Mindset for Strength: Using Imagination in Your Training
Years ago I shared an article by strength coach Dave Socorro about building a strong, athletic body with bodyweight exercises, and about how lessons from hypnosis can fuel training. As an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and hypnotherapist, it’s a topic close to my heart, so here is my own take.
Bodyweight training: simple and effective
You don’t need a gym to get stronger. Your own bodyweight can provide a challenging workout anywhere. A few principles I follow:
- Favor compound movements. Exercises like squats, push-ups, rows, lunges and hip bridges work several muscle groups together and carry over well to everyday life.
- Quality before quantity. Good form protects your joints and makes each rep count.
- Progress gradually. Make an exercise harder over time by adding reps, slowing the tempo, or moving to a tougher variation, for example from incline push-ups to floor push-ups to feet-elevated push-ups.
- Train all the major movements. Push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge and core.
A sample beginner circuit
- Squats (to a chair if needed)
- Incline or knee push-ups
- Rows (using a sturdy table or suspension trainer)
- Alternating lunges or step-ups
- Glute bridges
- Knee raises or a plank
Start with one or two rounds of 8–12 controlled reps, rest as needed, and build up over the weeks. Aim for strength training at least twice a week.
Imagination versus willpower
Here’s where hypnosis comes in. Socorro used a classic example: walking along a plank lying on the ground is easy. Put the same plank between two tall buildings, and suddenly it feels impossible, even though the physical task hasn’t changed. What changed is what you imagine might happen. When imagination and willpower pull in different directions, imagination often wins.
The good news is that you can put imagination on your side.
Mental rehearsal for training
Athletes have long used mental imagery, and research suggests it can support performance and skill learning, especially combined with physical practice. Try this before a challenging set or a new skill:
- Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths.
- Picture yourself performing the movement smoothly, with good form.
- Feel the effort, the control and the satisfaction of completing it.
- Open your eyes and do it.
Desire, confidence and patience
Lasting progress comes from a mix of genuine desire, confidence in your ability to improve, and patience. Small, consistent sessions over months add up to remarkable changes. Self-hypnosis can help with all three, along with relaxation and recovery between sessions.
I’m an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, not a registered dietitian. Nutrition suggestions here are general; if you have a health condition, take medication, are pregnant, or want a specific eating plan, please check with your physician or a registered dietitian.
Hypnotherapy, NLP and EFT are complementary approaches. They don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions and are not a substitute for medical care, so please also work with your physician on any health concern.
If you’d like to find out whether this approach is a good fit for you, I offer a free, no-pressure consultation. Get in touch here and we can talk it through.
