rack . “ Imagery is not merely visual ; it engages all of the senses . And when we imagine something , we create the neural pathway similar to that created if we were to execute the behaviour physically .” For example , if prepping for a punishing swim interval , imagine yourself light as a feather on the surface of the water , flying over it , and pushing a personal record . Mentally play out the ideal scenario for your workout .
They monitor and use Self-Talk
For athletes , it ’ s a package deal : amazing bodies , voices in their heads . A Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study found that cyclists who repeat pump-up phrases like “ you ’ re a winner ,” “ I ’ m feeling good ,” or “ dig deep ” during a hard workout increased their time to exhaustion by 18 percent — meaning they were able to push almost a fifth longer than those who didn ’ t talk themselves up , “ If you mentally tell yourself , I ’ ve got this , your body will respond ,” “ It ’ s not who you are that holds you back , It ’ s who you think you ’ re not .”
Self-evaluate and use video playback
“ Pros constantly evaluate themselves ,” “ After every set or drill , or after a competition , they objectively self-assess the way a coach would .” An appraisal helps determine what ’ s going right or wrong , what you need to focus and practice on , to improve . That critique can be as simple as training in front of a mirror to fine-tune your form .
They focus on themselves ( You do you )
The best athletes have some narcissistic tendencies — they obsess over themselves , not the competition . “ Elites are confident enough that their bodies are unique , and they don ’ t have to look to others to see what to do ,”
People generally fail when they were chasing a result while ignoring the process . The athletes I train are given the motto “ Effort over Results .” To be successful with anything long term , whether it ’ s nutrition , weight loss , fitness , performance – literally anything – you have to learn to fall in love with the process .
It ’ s not some grand action that gets you to lose 30 pounds or gets you to the podium . It ’ s the accumulation of the choices you make every day – the PROCESS – that gets you to the RESULT , not the other way around .
If you have any questions or need help with the mental side of training , please don ’ t hesitate to contact me at ronanbyrne @ telus . net or text me @ 778-347-5018
Ronan Byrne is a high-performance meal coach , personal trainer , at Strongermindcoaching . com . He has degree in psychology and human performance from the University of Victoria and is currently a master ’ s candidate at the University of Seattle , in clinical counselling . His thesis is on the development of mental toughness using Narrative and Acceptance and commitment therapy . He will be representing Canada in the Triathlon world championships , in his age group , in Bermuda in 2021 .
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