Visualisation, hypnotherapy and muscle growth
Recently I've read an article in newspapers and it got me thinking- first I found topic a bit absurd but then.... I mean athletes do use hypnotherapy, some bodybuilders use hypnotherapy to be more motivated, as a matter of fact I know that hypnotherapy can have a big impact on hormones, but this article goes bit further- it claims that through hypnotherapy we can command some specific body part without any training.
Well read it for yourself:
Can hypnotherapy make your boobs bigger? We find out | The Sun |Woman|Health|Health
One of interesting parts from article:
Zack refers to a study at the University of Manchester where they split people into two groups.
One had to exercise to promote muscle growth, the other had to visualise muscle growth. They found that the group who visualised got 50 per cent of the same muscle growth as the group that exercised.
I'll also throw in some more texts from internet:
Visualization
Visualization is the ability to form mental image in your mind. Visualization can be used for all sort of purpose, fantasizing or daydreaming will be the most common.
Athletes use visualization to rehearse their movements. The brain doesn't make different between an imagined event and a real one, providing that you are able to visualize things with clarity and intensity, something imagined or visualized in your mind can have the same value as a real experience, it is why you can mentally train for any ability and even for body change, it was demonstrated by studies at the Manchester University that people were able to have muscles growth during one week of sessions of hypnosis, during hypnosis sessions the group were asked to visualize themselves having bigger muscles.
Usually, an athlete will use visualization to correct his weaknesses, improve his game and increase his motivation. Mark Plaatjes , gold medalist at the men's marathon in the 1993 Stuttgart athletic world championship said that he was mentally very prepared. He even worried that things were too perfect, Plaatjes is an adept at mental training or visualization.
What is mental Training ? the mind controls the body, not the other way around
Mental training involves the use of exercises to strengthen different abilities for the beginner the ability to visualize with clarity must be developed first, the most effective techniques for that is called Image Streaming another techniques is too simply do 3 sessions of visualization everyday , 15 minutes minimum for each session. The image streaming techniques developed by Win Wenger is easy to do you simply have to close your eyes and describe outloud into a recorder what you are perceiving without editing.
Once, you have developed a good ability for visualization you can use the technique for so many purposes, if you want to gain a new habit or skill, you can mentally train this skill, a period of 3 to 21 days will be required to observe significant change.
Creative Visualization
Back in 1998, I used creative visualization as a manifesting method, at night in my bed, I visualized my ideal lifestyle, my house , the way of life and everything I wanted, 3 years later, I had this lifestyle. Creative visualization is a technique to manifest thing in your life, you should visualize what you want in a relaxed state and a quiet environment at night, before sleeping is very good time or when you wake up if you have enough time, a session of half hour is the way to go, if you can do longer it is good too. Depending on what you want to achieve you might need several weeks or months of visualization some method are designed to bring you very fast result, that's the case of the Cybernetic Transposition T process developed by Stuart Lichtman. (the method harmonize conflicting parts of your being that may prevent you to have what you want quickly).
One of the best way, to work with visualization is to observe your thoughts and beliefs, and to image the opposite of the belief that hold you back. If you are a master procrastinator you can use visualization to imagine yourself doing your work, if when you do that you feel some discomfort, you can explore this discomfort until the point you discover the belief behind it, may be, a belief of not deserving or a fear of success/failure is hided there.
Visualization and healing
Visualization can be used to heal however you must first have a positive belief about healing before you use visualization for this aim. It is why combining affirmation and visualization is a good technique to assert your ability to heal yourself.
Hypnosis Methods and Bodybuilding | Hypnosis Methods | Bodybuilding Hypnosis
Bodybuilding Muscle Hypnosis
IAbstract from link above, Hypnotherapy and hormonal response
It is documented that the ability of hypnosis to increase emotional responses, also serves to release testosterone in the body, aiding musclular development.
Ultimately it is the mind that controls muscle, this includes the delivery of electrical impulses that signals the muscle to work. Research shows that this stage lights up identical parts of the brain that would be energised if you were actually working out.
During hypnosis the brain’s Hypothalamus releases neurotransmitters that command the pituitary gland to release development hormones. The Endocrine system is the system that initiates the changes that occurred during puberty.
Through unconscious visualisation every cell of the body is communicated too, showing your mind and body how you wish to look and feel once your goals have been achieved. You clearly see and thus become the person you wish to be.
Although hypnosis's main attribute in the bodybuilding arena is the removal of mental blocks to muscular development, success has also been seen in increasing weight lifting abilities, focusing and motivation, increased endurance and speeding recovery times.
The 'will' always breaks before muscle (assuming the muscle is adequately warmed up). Therefore, with good direction you can use hypnosis to intensify your training session to go far beyond ones usual level of pain threshold.
