Body building for your brain? What Arnold Schwarzenegger’s success has to do with Meditation.
Last week in Arnie's newsletter he wrote about his 'focus principle'...which is essentially just meditation. Here's the neuroscience of why this works and some tips on how to master it.
Mastering Focus… One Rep at a Time
Here’s what he writes in his Pump Club Newsletter about how he gets so much done:
The focus principle is simple: one thing at a time. You don’t try to juggle five things.
If you’re spending time with your family, you’re spending time with your family, not thinking about your work project or answering emails.
If you’re doing the work project, you’re doing the work project, not thinking about your projects around the house or texting your husband or wife.
If you’re in the gym, you’re working out, not playing on social media or thinking about your day.
Now, of course, your brain will want to think ahead and solve all your problems and the world's problems, too. That’s natural.
You just have to train yourself. When it starts wandering to something other than what you’re doing right now, when you start to pick up your phone to answer an email or a text when email or text is NOT what you’re doing now, you must stop yourself. That’s when you say, “One thing at a time!” and return to what you were doing.
That’s one rep.
You will do these reps for the rest of your life, but I promise it’s worth it.
Though it might not seem like formal meditation, the technique Arnold is talking about shares roots with mindfulness, i.e. training the mind to return to the present moment.
This focus principle is as he says, a strategy for life. It’s about bringing your attention entirely to whatever you’re doing—whether you’re with family, lifting weights, or working on a business project: Do one thing at a time.
Why Focus is a Form of Meditation
We’ve all seen the Netflix docu, right?In the 1970 he was juggling his bodybuilding career, acting classes, real estate investments and community college courses. He was stretched thin and feeling overwhelmed. Someone suggested transcendental meditation, and though Arnold admits he wasn’t one to gravitate toward the "hippy" practices, he tried it. It helped him challenge the common misconception that meditation is about clearing your mind.
Meditation isn't about eliminating thoughts but rather returning your attention to the present.
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
That’s the key here. Meditation (whether it’s mindfulness or transcendental) isn’t about emptying your mind—it’s about training it. When you focus on one thing, like your breathing or a mantra in traditional meditation, your mind will inevitably wander.
The goal isn’t to prevent the wandering, but to gently guide your attention back. That “re-focusing” is the exercise.
Each time your mind strays to emails, texts, or future tasks, you recognise it, and then bring your attention back to the current task.
That’s a mental “rep,” as Arnold puts it.
So if you want to call it ‘focus principle’ you can, or you can just look up ‘focused attention meditation’ and you’ll probably find more helpful resources.
Training Your Brain Like a Muscle
From a neuroscientific perspective, this is a great way to train your brain.
Practicing focus strengthens certain neural pathways in your brain.
But what’s really happening in ye olde walnut?
The Prefrontal Cortex: The most recently evolved part of your brain, this is responsible for attention, decision-making, and self-control and other executive functions. Research actually shows increased cortical thickness in this area for meditators.
The Default Mode Network (DMN): The DMN is a set of brain regions that become active when your mind is wandering or daydreaming. In meditation or focused work, you’re quieting this network by actively redirecting your attention. Arnold’s focus principle requires the same effort: when your brain wants to wander to your to-do list, you bring it back to the task at hand. Over time, this practice reduces the tendency of your DMN to take over, allowing you to remain more present and engaged. Reduced DMN activity is associated with less rumination and anxiety.
Neuroplasticity: We used to think the brain was unchangeable, but now we know how wrong that it. Your brain is malleable and can be reshaped through practice. When you repeatedly practice focusing on one task at a time, you reinforce neural circuits dedicated to sustained attention. This is known as neuroplasticity, and it explains why habits of focus can improve with time, making it easier to resist distractions and stay on track. An easy way to think of it is learning. language or an instrument, you start with a brain that has no knowledge of that task. The more you practice, or the more fluent you become, is a result of the brain creating neural networks to support that skill. Suddenly you have a brain that has a special area or circuit for your new language or instrument.
How to Apply Arnold’s Focus Principle in Your Life
If you want to try Arnold’s method of focus training and experience the mental clarity that comes with it, here are a few strategies that mat help.
Start Small: Arnold didn’t build all that muscle overnight, and your brain’s focus won’t become ironclad immediately.
Begin with short sessions where you practice focusing on one thing—like your breathing, or washing the dishes. Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and commit to staying fully present. Gradually increase the time as your mental “muscle” strengthens. No podcasts during this time please. No multitasking.
Mindful Transitions: When you move from one activity to another—like leaving work for family time—make that transition deliberate. Close the mental door on work and open it on family. This trains your brain to stay in the moment instead of multitasking. I work from home, so I do this by hiding my laptop after work hours. Weird, but it works.
Recognise Distraction as a Cue for Focus: Instead of getting frustrated when your mind wanders, use it as an opportunity. Every time your brain pulls you away from the task, see it as a “rep.” Just like a bicep curl, the act of pulling your attention back strengthens your mental muscles. Over time, these reps become easier, and your ability to sustain focus grows. Again, coming back from the distraction is the exercise. Distractions are bound to happen.
Limit Digital Distractions: Arnold mentions resisting the temptation to check texts or emails while working out. Research shows that constant switching between tasks, like checking your phone during work, weakens your brain’s ability to focus. Create environments where distractions are minimised, and if you can, schedule times for focused work, free of digital interruptions.
Engage your Senses: I find it easier to be present by focusing on all the senses. Next time you’re having trouble being mindful when you’re washing the dishes, focus on the smells, the temperature of the water, the lather of the soap, etc. You cant ruminate at the same time as paying attention to the senses.
Long-Term Benefits
Neuroscience studies show that training focus through methods like mindfulness can reduce stress, increase happiness, creativity, empathy, improve overall well-being, and more. This is because, as your brain becomes better at staying in the moment, the constant barrage of distracting thoughts becomes less overwhelming.
So next time you find yourself getting pulled in a hundred directions, remember Arnold’s advice: “One thing at a time!” Each time you bring your mind back to the present, you’re doing a mental rep. And just like in the gym, those reps add up.