It is a known fact that bodybuilding should be done in the best environment possible for every person, and his mental health is as important to the process as his physical health. Without appropriately calm mind, not bothered by feelings of sadness or frustration, a person’s results may be unforeseeable.
Texan researchers decided to measure how much the level of sadness and frustration is able to influence one’s sport results. The experiment was carried out on 135 students, who were supposed to train for 12 weeks. The training took place twice a week; in focus were large muscle groups, and the exercises were basic strength training exercises.
The researchers carried out a questionnaire asking the students whether in the last three months they were under a lot of stress. This allowed them to classify the students into two groups: a low-level stress group and a high-level stress group.
In the low-level stress group, the muscle strength in leg press exercises was increased by 13%, and by 25% in sit ups. The group with high-level stress noted much lower levels of strength increase.
If on a given day you underwent a lot of stress, it is better to sit it out, or meet with some friends as a stress-relief activity. Doing any exercises focused on training progress may be an ineffective strategy that day. Moreover, the stress may not only have a negative impact on your results, it can also persist longer.
The negative impact of stress is a simple science, and it is mainly connected to the increased production of cortisol which, as we know, is not helpful in bodybuilding exercises.