12 08, 2013

Mental Training Begins in the Gym

By | August 12th, 2013|Categories: Sports|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |2 Comments

Most sport psychologists work with athletes on the mental side of their sport in an office setting (usually one hour per week), providing them with mental tools that they can use during training and competitions. This approach makes about as much sense as a coach offering their athletes technical instruction and then telling them to go out onto the field, course, court, or what-have-you and work on it in practice. In either case, the transfer from inside to outside isn’t very good. I have found the most productive work I do with athletes is during their actual practice sessions. I’m able to go to training with athletes and show them how to incorporate mental skills, such as intensity, focus, imagery, and routines, while they’re actually practicing. But, over the last few years, I have discovered an even better setting in which athletes can begin to develop their mental skills: the gym. Yes, using mental skills as a part of your physical conditioning program is a great way to begin to ingrain those skills that will be of such benefit in the quality of your training and when you compete.

24 04, 2013

Cycling: Turn Your Negativity into Positivity on Your Bike

By | April 24th, 2013|Categories: Cycling|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

No two ways about it, negative thinking hurts your cycling confidence. If you’re on ascending a long and steep climb and negative thoughts, such as “I’m gonna bonk” or “I can’t hang with this group,”  pop into your head, the chances are you’re not going to keep up your pace. What’s worse is that if [...]