Perfect workout every time: eight mental tricks you can use throughout your day to turn an ordinary workout into a landmark event

The physical part of working out is elemental: You become bigger and stronger by lifting more weight more times than your body can easily handle. And you support that effort with wise food choices. But the success of your fitness program doesn't start with your nutrition or your muscles; it starts with your head. Hoisting more iron than you were able to last week requires both concentration and conviction--in other words, mental skills. And the sooner you start working on them, the better those skills--and your body--will become.

"Preparing for the intensity of a workout is critical, because it allows you to create more muscle tension, which in turn leads to more growth during your rest period," says Blair Whitmarsh, Ph.D., chair of human kinetics at Trinity Western University in Canada and the author of Mind & Muscle. "If you begin the process of pumping yourself up early, you're likely to be at an extremely high level of intensity when you get to the gym."

By practicing a few simple mental exercises over the course of your workday, you may be able to lift more weight when you cross the threshold of your local iron palace. And that translates into bigger growth. As an added bonus, your workout will probably seem easier, not harder. If that sounds more appealing than struggling through an unproductive routine, do the following at the designated times.

When you first wake up in the morning. A lot of guys think of visualizations as something practiced only by high-performance athletes, but they can do wonders for the everyday exerciser as well. Since visualizations require a certain degree of relaxation, the naturally mellow period after you've just woken up is a perfect time to start. Before you roll out of the rack, take just a couple of minutes to do this simple exercise: In your mind's eye, see yourself lifting large weights with ease--just like the alpha males at your gym. Go through three or four different exercises, and see yourself doing each one with perfect form.

If you're too tired even to hold a mental picture as you wipe the cobwebs from your head, use this time to go over some basic affirmations: I am strong. I can lift more weight than ever before. I can feel my muscles growing.

When you eat meals. Visualize the nutrients going to your muscles. Think of the protein making your muscles grow and the carbohydrates filling your energy stores as if they were a fuel tank. Not only does this give you an encouraging image to take to your workout, it may also motivate you to eat more healthy foods.

During your lunch hour. Work in a quick break to relax and perform more visualizations. "Take a few minutes to visualize what you're going to do," advises Whitmarsh. "You can even go through the motions of individual exercises, such as biceps curls." For maximum impact, don't visualize an entire set, just a couple of intense repetitions.

During work breaks. Take a few seconds to think about your upcoming workout and give yourself a pep talk. Whitmarsh recommends repeating such statements as: I'm going to be powerful; I'm going to push hard when I lift the weights without slacking off. Caution: Don't do this aloud, unless you want to be known around the office as the guy who talks to himself.

On your way to the gym. Driving to the health club, play some rock on the stereo--if that's what motivates you. Music works well for some guys, but others find it distracts from their concentration, says Bradley Cardinal, Ph.D., co-director of the Sport and Exercise Psychology Laboratory at Oregon State University. The best way to know is to keep track of your own experiences.

At the same time, spend a few minutes on what Cardinal calls "creating a workout expectation." Remind yourself of why you're working out and what you expect to get out of it. "There's a relationship between expectation and achievement," Cardinal says. "If I expect that today I'll increase my weight volume, number of sets, or duration on the treadmill, I'm more likely to make it happen."

Not only will this help you focus on your exercise plan, it will also silence the small internal voice that everyone hears once in a while which says, Turn the car around; let's go home and watch the game. If you've been lacking motivation lately, this is also a good time to offer yourself a little reward: After I work out, I'll go home and watch the game. If you're the kind of guy who responds to bribes like this, creating a pattern of reinforcement can really help keep you on track.

While changing your clothes. As you put on your workout wear, you're also symbolically changing into your "workout identity." Imagine that you're putting on a more powerful persona, like Clark Kent turning into Superman (you can probably conjure up a less geeky image). You're not the guy who sits at a desk all day; you're the guy who can raise huge amounts of metal with his bare hands.

Right before you start. Do some more positive affirmations and consciously cancel out unproductive thoughts. "A lot of guys have surprisingly negative self-talk before a workout," says Whitmarsh. "They think, I'm so tired, or, I'm not going to make it." If you find yourself doing this, he says, switch to thoughts that pump you up: I'm full of energy, or, This is going to be intense.

The workout. So you've taken a little time over the course of the day to prepare mentally. Now comes the test of how well you've done. Don't be surprised if you find yourself handling heavier weights or doing more reps before you reach the point of fatigue. Your entire workout may seem easier, and your progress may come faster, than ever before. That's your reward, and it will only get better the longer you practice these techniques.

Coming next month: Mental techniques you can use during your workout to pump up your intensity--and your physique--with every rep.

Senior Writer Ben Kallen practices positive self-talk all day long.

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