I feel like I need to write this, as so many of us allow ourselves to fall into an endless pit of doubt, and fear during our WODs.  Sometimes our minds are just not into the workout, which is fine,…

I feel like I need to write this, as so many of us allow ourselves to fall into an endless pit of doubt, and fear during our WODs.  Sometimes our minds are just not into the workout, which is fine, as work, relationships, family and even daily experiences throw us off.  This is not what I’m talking about however.  I’m referring to getting down on yourself during a workout, a skill session or a heavy lifting session. We all do it. We allow negative thoughts to creep in and take over, essentially paralyzing our performance.

The best athletes in the world all have one thing in common, MENTAL TOUGHNESS. They get through a tough game, practice or workout even on their worst days.  They are not satisfied with just OK.  They do not just show up and go through the motions.  As athletes, we need to strive to do the same.  I know, easier said than done, but here are a few helpful tips that may help.

 Choose a go-to word or phrase that will motivate you before and/or during a workout to prevent negative thinking.

This is so important, as it will be the catalyst for your positive self-talk.  Positive self talk has been used by sport psychologists for many years, and it truly works.  However, our society seems to have wired us to focus on the negative.  When you enter the gym, say your go-to word or phrase and start the workout off right.

Do this before, during and after your workout. The more you do this, the less space you’ll have to focus on the negative.  This needs to be a developed habit.  Here’s an example taken from CrossFit Lisbeth, which isn’t a gym but a blog that focuses on inspiring athletes:

“This bar is light.

  That’s what I tell myself every single time, no matter what the lift is, no matter how many plates are on the bar.

  This bar is light.

It can be a snatch, a thruster, a front squat, or a deadlift. There can be 85 lbs on it or 225 lbs. It can be a practice jerk with PVC pipe or it can be a 10lb PR on a 1RM back squat.

  Still, this bar is light.

  It might sound stupid. Okay, not “might” — it is stupid. But it works,

for me. Because if I approach that bar with the idea that the weight is heavy, then it will feel heavy. And my chances of making that lift go way down if my mind is weighed down.”

  Find your words, or phrase and start using them.

During longer and tougher workouts like “Hero WODs” our mind really becomes vulnerable to negative thoughts.  This is where we need to set small goals, celebrate them and chip away at the workout until it is done.  A trainer at CrossFit Redondo writes:

“Let’s say you are doing the “Lumberjack 20” which consists of seven 400m runs and seven difficult movements each with 20 repetitions. After finishing the first run and movement, instead of thinking “Oh Geez, I’m only 1/7 of the way done” think “I rocked that first round; I’m going to push it on this next run.”

Keeping with a positive attitude, don’t forget to smile.  Smile during a workout, when things hurt so bad and you think to yourself “this is ridiculous”. And especially smile at the end of your workout.  The fittest woman in the world, two years running, Annie Thorisdottir smiles during and after each workout, no matter how difficult it was.  She finishes her WOD with a big fist pump, and a smile.  She’s hurting like crazy, but she doesn’t focus on her pain, she focuses on her achievement.

In my opinion, becoming mentally tough is just like any other skill we learn in CrossFit.  Some may pick it up quicker than others but at the end of the day, we need to put in the time, use the techniques, be prepared and practice.  So go and work on finding you go-to word or phrase and come kill the next WOD.

 

Coach Sil