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Finding the Pride in the Grind

1/30/2015

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This post coincides with the one I posted on 1/23/15 entitled "Paying Attention to the Thoughts that Surround Working Out."

Exercise more. Lose 10 pounds. Look good for the beach. Desire to be fitter and healthier? Build muscle. Get stronger. Run faster. Improve agility. Jump higher. Hit harder. Desire to be a better athlete? We all have reasons to go to the gym, get on the treadmill, or go to the track. Every day we are hit over the head with email spam and facebook posts telling us about the best workouts, the top five exercises we are not doing, and how to get flat abs. All of which is great information. But all of that information is useless if you are not really pushing yourself when you work out. You can go to the gym and do those exercises without seeing any results if you do not feel discomfort. Discomfort in straining to lift the weight, discomfort in burning muscles, discomfort in labored breathing, discomfort in sweating. All of this collective discomfort is experienced as suffering. This is where well-intentioned exercise regimens fizzle out, which is a slippery slope in which one can feel defeated, frustrated, negative, and experience a sense of self-hatred.


I would like to offer a possible remedy for avoiding that slippery slope. Rather than focusing on the agony of the work out, focus on the pride. I know it is sometimes hidden, but it is there. It can be found when you’ve finished the second to last set of 30 burpees. Your legs are slightly cramping, shoulders are burning, and your breathing resembles someone in the throes of an asthma attack. But behind the grimace on your face is that flicker of hope that you have only one more set of pain. It is the feeling you get when you take in a deep breath and feel alive because you are testing your limits. It is the quiet voice in a sea of naysayers that says, “Damn I am good.” Then the last set is done and so is one more workout. But the search for the pride shouldn’t end there. You should regularly remind yourself how good it felt to push yourself to you physical limits. For the person looking to lose weight and be fitter these regular reminders come in the form of self-statements that you are on your way to reaching that goal and today was a big step and fantasies of looking and feeling great. For the athlete, these regular reminders come in the form of fantasies surrounding making the team, setting a new personal record, scoring goals/points, and championships. It is these regular reminders that can become the much needed fuel form motivation. Search for that workout pride, especially when it is hidden behind the pain and suffering.  

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The Role of the Sport Psychologist in Professional Sports

1/28/2015

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Below is a great article explaining how a sport psychologist has changed the culture of the Super Bowl bound Seattle Seahawks for the better. Head coach Pete Carroll has embraced mindfulness and sport psychology, which, I feel, is a major factor in the team’s recent success. For anyone who has worked with me, some of this information might sound familiar.


http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-shrink-on-the-seattle-seahawks-sideline-1422402204?KEYWORDS=seahawks
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Paying Attention to the Thoughts that Surround Working Out

1/23/2015

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As a collegiate coach, I understand the value of having a group of players that can out-work every other team. The teams responsible for turning Swarthmore College Men’s soccer team into a successful program valued the importance of fitness. In these rebuilding years, the players respected physical fitness and embraced the mindset that nobody would work harder than us on the field.

An athlete’s approach to working out can have profound effects on the field. We all know athletes that fall on the far ends of the workout spectrum and everywhere in between. Some players seem to have unending energy and an amazing level of dedication and an unmatched work ethic. Some players seem sluggish and unmotivated. What can you do if you are not the most dedicated to working out? One problem is to focus solely on the physical aspect of training. The problem is that the decision to work out is a mental, not a physical process. Too many athletes fail to consider the mental factors influencing the decision to go out in the heat, when you are tired or sore, when it is raining, or when you just don’t feel like it. I suggest all athletes examine what runs through their head during the times of both high and low motivation. Most athletes would begin to find thought patterns. The thought patterns that often result in getting the hard work done typically surround imagining having that perfect game, lowering your time in the fitness run, contributing to a championship, earning that starting spot, being faster/stronger/better than others, or scoring that brilliant goal that leaves everyone talking. The thought patterns that often result in the decision not to do anything typically surround the pain and suffering of the workout itself or having thoughts that the workout isn’t going to be very helpful.

If you are a serious athlete who wants to develop a better work ethic, I suggest you begin the process of self-analyzing your workout related thoughts. Then if you are serious about making a change, contact me.      

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Dedication and Your Future Self

1/19/2015

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http://m.nautil.us/issue/9/time/why-we-procrastinate?utm_content=bufferde04d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

This is an interesting take on how we conceptualize our future selves and how that related to habits of procrastination. In a sense we think about ourself in the future the same way we think about others. I see this concept unfold when I look at the level of dedication and hard work some athletes put into their off-season work outs. The fit, dedicated, and gritty players are the ones who relate more closely to their future selves. Whereas the unfit, procrastinating players imagine themselves during the season as if it were someone else. Which athlete are you?

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Teenage Brain Development.

1/6/2015

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http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/inside-your-teenagers-scary-brain/

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