Sport Mental Performance

3 Quick Mental Prep Methods For Athletes

December 5, 2016 by Dawn 5 Comments

Do not fall into the habit of walking in the gym and jumping right into the warm up without doing any mental preparation.

Don’t chat with others about their plan and their goals until you’ve run through your own mental prep.

Don’t even think about looking at the scoreboard or leaderboard without first considering your own focus areas, goals, and purpose.

See, most people will do those things, and you don’t want to be most people do you? You want to be more confident, motivated and mentally strong…right? That’s why you’re on this site, reading this.

So, BEFORE you talk to others about the WOD, BEFORE you check out the scores, and BEFORE you get going with the workout…take a few minutes to do some mental prep.

In this post, I’ll give you a few ways to do mental prep that will take you 5 minutes or less. As a coach that’s been doing this a long ass time, I believe this is just as important as any physical prep (or even more important).

Mental prep can be defined as training your mind for a successful performance. It can include practices like visualization, focused breathing, prayer, self-talk, or many other things. The key is to create a habit of doing specific things that help you feel more mentally ready to take on what’s in front of you.

Here are 3 Quick Mental Prep Options

1. 5 minutes of a breathing practice (square breathing, 1-2 breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, or 20 rep breathing) – Tuning into your breath is a way to focus your attention on to something rhythmic that you can control. It helps train your focus and can often help you feel more calm and aware. LUCKILY, I have recorded numerous breathing practices for you in MP3 format, so you can simply just listen and follow along for your mental prep. You get them all in the MENTALITY WOD PROGRAM.

2. 5 mins of setting goals. Simply write down your specific focus and goals for the session/workout. Note why you’re there, what you want out of it, any specific movement cues/reminders for that WOD and any specific words, quotes or practices that you know will help you push when the going gets tough. You can do this very quickly , with your notepad app, on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper.

3. 5 minutes of reviewing all that you have to be grateful for. There will be days that your body is aching, you have a plethora of things you’re stressin over, you don’t like the workout, or someone is annoying the hell out of you. No matter what is going on, you can always improve your mentality by thinking through all the things you can do, the blessings you do have, the things that are going right, the people who you love, the basic needs that are being met, the opportunities you have, etc.

Of course, you’ll want to get your body physically prepared too, but I suggest that you do at least 1 of the above options before you start your training, event or game. You can continue to build on your prep routine, to find what works best for you. Meditating, visualizing, talking with a coach, repeating mantras, reading or watching inspirational videos can all be helpful too. When you take the time to get your mind ready, you’ll find it easier to perform like you’re capable of performing.

Don’t know where to start? Do you want all the best strategies that will help you excel in your daily WODs and competitions? I got ya covered.

The MENTALITY WOD Program

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2 Week Cold Water Challenge

September 24, 2016 by Mentality WOD 2 Comments

The Challenge Specifics

Every day for 2 weeks spend at least 3 minutes (I’m doing at least 5) in cold water

You could use a cold shower, an ice bath, a natural body of water or whatever. If it’s uncomfortable for you, there are likely some benefits to it, even if it’s just the mental benefit of intentionally doing something challenging

How cold is cold? Cold water is really anything from freezing to about 70 degrees – Reference the right side of the chart above – I’d suggest practicing a few times in 55-65 degree water before you go even colder and use caution if you do. When I’ve gone below 50 it is actually painful to touch and it isn’t recommended for everyone

This week I added 40lbs of ice to the tub I’ve been using and it was a legit Ice Bath (pic below) …I hung out in there for 8 minutes working on 4 count square breathing

The Benefits

Top 8 Benefits of Cold Recovery

7 Health Benefits of Cold Water

7 Reasons Why Taking A Cold Shower Is Good For Your Health

The Health Benefits Of Cold Showers

My Purposes For Doing The Challenge

To increase resilience to discomfort – remembering that it’s temporary, responding with calm thoughts (a form of mental training, hey if I wanna keep coaching this stuff, I gotta keep challenging myself too)

To practice remaining calm in discomfort – focusing on breathing, relaxing any tension, smiling and staying relaxed

For fun – doing something different and a little outside the box

To experiment – seeing if I feel any better, studying my body a bit more (pulse, reactions like goosebumps, how long it takes to come back to comfortable body temp), finding out if the benefits listed above are real for me

To continue trying new & challenging things as part of my #1MonthExperiment and for the bigger picture too

To improve my tolerance for the cold – I had a recent experience with cold water shock while swimming through a waterfall in the coldest water I’ve ever been in (a story for another day)…and although I don’t plan to ever do that again because I learned my lesson, I’d like to improve my tolerance. Now that I live in Southern California where I’m rarely exposed to cold temps, I feel so damn wimpy when I am – my fingertips go numb easily and I’d like to see if I can improve that

See me in the pic above? Thankfully, I remained calm and was able to recover from the initial shock…though it took almost 6 hours to recover after I got out!!!

