Is it important to focus on the muscle's while exercising.
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Sun Mar 18, 2012 8:25 pm

I know in the facercise book, it talks about focusing on the muscle while performing the exercises. So for the cheek developer, the buccinator would have to be focused on. When i do this,I have to do the exercise really slowly to focus on the muscle the entire time.

However, flex effect does not require visualizing the energy moving.

Any thoughts?

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:00 am

I do not do facial exercises but as a dancer I can tell you that it is important to focus on what you are doing when you do any exercise. For example when working out in gyms (maybe doing facial exercises too?) people tend to watch the television as a distraction but really time is best spent focusing on how the muscles are working, using imagery if that is helpful and being mindful of how your body is responding to the exercise you are doing. This will yield you greater results than detaching yourself from what you are doing.

Mindfullness is key.

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:46 am

Well whilst we don’t talk about visualising the energy moving, we do ask you to focus on particular target muscles and generally will always have you work them against resistance so you feel the muscle actually working and it’s a physical sensation you experience, but when I teach it I do get people to visualise the muscles and energy movements because it can be helpful.

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:21 am

I'm currently doing Facercise and I'm not into the visualization part. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but sometimes I just want to sit back and watch TV while I do my exercises, without having to "think" about it so much. Sometimes I wonder if Facercise relies on the visualization/energy stuff too much. I think an exercise should be reasonably effective whether you're thinking about it or not.

The same thing with body exercises. You can run on the treadmill or life weights while watching TV; you're still getting exercise. Would it be better to focus on your exercising? Maybe, but it's still better than not exercising at all.

Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:24 am

Moon wrote:

I do not do facial exercises but as a dancer I can tell you that it is important to focus on what you are doing when you do any exercise. For example when working out in gyms (maybe doing facial exercises too?) people tend to watch the television as a distraction but really time is best spent focusing on how the muscles are working, using imagery if that is helpful and being mindful of how your body is responding to the exercise you are doing. This will yield you greater results than detaching yourself from what you are doing.

Mindfullness is key.

Great advice. Lets say I'm exercising a particular muscle, do i picture that muscle in my mind? Or seeing the muscle move from being contracted to relaxed?

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:30 am

Well like most things sometimes anything is better than nothing, but if you are going after major changes then you have to get the mind involved. I’ve never been a fan of encouraging people to do exercises whilst watching tv because I know there is no way their technique is going to be as accurate or targeted as if they were focusing on their faces and the muscles being worked. I understand some people use the excuse of time, but for me I always think if you crimp out on the exercises you’re going to crimp out on the results that are possible.

Sure will the muscles respond to exercises whilst watching tv – for certain, but will it be to the same extent if the exercises were carried out in a focused and targeted way, I very much doubt that. You got to use your own good example here, lifting weights whilst watching the tv, versus lifting weights without any distractions – which do you think produces a better result? TV will always distract some of your focus – the sound/lights etc are all picked up by the brain and if the brain is having to multitask and record and register those things on top of working out then its not going to be able to focus to the same extent pure and simple.

Visualisation is a great technique for use that’s been around a hundred of years for a very good reason, when applied properly it can really intensify things and facial exercises are no exception but if I was to start suddenly telling people who are used to physically working their muscles to focus on visualisations – they’d think I’m nuts, but if I tell them how to incorporate visualisations into their physical workouts there is always an “aha” moment where they feel the exercise at a whole different level and intensity!

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:32 am

You can do either, you can use your imagination to see the muscle going through changes (or movement) whilst you exercise it, or you can envisage how you want the muscle to look (the end result), or you can imagine it growing stronger whilst doing the movement. Don't let yourself be limited in any way - get creative and enjoy the process. It can make working out really fun!

CS23 wrote:

Great advice. Lets say I'm exercising a particular muscle, do i picture that muscle in my mind? Or seeing the muscle move from being contracted to relaxed?

Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:34 am

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Visualisation is a great technique for use that’s been around a hundred of years for a very good reason, when applied properly it can really intensify things and facial exercises are no exception but if I was to start suddenly telling people who are used to physically working their muscles to focus on visualisations – they’d think I’m nuts, but if I tell them how to incorporate visualisations into their physical workouts there is always an “aha” moment where they feel the exercise at a whole different level and intensity!

How can you visualize a muscle working? Are we suppose to visualize it moving up and down?

Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:42 am

SeanySeanUK wrote:

or you can envisage how you want the muscle to look (the end result)

This part sounds awesome. Does it work though? SO basically, I should have an image in my head of what i want the area I'm working on to look like? Does it have to be moving? So if I'm exercising my cheeks, i have a picture of my cheeks the way i want it to look like?

free skin care · Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:53 am

Well this is a bit hard to describe, because it will differ program to program, but for most people, its as easy as looking up online or in an anatomy book (or some programs like FlexEffect have anatomy diagrams in them) to see where the muscle is located, and often there is a description of the movement it makes. So for example with zygomaticus major, in the FlexEffect book it has a diagram showing you this muscle and describes that it is used to pull the mouth corners in a certain direction, so when your visualising it working, you are visualising the muscle pulling against the resistance to make that natural movement that it does.

CS23 wrote:

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Visualisation is a great technique for use that’s been around a hundred of years for a very good reason, when applied properly it can really intensify things and facial exercises are no exception but if I was to start suddenly telling people who are used to physically working their muscles to focus on visualisations – they’d think I’m nuts, but if I tell them how to incorporate visualisations into their physical workouts there is always an “aha” moment where they feel the exercise at a whole different level and intensity!

How can you visualize a muscle working? Are we suppose to visualize it moving up and down?

Well it does several things that are good and will help anyone on their journey but of course it’s a bit much to take in at the start, as you’re focusing on learning the method and techniques etc and holding contractions and so on which is why I tend to avoid advising this to beginners in exercising because it can be way too much to try to take in and master in the beginning stages, but there comes a time when it really vamps things up.

Firstly by visualising how you want the muscle to look you are actually engaging the brain and thus building up the mental mind/body connections before you do anything, secondly when you are working out with the idea of how you want the area to look its literally like giving your cells a command to follow.

Does it have to be moving – well depends which muscle you are talking about and the strength of it and what the goal is. You’re the only person really who can make that decision!

CS23 wrote:

SeanySeanUK wrote:

or you can envisage how you want the muscle to look (the end result)

This part sounds awesome. Does it work though? SO basically, I should have an image in my head of what i want the area I'm working on to look like? Does it have to be moving? So if I'm exercising my cheeks, i have a picture of my cheeks the way i want it to look like?

free skin care · Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:42 am

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Sure will the muscles respond to exercises whilst watching tv – for certain, but will it be to the same extent if the exercises were carried out in a focused and targeted way, I very much doubt that. You got to use your own good example here, lifting weights whilst watching the tv, versus lifting weights without any distractions – which do you think produces a better result? TV will always distract some of your focus – the sound/lights etc are all picked up by the brain and if the brain is having to multitask and record and register those things on top of working out then its not going to be able to focus to the same extent pure and simple.

Oh, I am sure you will get a better result if you focus while exercising. I'm just saying if the exercise itself is truly effective, you should still get some benefit even without the visualization. I don't think an exercise should focus mainly on visualization. I just don't buy it. Like the Facercise NL exercise-you just put your mouth in the position and imagine energy up and down the NL area. I still do it because that's the program I've chosen for the moment, but I wonder how effective it really is.

Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:21 pm

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Firstly by visualising how you want the muscle to look you are actually engaging the brain and thus building up the mental mind/body connections before you do anything, secondly when you are working out with the idea of how you want the area to look its literally like giving your cells a command to follow.

Does it have to be moving – well depends which muscle you are talking about and the strength of it and what the goal is. You’re the only person really who can make that decision!

