I hear a lot about "visualization" but it feels a bit "woo-woo" to me. Does anyone actually practice this? What do you *do*? Do you picture the lift, the run? Does it actually help?
100% vital. I visualize the *entire lift* in first-person. I feel the knurling on the bar, I smell the chalk, I hear my music. I picture the lift being *easy*. I've done it 100 times in my head before I ever touch the bar.
For cycling, I visualize the hardest part of the course. The big climb. I picture my breathing, my cadence, how I'll feel when I push past the pain barrier, and how it feels to cross the top. It's about preparing for the suffering.
It's not "woo-woo", it's neuroscience! You're building the same neural pathways as you do when you *actually* perform the movement. It's practice. Start small. 5 minutes before bed.
Wow, strong response. Okay, I'm sold. The "first-person" detail from PowerLifterPro and the "resilience" point from MindMuscle are gold. Going to start practicing this.