Taking The Right �S.T.E.P.s� to Mental Conditioning
Physical conditioning in an essential aspect to any sport. In fact, for athletes, it is common knowledge that being in good physical shape improves your game. Athletes often go to great lengths, and will do anything to improve their physical conditioning, just to gain the edge on their competition. This may include developing new work out routines, changing diet, taking supplements, and in extreme cases, the use of steroids. Considering all of the time and energy athletes devote to improving their physical strength, it is common that the aspect of mental conditioning is neglected. Mental conditioning is an important link to the chain of success. Not until recently, over the past decade or so, has athletes, managers, and coaches begun to seek the assistance of sports psychologists. This is interesting, considering that people often say that �sports are 90% mental�. Mental conditioning is what sets apart the individuals who do well at a sport, and those who excel at it. But what is mental conditioning? Are there ways to improve your mental game, which will in turn help you to perform better? If there are ways, than how can they be applied to our particular needs as traceurs?
Mental conditioning is simply taking the time and energy to prepare yourself psychologically for the activity that you are involved in. Mental conditioning can help you to develop and improve your concentration, patience and determination. In Parkour, mental conditioning is an important factor for helping you complete that �big jump� that is just out of your reach. It can also help you continue your training once you have reached your perceived limit.
There are many ways to improve your mental conditioning. There are four important components that we will look at: Self discipline, Target goals, Enjoyment and Progression. An easier way for you to recall these four components, is to remember the acronym �S.T.E.P.s�.
Mental training begins with self discipline. Self discipline is the ability for one to act regardless of their emotional or physical state. This involves being able to dig deep inside of yourself , and being able to pull out that last ounce of strength when you do not think that there is anything left. Self discipline also includes the ability to train on days when you may not have the desire to, or when barriers such as weather do not permit you to. One way to work around these obstacles is to cross train. Cross training involves using other means of training, that do not necessarily involve the actual sport itself. For example, if you are unable to go for a run due to a rain storm, you can either consider the day to be a waste and return to watching televison, or you can train other aspects of yourself. This may involve going to the gym to lift weights, going for a swim, or even do push ups in your living room. On a day when you just do not have the energy to train, you can study your Parkour by watching video tapes of yourself in order to find inefficient movements, or study others to grasp a better understanding of the sport and philosophy. Cross training has become a common way of training for many athletes and can help improve your Parkour immensely.
The next stage in mental training is to develop a target goal. Target goals are simply goals that you create for yourself. Developing a target goal will help you remain on track with your training, by offering you motivation to continue practicing. It often helps if you write down these goals, and to track and monitor your progress. Remember, however, that setting realistic goals is extremely important. For example, if you were to set a goal to lose 20 pounds in a week, you would inevitably fail in doing so. This is because this goal is not practical. Although you may have lost 5 pounds during this time period, you would disappointed and focus on the failure of not meeting the original goal. These negative feelings often lead people to quit, even though they had made significant progress. Remember that it is important to your growth to set goals that are attainable, but require consistent practice. It is the constant but steady work that helps us become stronger and better at anything we do.
The next aspect of mental training is enjoyment. Chances are that if you do not enjoy a particular activity, it will not take long before that activity takes a back seat, no matter how motivated you are. Every year there are millions of people that make New Year resolutions, many of which include training in a particular activity or sport. At the time all of these people have good intentions, and are motivated to make these changes. However, shortly after they begin to work on their resolutions they realize that the activity or sport is not as fun as they had originally thought. It is important to remember that there are many options, and you need to find the one that most suits you. For example if working out with weights is not your thing, try cardio. If your interested in changing your diet but can not live without junk food, that is fine, simply eat more fruit and vegetables. Always remember that you are training to have fun, if something becomes a chore for you to do, then look into something else to continue your training. This will help guarantee that you will constantly grow and improve as a traceur.
The final aspect to mental training is progression. Progression in mental conditioning can be likened to building a strong physical base. When you begin to work out, you can not simply pick up heavy dumbbells and hope for the best. It is a steady and constant process. The same can be said for mental conditioning. You want to start with things that are within your limits, then gradually and steadily increase the difficulty. An example of this would be comparing your abilities to another�s. If you try to look for people that are better than you, than that is exactly what you will find. Comparing yourself to others may cause a negative domino effect to your training. First, you will quickly notice that there are many people who can do things that you can not. This may lead to frustration, which may cause your training to feel less enjoyable, and ultimately cause you to train less, or none at all. Remember that if you jump in head first, you are bound to get hurt.
Just as there are in physical training, there are many different ways to approach your mental conditioning. I hope that these four �S.T.E.P.s� can offer you a better understanding of what mental conditioning is, and help make your process a more enjoyable and worthwhile journey. Training your body to be faster, stronger and more agile will only take you so far. Remember that �sports are 90% mental�.
-Brian Irving