Have you ever done a cold water experiment? Is it something you practice? Comment below

If you’re willing to try, tag me in your photos and videos on Instagram

Follow @mentality_wod for my updates on this challenge!

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Positive Thinking Isn’t Always The Answer

July 7, 2016 by Dawn 2 Comments

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“Stay positive…” you hear it all of the time. Coaches are drilling it into your head and there are hundreds of quotes out there aimed at helping you reframe your thoughts to be more positive.

Of course I believe in the power of optimism and using hopeful language, that’s one of my core values. But, trying to convince yourself that something uncomfortable is “fun” or “good” isn’t always the best thing. Trying to pretend that you “love” something that you really don’t like, normally isn’t the answer.

Example: You see that ‘100 wall balls for time’ is programmed for you. You really don’t fucking like or enjoy wall balls. You don’t need to walk around smiling and saying “I love this WOD,” just because you were told to be positive. That doesn’t work for everyone and it might actually bother you or take away from your drive.

Instead, you can recognize that it’s your not your favorite movement, and also that you don’t “need” to do it. But, you CHOOSE that you are going to and that you actually WANT to because you recognize that it’s part of what will make you a better athlete.

You can appreciate things without loving them (<— major life lesson right there ya’ll).

You can decide that you’re still going to work your ass off and push to the end, regardless of how much you LIKE it or not.

You can appreciate that you don’t “need” to “love” every workout, but you still want to grind to see what you’re capable of.

See, everyone is different. Some people can talk positively about whatever it is, putting this shiny glitter on everything. Others, not so much, it just don’t work. It’s a bit more like, “fuck this is going to be shitty, but, I’m still gonna attack the hell out of it.” This does not mean that you’ll want to walk around bitching about everything, or being negative…. that’s never a great idea.

So, it doesn’t have to be all rainbows, all the time. It’s okay people. You are allowed to dislike things. You don’t have to be positive and optimistic about everything! But, you can still learn to use thought patterns that are going to help you perform your best. That’s the key.

Bottom Line: If it feels better to put a positive spin on it, do it. If it feels better to keep it real, do that. If you can get yourself to push hard, know your purpose, maintain high confidence, and be encouraging to those around you, then you’re winning.

3 Reasons You Don’t Perform Better In Competitions

May 25, 2016 by Dawn Leave a Comment

Do you perform better in training and practice than you do in competitions? Do you feel like you just can’t “put it all together” when it matters the most? Do you often finish events feeling frustrated, down or pissed off at yourself for underperforming?

What the hell is going on here?

1. Training intensity – Are you pushing yourself in your training regularly? Do you train with others who help you dig deeper and push harder? Or, do you find that you’re working hard in practice, but it fails in comparison to what you feel on competition day?

Train with others who are better than you, or near the same level as you but who work their asses off. Travel to work with other training partners or coaches who can challenge you. Seek after competition in your training so that you can get used to pushing the intensity as much as possible.

2. Competition experience – Have you competed in many events throughout your athletic career? Have you put yourself in a variety of competition scenarios that challenge you in different ways? Have you been intentional about sitting down with a coach after events or games to go over crucial learning lessons and then creating plans for how to improve in those areas?

If you’re feeling like your nerves get the best of you, or you mess up your execution during competition, it would be helpful to get some coaching and more experience.

Just because you compete a lot, doesn’t mean you’re getting better at competing. You have to learn what areas you can improve on and HOW to get better.

Sign up for a variety of competitions (outside of your sport, within your sport, partner or group competitions, local or national competitions, etc.) and take notes about hurdles and takeaways. Review your plan and your post-event thoughts with a coach to eliminate making similar errors in the future.

3. Mental performance – Do you make a mental prep plan before competitions? Do you know what thoughts and actions will help you when you begin to feel flustered or upset in a competition? Do you practice controlling your body language, facial expressions, breathing and communication strategies? Do you know how to dig deep when it matters most?

You may know that the “mental component” of competition is important, but you’re not sure exactly what that means or how to train it. To perform your best in an event, you have to mentally prepare, develop strategies, practice composure, build confidence and instill mental toughness. You gotta practice this BEFORE the competition comes so that you know what works for you and can make it more habitual. You don’t just get the mental edge, you have to DEVELOP the mental edge.

