You are currently exploring the Fundamentals Library, which is designed to provide a basic overview of the topics that are covered in other longer articles. This article is a part of the Exercise Execution section.
Exercise Execution
Exercise execution is the most fundamental aspect of calisthenics and training in general. Since exercise is the basic level of training organization, the way it is performed is very important from the standpoint of the stimulus we create. Sometimes it is underutilized as part of the training program because it is not quantifiable like parameter selection.
Attentional Focus
One of the aspects of execution is attentional focus. This term describes the way we mentally approach a given exercise - what aspect we focus our attention on. The concept of attentional focus has its roots in the motor learning literature, where it is often studied in the context of task performance.
There are 3 attentional focus strategies that can be utilized:
- Neutral focus of attention
- Internal focus of attention
- External focus of attention
Neutral focus of attention means that we don't make any specific intervention in terms of our focus, we just approach the exercise or task as we would normally do.
Internal focus of attention means that we focus on a specific part of the body or a specific movement of the body (for example, focusing on the flexion of the elbow during pull-ups, or focusing on the biceps during pelican curls).
External focus of attention means that we focus on an external object related to the task and our interaction with that object - typically in a way that promotes the achievement of a performance goal in that task (for example, focusing on pushing the barbell away from the body during a bench press, or keeping floor pressure on the center of the palm during a handstand push-up).
Effects of Attentional Focus Strategies
The current literature suggests that on an acute level, external focus is a valuable strategy for increasing your strength and strength endurance. This means that when you're approaching a set, adopting an external focus strategy is likely to slightly increase your performance in that set, whether it's the number of repetitions or the weight lifted.
In the long term, there is also evidence that using this strategy can improve performance across training programs, although the significant effect was only found in lower body exercises.
A much smaller body of evidence has been conducted to study the effects of attentional focus on hypertrophy. The existing data suggest the superiority of internal focus over external focus when muscle building is the goal.
Physiological Underpinnings
External attention seems to be better for performance than internal cues. It makes sense that this happens because it allows our conscious mind not to interfere with internal decisions. Our brain makes a certain calculation that results in efficiency (movement trajectory, activating the right muscles in the right order, correct positioning), which we then apply to the movement pattern.
One such efficiency-enhancing strategy is reducing antagonist coactivation, which is one of the mechanisms of strength gain and gymnastics improvement. By causing our antagonist to generate less of the opposing torque, we increase performance.
Another possible strategy our brain may go with is to increase the activation of synergists, which improves the overall function of agonists and contributes to increased performance.
In general, we can say that external focus of attention increases both external (task efficiency) and internal (muscle activation patterns) coordination.
Internal focus, on the other hand, seems to increase agonist activation (recruitment of motor units in the muscles directly responsible for torque production), but also increases co-activation, which is the main hypothesized reason why it seems to decrease strength performance.
It is also likely to reduce efficiency in terms of coordination, because instead of allowing our subconscious mind to decide on the optimal movement & activation strategy, we are interfering with consciously chosen areas of focus.
Cueing For Calisthenics
A cue is a specific implied way of approaching the execution of an exercise that helps achieve a specific goal in that exercise. Cues can be provided verbally or in a written format, but they can also be provided kinesthetically by a third person.
The two main types of cues that direct the focus of attention are internal and external cues. The nomenclature strictly refers to the attentional focus. Internal cues are cues that focus attention on some aspect of a movement or part of the body. External cues, on the other hand, focus on the desired outcome of the movement. In the table below, taken from a publication, you can see suggested external and internal cues for certain athletic exercises.
As a general rule, if our goal is strength we want to use external cues when training and delivering external cues when coaching (for example verbally). Here are a couple of calisthenics examples:
- Planche - “Push away from the floor”
- Handstand - “Look in between your hands”
- Pull Up - “Throw your chin over the bar”
It is not to say that we should never use internal cues in our main and supplementary exercises. They may be used to address specific weaknesses or highlight a specific part of the body that could lack activation when performing a given exercise or skill. Here are a couple of possible examples:
- Planche - “Raise your hips”
- Handstand - “Press with your palms”
- Pull Up - “Squeeze your lats”
