Speed training has long been used to help athletes achieve gains in both speed and strength. But have you ever noticed that some speed trainers experience greater benefits than others? And doesn’t it make you wonder why?
Well, wonder no more because the secret behind having super successful speed training sessions is not in your form or engaging in a specific set of drills. It is actually your mindset. It is about having a “can do” attitude, thereby enhancing the results of your physical training.
Many people neglect the role that the mind plays when it comes to honing our physical bodies. However, research has proven over and over again just how powerful your thoughts can be.
For instance, one study published in Neuropsychologia shares how they separated 30 people in three different groups. The first group was asked to just think about contracting the muscle that runs along the outside of the hand, the second group did actual physical exercises to strengthen it, and the third group acted as the control.
After 12 weeks, researchers found that the group who simply thought about building the muscle experienced a 35 percent gain in strength, not too bad since the group that performed physical actual exercises was just slightly higher, showing an increase of 54 percent.
Thus, one could argue that the mind was actually more powerful when it came to increased strength because, of the 54 percent, roughly 35 percent was due to the mind and only 19 percent was likely due to the physical training itself.
Think about this when performing your speed training exercises. Will your body to get faster and stronger as you go through the physical motions. Tell yourself that what you’re doing is helping you grow.
Do this one thing and you’ll likely see the same types of gains as the speed trainers you’ve been envying for some time. That’s a good thought, isn’t it?