How To Get To The CrossFit Games As A Master

May 16, 2016 by Dawn 5 Comments

Occasionally I feature posts from other individuals who have helpful input about the mental side of fitness, training or life. All of the other posts on this site are my thoughts, so I like to share different perspectives (especially so that you don’t get too tired of my ramblings).

Enjoy this post by Bruce Young, an incredible individual, CrossFit Masters Athlete (2015 CF Games Competitor) and someone who I’ve had the pleasure of coaching over the past couple of years.

How To Get To The Games As A Masters Athlete

Have Support At Home
* Being in good relationships with at least one person who really wants you to succeed as an athlete is an incredible help. Your support could come from family members, significant others, friends or even roommates.

I was very fortunate, and still am, to have a partner who is looking for me to really grow as an athlete. There were many times when I knew my wife, Cecile, would have rather I stay home but she knew how important this was to me. One way we managed this was to sit down every week and review what family events and couple time were coming up so that I could schedule around these valuable events. Putting this system in place will helped Cecile realize that she is just as important. When you are together, stop talking about CrossFit. Be present in your family’s lives.

Hire a coach to do your programming

* This prevents you from working on what you want to do instead of what you NEED to do

* Make sure that person is willing to spend the time getting to know you as an athlete, avoid a cookie cutter approach

A good coach will sit down with you, understand your strengths and weaknesses and will develop programming around that with your ultimate goal in mind.
I sat down with Jamie Nugent, of CompWOD, and discussed what my goals were and what my concerns were. He agreed to work with me under one condition. I needed to be all in! Committed to the program as a whole with no cherry picking! That conversation was one of the two turning points in my CrossFit Journey and I am so glad I had a coach who spoke the brutal truth about what my weaknesses were.

Build Mental Strength
* Focus on your “why”.

* Be prepared for highs & lows – “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low” is a quote that I come back to often.

* Focus on what you can control.

* Learn to embrace “the suck” during those final moments of a wod…that’s where the winning happens

A significant addition to my team was when I decided I needed help building my Mental Strength. Just to give you an example of how much I needed to work on this. During the 2013 Open I was in the middle of a wod and someone changed the music. I actually stopped during the wod and told them to change the music back. Yes, that’s right, during the middle of an Open wod I actually stopped to tell someone to change the music.

Working with Dawn Fletcher, of MENTALITY WOD completely changed how I approach every workout, how I approach achieving balance in my life AND I no longer even pay attention to the music. I assume that this is something that I can not control. By the way, at The Games, when you are out there on the field, there is no music!

Mental Strength, in my opinion, is what separates the winners at this level. Prior to getting into a nasty Open Wod I have a very set process that I go through which includes a prewod routine reminding me of how grateful I am to have a healthy family and the fact that I am able to compete in a sport that I love while surrounded by amazing people. This includes squatting down and focusing on these key ingredients, as you can see from the picture below.

Improve Tissue Mechanics

* Work on mobility daily

* Seek and hire practitioners who understand your goal, competitive athletics and the type of training you’re doing

At Masters age, quite often, this becomes a war of attrition. Staying injury free and healthy is so key. I have been blessed to remain relatively injury free, possibly because I work on my mobility on a daily basis and I use the following on a regular basis: Chiropractor, Registered Massage Therapist & Physiotherapist – All three of these people understand what it means to be a competitive athlete.

Dial In Your Nutrition
* Find out what works for you and don’t change that as you get close to a competition or The Open

In the beginning of my CrossFit journey I started with paleo.I found that this did not work for me. During 1.5 hour training sessions or long mountain bike rides I would start to get dizzy and feel fatigued. Once I started to introduce the right carbs, at the right time, my energy levels went up along with my performance.

I found that using “My Fitness Pal” to track my caloric, carbs and fat intake helped ensure that I was getting the right amount of each component to sustain growth and energy.

Surround Yourself With Better Athletes
* If you are the big fish in a small pond you will stop growing as an athlete..it is that simple.

*Find a box that has athletes who will kick your ass

Set Goals and Be Prepared To Adapt
* Write that shit down and look at it every day

Without a clear goal you are just going to flounder. It is that simple. When I am just going to the box for the sake of going to the box I tend to wander. Once my goals were clear-cut, written down I became very focused. I have conducted many Goal Setting Sessions at various boxes throughout the Greater Toronto Area, so this part came very natural to me.

As you can see in the pic above, my goal was clear. “I will be an athlete participating in the 2013 CrossFit Games in California” It is short, simple, clear cut with a time line. Now, I had to adjust that goal two more times before I reached the goal.

