Bicep Curls for the Brain

Train Your Focus Like a Muscle

Chris Loper, ADHD coach and educator, brings an energising twist to focus and cognitive stamina: treat your brain like a muscle, and train it that way.

That metaphor isn’t just catchy, it’s practical. Chris encourages ADHDers to strengthen attention and executive function not through pressure or perfection, but by deliberately exercising their cognitive “muscles.” This includes practices like mindfulness meditation, but also engaging, real-life activities that naturally build stamina and strategic thinking from birdwatching to complex board games.

“It’s cultivating an actual awareness of what your brain is doing and choosing to direct it… That’s like bicep curls for your prefrontal cortex.”
— Chris Loper, ADHDifference

Why It Works

For many with ADHD, focus doesn’t come “on demand.” It’s not a lack of intelligence or willpower, it’s about underpowered neural pathways that fatigue quickly or lose direction.

By seeing focus as a trainable skill rather than a fixed trait, we shift from frustration to growth. This approach works because it:

Reduces shame by reframing struggles as muscle fatigue, not personal failure
Taps into strengths like curiosity, creativity, and pattern recognition
Encourages neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to strengthen with use)
Builds resilience in environments where attention is easily hijacked

Instead of brute force attention, this strategy builds focus naturally, through deliberate practice and engaging stimulation.

When to Use This Strategy

This approach is especially powerful when:

You want to improve your focus without relying solely on medication
You’re seeking non-traditional ways to improve executive function
You’ve struggled with rigid productivity systems
You find standard meditation difficult or unappealing
You want to lean into ADHD traits rather than fight against them

How to Practice It Daily

Think beyond the cushion and candle. Brain training can look like this:

Mindfulness Meditation
Start small: 2 minutes a day, focusing on your breath. The moment you get distracted and bring it back — that’s the rep.
Creative Flow
Drawing, painting, building Lego sets, or assembling puzzles can all build sustained attention in joyful ways.
Complex Board Games
Strategy-based games require planning, memory, and decision-making which makes for excellent executive function.
Birdwatching & Nature Observation
A surprising superpower for ADHDers. High environmental awareness becomes an asset. Spotting, scanning, and identifying birds taps directly into attentional strengths.
Reading for Enjoyment
Not for work or study, but pleasure. Fiction, graphic novels, or anything immersive helps stretch your attention span.
Yoga or Tai Chi
Gentle movement with intentional awareness is another effective (and accessible) mindfulness practice.

The key is consistency, not perfection. You don’t need to do all of them. Pick one or two that resonate and treat them as part of your mental fitness plan.

The Science Behind It

The prefrontal cortex, the area most responsible for planning, decision-making, and sustained attention, is typically underactive in ADHD brains, especially under stress, fatigue, or poor nutrition.

A 2019 pilot study found that using structured board games as a cognitive training tool led to improvements in executive functioning and reductions in ADHD symptoms. Participants showed better planning, focus, and impulse control after engaging in game-based sessions designed to challenge working memory and flexibility.¹

The study supports the idea that playful, strategic activities can effectively strengthen ADHD brains, reinforcing the metaphor of “bicep curls for the brain.”

💬 Final Thought

We often hear the phrase “use it or lose it” when it comes to the body. The same is true for the brain, especially for ADHD brains, which thrive on stimulation, novelty, and movement.

What Chris reminds us is that focus isn’t just a task, it’s a trainable strength. Whether you’re playing a board game, spotting birds in the trees, or breathing through a moment of distraction, you’re building something powerful: agency over your attention.

Give your brain the reps it deserves!

🎧 Listen to the full episode S2E15 here 🎧

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