Abstract
The purpose of this training study was to determine the magnitude of strength gains following a high-intensity resistance training (i.e., improvement of neuromuscular coordination) that can be achieved by imagery of the respective muscle contraction imagined maximal isometric contraction (IMC training). Prior to the experimental intervention, subjects completed a 4-week standardized strength training program. 3 groups with different combinations of real maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and mental (IMC) strength training (M75, M50, M25; numbers indicate percentages of mental trials) were compared to a MVC-only training group (M0) and a control condition without strength training (CO). Training sessions (altogether 12) consisted of four sets of two maximal 5-s isometric contractions with 10 s rest between sets of either MVC or IMC training. Task-specific effects of IMC training were tested in four strength exercises commonly used in practical settings (bench pressing, leg pressing, triceps extension, and calf raising). Maximum isometric voluntary contraction force (MVC) was measured before and after the experimental training intervention and again 1 week after cessation of the program. IMC groups (M25, M50, M75) showed slightly smaller increases in MVC (3.0% to 4.2%) than M0 (5.1%), but significantly stronger improvements than CO (−0.2%). Compared to further strength gains in M0 after 1 week (9.4% altogether), IMC groups showed no “delayed” improvement, but the attained training effects remained stable. It is concluded that high-intensity strength training sessions can be partly replaced by IMC training sessions without any considerable reduction of strength gains.
Highlights
Mental training has been applied to tasks with mainly coordinative affordances
The purpose of this training study was to determine the magnitude of strength gains following a high-intensity resistance training that can be achieved by imagery of the respective muscle contraction imagined maximal isometric contraction (IMC training)
Training with submaximal loads in these sessions led to considerable strength gains as reflected in increasingly heavier training weights, t(85) = 9.04, p < 0.001, d = 1.00 with weight adjustments ranging comparably between 21.3% and 29.6%, F(3, 82) = 0.49, p = 0.69
Summary
Mental training has been applied to tasks with mainly coordinative affordances. It is based on vivid mental images containing a perceptual experience in the absence of overt behavior and with no sensory input (Annett, 1995). Mental imagery of motor actions relies on a first-person perspective including specific kinesthetic sensations (Munzert and Zentgraf, 2009). In this case, it is denoted as motor imagery (Decety, 1995; Jeannerod, 2001; Sirigu and Duhamel, 2001). Meta-analyses show that highly cognitive and primarily motor tasks benefit considerably from mental training (Feltz and Landers, 1983; Driskell et al, 1994). Yue and Cole (1992) extended the applicability of mental training to the field of strength training by demonstrating a significant effect of motor imagery in an isometric force production task
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