OK Gang, listen up…I hate FLEX magazine and the pro-bodybuilding scene as much as anyone, probably more so…however, I don’t let that stop me from reading the FLEX mags that I did buy when I was a tool, to gain the one or two legitimate training tips in between the pages upon pages of pics of ‘roided up guys with stupid captions like, “Nasser works on his power cleans and it will be a picture of a guy standing next to a mop…anyway, there is one article that has had a profound impact on my training, and I wanted to share it with you guys…this is one of the few articles that applies to non- juiced up guys that want something more out of life than a flat-chested fitness woman or woman with a deep voice and facial hair…the issue is a year old so I doubt Joe Weider really cares that I am sharing this info publicly, and even if he does, what is he gonna do? Get his @$$ beat?!
Anyway, a reader wrote in asking Dorian Yates, one of the few people I respect in pro bodybuilding, how he could improve his mental focus…Dorian responds as follows (summarized, paraphrased):
“Plan ahead”: he knows the night before what he will do the next morning…he even plans on what poundages to use…there are no surprises…he already knows how the pump will feel and how hard he will train
“Two Minds are better than one”: Find a good training partner that is “in sync with your psyche”…
“Shush and Pump”: Dorian doesn’t talk to anyone unless he is helping his training partner…his eyes are downward in between sets, making it clear that he doesn’t want his mental focus interrupted…
“Hooked on the feeling”: “When I lift in the gym, I know exactly how it’s going to feel b/c I’ve practiced it in my mind.” Dorian tries to place as much stress as possible on the target muscle…one should understand how the muscle will contract
“Short and Sweat”: Dorian doesn’t make his sessions so long that he loses his physical and mental energy…He trains hard as heck, but not for too long, thanks to his one set approach to training…
“Mind Yourself”: Assimilate these ideas into your training, introducing a new one every week or so…”Remember, to be a bodybuilder, you have to be mental.”