What are ideomotor exercises and how to apply them

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.
2020-04-28

Have you heard the expression that thoughts are material? Well, it's true. And why that's the case, I will explain in this article where you will learn:

1. What ideomotor exercises are and why they are useful.
2. How to apply them.
3. How they differ from the exercises we are familiar with.

What are Ideomotor Exercises

“Ideomotor” means mental action (“ideo” - idea or mental representation, “motor” - muscular action). You can also learn more on the English Wikipedia in the article "Ideomotor phenomenon".

Essentially, ideomotor exercises are the same exercises that you do in the gym, at home, or on the sports field: https://makefitness.pro/upragnenia-v-domashnih-usloviah/, but they are imagined rather than executed in real-time.

The concept of ideomotor exercises is closely related to the concept of ideomotor (mental) training. All of this is explained in detail in the book "Mental Training in the Psychological Preparation of Athletes" http://maxima-library.org/new-books-2/b/383678?format=read

For example:

Sit on a sofa or chair, close your eyes, and imagine doing push-ups on parallel bars. This is, in the narrow sense of the term, an ideomotor exercise. The same technique can be applied to any exercises: simple to perform, technically challenging, combined, or taken from specific sports (for example, hand movements during swimming freestyle).

Why Use Ideomotor Exercises

Ideomotor (mental) exercises are used in various professions: actors, dancers, professional athletes, military personnel, and police. They are useful for:

• Learning the technique of a movement (for example, in a complex or new exercise);
  
• Perfecting the technique when there are obvious issues that can't be resolved through normal means;
  
• Improving results (lift or squat more than you can do in reality);
  
• Rehabilitation after injuries;
  
• Maintaining physical condition during injury or when unable to train fully.

The application of such exercises for injury rehabilitation is not uncommon (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2629220). These exercises can also be used by athletes with limb injuries, for instance, when any movement causes acute pain, yet they don't want to lose their fitness. Ideomotor exercises are a viable solution for such situations.

Mental exercises work as follows: you imagine a certain exercise and concentrate on its performance. The brain (its subconscious part responsible for breathing, heartbeat, etc.) thinks that you are actually exercising and sends electrical impulses to the muscles. The musculature gets ready for physical work, but in reality, no movement occurs.

Interestingly, when you apply such training, you might notice that your muscles or even groups of muscles may twitch slightly. This is the readiness of the musculature for action. These are the nerve impulses sent by the brain.

In simpler terms, the skill is honed (neural pathways or bridges in the brain are created). This is akin to acquiring a habit or reflex. You are thereby familiarizing yourself or already working with the exercise. When it comes time for actual physical work, the new exercise will be performed more clearly and easily.
Mental exercises are a way to learn a movement and execute it better than if you had started performing it directly without mental representation and ideomotor preparation (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32116968).

How to Apply Ideomotor Exercises

First, determine the exercise you want to perform. In what position will you be? Any ideomotor movement will be executed better if you assume a position similar to the starting position.

For example, if you plan to work mentally on:

It would make sense to lie on your back on the floor, couch, etc. Want to squat or lunge? Then stand upright.
A universal position for all mental movements is sitting in a chair (straight posture, palms resting on thighs). But it's better to assume a somewhat appropriate body position.

So, you've assumed a starting position. Next, you need to close your eyes and start visualizing. If it's a sports equipment, then choose the corresponding weight (imagine how you load a coveted "hundred" onto a barbell that you have not yet benched).

Next, begin executing this exercise from a first-person perspective, i.e., from the viewpoint you would see this exercise. Note: you should NOT watch yourself from the outside, but rather through your own eyes! If you are bench pressing, the barbell should be above you.

Then, you perform a certain number of repetitions. For example, you squat with "a hundred" for 12 times. Imagine doing all 12 repetitions, where each one is technically correct and precise.

At the end, place the equipment back or get off it (pull-up bar, parallel bars, etc.).

In mental exercises, you proceed just like you normally would. For instance, perform 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions. Then, move to the next exercise. Rest between sets and repetitions should be much shorter than usual (30-40 seconds is enough, as the nervous system is not overloaded and there is no need to clear lactic acid). As a result, the duration of an ideomotor workout can reach up to 30 minutes.

How Ideomotor Exercises Differ from Regular Ones

These exercises have their limits in perfecting exercise techniques and they produce less noticeable effects than physical activity. That is, such exercises cannot compare in effectiveness with regular physical exercises: neither in the growth of physical qualities (strength, endurance, etc.) nor in gaining mass.
Ideomotor exercises are a way to perfect technique, learn it, maintain physical conditioning at a certain level, or provide a slight push for progression.

For broader familiarity, check out the article https://vk.com/@footballcoaching-ideomotornye-trenirovki, as well as the video at 8:08 https://yandex.ru/efir?stream_id=45ce356c7a791502aba0abbe03863004