by Michael Plank
What’s your earliest memory? Can you remember being 4? Being 3? Maybe even 2? But I’d bet quite a bit that you don’t remember being 1.
Here’s why. Language is a huge part of how your brain organizes experience and makes sense of the world. It might even be essential. Which means it’s closely linked to memory. Now, obviously babies are doing just fine. But since they don’t have language skills until toddler-age or later, it’s nearly impossible to remember anything before language skills develop. So your earliest memory is probably pretty close to when you started talking.
How does that relate to fitness?
Words are how we understand the world.
Which means that what you say impacts the way you experience the world.
If you start off a workout and are saying to yourself (or out loud), “This is going to be awful…” Guess how that workout is going to feel?
If you say, “Ugh, that’s really heavy,” or “I’m so winded,” or “this sucks,” odds are pretty good that you’re going to prove yourself right.
I’m not saying if you say “400lbs is so light!” you’re going to be able to immediately add 100lbs to your deadlift. It’s not magic. But I am saying that words and phrases like “Let’s go,” “Get it,” “Game on,” “Here we go,” are going to make that workout a much different experience for you.
Sounds kind of woo-woo, I know. But try it on your next workout. You can do it to yourself. No one has to know. And you might be surprised by how much of a difference it makes.