Great advice. I've actually started to think of the muscles i am working the way i want it to look. My face feels different when doing this(in a good way). Maybe this was my problem all along!

Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:46 pm

I have the facercise book (bought it 2 weeks ago)
And i saw this exercise:

Carole Maggio's Lower Eyelid Strengthener

Place your middle fingers in the inside corner of your eyes and place your index finger on the outer corner of your eyes. Squint up with your lower eyelid strong. Squint and release 10 times. On the 10th time, hold the lower eyelid squint for 40 seconds.

What do they mean with lower eyelids and squint them up?
How should i imagine that... Can anyone explain that to me?

P.s Maybe i'm asking stupid questions, but that is because english is not my vernacular, so forgive me lol Laughing

Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:45 pm

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Firstly by visualising how you want the muscle to look you are actually engaging the brain and thus building up the mental mind/body connections before you do anything, secondly when you are working out with the idea of how you want the area to look its literally like giving your cells a command to follow.

Does it have to be moving – well depends which muscle you are talking about and the strength of it and what the goal is. You’re the only person really who can make that decision!

This may sound like a stupid question, but have you ever visualized someone who has certain features that you desire. For example, having a picture of Johnny Depp in mind and focusing on his cheek bones. Or is better to visualize yourself with his cheekbones but on your face?

In carole maggio's first facercise video she has really high and full cheeks. Do your cheeks resemble hers? I ask because you said that sometimes you overbuild your cheekbones

free skin care · Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:18 am

I’ve not just overbuilt my cheeks but overbuilt several muscle groups on my face due to the concentration of classes I’ve taught at times and the strength and health of my muscles.

Now to answer your first question, have I ever visualised someone who has a certain feature I desire, well that’s important to recognise but no you don’t want to do that. You always want to work with what you got, and not every guy would look great with just Johnny Depp’s cheeks for example, you want the face to look harmonious which is why its important to work out all the muscles (but that’s just my opinion here).

Do my cheeks resemble Carole Maggios – no idea, but that’s purely personal perspective and I’m not sure it’s a useful conversation.

CS23 wrote:

This may sound like a stupid question, but have you ever visualized someone who has certain features that you desire. For example, having a picture of Johnny Depp in mind and focusing on his cheek bones. Or is better to visualize yourself with his cheekbones but on your face?

In carole maggio's first facercise video she has really high and full cheeks. Do your cheeks resemble hers? I ask because you said that sometimes you overbuild your cheekbones

free skin care · Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:36 am

Basically its just the lid itself moving upwards, nothing else.

HamCheeseSandwich wrote:

I have the facercise book (bought it 2 weeks ago)
And i saw this exercise:

Carole Maggio's Lower Eyelid Strengthener

Place your middle fingers in the inside corner of your eyes and place your index finger on the outer corner of your eyes. Squint up with your lower eyelid strong. Squint and release 10 times. On the 10th time, hold the lower eyelid squint for 40 seconds.

What do they mean with lower eyelids and squint them up?
How should i imagine that... Can anyone explain that to me?

P.s Maybe i'm asking stupid questions, but that is because english is not my vernacular, so forgive me lol Laughing

Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:42 am

SeanySeanUK wrote:

Now to answer your first question, have I ever visualised someone who has a certain feature I desire, well that’s important to recognise but no you don’t want to do that. You always want to work with what you got, and not every guy would look great with just Johnny Depp’s cheeks for example, you want the face to look harmonious which is why its important to work out all the muscles (but that’s just my opinion here).

I know this is subjective, but when visualizing how you want the outcome to look like, do you imagine looking at a picture of yourself with the changed features(higher cheeks, square jaw) or just feel the differences in your face(imagining large cheeks or strong jawline)

Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:13 am

CS23 wrote:

I know this is subjective, but when visualizing how you want the outcome to look like, do you imagine looking at a picture of yourself with the changed features(higher cheeks, square jaw) or just feel the differences in your face(imagining large cheeks or strong jawline)

I mean a still image or looking at yourself in first person

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