, but potentially powerful.

Next time you hit the weights, remember: practice mindfulness.  Exercise with intention.  Make the mind-muscle connection.  Put aside all the distractions and take some time back from your life for yourself.

“I’m too busy at work.”

“I’m exhausted at the end of the day.”

“My weekends are too hectic to plan and cook for the week.”

“I’m too out of shape to start lifting weights.”

I empathize with you (no, really; I do!). Life is hard. And all of these are real, valid reasons for not being able to achieve that ideal body.

But whatever your reason is, it’s not the real reason you haven’t done it.

The real reason is that you haven’t made achieving an exceptional physique a priority – a MUST.

There are certain things in your life that are non-negotiables – no matter how harried, how stressed, how strapped you are for time, these things get done.

Some examples include:

• Brushing your teeth every morning
• Bathing
• Spending time with your children

It’s important to note that none of these things are things you have to do everyday – you certainly could get by without bathing everyday (although it would be more noticeable with some of us than others) – but if you’re like most people, these activities are performed daily, without fail. You probably do them without conscious intention.

What’s most fascinating is what happens if, for some obscure reason, you miss a day (too rushed in the morning, so you forget to brush your teeth). The discomfort is more than just mental – you get a palpable, physical sense of unease. It’s almost as if your body misses the routine task.

The same must be true for your efforts in the gym and at each meal. How far would you get in your career if, upon awakening, you skipped out on work because you just didn’t feel like it? Exercise (particularly strength training) must be similarly non-negotiable.

You’ve got to make working out a habit. Eating right has to be done almost without conscious intention. Anecdotally, this rings true; most people, once they’ve adopted a more healthful style of eating, feel physically unwell upon eating junk food.

When you decide to make fitness and health a non-negotiable; if you give your intentions power by writing them down, scheduling workouts, visualizing your outcome, and setting goals, an interesting thing will happen.

Your workouts will be done. You will begin to eat more healthfully. You’ll make progress.

And you’ll end up stronger, fitter, and healthier.

Can’t get enough of my wild rantings on cholesterol?  Check out:

Aim First, Before You Shoot. 

Greater Chance of Death With Lower LDL.

Fat is Not To Be Feared. 

So if you’re going to all the trouble of cooking your own meals, why settle for a commercially-produced protein bar for your pre and post-workout nutrition?

There are woefully few protein bars I recommend to clients; most contain high-fructose corn syrup, soy, or other unneccessary fillers.  Nutrient profiles for most meal replacements are lacking.  Also, most of them just plain taste bad.

One viable alternative is make your own protein bars from nuts, seeds, protein powder, etc.  I believe Alton Brown (of Good Eats fame) even made a nutrition bar on one of shows (although it was way high in carbohydrates).  Personally, since I have the cooking skills of a spiny anteater, a service like YouBar is quite awesome.  YouBar allows you to custom order nutrition bars – you can either use one of their templates or make custom requests.  If you’re lactose-intolerant, gluten-sensitive, vegan, whatever, you can create a bar to suit your personal nutritional profile.

Of course, pre and post-workout nutrition should ideally be in liquid form, but being able to control ingredients is a plus.