NANAIMO KETTLEBELL CLUB
  • ABOUT US
    • Testimonials
  • Membership
    • Membership Registration
    • The Lifts
  • Blog
    • Blogger
  • Trusted Links
  • SHOP
  • SCHEDULE & SERVICES

The latest in kettlebell sport, health, fitness, strength, aerobics, nutrition, lifestyle

Motivation is a self-fulfilling prophecy; Don't wait for it to show up.

7/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
An interesting concept of sport psychology (this applies to weight training as well), is "State of Flow". Flow occurs when we are totally immersed in the activity: we lose sense of time, and are neither bored nor anxious. Concentration becomes automatic, and this feeling of flow is so pleasing that it is intrinsically rewarding. In many cases, we may engage in activity for no other reason than to experience flow.

We talk alot about the objective and quantitative aspects of optimizing training:
  1. the most effective number of sets and reps;
  2. the most effective amount of volume;
  3. the most effective exercises;
  4. the most effective frequency or intensity.....

However, it is equally important to optimize flow:
  • balance the challenge of the task and the level of your ability, to
  • reinforce your intrinsic reward system.

It is not unreasonable to assume that lack of motivation to engage in an activity could be directly or indirectly influenced by your perception or expectation of flow. If you tend to think that every session is, or needs to be, so difficult as to cause anxiety, that anxiety or frustration is a good indicator that the challenge is too high.
Similarly, if you are avoiding activity because you think that your session will be boring, then you want to find a way to introduce more or diverse challenge.

Ways to increase challenge:
  • try a new exercise
  • introduce more balance or agility aspects (e.g. single-leg stance variations, bosu or ball variations, etc.)
  • change your training format (e.g. set a time cap, try some countdowns, do some strength ladders instead of repeating sets with the same weight, etc.)

At the end of the day, people are motivated to fulfill their needs.
The two most important needs of athletes are to:
  1. have fun, and
  2. feel worthy.

Having fun includes the right amount of stimulation and excitement. Feeling worthy includes the need to feel confident and successful.

To the first point, this is why I stress the importance of choosing your own path by making your own decisions as to your goals and preferred exercises or activities.
Some people feel pressured to do the things they think they are supposed to do, rather than what they want to do. Do the things you want to do, and just make sure they coincide with your goals. If going to the gym isn't something you want to do, how can you make it so? 

Examples might include:
  • recruit a workout buddy
  • join some classes
  • participate in sport

Feeling worthy, confident, and successful is all part of the training (and learning) process.
Picture
You receive input, make a decision, execute that decision, and your outcome feeds back as new input to inform your next decision. In training, your input may be that you are influenced to be stronger, fitter, or try a new activity. You make a decision on how you want to achieve that (e.g. get a plan/program, join a gym, join a running group, set a training schedule, etc.). You go and follow through on those decisions, and then here is where I think many people (particularly beginners) tend to make mistakes.
  1. Beginners often suffer from "paralysis by analysis".  In an effort to optimize training, beginners hold off on enacting change behaviour until they've found the best way to train, or the best diet to start.  They mentally survey all the possible diets they could do, and all the possible known methods of training, that they get sucked into the fallacy of the one-size-fits-all approach - Spoiler Alert! - there is no one best diet or training approach!  IRONY: The time wasted trying to find the Fast Track to results is time not spent on actually achieving results with ANY METHOD available.
  2. People tend to set unrealistic short term expectations from what should be long term developments. People want to burn all their calories, lose all their weight, gain all their strength or muscle in the span of a single workout, week of workouts, or month of workouts. Unfortunately, because you can't see immediate results, the feedback loop almost needs to be taken on faith within the context of a workout. This may result in a perception of failure and frustration associated with the activity, and the learning model short circuits. You start feeling like what you do doesn't make a positive difference and you start to lose your sense of control and autonomy.

However, when you value and achieve flow - you feel in complete control, and this feeling is enough to keep you coming back, which corresponds with a greater likelihood of reaching your goals.
Picture
Did you achieve flow this week? 
Having trouble pulling the trigger on a program or diet?


Maybe I can help.  DM me for coaching!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    NANAIMO'S BEST kettlebell group, strength & fitness classes | (250) 713-1262

    RSS Feed


    CategOries

    All
    Chocolate
    Classes
    Coach Solly
    Dehydration
    Goal Setting
    GS
    IIFYM
    Immune System
    Injuries
    Kettlebell Sport
    Lifting Form
    Low Carb Diet
    Macros
    Mental Training
    Metabolism
    Motivation
    Nanaimo
    News
    Nutrition
    Recipe
    Science
    Sports
    Stress
    Team
    Tom Venuto
    Training Program
    Vitamins And Minerals
    Weight Loss
    Weight Training

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    November 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


Get Social!

Instagram
MEMBERSHIP
SHOP
CONTACT

Closer Than You Think!

11 Giggleswick Pl
Nanaimo, BC
V9S 2V7

    Let's chat!  

Submit
Subscribe to Newsletter
Photos used under Creative Commons from verchmarco, KJGarbutt, barnimages.com, verchmarco, COMSALUD