Participating on the field at The Games, with other elite, world-class, athletes was an adventure I am so proud of accomplishing. I would not change a thing. This was a long three-year journey. Because of the people in my life, I was able to achieve this goal.

Work Your Ass Off

Now, go back up and review the list, pick one item to work on and commit to this month..and start your journey! See ya in Carson!

To discuss how personalized Goal Setting Sessions can help you, contact Bruce at: Bruceyoung1119@gmail.com

What You Gotta Know About Training Intensity

April 1, 2016 by Dawn 5 Comments

Let’s get some things clear about training intensity. Intensity is not about how long your run is, how many calories you burn, how much you sweat, or how sore you are after a workout. Intensity is a mentality. It is all about your drive, purpose, passion and focus.

1. You’ll only know true intensity if you’re willing to get incredibly uncomfortable

A lot of people think they are “going hard” but they are only kidding themselves. Of course, intensity is different for everyone. But, if you never try to lift as much as you can, with people screaming at you and cheering you on, you won’t know that level of intensity. If you don’t time yourself, measure yourself, or even record your workouts, you won’t even know where there is room for improvement. Once people create, or are given specific goals, they tap into a higher level of intensity to reach them. Often it takes training with a coach or a group to bring about a higher level of intensity. You can’t progress consistently, without increasing your intensity. You can’t increase intensity without putting yourself in uncomfortable situations.

2. Intensity can be learned

Remember how you almost threw up after you ran an 8 minute mile last year? But now you cruise at 7 min/mile. It used to be hard as hell for you to do something that you now find easy. You have to try hard to get better, and you have to persevere with consistent, intense training to get stronger and faster. If I ask you how hard you are going in the middle of the workout, you might use a 1-10 scale. 1 is like you are laying on the couch, 10 is like you’re about to vomit or pass out. The more time you spend at 8 or 9, the more other stuff feels easy. You need varied training experience (events, races, games, competitions, and demanding workouts) in order to learn what different levels of intensity feel like. The more you get to know yourself as an athlete, the better you’ll be at being intense and focused.

3. Intensity changes

Your intensity will change depending on your mood, current training plan, rest, nutrition, injury etc. True, all-out-intensity (9 or 10) may only last a few seconds. If your workout or event is longer than that, you need to practice being in control of your intensity, staying focused and grinding through. Short bouts of all out effort are intense. Long bouts of continuous effort are also intense. Both require a different level of intensity, but the same level of drive and purpose. Give all that you can in each situation.

4. All out intensity, all of the time…isn’t the answer

I want to be clear here that not every workout calls for your max intensity. It is the quality of your intensity and focus that will drive the effectiveness of your training. Imagine that your intensity is a stoplight. Red is resting, yellow is moving comfortably, and green is going all out. Optimal training requires you to spend time at red, yellow and green. You can not be on green all the time. You will burn out, and be unable to finish longer bouts. It is physically impossible, and you will mentally wear yourself out (and those around you).

5. Intensity depends on your goals

Do you want to do give every rep your max effort because you are determined to be the best you that you can be? Are you fine cutting corners and stopping early because you just kinda want to be in a little better shape? Do you want to be the best athlete possible, so you push yourself to train even when you’re feeling lazy? Or, are you comfortable jogging instead of sprinting until you almost fall across the finish line? If you want to be your best, feel awesome, and reach specific goals, then you better be ready to get to that place where you are panting for breath with wobbly legs, barely able to go another second.

6. You can always give more

Our bodies are amazing and capable of unbelievable feats. When a workout or game gets tough, your mind may begin telling you to stop or that you can’t do anymore. You can listen to negative thoughts or you can repeat positive mantras and push through. The better you are at controlling your thoughts, the better you’ll be at pushing your intensity. You may even surprise yourself with what you are capable of when you use your thoughts to work for you instead if against you.

7. Your training intensity affects your life outside the gym

When you work your ass off, break your old records and give a drill everything you have…you will feel on fire. It may take you a few minutes to recover, but you will leave feeling like you are ready to take on anything. You will work harder at your job, you will want to take on other challenges, and your mood will be contagious. A lot of other stuff in your life will just start feeling easy and manageable. Knowing you worked your ass off is the reward itself. It’s the gift that keeps giving. Everything in your life will be better when you give workouts your full effort.

17 Mental Recovery Strategies For Athletes

March 22, 2016 by Dawn Leave a Comment

What the hell do I mean by “mental recovery?”

Anything that helps you feel like your batteries are recharging. Anything that brings more joy and satisfaction to your life. It’s any thought or action that improves your well-being and reduces the amount of tension, stress or anxiety you feel. It’s the idea of giving your mind a break in the intensity, so you can go hard again.

