Neurological Pathways and the Mind/Muscle Connection
Today’s workout I tried something different: I didn’t count a single rep. Not for warm up sets. Not for work sets or drop sets. Not a single one. Why did I do this? I have no idea. I didn’t go in to today’s back workout with the intention of not counting reps. It’s not even something I’ve considered in the past. But when I got off the stationary bike after my brief warm up, my decision had been made without any consultation from any rational, logic based thoughts of my own. I’m left being unable to elaborate why I chose to do this, it’s just something that happened.
Instead of counting reps, I simply concentrated on the muscle being worked. Every rep was like a new experience as I neared my threshold. I honestly could not tell you where my rep range fell between. My best guess is 8-20, but it very easily could have been 10-25. Even the weight was a secondary decision that was made not based on anything I normally make those decisions on, i.e. what I can normally barbell row for 10 reps, etc. I feel as though I’m failing to provide an accurate description of my workout today. But the bottom line is that it was one of the best workout experiences I’ve ever had and something I intend on trying to replicate again in the future. It was almost like a walking hypnosis where I literally had no other thoughts in my usually busy and chaotic consciousness except how I was going to fully contract and stretch my muscles, almost micro-managing each fiber.
September 1, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Very cool, people have been telling me to try this.
I think i will now…