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Other/Mixed Thinking in a different language and training cues, visualisation etc

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Benjamin Renaud

Benjamin Renaud

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I have been asking myself lately if thinking in English while I train affects my performance. Being a french Canadian, English is a second language that I learned at a young age, but it's still not a language that I use regularly, except on social media and through reading. Everything training related that I read is in English, workshops that I've attended were in English, as are most videos I watch.

The question I am asking is: do most people who have English as a second or even third language think in English while they train? Or do you translate cues to your primary language? Are your thoughts and focus in any particular language when you train? Do you visualise with images only or with words also?

Does anyone know if there have been studies done on this topic?

This is all just out of pure curiosity.

Thanks to all who take the time to chip in.
 
After reading a passage in The Way To Live by George Hackenschmidt about how thoughts affected outcome, as in the need of thinking that you are getting stronger to actually get stronger, I have started to pay particular attention to my thoughts while training and it lead me to question whether thinking in English rather than french mattered. Not just with training cues (like staying tight, knees out etc), but also with the intent ( getting stronger or perfecting technique).
 
Hello,

Benjamin Renaud said:
do most people who have English as a second or even third language think in English while they train? Or do you translate cues to your primary language?
Click to expand...
I am French. I think in French so I tend to translate. I "tend" because 99,9% of the content I read / watch is in English, so I do not really pay attention.

Benjamin Renaud said:
Are your thoughts and focus in any particular language when you train?
Click to expand...
When I think, which actually is not that frequent, I think in French.

Basically, when I "receive" information, I do not pay attention to the language (French, English or Spanish because I used to live there for a while). Nonetheless, when I have to speak or write, I first think in French.

Benjamin Renaud said:
Do you visualise with images only or with words also?
Click to expand...
I always visualize images or feelings:
- me doing something
- someone doing something

For instance, when I practice my shadow boxing, I always see the opponent. I just do not do blindly my move. I also visualize the feeling, based on my experience: will I be out of breath, the pain if I get punched or kicked, etc...

I do not know if there are studies regarding the language. However, I remember a study saying that if someone stop practicing, but visualize the technique (for instance during an injury period), the person tend to lose less muscle and less technique. Then visualization help the recovery process and the actual practice. When visualization is done deeply enough and long enough, it maintains - to a certain extent - the neuromuscular pattern.

I noticed it in boxing. The more I visualize (and shadow) the more I create automatic reflex during a fight.

There is also a study regarding weightlifter. We noticed that those who visualized their lifts had better results than the other (there was a control group and a visualization group).

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
A bit off topic, but, I have commented on this several times over the years on the forum, and I'll do so again...

It never ceases to amaze me how many people we have here from countries where English is not the native language, and yet all those folks have an excellent command of it here. Whereas most of us (American English) speakers are limited to English (and some like me barely get by in that...)

@Benjamin Renaud ... I grew up anglophone Canadian, learning French in school of course, but never really applying it like I should have. C'est dommage...
 
@offwidth learning English was a must for me when I was growing up because I lived in an anglophone neighborhood and we had to understand and be able to reply to the various taunts kids throw around. I also had some friends which were mostly English speaking so we spoke a lot of frenglish too. I always find it a bit harder to put down my thoughts in writing in English even though I've mostly been reading in English for the past 10 years, books in french being either too expensive or nonexistent on the topics I enjoy reading about. I always feel my phrasing isn't quite right or that the way I write ends up being rude or emotionless. But that might just be me not being confident about my writing skills.

@pet' thanks for the answer, I tend to keep thinking in English instead of translating for some but not all of the things I do. When I do yoga, I think in french because that was the language my teacher used. For strength training I probably think in English most of the time with some french making it in there too.

I am just starting my experimentation with visualisation, so hearing what others do is quite interesting. I had tried it in the past but never quite was able to do it effectively until recently. It's a whole new world of opportunities that is available to me now.
 
offwidth said:
It never ceases to amaze me how many people we have here from countries where English is not the native language, and yet all those folks have an excellent command of it here. Whereas most of us (American English) speakers are limited to English (and some like me barely get by in that...)
Click to expand...
There's an old joke:
Q: What do you call a person who speaks three languages?




A: Trilingual.

Q: What do you call a person who speaks two languages?




A: Bilingual.

Q: What do you call a person who speaks one language?




A: American.
 
Most of the thing that i read about strength is in English, and when i train, i think about English cures, not Vietnamese. But that changed after (1) i helped one of my friend to train and (2) i received the instruction from one Vnese PT, who helps me with my injuries.
 
I used to mix up creole and Spanish a lot when I was in Spanish class in high school. And like any good Montrealer, I used to speak frenglish all the time. Well not as much with the kids and wife and since I moved to Magog.

When you train do you use cues in English @Alexander Halford or a mix?
 
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