The Effect of Associative and Dissociative Attentional Focus Strategies on Muscle Activity and Heart Rate During a Weight Training Exercise

Performance outcomes, such as the distance rowed or run, can be influenced by the type of attentional focus an individual adopts. The present study tested how attentional focus during a weight training exercise influenced a direct measure of performance production (muscle activity) and heart rate. Participants (27 men, 3 women; age range 18–37 years) executed bicep curls while adopting an associative, dissociative, or no specific attentional focus. Muscle activity, as measured by electromyographic recordings, and heart rate were lower in the associative condition than in the dissociative and control conditions (all p values < .01). The participant’s level of experience in weight training and the amount of weight lifted had no influence on this pattern of results. The results highlight that attentional focus is an important variable that can influence muscle activity, and ultimately training outcomes, during exercise.

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