drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
Achieving just about any goal is simple: there are some things you must do, and there are some things you shouldn't do. We make these "do it" and "don't do it" decisions all day long. They add up. And all of them involve willpower, whether it's doing the tough exercise you really don't want to do, or resisting the junky food you really want to eat. Whether or not you succeed in your long-term goal is a game of willpower math: make more good decisions than bad decisions to equal the outcome you're after. All of these choices are preceded by a brief expression of willpower. And researchers have found a way to instantly boost willpower during that crucial time of decision making – just flex.
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Researchers put study participants through several self-control dilemmas. These involved everything from seeing how long they could withstand pain, to drinking a healthy but nasty-tasting beverage, to making food choices. Participants who tightened their muscles displayed more self-control and willpower. And it didn't seem to matter which muscles were flexed or clenched. The authors of the study said: "The mind and the body are so closely tied together, merely clenching muscles can also activate willpower. Simply engaging in these bodily actions, which often result from an exertion of willpower, can serve as a non-conscious source to recruit willpower and facilitate self-control.”
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The only caveat? The flexing must occur right in the moment. Flexing your biceps before going to The Cheesecake Factory isn't going to help you resist the 1520-calorie dessert. Nope, you'll need to flex at the moment you feel tempted. Maybe a discrete calf flex instead of a most muscular pose. Don’t be weird.
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This willpower boost may help you with avoidance or adherence situations: Clench if you're about to blow your diet and need a shot of self-control. Flex if you're tempted to skip out on a scheduled workout. (I'm looking at you, cardio day.) Avoid jail time by squeezing your glutes when that one asshat in the gym is doing crunches on the only available bench. You get the idea.
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Researchers put study participants through several self-control dilemmas. These involved everything from seeing how long they could withstand pain, to drinking a healthy but nasty-tasting beverage, to making food choices. Participants who tightened their muscles displayed more self-control and willpower. And it didn't seem to matter which muscles were flexed or clenched. The authors of the study said: "The mind and the body are so closely tied together, merely clenching muscles can also activate willpower. Simply engaging in these bodily actions, which often result from an exertion of willpower, can serve as a non-conscious source to recruit willpower and facilitate self-control.”
.
The only caveat? The flexing must occur right in the moment. Flexing your biceps before going to The Cheesecake Factory isn't going to help you resist the 1520-calorie dessert. Nope, you'll need to flex at the moment you feel tempted. Maybe a discrete calf flex instead of a most muscular pose. Don’t be weird.
.
This willpower boost may help you with avoidance or adherence situations: Clench if you're about to blow your diet and need a shot of self-control. Flex if you're tempted to skip out on a scheduled workout. (I'm looking at you, cardio day.) Avoid jail time by squeezing your glutes when that one asshat in the gym is doing crunches on the only available bench. You get the idea.
