OWN the ZONE
6 Steps to Optimal Performance
By Jamie Collins
fit rx [mind ]
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or many CrossFit athletes, competitions are a chance to test their progress and push themselves to reach new levels of performance. Athletes continually strive for those performances when everything “clicks”; when they feel “in the zone” and perform at their best. Although you might have been in the zone before, athletes’ ability to get there is often unpredictable. So how can you make sure that you consistently put your best foot forward? Follow these steps to help you discover and enter your optimal performance zone (OPZ) in any situation. Step 1: Become aware Reflect on your best performances. Rate your level of physical and psychological activation during those performances on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being flat/sluggish and 10 being extremely activated. Next, write down what you were thinking, feeling, and doing (a) leading up to those performances and (b) during them. Keep in mind that your OPZ will be based on both personal factors (e.g., your personality traits and skill level) and the demands of the situation (e.g., the type of workout). Be as detailed as possible. The first step to recreate best performances is to describe the conditions under which they occurred. Awareness creates the opportunity for enhancement. Step 2: Plan and prepare Being able to get into your OPZ requires structured planning. The purpose of planning is to (a) allow athletes to approach performances in a routine manner and (b) eliminate potential barriers to getting in the zone. Pre-competition planning should address training and recovery, nutrition and hydration, travel, packing, and rest, so that you feel ready on competition day. Competition planning, on the other hand, should serve as ??W"&?WF??Rf?"WfV?BF??v?V?7&VF??r??W"???6??6?FW"F?Rf????v??s?'&?f?F??R???r?v?V???Rv???v&??W?v?B?v?V???R6??V?BVB???r?v?V???Rv???FWFW&??R??W"&?6?f?"V6?v?&??WB??B??r?v?V???Rv???W6Rf&??W27G&FVv?W2F???6?6???B?V?F??&W&R??B?2WV?????'F?BF???f?"?FV?F???'7F6?W2F?B6?V?BF?7'WB??W"???F??( ?B?VfRF???w2F?6??6R?f?"W???R??b??RfVV?F?&VB?B?WF?&v?2&Vf?&R?WfV?B???rv?????RvWB&6???F???W"???S?7FW3?6?V6???66?VGV?RF??RF?6?V6???v?F???W'6V?b?&R??R????W"????b??B???r6???Rf???C?B6??WF?F???2???Rv????VVBF?66?VGV?R??W"6?V6???V&?V??Vv?F?B??R?fRF??RF???R6??vW2?b?VVFVB???R??6????W'6V?bF?v??"V???W'6V?bW??'WB??B6?V&?F?B??W"7F?fF????WfV?v???6??vR&Vf?&RF?Rv?&??WB?7FWC?6???6R??W"f?7W2v?V?6WGF??rv??2?f?7W2??F?R&?6W76W2F?Bv????VB??RF?v&G27V66W76gV?W&f?&??6R?7V6?2??W"v?R???"FV6???6?7VW2?F???W"&W7B??BF?f?7W2??F?R?WF6??R?7V6?2v?????r?WfV?B?"&VF??r6???B?6???fW"?V??6????rF?R?WF6??W26??VBF??WG?v?V?F???w2F??( ?Bv?2???VB?v??6?v?????FW&fW&Rv?F???W"???f?7W2??6??G&???&?R7V7G2?bW&f?&??6R?7FWS?&7F?6R?&Vf?V7B??BFBVffV7F?fV?W6??r?V?F?6????2&WV?&W2&WWF?F????B&V?V'6??6?&7F?6Rf??F??r??W"????G&????r?B6??WF?F????&Vf?V7B??F?RVffV7F?fV?W72?bf&??W27G&FVv?W2??BF??( ?B&Rg&?BF?FB?Bf??Bv?Bv?&?2&W7Bf?"??R??b??^( ?&R?f??rG&?V&?R?F?F??F?W"F??WFW2F?vWB6??R?FV2?B6VRv?Bv?&?2f?"F?V??V?F??FV??F?R??&R??R&7F?6RV?FW&??r??W"???F?R&WGFW"??Rv???vWBB?B??BF?R??&R?gFV???Rv???&R&?RF?6??WfRF??6RG'V?w&VBW&f?&??6W2?v?V?6?V?F?W72??W'2&RFVF?6FVBF?G&????r?B?WG&?F????6???"F??R?W7B?6?&RFWf?FVBF??V?F?&W&F????( ??#????V??VwW7B#0???rrr?2rRB"??r?2???"?f?E%????E?5%???V?Vs2???FB#???r???2??3b???