Results matching “log”

Adam does some great stuff in his training, including something I haven't seen for years - Finger Lifting. Love it.

Taikei Matsushita.

RKC Taikei Matsushita enjoying an outdoor snatch session.

Think about it.

We've all heard similar sayings. Most successful athletes know that their mentality plays a strong role in their performance. Many recreational athletes and trainees also realize on some level that their thoughts and moods affect their workouts. But very few actually dedicate sufficient time to their Mental Conditioning (to "train their brain"). The fact is that the mind (especially the subconscious mind) actually has INCREDIBLE power that many don't acknowledge. Our mind has the ability to make us stronger, more muscular, more athletic, more powerful, even wealthier and happier! Sound unbelievable? As this article will explain, your inner world creates your outer world.

The intention of this article is to share some of the basics of exercise and sport psychology and to illustrate the importance of our thoughts and emotions relative to our physical goals. I will also describe some simple techniques that you can use regularly to improve you performance. This information is directed to those readers who are already participating in a regular bodybuilding or strength training program and are motivated to achieve greater results.

The truth is that it's our mind that determines what results we will achieve. The process goes something like this: Your thoughts and beliefs lead to your emotions, which in turn lead to your actions, which cause your results. Unfortunately, most of us put up our own psychological barriers that interfere with our performance and limit our success. The four-minute mile was a famous example of a psychological barrier. For years runners were apparently not able to run a mile in under four minutes, although many came close. That led to the common belief that this was physically impossible. Incredibly, within a year and a half after Roger Bannister's famous breakthrough, 16 other athletes accomplished it! It wasn't because these athletes were suddenly training harder. They were no longer limited by their beliefs once Bannister had demonstrated what was possible.

What I'm saying is that with a bit of mental conditioning you can expect far superior results from your training, and in many cases it's all that's holding you back.

The four basic principles of mental conditioning are as follows:

1. Set SMARTER Goals.
2. Create a strong, clear mental picture of these goals using Visualization and Imagery training.
3. Reinforce these ideas often using Affirmations.
4. Maintain a positive focus on your objectives and employ interventions such as negative thought-stopping techniques.

The field of exercise and sport psychology is significantly more involved than this, but these principles provide a great starting point for developing a mental training program.

Setting SMARTER Goals

Studies have shown that appropriate goal setting leads to performance enhancement, with moderate to strong effects. To remember the key principles of effective goal setting, think SMARTER; your goals should be:

• Specific - indicate precisely what is to be done. Avoid vague alternatives



• Measurable - you should be able to quantify your goal


• Action-Oriented - develop concrete plan of actions required to move toward your goals


• Realistic - start with moderately difficult goals, rather than too easy or difficult to reach


• Time-Constrained - set specific time limits for both short term and long term goals


• Evaluated - record and monitor your progress regularly


• Reversible - in cases of injury, or failure to achieve a difficult goal, reset goals as needed

Take some time right now to write down your short term goals as well as your long term "dream" goals (the ones that may seem a long way off and harder to achieve). Writing your goals down is the basis of a contract with yourself. It also helps to publicly acknowledge your goals.

Short-term or daily goals are the most important because they provide a focus for our training in each and every session. Past research on elite athletes found that setting daily training goals was one factor that distinguished the successful performers from the less successful.

Many have also found it useful to write a 'Mission Statement' for themselves, which summarizes their basic goals and primary objectives in their life.

Relaxation and Visualization

Scientific research has shown the use of Visualization (or Imagery) to be an important adjunct to physical training. This is why world-class, elite level athletes and coaches use imagery techniques regularly. In fact, past studies have demonstrated that athletes using visualization dramatically improved their performance by comparison with those who didn't.

With clear and vivid visualization training, certain parts of our brain can be stimulated to illicit small neuromuscular signals and specific hormonal changes that can lead to real physical changes in your body and your performance. In addition, we can reprogram our subconscious mind to develop stronger neural "connections" that will reinforce those positive thoughts and beliefs that empower us to achieve our goals.

For visualization / imagery training to be most effective you need to be in a relaxed state with as few distractions as possible. The following simple Progressive Relaxation exercise will help achieve this.

Progressive Relaxation:

1. Choose a quiet, relaxing place where you won't be interrupted.
2. Before you start, do a few gentle stretching exercises to relieve muscular tension.
3. Make yourself comfortable, either sitting or lying down. Close your eyes.
4. Start to breathe slowly and deeply, in a calm and effortless way.
5. Gently tense, and then relax, each part of your body, starting with your feet and working your way up to your face and head.
6. As you focus on each area, count backwards from 10 to 1, relaxing more deeply with each number. Think of warmth, heaviness and relaxation.
7. Push distracting thoughts to the back of your mind; imagine them floating away with each breath.
8. Don't try to relax; simply let go of the tension in your muscles & let them become relaxed on their own.
9. Let your mind go empty. Some people find it helpful to visualize a calm, peaceful place such as a garden or meadow.
10. Stay like this for about 15 to 20 minutes, and do your visualizations (see below). Then take some deep breaths and open your eyes, but stay sitting or lying for a few moments before you get up.

While you are in this relaxed state it is a perfect time to practice visualization training for a few minutes. This is an important part of your mental conditioning program. The key points to remember when practicing your creative visualization are as follows:

1. Your imagery should be as vivid and clear as possible.
2. Always visualize positive and controllable scenarios.
3. Try to imagine in real time: the visualization of an experience should last as long as the actual event (eg: 1 minute). Often we imagine events more quickly than we actually experience them. Model your imagery in "real time".
4. Visualize both the process of achieving your goal, as well as the positive outcome.

Here are a few simple suggestions of visualizations you can do, to get you started:

• See yourself getting up in the morning and being really excited about your goals. See yourself so excited you can't stay in bed any longer.
• Mentally rehearse your training drills, picturing perfect performance in real time.
• Imagine in vivid detail how much faster, stronger, more muscular, more powerful, more athletic you are becoming and how smoothly your body responds.
• Visualize how successful you will be in competition or training. Visualize your self as a warrior, with unlimited energy. See yourself as unbeatable.
• Imagine that you have already achieved these goals you have. How does it feel? What do you see? What would you be hearing? Picture every detail as if it's real.

DIY Viking Press.

Bill Long's home-made Viking Press. Looks great.

What do I do with this?

Over at Fireground Fitness : Winston and the bell.

Via Conditioning Research : Steve Cotter demonstrates a great mobility exercise for the shoulder. Good stuff.

Svein Tuft. Photo by Matthew Staver.

Via Get Outdoors : professional cyclist Svein Tuft. At 31, he's just getting started.