Sometimes you’ll want to engage in more adventurous, thrilling and exciting activities to improve your mood. Other times, you’ll want to be more peaceful and relaxed. The key is building awareness about what helps you feel restored and carving out time each day and each week for mental restoration.

If you’re a goal driven person who is on the grind, trying to get things done, you’ll benefit from chilling out and slowing the hell down. If you can prioritize restoration time throughout your week, you’ll be able to give more focus and intensity when it matters most. Honestly, even 5-10 minutes here and there can make the world of a difference. Don’t believe me? Try it.

A lot of athletes work their asses off in training – get home and make some food – scroll through social media and scan stuff on tv or the internet until they fall asleep. Repeat this day after day and a few weeks later they are tired,distraught, lacking confidence or struggling with other signs of burn out. Does that sound like you?

I program mental restoration for the athletes I work with and I check to see that they are taking time for these types of activities each week. To be your best, you have to crush your training and maximize your recovery.

17 Restoration Ideas For Athletes Training At High Intensity

1. Meditate

2. Pray

3. Let your mind wander without any distractions, while being as still as possible

4. Read

5. Journal

6. Create or look at/watch art

7. Make or listen to music

8. Work on breathing

9. Listen to podcasts

10. Watch movies or shows (hopefully uplifting or educational ones…not trash)

11. Talk with your favorite people

12. Cook

13. Do outdoor activities

14. Do ROMWOD, yoga, light stretching, etc.

15. Get a massage or other spa treatment

16. Take a bath or relaxing in a hot tub

17. Visualize

There is immense value in doing an activity simply for pleasure and not to improve, win or perfect it.

There are hundreds of ways to get restored so that you can continue to put out high effort at your training or job. Continue to tune into what helps you, and what you want to regularly incorporate into your schedule.

What else makes you feel rejuvenated? Comment below with your favorite method.

Want more?

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3. For info on remote coaching options email dawn@drivenmindtraining.com for your free assessment

What To Do When You Start To Compare Yourself

December 16, 2015 by Dawn 3 Comments

Do you start to get frustrated, down or full of doubt when you…

see that someone hit a heavier lift than you can?

watch a video of a competitor crushing your time for a workout?

hear about this new athlete who is dominating competitions?

Is your social media is blowing up with people who are posting better numbers than you have? Does it have a negative impact on your mentality?

5 Reminders For When You Get Frustrated By The Success Others Are Having

1. You’re wasting valuable energy by concerning yourself with what someone is doing. You can’t control it. Stop following what that person is doing (unfollowing certain people on social media can be very helpful), and get back to what you can influence ASAP.

2. Think about how capable you are and what you CAN do. Check your results and spend some time reflecting with a coach.

3. They are not you. They have their own desires, goals and motivations. They may be seeking something that you’re not, and they are on an entirely different path than you are. Good for them!

4. Just because someone does something once, doesn’t mean they’ll be able to repeat it or do it in competition. It also doesn’t mean that he or she is a better athlete than you. All that matters, is who is able to adapt and perform at a particular time when it matters most. Always remember that ANYTHING can happen. That’s why you play the game!

5. Check your ego and remember that you’re far more than your performance. Does your belief in yourself fluctuate based on how you compare to others? Are you always looking for feedback based on where you measure up?

6. Remind yourself of your goals and purpose. Are any of your goals related to beating one person at a lift or a workout? If they are, change your damn goals. If not, remind yourself of what you’re working to accomplish and why.

What To Do When Training Feels Like A Job

November 23, 2015 by Dawn 1 Comment

Have your workouts ever started to feel like a chore or a job? You once looked forward to training and then it began to feel like an obligation. Has this ever happened to you?

Follow these 5 tips

Remind yourself of your choices. You can always choose, and it’s likely that no one is forcing you.
Change your language. You don’t “need” to workout or “have” to train. Instead, remember that you “get” to workout, you’re “able” to train and that it’s a blessing to have the opportunity.
Vary your schedule, environment and training partners. Get creative and mix it up so that you can enjoy it again.
Reassess your goals, expectations and training demands. Check in with a coach or training partner to see if what you’re doing is appropriate.
Take a damn break. If you’re constantly dreading it, then you’ll likely see your progress come to a halt and your attitude outside of the gym will start to be negatively impacted.

Bottom Line: Of course your training may feel like an obligation, a duty or even a “job” at times. But, realize that perception may be causing you to feel more stress, pressure, expectation and doubt. You may start to dread your workouts, instead of being pumped about the opportunity to participate.

Work through the tips above and you’ll find that your thoughts and attitude will begin helping you instead of holding you back.