Can TV or Music Cure Bodybuilding Boredom?

Certain weight lifters who have been training for muscle gains find that bodybuilding workout sessions can become mentally difficult to withstand, especially during high volume periods, and this emotional battle causes many to forego the weight training process before significant progress is achieved. Yet, there is a proven method that improves motivation, and can even inspire a bodybuilder to put forth far more effort than otherwise seems possible.

A wide range of individuals use music in their spare time to lift mood when feeling less than stellar, and this is one of the most effective weight lifting workout aids for enhancing mental focus. It would on the surface seem that any background noise may in fact distract a bodybuilder from his weight lifting workout obligations, but this is not so, as the mind, when focusing on a weight lifting set without music, is more likely to begin repelling from the stress that is about to occur, while music can provide a welcome diversion from this reality, one that incredibly can cause a bodybuilder to lift more weight and perform a set with greater intensity than otherwise would be possible.

During moments when I have selected music that I either have not listened to for some time, or when hearing a newly discovered song that I find appealing, I've been able to approach the weights with a level of intensity and focus that has never been possible for me in any other way. But doing so requires selecting a certain type of music, and this will differ depending on our own individual preferences. If you are not currently a music listener, load a program such as Itunes on your computer and sample some free radio stations that play a variety of music (80s, 90s, current, rock, pop, etc), and see if you can locate some music that seemingly causes your blood to boil, and when you begin to feel an adrenalin boost through a specific song, you know that this is ideal for a bodybuilding workout, and should become a part of your workout collection.

Besides music, I have recently started to alternate using songs with watching TV programming as I perform my workouts, as I've found that a weight lifting routine which otherwise may feel redundant can become substantially entertaining with the proper television programming. I suggest recording your favorite shows on video tape or DVR, and play them during your weight lifting workouts (training at home thankfully allows me with the luxury of easily doing so), as this method can also distract you from weight lifting stress, and put you in a emotional state where enduring a 60-90 minute battle with weights becomes far more realistic.

I have not experienced the same motivational surge with TV as I have when playing energizing music, so the correct songs I feel have a greater positive impact on a weight lifting workout, but television, for me, provides another form of entertainment that can cause a bodybuilding workout to seem far more tolerable than simply focusing on the sounds of plates smashing together for 60 minutes. With TV, I particularly enjoy that time between sets is enjoyable, as opposed to contemplating the intensity required for the remaining weight training workout. There are even times when I have opted for a hybrid, alternating between TV and music during the same workout, playing songs as I perform a weight lifting set, while watching TV during breaks between workout sets, and this method has also worked very well in diminishing negative emotional roadblocks that accompany bodybuilding workout sessions.

Even though many bodybuilders have already discovered the power of music to fuel bodybuilding workouts, many do not spend sufficient time diversifying their musical selections, as inevitably, regardless of how much inspiration a song may provide, after frequent plays, the energizing effect will fade, and those who load their music player with the exact same group of several songs will soon no longer feel inspired. This is why, searching for a wide range of music is necessary, as cycling through many different songs will allow what now may seem old and no longer exciting a chance to renew its potency, and upon returning to your bodybuilding workouts in the future, that same song will enhance workout intensity once again. You should have sufficient music to swap between groups of songs over a several month period, as this keeps the selections fresh, and will enhance the positive distraction in your bodybuilding workouts that will keep you consistent and primed for success.

Francesco Castano authors MuscleNOW.com, a workout routine for muscle building without supplements or drugs. He also owns IncrediBody.com, an online fitness superstore selling weight training equipment at guaranteed lowest prices.