Belief
Steve Magness, legendary long-distance running coach and author of the best-selling book, “Do Hard Things,” (this book isn’t about running), recently posted on his social media:
“One of the most important factors determining whether a training program will work or not is belief. If you don’t have buy-in, even if the training is perfect, it’s not going to work.”
He’s right. But he is not the first to suggest this (he is also worth following on the gram).
In the early 1970s, the founder of Nautilus Sports Medical Industries, Arthur Jones (he would go on to found MedX, and his son would launch Hammer Strength), stated something very similar (although his comments were geared toward strength training).
I’m going to paraphrase, but Jones stated:
Outside of a trainee’s genetic predisposition, confidence and belief in the exercise program will be the number one factor that influences the trainee’s results.
Perhaps this is a variation of the placebo effect, now often referred to as the belief effect. However, I tend to think that when you believe or understand a bit of the “why” that underpins your workouts, you tend to work with more intensity and improved consistency.
How do you increase your belief or buy-in?
Familiarize yourself with a basic understanding of the scientific research (a great place to start is to read Friday Fit Tips 😃). Reviewing the outcomes of the preponderance of research on a topic and knowing that this research underpins your workouts will invariably increase your confidence.
Ask your Exercise Physiologist that you are working with the “why” underpinning an exercise or fitness program. Armed with this new knowledge, your belief will increase.
Note: Avoid confident-sounding humans on social media and/or podcasts. Sometimes, another person’s conviction is contagious, and this leads us down the wrong path.