intensity

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

Are You Too Hyped To Perform Your Best

November 10, 2015 by Dawn Leave a Comment

Finding your optimal “pre -event pump” or “emotional-arousal level” has a lot in common with finding that perfect amount of coffee consumption.

Here’s what I mean

Before you drink any coffee or caffeine, you may feel groggy, unfocused, unmotivated and even disinterested.

As you drink that perfect amount, you begin to feel focused, energized, excited but not too hyped up and ready to take on whatever comes your way. 4-6 oz is perfect for me!

If you go overboard with your coffee consumption, you may start to tweak out a bit and feel anxious, feel like your attention is all over the place, feel sick, or feel like you can’t seem to get anything done how you wanted to. Have you ever been there? I know I have.

This same concept carries over to your arousal before an event. Without any, you’d feel bored, lethargic or even unmotivated to perform at your highest level.

With the right amount of arousal, you’ll feel ready to go, but calm and focused at the same time.

With too much, you’ll feel like you’re all over the place and may be pushing your system to overload.

You gotta find your sweet spot.

Use This Method To Waste Less Time

September 16, 2015 by Mentality WOD 1 Comment

In an AMRAP (As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible) Workout, your goal is to get as much as you can in a certain time. If the clock is set for 10 minutes, you work as hard as you can for 10 minutes. Whatever you accomplish is your score, and your workout is done after the time expires. No matter what, you push for 10 minutes and do what you can.

So, could you incorporate that same method into your life to be more efficient?

If you set a timer, would you be less likely to waste time with the unnecessary?

Would you complete a task quicker, or better because of the limited time you’ve given yourself to do it?

Here are some suggestions

If you’re about to do something on your computer (checking email, scanning social media, updating a website, etc.) then set a timer for that particular task and do what you can until it goes off. I use this “timer-tab” – it’s simple and it helps.

If you’re about to do something around the house (a chore, reorganizing, minimizing, etc.) then set a timer on your phone for the task and get as much done as possible in that time.

This strategy works well for jobs, responsibilities or tasks where you really just want to do get it accomplished without wasting precious time dilly-dallying or becoming distracted. It’s best to use the “AMRAP mentality” when you’re really focused on being productive and checking things off your to-do list. Obviously don’t use it when you’re trying to chill, enjoy time with your favorite people, or do something fun or creative.

Bottom Line: If you can be efficient with tasks that are important to accomplish then you’ll open up a lot more free time to do what you love, attack your goals and help others.
Try it out!

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