FOCUS &CONCENTRATION

Focus is such a fundamental aspect of volition that there is no step-by-step process by which one initiates focus.
It is simply a volitional switch that can be turned on or left off. Focus must be maintained on a moment-bymoment basis. A trainee literally must reaffirm his focus every two seconds at minimum. The more consistently
the choice to focus is made, the easier it becomes. Many individuals think that once a strong focus is established
they can coast for a while without negative consequences, but this is not true; either an individual is in focus or
is not. What may seem like a comfortable coast is actually the beginning of a descent that will end up in a pit of
chaos. Focus is what gives an individual control over his life, and there can be no substitutes.

It is also not true that there are different levels of focus. Either a trainee is in full focus or he is not; there is no
middle ground. It may seem as if there are levels of focus since most individuals are not in focus consistently on
a moment-by-moment basis. The measurement that should be considered is not the level of focus, but the
consistency of time spent in focus. Meaning that if throughout the course of one minute an individual is in focus
for thirty of the sixty seconds then that individual may reflect on that minute and feel that he was only half in
focus. The actual truth was that at any given moment he was either in full focus or not.

Being in focus at the gym does not guarantee a good workout. What being in focus will guarantee is that a trainee
will be fully aware that he is at the gym, and this means that while he is in focus his mind will not wonder into
fantasy. It will not drift to other menial concerns or other peoples awareness of him. His mind will only be
concerned with himself, where he is, what he is doing, and why he is doing it.

HOW TO APPLY FOCUS

Remember that focus is a much more general concept than term than concentration. It would be incorrect to tell a
trainee to stay focused on his workout, as that would be too specific and the term that should be used for such a
statement would be concentration. Being in focus means being in touch with reality in general. When in focus an
individuals mind is aware of where he is, who he is, and why he is there.

To reiterate, being in focus does not mean an individual is focused on the specifics of a task at hand. It means
that his mind is in touch with reality. And so, when a trainee is in focus while he is at the gym his mind is clear,
alert, and ready for action; he is fully aware of the equipment around him. With every piece of exercise equipment
he looks at a flood of information that instantly is available to him. Being in a daze and not being cognizant of his
surroundings as various thoughts float in and out of his awareness would be the opposite of being in focus.
The best method a trainee can use to get focused is for him to ask (what may seem like trivial questions): Where
am I? What piece of equipment am I going to use? Why this equipment instead of another? He should ask of
himself orientating questions that will make him more aware of his physical surroundings. A sure fire way to know
that he is not in focus is if he is distant or even seems separated from the objects around himself. A trainee who
is at the gym, yet seems distant from his physical surroundings is most likely not in focus.
Being in touch with concrete objects around ones self is vital for sustaining focus. However, physical objects are
not the total of reality: an individuals consciousness is just as much a part of reality as the steel dumbbells in
front of him. It is just as important for a trainee to orientate his mind to his own consciousness as it is orientate his
mind to his surroundings. This means a trainee must be fully aware of what is going on in his head, or
consciously conscious, so that he will be able to guide it in the proper direction.

WHAT IS CONCENTRATION?
Concentration is the act of isolating ones attention on a specific object, task, or aspect of consciousness. Anyone
who has done any type of meaningful work in his or her life has had some experience with concentration.

An individual does not have to be in focus in order to concentrate, and vise versa. This means that an individual
can concentrate on an object or act without being focused on reality, such as when he is engaged in a training
routine that he knows to be irrational and unproductive, but is doing it very well.
Unlike focus, concentration is not merely a choice of on or off. There are varying degrees of concentration,
even though there are no means of measuring these degrees at present. Currently, you can give your full and
undivided attention to what is being read, or your concentration may be divided, the latter of which may be more
appropriate if there is something in the oven, there are children playing nearby, etc.

HOW TO APPLY CONCENTRATION

Remember that concentration is the isolation of your awareness to something specific, in contrast with focus that
is a much more fundamental concept. However when most people use the term focus it is actually concentration
to which they are referring. Even though it may be misnamed, the concept of concentration is much more widely
used in todays culture.
What concentration means in practice at the gym is that an individuals awareness is riveted on himself and his
workout. It means that his attention does not wonder about to other concerns or events going on in the gym. If a
group of people beside him is listening to a joke one of them is telling, he is not diverted by it.
Unlike focus, which is either on or off, there are different levels of concentration. At present there is no objective
way to measure different levels concentration. However, it is observable through introspection, in that one can
heighten or lower the intensity of concentration at any moment.

FURTHER UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION

The idea that focus and concentration do not pertain to the same mental state may be so new to some that
further differentiation may be warranted. The best way to see the difference between the two concepts is to
isolate each from the other. The following are examples of being in focus without concentrating and concentrating
without being in focus. An individual can be at the gym in full focus, but yet not concentrate on his workout. The
clearest example would be a trainee fully aware of where he is and why, but having a nagging problem from his
work day, at the peripheral of his mind that will not go away. Or perhaps a more common example is a trainee
being in focus but not concentrating on anything in particular; simply moving from exercise to exercise, in focus,
but doing so out of habit and routine.

Concentrating on a workout while being unfocused is a more common phenomenon. It can be done by
concentrating on the particulars of a given exercise while not focusing on the routine as a whole. A trainee may
be in full concentration when it comes to the concentric, eccentric, tension time, etc., but will ignore other factors
that he knows to be important, such as regulating the volume and frequency.

THE PERFECT BALANCE

By now it should be apparent that to live a long productive fitness lifestyle there needs to be a harmony between
focus and concentration. A trainee should be fully aware of himself, his surroundings, and why he is at the gym.
As well, he should keep his mind isolated on each individual exercise and not have his mind wondering to other
issues during the middle of a set.

The ideas discussed in this article are not new; they are discussed in philosophy classrooms around the globe.
But perhaps they are new to the reader of this article. It should be obvious that the basic concepts discussed
herein can be applied to almost any human endeavor, yet it is arguable that the amount of focus and
concentration needed to be a successful trainee is higher than that of many other goals. Using rational high
intensity training principles in exercise is one of the most physically excruciating activities that can be done. Yet
learning how to harness the benefits that a properly focused and concentrated mind can provide is an invaluable
ability that can help a trainee reach his or her fitness goals.