ZONE IN, NOT OUT

MEDITATION WITH WEIGHTS

Within fitness culture, it is common for people to see exercise as a way to zone out or switch off from the world around us. They cruise through their workouts on autopilot, not really thinking about what they are doing, going through the motions and ticking off the ‘workout completed’ box.

We get it.

Life is chaotic but what we propose at OPEX Riverdale NYC is that instead of zoning out from the world you zone into your training and become truly present within what you are doing. See this as meditation with weights!

Working out is amazing for the mind and mental acuity but if you want to maximize what you are doing in the gym zoning in will yield numerous benefits!

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T ZONE OUT

Zoning out can be problematic for a number of reasons:

• When you switch off your brain, silly accidents and injuries can happen.
• When you’re not focusing on your workout with the right intent, you won’t get optimal results.
• When you’re not connected to why you’re doing what you’re doing, it can be hard to stay motivated and it becomes easy to make excuses to skip an exercise or a session.

WHY YOU SHOULD ZONE IN

Zoning in, on the other hand, will maximize your results in the gym, while still affording you the mental clarity and enjoyment that come from losing yourself in your workout.

We encourage our members to zone in by using deliberate practice when they are training. This will mean something different for everyone and for each session, but broadly, it means to keep the intent of the workout front of mind as you do it. Our OPEX Personal Trainers are experts at communicating this intent to their clients through consultations, TrueCoach (the way we deliver training) notes and on the floor of our bespoke private gym, so the purpose of their workouts is always clear.

AN EXAMPLE

An example of deliberate practice is as follows. Jane’s coach has designed a workout to help her develop his upper back muscles. When doing dumbbell rows and pull-ups, Jane focuses on squeezing her armpits and keeping his shoulders away from her ears, as directed by her coach.

By zoning in on his workout, Jane experiences a number of benefits.

• By moving mindfully, Jane uses the correct muscles so that she can fix muscular imbalances and get the best results from her time in the gym.
• Jane knows that her workout is designed specifically to help her reach his goals of better posture and overcoming nagging neck pain, so she never skips a day and stays inspired.
• Rather than mindlessly rushing through her sets and reps, Jane deliberate practice means she experiences self-discovery every time she trains. She discovers she has more control from one session to the next, notices new sensations and feels new muscles working. This makes her feel more connected to his body.
• By really focusing on her quality of movement, Jane’s mind is clear from her to-do list at work and home, and she leaves the gym feeling relaxed.

It’s important to have a professional coach assess you, design your workout and watch you move, but for the best results and longevity, you need to connect with the purpose and intent of your training too. That’s what makes the OPEX coach-client relationship so special– your coach will educate you on the why, so that you can zone in, take ownership of your training, and enjoy the process of your fitness journey.

If you are exercising mindlessly with no idea of the direction you are going in (or even the destination you are trying to get too) hit the button below to drop us a message and we will be in touch to have a chat.